Jerk Baits

[Phil Lilley]

Polock - Ok when you guys say jerk bait I am thinking of soft plastic jerks that go all over the water when you jerk them... I fish these a lot on current river but never really used a hard jerk bait. What are some pointers on fishing them? Also are they the same is what you guys are calling stick baits. I do have a few of the stick baits.. I call ‘em minnows. I see they are starting to be productive. Are you guys catching them on a steady retrieve or do you pause? Jerk – jerk - pause type thing?

Also, what’s a rogue?

Wayne SW/MO - I think the ones that are most affective are those that suspend, Pointer, X Rap and Suspending Rogue come to mind. My technique is to test them first and check the rise when they are stopped. Make a short cast, reel them down hard and then stop and check the amount of time they take to rise a foot, the best ones will take a little time, between about 5 and 10. Sometimes its necessary to add a lead strip or dot to slow them down, this seems to be necessary more in Rogues then Pointers or Raps. You have to this anytime the water temps change, at least that’s my experience.

After you have a handle on how they will perform, cast them out, reel them down hard and stop. You can adjust the pause based on the knowledge you have of the time it takes to rise. I don't pause more than about a foot of rise and I hope this takes close a 10 count, the longer the better in cold water. The takes on them in cold water are sometimes more visible than through feel so you must watch the line closely for "tics". I also like to use braid because the lack of stretch improves the feel and the hookups, but another advantage is the fact that hard jerks don't dive very deep, and because braid floats, you get away from the sag that mono creates when it sinks.

Great cool water smallie bait.

Gary Lange - Here is a Rogue and this should explain what they are.

http://www.lurenet.com/catalog.aspx?catID=...atingSuperRogue

SKMO – I think on Table Rock jerk baits are considered hard minnow type lures that absolutely suspend motionless and horizontal when you quit reeling. Also called stick baits, twitch baits, glide baits, whatever. Wayne made a lot of good valid points. The only one I would disagree with is using braided line. I feel naked as a jaybird using braided line in the super-clear water that stickbaits excel in. Just my opinion of course. I rarely use braid on TR in any situation, but that's just me. 8# fluorocarbon is what the big stick bass caught that Babler was party to. I throw #10 fluorocarbon on a short medium baitcasting rod.

As Wayne said you often have to add a bit of weight, or flotation to the baits to get them to suspend just right according to water temperature. Weight is easy to figure out, but I add floatation when needed by using 3M closed cell foam tape, that double sided sticky stuff your kids hang pictures with that is a nightmare when you try to repaint a wall. (By the way this foam tape is the perfect stuff to get a jointed redfin to wake across the water but that is an entirely different topic).

As far as presentation the real pros at this have the patience to jerk it down and let it sit there for a Long Time in one spot. Gotta have confidence in your spot I guess. 10-15 seconds max is about all I can handle but some folks claim to let it sit there a minute or more. The colder the water the longer you need to let it sit. I never proclaimed to be a stickbait expert but I will assure you I have never hit one minute without doing Something especially when it is 34 degrees air temperature.

The Smithwick Rogue set the standard several years ago as a cold water presentation. Nowadays there are umpteen suspending stickbaits, most all of them excellent. Lots of Japanese ones out now. The custom ones are really slick, the local painters and modifiers put out real works of art, modifying rogues, pointers and others. One big advantage the customs offer is they seem to get them to run a little deeper, just a foot or 2 can make a difference.

Colors are all over the board on the sticks. Clown was the historic go to color and still works, For some reason purples and lavenders seem to work well in the winter. Natural shads, gold, some chartreuse. Color much less important than fishing the right spots, in MY opinion.

But don't let that discourage you from buying something off the shelf and tossing it. It'll work.

They used to have a "Rogue Tournament" (only allowed to fish Rogues) on TR sponsored by Smithwick and although there were not a lot of boats entered I know a guy who won it at least 3 times. Maybe they still have it. He's just a stickbait predator. I pumped him as hard as I dared for info and he always said "just throw it where the fish are".

How true of all of our pursuits for the bass-type fish.

Bittle - I have a few questions regarding this topic. The first is what type of rod is better for this type. I have medium heavy rod with braided line on it. Just wondering some preferences for this technique. Also I know rogues and the x-raps, and pointers come in different profiles. Is it true that the bass will hit a larger profile in warmer water or what is the determination of the size of the bait.

Bill Babler - Xnay on the line and for the most part most of us are fish medium light on the rod action. I use the same rod that I work a zara spook with. 6ft. fast tip, spongy middle and good backbone at the handle.

Reason for the Rod. The quick tip allows you to move or twitch the bait while maintaining it in the same location and not moving it toward the boat, just altering the head position of the bait in a back and forth movement.

Soft middle section is always what you want when using trebles as on the lift or hook set it will keep you from tearing the small hooks out. Same reason a lot of the pro's are still fishing glass rods on cranks. The butt section is self explanatory.

I an most of use stickbait freaks like the long handle. Everyone except Buster and he is a master. He uses a 5 1/2 glass rod with a pistol grip handle. He has two and if you tried to buy one it would cost your house.

He just flicks his wrist to alter the bait movement.

Line is pretty much set a huge secret is most stickbait fools, use 8 lb. either Max. or 8 lb. P. A few guys like SKMO use fluorocarbon, I will if I want the bait to sink slightly as the fluorocarbon will sink the bait. Most guys use mono because it will stay in the same position as the bait. I have had the flora. sink at a greater rate than a neutrally boyant stickbait, if I'm letting it set for long periods, and this is ok, unless I'm fishing cedar, where I don't want the bait to get hung-up.

It's all good with the line, but try and stay in the 8 to 10 lb. range if possible. If that bait is attached to a well rope you just won't get the action.

RSBreth - I remember reading my brothers copy of In-Fisherman back in the old days (late 80's) and seeing an article about "custom weighted" Rapalas for use in winter at Ozark lakes.

My brother tinkered with a few and being recently married, didn't get the chance to fish them, so little brother (me) got them. I tried them out on several local lakes where I caught bass crappie fishing in the winter. Man did they work!

So for several winters, I went out and caught fish all winter on these strange lures.

When production models came out on the market, I was first in line.

The doctored Rapalas were light so I used a 6'6" spinning rod and 8 lb. maxima.

These days I throw light jerks on a 7' fast action med/light spinning rod with 10 lb. test power pro or fireline. I tie a 8-10 ft. of Orvis Mirage or Rio fluorocarbon leader, 3x( about 9 lb. test) to the end of the superline. These fly tippet fluorocarbon are far stronger per diameter than Vanish or other brands meant for regular tackle. A 7' rod is too long for most guys, but I'm 6' tall and from the front deck of my boat this rod is just an inch or so front the water when I point in down where I like to work it.

I like spinning tackle because I'm a puss and wear gloves, but I can also throw a Rogue a long way with this setup.

By the way, my favorite new bait, works like a Rogue, casts like an X-Rap:

http://www.xcaliburtackle.com/stick.asp

Ham - I've been interested in this technique for quite awhile. It really doesn't get cold enough or rather stay cold enough for me to have a TR like situation occur. I have some questions regarding how weather relates to trying the suspended jerk bait. .

Do ya'll prefer cloudy days over a bluebird day ?

Do ya'll want some wind more than no wind?

What weather conditions would make ya'll forget about even trying it if water temp and time of year were right?

Bill Babler - For the most part we are wanting wind and most differently sunshine. Water temp is not really a factor and the fish will eat the bait in extremely cold water as long as it tries to increase a few degrees throughout the day.

For example SK and I threw the bait for 6 hrs. today and only had one fish on a very cloudy flat smooth day. During this past week in the sun and wind, everyone was having them eat the bait. When we started today the air was 27 and the water 43.7. When we stopped the misery, the air was 38 and the water 42.1 flat on breeze. We had a horrible day. Hope others did better.

We did devote about 90minutes to walleye, but they didn't like us either.

If we would have had the least amount of wind and a slightly warming surface temp. they would have bit, regardless of the water temperature.

SKMO - When the water is cold (below 50) I like sun. And I always like some wind, anytime on this lake unless it gets so windy I cannot fish deep (35'+) spots when that is what I am wanting to do.

Seems like cloudy days would be good but if it is flat calm it can be a bugger.

I would definitely disagree with Bill on our fishing foray today. He indicated we had little to no success.

I would have to disagree with him on this, and I would have said: "All the bites I had were very light. So light as to be undetectable".

I must have had 20-30 bites today but I never felt a one of them!