Time To Be A Jerk

By: Max McAllister “Pro Staff” and “Guide”

Fall has arrived and winter will not be long in coming to the northeast and the Susquehanna River basin. This is the time of year when the “Bronze Bombers” of the river begin to feed-up and put on weight for the long, cold coming winter. When the water temperatures hit the magical mid-40s and the leaves are all but gone from the trees. When the bass school-up and go on feeding binges not to be believed. It is also a GREAT time of year to boat that “Trophy of a life-time”!

When it comes to a TOP lure choice for this time of year… I have THREE picks… JERK BAIT… JERK BAIT… JERK BAIT! I actually fish this bait year-round, but it is especially effective in the fall. My favorite choices are the Smithwick “Rogue” and the Rebel “Minnow” lures, and the Lucky Craft “Pointer” minnow series.

I have a few simple guidelines for selection of size, color and retrieve technique. Bigger 5 and 6 inch sizes are better in the spring and fall… Smaller sizes in the 3 to 4 inch range are better in the early and later summer months. But BIG “Smallies” will happily eat a 6 inch “Jerk Bait” ANY time of year. Color selection is seasonal also. Bright colors are best in spring, when the egg thieving panfish are displaying bright colors. Chartreuse, yellow, or gold, combined with purple, red or blue, or any other bright combinations are best. In early summer top producing colors include combinations of a blue back and sides with a chrome bottom; black back with blue sides and chrome bottom; or a black back with chrome bottom. I think you get the picture? Always lures with a chrome bottom and combinations of blue, green, gold, black or purple on top. WHEN to fish these lures is ALL YEAR, but… And there is ALWAYS a BUT… the BETTER times are late spring, in April and May; and early too late fall in October and November.

There are two basic types of “Jerk Baits”… Floating and Suspending. “Floaters” fun just under the surface, usually about a foot or shallower. Suspending models vary in the depth that they run, depending on how they are weighted and their size. Get some that run 3, 5 and even 7 feet when retrieved. Determine the water depth that you are going to fish and select a “Jerk Bait” that will run about 3 to 5 feet off of the bottom… In clear water MORE… In stained water LESS.

The Number ONE rule in fishing a “Jerk Bait” is “Pausing” during the retrieve… And that means STOPPING… for a second or two! Cast the lure out and point your rod in the direction of the lure, keeping the rod tip down, near the surface of the water. SWEEP the rod tip about 3 to 5 feet and PAUSE the lure. Reel up the slack as you raise the rod tip and repeat the process. REMEMBER THAT 99% OF THE STRIKES WILL OCCUR WHILE THE LURE IS PAUSED!

Now let’s see?? If the fish usually hit the bait when it is paused, and I want to catch fish on a “Jerk Bait”… I have to STOP the lure… RIGHT?? WELL… Not ALL the time!

There is ALWAYS an exception to every rule! At times the bass want the floaters to be worked very fast… And at these times they will hit them on the run. Another exception is to gently “Twitch” the floater on the surface. You may have to use a twitch-pause; twitch-twitch-pause; or even a twitch-twitch-twitch-pause retrieve to get a response from the bass. Experiment with different retrieve speeds and cadence and remember EXACTLY what you were doing when you had a response and strike. THIS will be what the bass want on a particular day and under a particular set of weather and water conditions. Do what THEY want and not necessarily what YOU want!

When fishing a “Jerk Bait”, as in many other situations, “Longer is better”! I use a 6 ½ to 7 foot rod of light to medium action, and 8lb test line most of the time. For the bigger baits and/or when fishing in cover or over grass, I still prefer the 6 ½ to 7 foot length, but in a heavier action and with heavier line of 10lb to 12lb test or even 17lb test in extremely heavy cover where I expect to find larger fish. Don’t use line heavier than necessary, as the line weight will adversely affect the action of your lure.

Here is synopsis of a recent and typical “Jerk Bait” day on the river…

On a guide trip, October 19th of 2003, we fished the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, PA. On our first stop of the day we boated two fish on a “Jerk Bait” using the twitch-twitch-pause retrieve. We also boated fish on a Spinnerbait and on Cabin Creek “Critter Getter” tubes. But the “Jerk Bait” fish were bigger and better fish. So we continued to throw “Jerk Baits” almost exclusively, using the twitch-twitch-pause retrieve. This game plan worked well for about 5 hours… Then something changed, the fish seemed to no longer want our offerings, and our catch ratio fell of sharply. I moved to the back of the boat and fished behind my clients. I used basically the same retrieve as my clients, but with a much softer “twitch” and a longer “pause”. In just a few minutes, I landed two nice bass right behind them. I explained to them the subtle difference of my retrieve as compared to theirs. They could not believe that these slight differences allowed me to catch fish and them not. They continued with their same retrieve and I boated one more fish and missed one strike… Behind them! NOW they were more interested in the changes I had made, but still could not believe that my slight adjustment to the retrieve made so much difference in the results. One client caught on and boated three nice bass in ten minutes. The other struggled with the former retrieve cadence, but was won over by the success on the first client and myself.

On another trip, I was backing the boat down a long stretch of shoreline, giving the client first shot at all of the fishing. He was using the twitch-twitch-pause retrieve and I was using the long sweep-pause cadence. The client caught 14 fish to my 2.

Less than an hour later, the client wanted to drift the same stretch of shoreline. OK, I thought, it’s your charter! When I boated my sixth fish, to his one, he finally asked, “OK Max… What the heck is going on?” I asked him, “John… Aren’t you paying attention?” “I thought I was!” was his reply. I told him that the bass now wanted the sweep-pause retrieve. “NO WAY… Not THAT much of a change… Not THAT soon!” He responded. I convinced him to alter his presentation, and he began catching fish again.

It just goes to show you… When you are not catching fish, it doesn’t mean that the fish aren’t “biting”. It could mean that you are not giving them what THEY are looking for. I will agree that such subtle differences are hard to comprehend and even harder to understand, but HEY, I’m not a fish. I don’t question WHY, I just give them what they want. THAT’S why they call it “Fishing”!

Now go out an learn to fish a “Jerk Bait” and learn to ADJUST… Because the fish do, and quickly!

Good Fishin',

Max McAllister
Bass Fever Guide Service