Jerkbait retrieve shallow vs deep

[Munkin]

With all the jerkbait threads popping up I figured I would bring something up I don't see mentioned. retrieve. Now with the shallow divers I fish them just like you would think jerking them at a fast cadence. Now deep divers are a different animal to the point they are almost a separate category. Deep diving baits will blow out or roll if you are too aggressive. The way I fish the deeper baits is I will reel them down to depth and give them small jerks or just pull them forward a couple inches with the rod. What I have found is the colder clear water the method of just pulling them far outproduces actually jerking them. This is why I include a Shad Rap RS in my deep jerkbait category along with Staysees and DD Pointers. 

 

Allen

[A-Jay]

I use both regular/shallow & deep running jerkbaits.

My 'retrieve' or how I work the bait is the same.

I want to make the bait look like it's trying to get away, but not doing a very good job.

So it's a short pull/jerk, a pause, followed by a longer pull and another pause.

It's a cadence deal for me.

So in my mind, if a bass is following the bait, which they will do,

and I can stay consistent with my deal, she can actually 'time it" 

quite easily and get it.  Seems to really come into play very early season for me

when water temps are still in the low 40's and the biggest brown bass are chewing. 

I have used this with a very high level of effectiveness for a while now.

Never had a problem with deep baits blowing out or not running right.

(unless it needed to be tuned).

Might be a brand or model thing but like I said, I'm not dealing with that.

Finally, besides having quality hardware on Every Bait, and changing it often if there is a need,

the manner in which the bait is work, the force, if you will, I feel is a HUGE deal.

Since many of the bites come on a paused or still bait, the next time the bait is moved needs to be a hookset; as I might not get a second chance.

So Each & every time I move or work the bait, I am expecting to be setting the hook and use the appropriate force to do so.

Now when my gear is right, this IS NOT an exaggerated movement

and one might not even be able to detect that this is what I am doing.

But I most certainly am. 

This is what it looks like

https://youtu.be/o9xew3tWuuU?t=403

btw - wish someone would come out with a deep running jerkbait that casted well but was SILENT. 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

[papajoe222]

1 hour ago, Munkin said:

With all the jerkbait threads popping up I figured I would bring something up I don't see mentioned. retrieve. Now with the shallow divers I fish them just like you would think jerking them at a fast cadence.

For some reason, a fast cadence doesn't work for me. In fact, the opposite is true more times than not. The retrieve A-Jay was using at the start of his video is about the fastest I get results with and during the early spring, just after ice-out, I may let the bait sit for 20-30sec. between pulls. 

I've seen many videos of pros working a jerkbait super fast. I just haven't gotten that retrieve to work for me.

[padon]

1 hour ago, Munkin said:

With all the jerkbait threads popping up I figured I would bring something up I don't see mentioned. retrieve. Now with the shallow divers I fish them just like you would think jerking them at a fast cadence. Now deep divers are a different animal to the point they are almost a separate category. Deep diving baits will blow out or roll if you are too aggressive. The way I fish the deeper baits is I will reel them down to depth and give them small jerks or just pull them forward a couple inches with the rod. What I have found is the colder clear water the method of just pulling them far outproduces actually jerking them. This is why I include a Shad Rap RS in my deep jerkbait category along with Staysees and DD Pointers. 

 

Allen

same for me. ive found i dont need to hit the deeper baits near as hard to get a good darting action. more subtle and slower jerks seem to make the bait work better and get more strikes.

[Bird]

I use nothing but suspending Jerkbaits during cold water, short jerks....... very clear water here.

Aggressive top water during warmer months.

 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Having the patience to pause to let that bait work it's magic is the most important part for my method.  

 

A good large suspending jerkbait should have strong drawing power imo.   Thusly you should vary your pause times until you home in on the one that allows fish to come in, but not over analyze your bait.  

 

They hit for me right when I start that fresh jerk, but again I think the pause length played a larger role in getting the fish to strike then the cadence or strength of the jerk I make.   

 

In cold water, a baitfish if felt unthreatened would remain perfectly suspended to conserve energy......the mechanism by which a jerkbait is working, is that it's tricking the Bass into thinking it's been "discovered", and thusly darts frantically side to side to evade the predator....this in return triggers the ultimate reactionary strike that makes Jerkbaits so effective even on sluggish cold fish.  

 

I think giving that fish enough time to see it perfectly suspended and sitting still is integral to the process.    That's the process in which the most trial and error time should be used again imo.    Do they want it paused for 5 secs, how about 10 secs....do I have the patience to hold this thing for 20secs?  

[Munkin]

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I use both regular/shallow & deep running jerkbaits.

My 'retrieve' or how I work the bait is the same.

I want to make the bait look like it's trying to get away, but not doing a very good job.

So it's a short pull/jerk, a pause, followed by a longer pull and another pause.

It's a cadence deal for me.

So in my mind, if a bass is following the bait, which they will do,

and I can stay consistent with my deal, she can actually 'time it" 

quite easily and get it.  Seems to really come into play very early season for me

when water temps are still in the low 40's and the biggest brown bass are chewing. 

I have used this with a very high level of effectiveness for a while now.

Never had a problem with deep baits blowing out or not running right.

(unless it needed to be tuned).

Might be a brand or model thing but like I said, I'm not dealing with that.

Finally, besides having quality hardware on Every Bait, and changing it often if there is a need,

the manner in which the bait is work, the force, if you will, I feel is a HUGE deal.

Since many of the bites come on a paused or still bait, the next time the bait is moved needs to be a hookset; as I might not get a second chance.

So Each & every time I move or work the bait, I am expecting to be setting the hook and use the appropriate force to do so.

Now when my gear is right, this IS NOT an exaggerated movement

and one might not even be able to detect that this is what I am doing.

But I most certainly am. 

This is what it looks like

https://youtu.be/o9xew3tWuuU?t=403

btw - wish someone would come out with a deep running jerkbait that casted well but was SILENT. 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

 

What I see in that video is at the beginning of May next year you need me to come up and be your net man.

 

Allen

[Dwight Hottle]

I use DD jerk baits more than regular suspenders but I have never experienced them blowing out like you described. You did hit upon an important technique that has been very effective for me. I insert a sweep of the rod or slow pull forward after my typical short jerks of getting the bait to dance left & right. The sweep accounts for a lot of hookups. I think it triggers a following fish to commit because it appears the distressed bait is trying to get away. They either hit it while I’m pulling the bait forward or right afterwards. 

[gim]

14 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

I may let the bait sit for 20-30sec. between pulls. 

That is extremely difficult to do from a will power stand point.  About 10 seconds is all I can manage.

[Kirtley Howe]

6 hours ago, gimruis said:

That is extremely difficult to do from a will power stand point.  About 10 seconds is all I can manage.

I have experimented with waits as long a 1 min (timed on a watch...believe me it will seem like a LOT longer). I have found that for Smallmouth in cold (under 40F to as low as 33F) gin clear water the long wait can really pay off, if I can stand to do it.* Most times I just can't stand to wait that long.

In warmer or dirtier water, a shorter pause is often more effective for me.

*Also very effective for Rainbow Trout and Landlocked Salmon.