Why big baits are becoming more popular

Targeted pike fishing with rubber baits beyond 20cm has been revolutionized in the last few years like never before. Moritz Schulz (Quantum Specialist) explains in the next few lines why that is and what goes with it.

Why big baits?

Many anglers still believe that smaller baits can be used to catch more pike. Of course, this always depends on the current conditions, the seasons, the water and much more. After many years of trying and testing, we have come to the conclusion that a big bait will produce the same number of pike and even a lot more big pike over a long period of time. In the meantime, it has become common practice to hunt the big pike lady in a targeted manner, because somehow each of us dreams of gigantic pikes.

Big pike have to consume a certain amount of energy every day. The bigger the pike, the more it has to eat. To hunt effectively, he will try to burn as little energy as possible. That is why the large prey is often preferred - rather eating one large fish than 5 small fish.

How to present the bait?

As with all other artificial baits, everything has to be adapted to the conditions with the large baits. Often, especially in winter, the slow, monotonous cranking is pretty much the most effective, now and then a gentle plucking with the rod and the bait has a calm, seductive run. In deep water you can make long, slow jumps over the bottom. To put it simply: lazing around with long jumps in slow motion. A low lead is helpful here.

In summer or generally in warm weather, exactly the opposite is the case. Weights of over 20g can be mounted in shallow water at a depth of one meter. The tour should now look fast and snappy. The whole thing looks similar in deep water, mostly the really big pike are now in the open water. Plucked, jerked, jigged or bitchy jigged - everything works. Give it a try and see what works best every single day. The most important thing must never be forgotten: "the bait must always run over the fish". vWhy? Very easily! The pike orients itself upwards (due to its physique), so our offered sacrifice is only perceived here in the best possible way.

What equipment?

Nothing works without a line and a leader. Lines of at least 9 kg are best. When buying, pay attention to the load capacity and worry less about the diameter of the cord - no manufacturer can specify the diameter exactly. This is because the braided fabric is always flattened when taking measurements. Manufacturers usually compare the braided line with mono and thus indicate the probable diameter. This is why the diameters indicated on the packaging often vary for different cords with the same load-bearing capacity.

For the leaders, I prefer hard mono or fluorocarbon with a thickness of at least 0,90mm. It is elastic and can withstand many pikes. In the event of damage, I can cut off a small piece and again squeeze or even knot my carabiner with a clamping sleeve. In shallow water it is a good idea to fish with a double hook system such as the Yolo Shad System. These systems can even be fished completely without lead.

If it should work in deep water from 5m, I prefer to use the traditional jig head with stinger.

The rod and reel should be able to cope with the demands so that there is still a buffer in the case of a really good fish. Which rod and reel it should be exactly is up to you.

Try it out and be successful.

Your Mori from Team Quantum