Hi Chaps
When you are jigging often the gentlest takes are from the biggest fish, I remember chatting about dropped runs to my Dutch friends, they were of the opinion that instant strike rigs were the way to go!
While fishing dead bait I always use an instant strike rig, I don't let them run at all.
In my opinion you should forget everything about fishing for Pike when you are after Zander, Zander are a predator, and that is just about the only similarity, they are as different to fish for as say, Carp are to Pike, you can catch both on the same rig by accident, but it is an accident!
One of my bigger UK Pike was 27lb 10oz, hooked in the scissors on a home made boilie meant for Carp, I normally would not fish for Pike with my Carp gear, and I don't fish for Zander with my Pike gear either;- Rods, Reels, the rigs, floats, lures are all different, the only method that crosses the divide between the two species is The Fireball and we use that with gear capable of catching very large Zander or Pike!
To fish for Zander you need a deft touch and you need to be on them instantly, we have gotten too used to sitting back, brain in neutral and letting buzzers tell us what is going on, with Zander it is more like touch ledgering, to be successful you need to be switched on and fishing, not sitting back and waiting!
Tight Lines