I’ll start out by casting out far as possible, crank the lure down to my desired depth and begin the action. I usually start with 3 very hard, quick, short snaps of the rod tip while holding the rod tip almost straight down at the waters surface, making the lure jump from side to side 3 times, followed by a pause varying from a few seconds to as long as I can stand it, even up to a full minute or more. If nothing happens, I'll repeat the process again, only this time once the pause is done, I'll "shake" the lure in its place with very little, if any, forward movement, this usually triggers a strike...now read that again, and again. Fish sometimes want it slow, and at other times just the opposite is needed and a quicker pace brings home the bacon. Hits come differently as the days are, with some - and most on my waters - coming during the pause, or the slight beginning of motion (like that shake we talked about). Trial and error each day will soon teach you what works and what doesn't, so pay close attention out there, it will save you much treasured time. Remember exactly what you were doing on that first hit of the day, so a repeat is easy. Learning the suspending jerk bait is not a quick process; it’s a journey of learning and time out there.
Time to feel. Jerk baits are as much a "feel" bait as any to me, maybe more. You have to really concentrate on what your bait is doing at all times. Keeping a taught line on the pause of the retrieve is a must. With this, at times you can feel a fish rush your lure before he even hits it as he pushes water to his prey, this is a dead give away to an oncoming bite and it takes time to learn. Bites range from a sideward movement of line all the way up to a bone-crashing, rod ripping, smash pounding, lose your rod hit that no one could ever mistake. Feel is most important to me, it tells me what my lure is doing and what’s around it. If you become in "tune" with your lure (actually being the lure), you can feel the slight weight of a blade of grass resting on your lure, now that’s FEEL! And that’s what your concentration, learning and time will eventually provide you with. The rewards are untold.
Working this bait is work! If you're doing it properly and fishing any length of time, you will be a worn out puppy. It’s not a system for everyone. Some anglers come in tune with the suspending jerk bait very easily; others never get the hang of how well it really works. Its not an easy days fishing, by far....and if that’s what you're looking for, stay away from jerk baits.
No need to go spend a fortune on high dollar baits until you know for sure this program is for you.
There’s a lot of suspending jerks out there on the market today. I've fished and tinkered with most. The best performing ones I have found right out of the box are some of the newer, expensive Japanese baits. Lucky Craft Pointers and Flash Minnows, Team Daiwa TD Minnows, Mega Bass, and Owner Rip N Minnow, just to name a few. They are high priced lures, but they are high in performance also, and have became my favorite tools of the trade. I do alter a few of these critters, some I upgrade hooks on with Excalibur Rotating being my favorite. Most I at least sharpen, and then finally there’s the rear treble hook. The rear treble on all suspending jerk baits is most important...from the factory they are lacking in something that can really improve your catch ratio: marabou feathers and flashaboo.
The rear hook should be removed from the lure and have either marabou or flashaboo or a combination of marabou and flashaboo added to the rear treble only. This is a simple process that can be done at home, or purchased from many retail outlets. Here's how I do it.
Take some red sewing thread (stolen from your wife!), some white Marabou from the fly shop, some Flashaboo if you like, and some of your wife’s clear fingernail polish (she will love that, too!).
