Keitech Easy Shiner 4.5″

The Keitech Easy Shiner 4.5″ is a specialized size in the Easy Shiner lineup, engineered in Japan to provide a slightly fuller profile than the 4″ model while maintaining the signature, ultra-soft swimming action that Keitech is world-famous for. Written by Gerry’s Fishing, this description highlights how the 4.5″ provides that “extra bite” of volume that often makes the difference when targeting larger zander or pike that are ignoring smaller, standard-sized lures.

Detailed Specifications

• Model: Keitech Easy Shiner 4.5″

• Length: 4.5 inches (Approx. 11.4 cm)

• Weight: $\sim 5.2 \text{ grams}$ (Approx. 0.18 oz)

• Lure Type: Medium-profile soft swimbait

• Material: Custom ultra-soft, salted PVC plastics matrix

• Scent Infusion: Heavily loaded with Keitech’s legendary, potent Natural Squid Scent

• Packaging: Secure, rigid plastic blister tray packs (ensures the tail remains perfectly aligned for true-tracking action)

• Quantity: 6 baits per pack

• Rigging Channels: Integrated centerline hook guide on the back and belly for optimal alignment

Key Features & Design Performance

• The “Goldilocks” Volume: The 4.5″ size is specifically designed to offer a slightly deeper body profile than the 4″. This extra volume displaces more water, creating a more pronounced pressure wave that helps predators track the bait in deeper, darker, or slightly stained water.

• High-Frequency “Easy” Tail: Despite the slight increase in body size, the tail remains perfectly tuned. It kicks with a tight, high-frequency “thump” that mimics the heartbeat-like swimming rhythm of a distressed baitfish. It is incredibly sensitive and responds to the lightest rod tip twitch or slowest retrieve.

• Salt-Weighted Stability: As with all Easy Shiners, the belly is impregnated with dense salt. This provides the necessary ballast to keep the lure tracking straight and true. The 4.5″ model sits deep in the water column with a perfect horizontal posture, making it ideal for targeting fish suspended just off the riverbed.

• Hydrodynamic Ribbing: The micro-ribbed body doesn’t just look realistic—it traps air to create a faint bubble trail and increases the surface area for the squid scent to leach into the water, ensuring that even if a fish misses on the first strike, the scent trail often keeps them interested for a follow-up.

Examples of Where to Use It

• River Zander Fishing: When zander are feeding on slightly larger prey items like juvenile bream or dace, the 4.5″ Easy Shiner is the perfect match. Rigged on a 7g–12g jig head, it is lethal for working deep river channels.

• Targeting “Big-Average” Pike: The 4.5″ is the perfect size for “all-day” pike fishing. It is large enough to attract trophy pike, but not so heavy that it wears you out after hundreds of casts, making it an excellent search bait for sprawling reservoirs or canals.

• Clear-Water “Suspended” Perch: For those massive specimen perch that hover in the mid-water column, the 4.5″ model’s ability to “glide” on a slow retrieve is unmatched. It looks less like a lure and more like a real, swimming fish.

Pro Tip

The “Glide-and-Settle” Retrieve: When fishing the 4.5″ Easy Shiner, try to incorporate a “glide” into your retrieve. Instead of just winding, lift the rod tip sharply to make the lure jump, then immediately lower the tip to give it slack. The lure will “glide” forward on its own momentum before settling. This change in speed and trajectory is often what triggers the most aggressive strikes from zander that have been tracking your bait but haven’t yet committed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ideal hook size for the 4.5″ Easy Shiner?

We recommend using a #3/0 or #4/0 wide-gape offset hook for weedless rigging, or a #3/0 or #4/0 heavy-wire jig head. The 4.5″ body has enough length and thickness to keep these hook sizes hidden yet responsive, ensuring clean hooksets on every strike.

How does this differ from the 4″ Easy Shiner?

The 4″ is your go-to “finesse-plus” bait for high-pressure situations where the fish are picky. The 4.5″ is a “power” bait; it’s designed to be noticed. Use the 4″ when the fish are tentative, and switch to the 4.5″ when you want to draw strikes from larger, more aggressive predators or when the water clarity is low.

Do I need to be careful with rigging?

Yes. Because the plastic is ultra-soft to facilitate the swimming action, it is more susceptible to tearing than stiffer plastics. Take an extra second to center your hook correctly using the belly channel. If you do this, you will get significantly more fish per lure, and the action will be perfectly balanced every single time.