I'm not going to (re)apologize for the "big lure big fish" philosophy, but rather share with you my analysis and the reasoning behind my decision to fish big on the opening day. By "bigbait" I mean lures of at least 20 cm or over 50 grams. These are substantial lures that require special equipment. Because of their volume, these lures will displace large quantities of water and have a strong presence. The vibrations are strong and the visual stimuli pronounced. Before the big day, be sure to check your braid and reels, which are particularly hard hit when casting these heavy lures. Here are 5 reasons why I think bigbait fishing is particularly appropriate for the opening.
1/ Pikes have reproduced
The pikes have just come out of the spawning season and need to regain their health.
Breeding is always a trying time, requiring you to expend a great deal of energy in parallel with a reduced diet.
They won't necessarily favor a particular type of prey, and will be fairly casual.
Our fish will be active if the water temperature rises, and larger lures won't put them off - on the contrary. All feeding opportunities are seized! Pike will be receptive to strong lures, emitting multiple stimuli and will not hesitate to attack big bites.
Chances are, between two lures passing within range, the pike will attack the bigger one! This can make all the difference to other anglers, especially in areas frequented by many enthusiasts at opening time.
Furthermore, if you take this reasoning to its logical conclusion, i.e. to target fish that are weakened, I invite and encourage you to release your fish quickly and in the best possible conditions so as not to tire these pikes too much.
2/ White fish spawn
White fish such as roach, chub, bream, carp... will spawn or are already spawning, gathering together and lowering their guard.
They are prime prey, weakened and distracted, for pike, which never stray far from whitefish gatherings.
These mature broodstock cyprinids are big mouthfuls, so you'll need a lure at least as big.
Small lures won't interest pike! Imitative, nonchalant swimbaits are an interesting card to play in May around gatherings of whites.
You can also use strong visual signals to make your lure stand out in the midst of sometimes large gatherings of whitefish.
Pike, who don't necessarily know where to look, are bound to notice the presence of your lure. This makes jerkaits interesting.
3/ Pike are less wary
It's the opening, an event where we all want to "let off steam" and catch a nice fish!
Knowing that at this time of year, even small pike respond to large lures, I'm not going to deprive myself of selecting a minimum of the prettiest specimens by proposing a bigbait!
I know that the risk of ending up empty-handed is still less present and I won't hesitate to risk concentrating solely on the search for beautiful fish. What's more, the biological rest period and the drop in fishing pressure over the last few months means that educated carnivores are less difficult to decide on, with post-reproduction "hunger" helping.
Big baits with powerful vibrations won't put them off. The playful side of bigbait fishing also makes the opening more attractive, with even the most novice angler able to make the most of it.
4/ Targeting the right species
In addition to pike, bigbait fishing can also be used to lure record-breaking perch. These are also coming out of their winter breeding period and are particularly active.
This will also enable me to focus my fishing on almost exclusively stalking pike and avoid, or at least minimize, the risk of catching a black-bass or pike-perch on a nest, even if the latter are sometimes so aggressive that they attack large or even very large lures.
I select the minimum size and species required.
Even if a big pike-perch or a pike with a small mesh won't be afraid of attacking a 20 cm lure, a big pike will be interested in the bite I offer. The reverse is unlikely and a small lure will not interest the target species.
5/ Few seagrass beds
Today, the possibilities for bigbait fishing are vast. You can prospect with hard lures (swimbaits and jerbaits) or insist on soft lures.
More than ever before, the market has seen the democratization of screw rigs and the use of two-triple armament.
The weedbeds have not yet grown back and the use of two trebles is not a hindrance. The often open areas are ideal for your bigbait, which will stand out from afar and have a good chance of being intercepted.
Bigbait fishing is no longer a "specimen hunter" approach: it has also become more technical, covering a wide range of issues.
So, for this opening, the number of bigbaiting solutions has never been greater.
So that's my analysis, I wish you all a good opening, remember to charge the battery of your cameras for beautiful memories and release with maximum caution your carnivores!
