Ocea Plugger Nylon Leader

This leader achieves the absolute essential qualities of "strength" and "abrasion resistance" at a high level, making it the perfect leader for those once-in-a-lifetime encounters with giant fish.

Generally, increasing linear strength and abrasion resistance results in a very stiff leader. Stiff leaders have disadvantages such as being difficult to tie knots with, poor guide release during casting, and being prone to coiling. The Ocea Plugger Nylon Leader has been created by thoroughly reviewing everything from material selection and processing methods to surface treatment, resulting in a leader that is soft yet possesses both strength and abrasion resistance. Furthermore, by suppressing water absorption, a weakness of nylon leaders, the decrease in strength due to continuous use has also been reduced.

Nylon leaders have the advantage of absorbing the shock during a fight with a fish due to their moderate stretch, reducing the risk of sudden breakage or losing the fish. On the other hand, the "stretch" also means that it absorbs the force that penetrates the fish when it bites and the hook sets.

During the development of the Ocea Plugger LTD nylon leader, the hooking power of instructor Kenzaburo Fukui was measured. Based on that data, the goal was to create a leader that "doesn't stretch during hooking, but stretches appropriately when a stronger force is applied, and can withstand the force to its limit."

We focused on making it difficult for fish to see, and adopted a pure clear color that pursues transparency.

When using a nylon leader for casting, if it's too stiff, it won't conform well to the spool, resulting in poor line release through the guides during casting and reduced casting distance. Furthermore, it becomes more difficult to assemble the line system. In colder regions and seasons, the leader becomes even stiffer, further reducing usability. On the other hand, a leader that's too soft stretches excessively, resulting in poor recovery and making it harder to reel in fish. While high tensile strength and abrasion resistance are important, a leader isn't considered good if it doesn't also offer a comfortable feel.

Up until now, Shimano's nylon leaders have been strong, but to be honest, their stiffness, softness, and feel didn't suit me. Then I was asked to help develop a new nylon leader for handling large fish. I conveyed my requirements: a leader that was softer than the conventional one, stretched moderately while still having good resilience, was less prone to kinking, passed through guides smoothly, and was easy to tie knots with, while also maintaining the strength of the conventional product. After numerous sample creations and field tests, the ideal nylon leader was finally completed. It feels just right—the stiffness is to my liking, there are no problems during casting, it passes through guides smoothly, and it's easy to tie knots. Furthermore, it feels incredibly resilient during a fight. It maintains the same linear strength and abrasion resistance as the conventional model, and there's minimal loss of strength at the knot when tying knots. Ultimately, I caught a 250kg bluefin tuna with this leader, confirming its strength is more than sufficient. The lineup ranges from 90lb to 250lb, making it ideal for various casting games targeting large fish. We encourage you to experience the strength and performance of this leader for yourself.