Discover Shimano’s innovative “SCALE BOOST,” which gives your lure a lifelike shine that attracts even the most cautious fish. By combining hundreds of scales with varying sizes, brightness, angles, and reflections, it creates an irresistible lure that no fish can resist.
Several techniques are employed to replicate fish scales in lure surface treatments. These include paint, plating, aluminum foil, and silver foil, all of which produce a natural shine. Hologram sheets are also utilised to amplify the lure's fish-attracting power.
However, traditional holograms fell short in realism, as they relied on repetitive lens patterns that failed to mimic the complexity of actual fish scales.
Shimano’s “SCALE BOOST” incorporates a composite pitch hologram on lures, enhanced through advanced virtual hologram technology inspired by the scales of live fish.
Unlike standard lens holograms, which feature a single circular pattern, SCALE BOOST integrates hundreds of scale patterns with varying designs, sizes, brightness, angles, and reflective qualities. This creates an incredibly realistic reflection, with natural light flashing in all directions, effectively attracting even the most wary fish.
N (Natural) Former name: Kyorin (Crazy Scales)
A (Appeal) Former name: Kyorin (Intense Scales)
T (Transparent) Former name: Torin (Transparent Scales)
S(Small)
ST(Small Transparent)“SCALE BOOST” utilises five distinct patterns, each with unique reflective properties tailored to enhance the specific lure.
The Natural Pattern is designed to authentically replicate real fish scales, with each individual scale shining independently to enhance realism. This proprietary hologram bursts with life, capturing the natural allure of a swimming fish.
The Appeal pattern builds upon the concept established by the Natural Pattern. This hologram features larger scales, creating a more pronounced presence while seamlessly blending realism with captivating appeal.
The Transparent pattern expands on the concept of the Appeal Pattern. This hologram features distinct scales that shimmer, become transparent, and almost vanish, creating a lifelike quality that irresistibly attracts fish. These holograms are primarily utilised in OCEA plugs, large lures, and jigs.
The Small pattern takes a contrasting approach to the Appeal Pattern employing advanced technology to minimise scale size and evoke a dazzling sense of life and sparkle. This hologram enhances the allure of each individual scale, enticing fish and stimulating their appetite through a captivating blend of realism and charm.
The Small Transparent features a pattern of “Transparent Small Scales” that combines elements from both the Small and the Transparent patterns. This hologram exudes a natural yet enigmatic allure, shimmering with a captivating glow produced by a blend of fine reflections and transmitted light. These holograms are primarily used in bass and trout lures, as well as small jigs.
“SCALE BOOST” utilises five distinct patterns, each with unique reflective properties tailored to enhance the specific lure.
N (Natural) Former name: Kyorin (Crazy Scales)
The Natural Pattern is designed to authentically replicate real fish scales, with each individual scale shining independently to enhance realism. This proprietary hologram bursts with life, capturing the natural allure of a swimming fish.
A (Appeal) Former name: Kyorin (Intense Scales)
The Appeal pattern builds upon the concept established by the Natural Pattern. This hologram features larger scales, creating a more pronounced presence while seamlessly blending realism with captivating appeal.
T (Transparent) Former name: Torin (Transparent Scales)
The Transparent pattern expands on the concept of the Appeal Pattern. This hologram features distinct scales that shimmer, become transparent, and almost vanish, creating a lifelike quality that irresistibly attracts fish. These holograms are primarily utilised in OCEA plugs, large lures, and jigs.
S(Small)
The Small pattern takes a contrasting approach to the Appeal Pattern employing advanced technology to minimise scale size and evoke a dazzling sense of life and sparkle. This hologram enhances the allure of each individual scale, enticing fish and stimulating their appetite through a captivating blend of realism and charm.
ST(Small Transparent)
The Small Transparent features a pattern of “Transparent Small Scales” that combines elements from both the Small and the Transparent patterns. This hologram exudes a natural yet enigmatic allure, shimmering with a captivating glow produced by a blend of fine reflections and transmitted light. These holograms are primarily used in bass and trout lures, as well as small jigs.
The design of the Natural hologram originated from a detailed sketch of live sardine scales, aiming for ultimate realism. Actual scales were collected from a sardine and enlarged for accuracy. The outline of the initial sketch was digitised and overlaid onto an enlarged photograph of the sardine, ensuring precise scale spacing. Shimano’s innovative Natural hologram was then developed using advanced technology to make each scale shimmer brilliantly.
When you acquire a lure featuring the Natural hologram, be sure to dip it in the water and observe its stunning shine. You'll witness the lure sparkle as if it were alive, captivating any fish nearby.
The design of the Natural hologram originated from a detailed sketch of live sardine scales, aiming for ultimate realism. Actual scales were collected from a sardine and enlarged for accuracy. The outline of the initial sketch was digitised and overlaid onto an enlarged photograph of the sardine, ensuring precise scale spacing. Shimano’s innovative Natural hologram was then developed using advanced technology to make each scale shimmer brilliantly.
When you acquire a lure featuring the Natural hologram, be sure to dip it in the water and observe its stunning shine. You'll witness the lure sparkle as if it were alive, captivating any fish nearby.
Natural Pettern
Appeal PatternWith the introduction of the “Natural pattern,” there has been a surge in demand for holograms that strikingly combine natural authenticity with intense allure to attract more fish. In response, Shimano began developing a new hologram focused on this theme of intensity. The scale sizes were specifically adjusted to mimic the scales of young konoshiro gizzard shad, young gray mullet, and Japanese crucian carp, enhancing the lure's appeal.
To maximise the hologram effect and enhance the lure's captivating appeal, advanced technology has been employed to meticulously treat each individual scale. This allows each scale to shine independently, contributing to a highly realistic appearance. The vibrant shimmer of each scale amplifies the lure's overall attractiveness.
The outcome is the Appeal pattern hologram, an enhanced version of the Natural pattern designed for maximum attraction. The combination of lifelike scales with intense flashing ability creates an unparalleled power to catch fish, ensuring a truly exceptional fishing experience.
With the introduction of the “Natural pattern,” there has been a surge in demand for holograms that strikingly combine natural authenticity with intense allure to attract more fish. In response, Shimano began developing a new hologram focused on this theme of intensity. The scale sizes were specifically adjusted to mimic the scales of young konoshiro gizzard shad, young gray mullet, and Japanese crucian carp, enhancing the lure's appeal.
To maximise the hologram effect and enhance the lure's captivating appeal, advanced technology has been employed to meticulously treat each individual scale. This allows each scale to shine independently, contributing to a highly realistic appearance. The vibrant shimmer of each scale amplifies the lure's overall attractiveness.
Appeal Pattern
The outcome is the Appeal pattern hologram, an enhanced version of the Natural pattern designed for maximum attraction. The combination of lifelike scales with intense flashing ability creates an unparalleled power to catch fish, ensuring a truly exceptional fishing experience.
Many anglers prefer clear colours for bass fishing in clear lakes, offshore plugging where enticing fish with small baits can be challenging, and for sea bass fishing where a slow-floating drift proves effective.
The Natural and Appeal designs ensure that each scale operates independently, mimicking the movement of real baitfish. As a result, every scale continuously reflects light, enhancing their appeal and presence in the water.
Conversely, the “Transparent” design is built on a distinct concept. Utilising transparent film material, some scales reflect light while others remain transparent, depending on the angle of illumination. Observing sardine scales reveals that their subtle colors nearly blend into the surrounding water, serving as a natural defense mechanism against predators.
This lure is designed to seamlessly blend into the underwater environment of a fishing spot, emitting a gentle shimmer that attracts fish while gracefully disappearing like a real baitfish. The Transparent captures this vision, leveraging the cutting-edge technology developed for the Natural hologram.
When the Transparent pattern is layered over FLASH BOOST, the internal reflective plate within the lure vibrates and flickers during pauses, creating an enchanting effect. The Transparent pattern interacts with light, shimmering in rainbow hues or remaining subtle, depending on the angle of illumination. This gives the lure a lifelike quality, mimicking a baitfish that hides underwater while still reflecting light delicately through the movement of its fins and gills, resulting in a more natural appeal.
As the popularity of the “N,” “A,” and “T” designs surged, demand for “Small Scales” grew not only among freshwater anglers but also among saltwater enthusiasts.
However, creating “Small Scales” poses significant technical challenges. Shrinking the Natural design is more complex than enlarging it, as its unique pattern with various scales requires advanced technology to produce a functional hologram, rather than just resizing a standard pattern.
Shimano concentrated on the scales of cherry salmon and Japanese bitterling. Despite their larger bodies, trout possess small scales, demonstrating that bigger fish don’t always have larger scales. However, a hologram featuring only small scales lacks the appeal needed to attract fish as a lure.
In contrast, the scales of the Japanese bitterling, measuring less than 5 cm, shine with an intensity that belies their small size. This was notably different from the Cherry Salmon, and it provided the key insight for developing “Small Scales.” By enhancing the appeal of each small scale and creatively integrating them into a unique pattern arrangement, like that of the Natural Pattern, we achieve a sense of realism and allure that changes with the angle of observation. This is the essence of “Small Scales.”
It proves to be especially effective for small lures in addition to standard plugs. Shimano has also successfully developed “Transparent Small Scales.” Lures featuring “Small Scales” combine the lifelike realism of baitfish with the enticing allure of plugs.
As the popularity of the “N,” “A,” and “T” designs surged, demand for “Small Scales” grew not only among freshwater anglers but also among saltwater enthusiasts.
However, creating “Small Scales” poses significant technical challenges. Shrinking the Natural design is more complex than enlarging it, as its unique pattern with various scales requires advanced technology to produce a functional hologram, rather than just resizing a standard pattern.
Shimano concentrated on the scales of cherry salmon and Japanese bitterling. Despite their larger bodies, trout possess small scales, demonstrating that bigger fish don’t always have larger scales. However, a hologram featuring only small scales lacks the appeal needed to attract fish as a lure.
In contrast, the scales of the Japanese bitterling, measuring less than 5 cm, shine with an intensity that belies their small size. This was notably different from the Cherry Salmon, and it provided the key insight for developing “Small Scales.” By enhancing the appeal of each small scale and creatively integrating them into a unique pattern arrangement, like that of the Natural Pattern, we achieve a sense of realism and allure that changes with the angle of observation. This is the essence of “Small Scales.”
It proves to be especially effective for small lures in addition to standard plugs. Shimano has also successfully developed “Transparent Small Scales.” Lures featuring “Small Scales” combine the lifelike realism of baitfish with the enticing allure of plugs.
“SCALE BOOST" meticulously replicates fish scales, emitting a lifelike glow that triggers the instincts of fish. This authentic texture is particularly effective at close range, serving as the ultimate factor that persuades fish to bite."
By employing a variety of hologram sizes and transparencies, you can significantly increase your chances of landing more bites.
When lure fishing, short pauses between actions, like jerks or twitches, can often attract fish and entice strikes.
Introducing "FLASH BOOST," designed to leverage those critical short pauses to attract more fish. A reflective plate, suspended inside the lure by a spring, continues to reflect light even when the lure is motionless, drawing fish in effortlessly.
Shimano's “JET BOOST” features a revolutionary center of gravity shifting mechanism that ensures stable long casts and quick starts for the lure. This innovative technology empowers anglers to achieve impressive casting distances and catch fish effectively, regardless of their skill level.
Shimano's innovative technology, ARMABOOST, significantly enhances the casting distance and accuracy of larger baits that were once thought to have limited range.
The lure folds mid-air like an armadillo, significantly enhancing casting distance and providing precision control. With ARMABOOST, anglers can cast larger baits farther with accuracy, allowing for the recreation of natural fish movements in the water.
Shimano's reel design concept aims for “eternally smooth reeling.” The result is HAGANE. Shimano honed its proprietary metal processing technologies with precision cold-forging technology and refined them over many years to develop reels that only Shimano could deliver.