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Testing new jigs
These releases were made on the occasion of tests of the latest 2026 jigs arriving or about to arrive on the shelves of your favorite retailers. The first launch of these new Egi jigs took place on November 08. The weather was fine. No wind, blue skies, high coefficients, 18°C at midday and turbid water.
For the occasion, given the tidal current, I fitted my float with the STG EVO steppe well motor. Easier to pull up the daggerboards or to fish under the kayak. On the Egi side, I planned to test the Egi Duel EZ-Q® Dartmaster Rattle. As the water is murky and green, I've fitted the green one. Traditional tataki setup, with my ultra-floating calmero on top. Animation a little more energetic than with the other jigs. In fact, it's fitted with noisy beads that sound like a school of shrimp.
And it works, at least I think it does. The two other anglers who were with me clearly saw the difference in the number of catches, and this was repeated on the second day. Some nice tubes will be seduced, but very few cuttlefish, which is fine with me, as they tend to dirty the kayak more than squid when they come out of the water.
Winter has arrived
The second day is November 18, and the weather is not at all the same. We had to dig out our winter clothes, with 6°C at daybreak and 10°C at the "hottest" part of the day. Technical skin suit over the torso, LongJohn 3mm special kayak wetsuit, long-sleeved technical liner over the top. Extremities covered by mittens for the hands, thermal socks and neoprene booties on top. That's for the thermal barrier. For the waterproof barrier, water-repellent pants and a waterproof watch jacket with wrist and neck cuffs, made by NRS for all clothing.
Covered up, it's comfortable and efficient, but it's important to take clothes dedicated to the practice to be at ease during the session, especially as for this session the kayak is equipped with steppe. This second session follows on from the first.
Same setup, but as the water is clearer, I changed the color of the jigs to orange. Here again, the squid are very present. No big ones like on the first day, but plenty of them, around twenty in less than three hours of fishing, with a few doubles. And three cuttlefish that didn't get into the kayak. I redid my decoration and stuck an imitation wood decoration in the kayak. I show it in the attached video. I managed not to make a single ink stain during this session, quite a feat...
Most of the fishing took place after the tide turned, in 15 to 20 meters of water. Many were hooked on the floating calmero, attracted, no doubt, by the sound of the beads, but interested in the smaller jig, doubtless more in tune with the prey of the moment. I therefore validate the effectiveness of this boat/kayak set-up. It should be noted that these jigs can be used from the shore, in which case they should be animated energetically with big jerks, letting it sink to the desired depth, jerking, pausing, jerking, pausing, it's often during the pauses that the attack occurs...
The next sessions will see the testing of other models, some of which I have in reserve. Of course, these outings ended, as usual and despite the cold, with a picnic on the riverbank.
