Fall 2021
® When you design a bait to win the Classic AND THEN YOU DO!
& H T a H nk E S C T h U e N r N r A y
By Tyler Brinks
page 64
I
t’s not too often that an angler can help design a
bait and then use that bait to win the Bassmaster
Classic. But that’s exactly what Hank Cherry did this year as his soon-to-be-released Berkley Stunna jerkbait
played a role in his second, consecutive Classic win.
STUNNA THROUGH THE SEASONS
For Cherry, a jerkbait is a year-round lure that he is always fishing, unlike many who just pick them up early in the year. Proof of this was its use in his summertime Classic win this June. Depending on the season, Cherry will fish his jerkbait much differently, but it is something that he has tied on his rods all year long.
“A jerkbait will always work as long as the fish are feeding on baitfish,” he said. “I really like them during the warmer months when everyone else is throwing crankbaits and other baits because they don’t see them as much.”
One thing he will do is vary his retrieve based on the water temperature. “In warm water, I am ripping it constantly,” said Cherry. “When the weather is hot, I am not worried about pausing the bait.”
As temperatures drop, he starts to mix in pauses with the bait at varying frequencies. “It might be two twitches and a pause,” he said. “I’ll play with it throughout the season and mix in tighter rod twitches or a longer pause. It is just something that you have to constantly be experimenting with until you find the right cadence for the day.”