At 30.5 centimetres long, the Jointed Claw 303 R Shaku One belongs to the giant baits category, capable of deciding the biggest pikes.
All you need to do is recover it slowly at a constant speed, with a few pauses thrown in for good measure.
Its S-shaped stroke is even more accentuated than that of the smaller models, verging on perfection. It is both discreet, because it doesn't make any noise, and imposing because of its very wide amplitude combined with the size of this Shaku One. It's a lure that's all about visual appeal, and in this case, it's a real eye-catcher!
The S he draws is so big, he doesn't make many of them with each throw, but it's this feature that makes him annoying to predators.
The construction is very solid. It comes with two perfectly matched treble hooks, which I replaced with a single 6/0 in the front and a 5/0 in the back.
This is a question of practicality and ethics, although given the lure's width, keeping triples seems to be the best choice in terms of minimizing misses.
The soft tail at the end of this lure is wide and hard, so it stands up well over time. A spare tail is also included in the box, which is very welcome.
The choice of colors remains limited and doesn't seem to grow from year to year, unlike the 178 and 230 versions which benefit from a choice of colors ideal for freshwater fishing in Europe.
In a way, this is understandable, because with a lure priced at ?233, quantities sold can't be high and it wouldn't be profitable to develop special colors to sell only a few copies.
In any case, of the choices on offer, color 04 seems to me to be the most appropriate. It's bright and close to white, and its neon yellow back offers good visibility when the lure is underwater.
Use
In France, the Jointed Claw 303 R Shaku One is clearly designed to fish for pike, especially large specimens. Abroad, it's worth taking it along to fish for musky, a fish similar to pike, which can be fished with large lures and on which glide baits work well.
In Asia, it is renowned for fishing for barramundi and black bass.
My opinion
Fishing with giant baits is no longer a secret, it really gets the big fish moving and increases the probability of hitting them.
The Jointed Claw 303 R Shaku One is probably one of the best glide bait references of its size.
Its swimming action is excellent and its density means that it can be brought back very slowly and paused for long periods without the lure rising too quickly to the surface.
If you like the Jointed Claw in its 178 or 230 versions, you'll love this 303 version, which does the same thing, in extremes!
Jointed Claw 303 R Shaku One
- Brand: Gan Craft
- Length: 30.5 centimetres
- Weight: 263 grams
- Type: Glide bait
- Density: Slow floating
- Swimming depth: 60 centimetres
- Price: ?233
- Distributor France : Ultimate Fishing
