Mikado

Mikado Fishunter and Saira are popular jigs especially for zander, pike, and perch fishing, but they serve slightly different purposes:

• Mikado Fishunter: a classic wide-tailed fish jig, which works best for perch, zander, and pike, especially when strong action and a clear silhouette are needed. It works excellently in both still and flowing water.
• Mikado Saira: a long and slender jig with a forked tail, designed especially for vertical jigging and drop shot techniques, but also works with a light jig head for casting. An excellent choice for precise zander fishing and passive fish.

Both jig models are effective year-round, but particularly good in cold water, when fish respond best to naturally moving lures.

Choosing the right jig head depends on three main factors: fishing depth, amount of current, and jig size. Fishunter is available in different sizes (3.5 cm – 10.5 cm), and the right jig head supports its swimming and ensures hooking.

• 3.5-5 cm Fishunter: jig head 4-7g, hook size #1-1/0. Add weight for very deep waters.
• 7–10 cm Fishunter: jig head 5–10 g, hook size #2/0–#4/0. Add weight according to depth.

Avoid hooks that are too short – the body of the Fishunter is soft, and a properly centered hook ensures both good swimming and hooking.

The Mikado Saira is a long, thin, and very lively jig that works best with light and inconspicuous rigging. Here are three effective rigging methods:

• Vertical jigging: use a narrow vertical jig head or a traditional light jig head (3–10 g), hook size #1–#1/0.
• Drop shot rig: thread the Saira horizontally onto the hook through the middle of the body – works excellently for passive perch and zander.
• Offset rig: use an offset hook when fishing in dense vegetation or near structures. You can weight the jig with a bullet weight in Texas or Carolina rig style. Hook size #1–#2/0 depending on the jig's length.

The Saira responds very sensitively to small twitches, so do not overload it with a too heavy jig head – this will make the swimming lifeless. Even a small hook weight is enough to attract the attention of fish.