FOOTHILL RANCH, CA From time to time a new bait drops that can’t be easily pigeonholed, but works like witchcraft, nonetheless.

That’s what DAIWA has in their new 2025 LASER IMPACT® Switch Hitter™ 85S.


Its sleek but muscular 3 ¾-inch baitfish silhouette says jerkbait, aka twitchbait, but its effective range and locomotion shatter those categorical norms. “The LASER IMPACT Switch Hitter’s performance is something altogether new, and based on testing and feedback, something fish have been craving,” said DAIWA Field Marketing Manager, Chris Martin.

“We call it a ‘tail-sliding’ action,” Martin continued, referring to the lure’s amplified action. “You don’t have to work the Switch Hitter as rapidly, because as you twitch the bait, the tail inherently follows the direction of the head, but as it slows down, the tail moves naturally to the other side and readies to dart again.”

So that’s the twitch of it. But don’t dare categorize the LASER IMPACT Switch Hitter as a garden-variety floater or slow-sinker – it’s neither. “Purposefully, it falls faster than your average sinking twitchbait, which lends the opportunity to fish the Switch Hitter at a variety of depths,” said Martin. “It’s proven effective on west coast calico bass in over 20-feet as well as Gulf of America redfish and trout in less than 5-feet. The Switch Hitter is that versatile.”

Perfectly balanced, the LASER IMPACT Switch Hitter holds optimal position regardless of how deep you fish it. “It stays upright and stable while shimmying its way down,” noted Martin. “No cartwheeling or twisting.”

And that shimmying, that fluttering, is visually amplified with DAIWA’s landmark LASER IMPACT technology, which captures and rebroadcasts light like none other.

At the epicenter of LASER IMPACT are three-dimensional, pyramid-shaped polyhedrons embedded within the lure's body – a polyhedron is a three-dimensional geometric shape with flat faces, straight edges, and vertices. The assembly is engineered to reflect light in multiple directions, not just a single plane, creating a natural and highly realistic visual effect that closely resembles the flash and flicker of live baitfish.

The LASER IMPACT prism captures and reflects light in a full 360-degree pattern, too, making the bait visible from all directions, significantly increasing its drawing power over the two-dimensional foils found in most lures.

The combination of the pyramid-shaped polyhedrons and a built-in mirror reflector inside the lure results in intense, high-brightness flashes. These flashes can be seen from a distance and are also effective at attracting fish even in deep, shaded, and nighttime environments, as well as in stained and murky water. Even the slightest amount of light activates the LASER IMPACT prism.

More on techniques…

Balanced jigs, like the Rapala Jigging Rap, have been popularized for casting and aggressively snapping off the bottom to trigger walleyes, perch, and bottom-ranging bass. DAIWA’s LASER IMPACT Switch Hitter adds another dimension to the technique. “While a balanced jig will swing and hastily glide back to the bottom, the Switch Hitter, after a hearty snap, will flutter back to the bottom while holding its horizontal posture and kicking color and light everywhere,” explained Martin. “And, because it drops slower than a conventional balanced jig, fish have that extra second or two to strike.”

Snap jigging with a twitchbait? Now that’s pretty cool.

Casting power is another hallmark of the LASER IMPACT Switch Hitter. Its compact aerodynamic body and precision weighting combine to create a surface-to-sea missile. It casts fast and heavy and straight as a blow dart, no tumbling. The Switch Hitter also slices wind like an Aogami knife, making the athletic bait a prolific weapon for surf casters as well.

Quick sinking twitchbait
Rolling and tail-sliding action
LAZER IMPACT™ 360-degree reflective technology
Tough ABS body
BKK 3X treble hooks
LENGTH: 85mm/3.5in
WEIGHT: 2.3g/.72 oz.
DEPTH: 3’ to 20’
COLORS: EMERALD AYU, COTTON CANDY, BLUE PINK, SARDINE, MAX LAZER, and RED HEAD

MSRP $17.99

For DAIWA’s latest color catalog and/or information on DAIWA dealers in your area, call DAIWA’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: CSR@DAIWA.com. The URL for DAIWA’s web site is daiwa.us
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