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Fall 2018
from jerkbaits. It’s a presentation that’s hard to beat as the water temps drop 5- to 10-degrees.
LURE CHOICE: Matching the hatch is more important with these baits as I have had most of the strikes come on the pause. It seems the fish get a better look at the bait on the pause and then hit it. It might be more of a confidence builder than anything; but, natural patterns seem to perform best.
TARGETS: For hard-to-beat locations, points are high percentage areas that will be home to both smallmouth and largemouth bass.
Add in a channel swing, or some sort of current, and you’re sure to set the hook on some nice fish this time of year with your typical jerk-jerk-pause cadence.
GEAR TIPS
RODS: As with all presentations, it helps to have a dedicated rod and reel for each technique; but let’s face it, not everyone has the means to do so. All of these techniques can work with composite or glass rods.
Each has pros and cons to the materials used in the rod making process; but, one technique may out fish the others on a given day. Trying them all is something I would recommend narrowing down the bite.
LINE: As a firm believer in
fluorocarbon, I fish with Seaguar’s InvizX.
I opt for 12-pound-test with squarebills, lipless crankbaits and jerkbaits successfully without having to change the entire setup.
REELS: When it comes to gear ratios, I don’t have a preference on them anymore as I’m constantly changing up my retrieves.
Most medium-heavy setups will be just fine; so, eliminate the tackle junky mindset and hit the water with these three lures and you’ll most likely reap the rewards of relying on reaction baits. •
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