Keep your ear to the water!

Everybody knows that winter fishing is synonymous with vertical jigging for zander. Of course it’s a technique that can be used all year round; and vertical jigging with soft plastic lures can be one thrill after another in constant anticipation that the fish is taking the bait – or not! Suffice it to say that zander are not your average sort of fish. A most fussy eater, Herr Zander is wont to pick at his food, tag along half-heartedly or even brush past the lure at the bottom. To work the lure just above the bottom and pick up the slightest touch transferred by the line, you’ll need a blank with vibration, real good vibration.

gros sandre en verticale spinning sur un bateau

Accuracy and vibration

Vertical jigging for zander calls for a tip-top blank at a comfortable length of 1.8–2 m with a suitably sensitive action and graphite modulus. There’s no two ways about it, you need a blank that’s built for speed. We chose three blanks that set the standard for this specific technique, two of which are the popular Rainshadow IMMWS62MX and IMMWS68MXF. Rounding off our selection is the NFC SSH637-1 X-Ray with its ability to work heavier lures in rising waters and its exceptional vibration. All three blanks are made of high-modulus graphite to keep the angler fully apprised of what’s going on below and boast an extra-fast action to set the hook in a flash. They pick up the faintest vibration, as anyone who remembers their first bite with an IMMWS62MX or a 68MXF can readily attest.

  1. Rainshadow IMMWS62MX : 1.88m extra-fast 5–15g. Perfect for jig head up to 17g. 
  2. Rainshadow IMMWS68MXF : 2.03 m extra-fast 7-35 g. Perfect for jig head between 17 and 35g. 
  3. North Fork Composites SSH637-1 X-Ray : 1m90, 30-70g. This blank was designed for vertical pelagic zander fishing with jig head up to 30g. 

IMMWS 62 MX Blank

6.2" (1.87m), 5-15g  

Sensitivity
Ability to fish in the sonar signal cone
Lure animation precision
Réserve de puissance
Operating range
Lightness
136,85 € Inkl. MwSt.
IMMWS 68 MXF Blank

2.03m  7-35gr

Sensitivity
Ability to fish in the sonar signal cone
Lure animation precision
Réserve de puissance
Lightness
166,50 € Inkl. MwSt.
SSH637-1 X-RAY Blank

6.3" (1m90), 30-70gr

Sensitivity
Ability to fish in the sonar signal cone
Lure animation precision
Réserve de puissance
Lightness
247,50 € Inkl. MwSt.