Eclipse Full Flow 120F Review: A Mid-Water Minnow for Lunker Seabass and the Surf

There are more seabass minnows in a Japanese tackle shop than anyone could ever fish. If you want one that specialises in the mid-water – the layer under the surface chop where big seabass often sit – the Eclipse Full Flow 120F is one I keep coming back to. It was built for lunker seabass and for hirasuzuki (the blackfin seabass of rocky coasts), but its distance in wind makes it just as useful on a surf beach.

What it is

A 120 mm, 18.5 g floating minnow designed to swim at 60-100 cm – deeper than a typical shallow-runner, shallower than a sinking lure. That band is where it stays, even in rough water.

Three things that make it work

1. Distance from a fixed tail weight

Most long-cast minnows use a moving weight that slides back for the cast. The Full Flow uses a fixed weight in the tail. It flies straight and is very little affected by headwind or crosswind, and with a pendulum cast it reaches distances at the top of its class.

2. An action built from roll and wobble

The action is designed at roughly 70 percent roll, 30 percent wobble. The roll throws flashes of light; the wobble adds an irregular kick that triggers bites. Slow it down and it still swims; let it drift in current and it keeps working on its own.

3. Hooks for big fish

It comes with Gamakatsu SP-MH #3 trebles out of the box – strong enough for the large pre-spawn seabass of autumn and winter, and for hirasuzuki in the rocks.

How it fished for me

• It casts in the wind. On a beach, that alone earns it a place in the box.
• It does not rise. Because it was designed to stay mid-water, it holds its depth even when you change retrieve speed – right up to your feet. On a shallow, gently sloping beach, that means you fish the whole retrieve instead of skating the last third across the surface.
• It works without input. A straight retrieve is enough. In strong current, a drift is just as effective.

How to fish it

1. Straight retrieve at a slow to medium pace – the default.
2. Vary the speed to find what the fish want; it stays in its depth band either way.
3. Drift it in river mouths and current seams: cast up-current, take up slack, and let the flow swim it.

That last method is the same one that works for the autumn sweetfish run – see Japanese seabass in autumn.

Colours

Twelve colours, which fall into three groups:

• Naturals – realistic sprat (kibinago) and sardine patterns, for clear water and pressured fish.
• Flash – full chrome and mirror finishes for sunny days and searching.
• Attractors – chartreuse pearl, glow and bright orange for stained water and low light.

Where it fits

Verdict

The Full Flow 120F is not flashy, but it solves a specific problem very well: keeping a minnow in the mid-water, at distance, in wind. Put one in the rotation for lunker seabass and hirasuzuki – and do not be surprised when a flounder takes it on the beach.

For a rod to throw it, the Daiwa 24 Lateo in the 10′-10’6″ lengths is a good match.

Read next

• Japanese seabass in autumn: the bait month by month
• Shimano Silent Assassin and Shallow Assassin guide
• Daiwa 24 Lateo review
• How to read a surf beach
• Five lures for Japanese flounder from the beach

MINAGIMAN

JAPAN ANGLER

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Born in 1994. Originally from Hyogo Prefecture, I moved to Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture in search of the sea. I am an Enshunada surf angler who enjoys surf fishing. I am also active on YouTube, and my fishing grounds range from Irago to Iwata.