Jerk baits and river smallies...

[Lunker]

So Teddy I assume you have your bowl of Special K with you so I will post up a few questions first before anyone else jumps on.

Which jerk baits do you prefer - soft plastic or hard bais when fishing for winter smallies. Whats the retrieve like since its cold?

What can we apply to other rivers for fishing winter smallies that you apply to the Susq. River in PA?

[teddycarr]

Hey Lunker no Special K tonight I just devoured a plate of Caribou tenderloin; boys I had no idea that tundra moss eating beast tasted so good. I see a future trip to Quebec coming soon!

Didn't mean to confuse you about the jerkbaits and smallies or imply I use them for winter smallies. However I do use soft jerkbaits like the YUM Houdini shad in either watermelon or green pumpkin; occasionally I'll throw a pearl one. I'll employ these on late spring or summer trips to the Susky or the upper James.

Hard Jerkbaits are one of my favorite lures to fish and one that I have a lot of confidence in. For the sake of clarification I'm talking about the models that run 4 to 5-feet deep. I get started on Anna, Buggs, Tidal Potomac and Gaston when the water temp. hits at least 45-degress and stay with them up until just before the major spawn with the exception being the Tidal Potomac there I stay with them all year. The bass at the Potomac stay somewhat shallow making them very target rich for jerbaits. Its not that you can't use a jerbait on Anna after the spawn but you would have to use one of the models that runs deeper like the Smithwick Rogue that has that big lip on the front of it. That lure also works well during the winter months when the bass are holding in 12 to 15-foot of water. During that time I think other presentations work better. But on the river it is probably the most under used lure out there and I take full advantage of that.

My theroies on this lure are simple; first, it's eratic behavior when retrieved in a jerk, jerk, pause cadence makes it a very good reaction bite type lure (I'm a big subscriber to the reaction bite concept thus I'm a power fisherman) the pause appeals to both aggressive and negative moods of the fish. When the water temps are cooler an extended pause will induce a bass with a low metabolisim rate to feel confident that it can catch it's quarry. The eratic behavior looks very enticing but if a sluggish bass thinks it's going to have to work for it often times they'll balk. So measure the rate of retrieve accordingly. There is also no set rule as to how many jerks you can use versus the pauses. Often early on I'll use one long jerk and then pause, paly with it till you find out what the fish like. It is also very versatile I use it over stumps, rock piles, grass edges, etc. But my favorite setting is on the Potomac in the summer working it over submerged eel grass man they come out of that grass and slam that baby.

My Favorite ones would be; even when I was with other sponsors I would keep a small selection of Smithwick Rogues on hand. But over the years hands down I think the Bomber Long A has proved itself at least to me to be the all around best. However I was really impressed with the new X-Calibur baits last year and will have them on the front line this year. I prefer the 4.5 size but will not hesitate to drop down to the 3-inch size as the fishing pressure builds. My favorite colors for Anna, and Gaston are black/silver and clown for the Pamunkey part of the lake, for Buggs it's Clown and black/silver, and the Potomac I prefer chartruse/black back or firetiger.

I'll check in tomorrow night and touch on some smallie techniques and the lures we use. If you have any questions on the jerkbaits just let me know.

[Lunker]

Hey Teddy great discussion. I also like the Bombers. I will have to get out and give it a try once the temps get back up. Is there a specific type of cover or structure or depth you are targeting when the water temps are in the mid to high 40's?

[lakerdan]

Teddy do you use the clown color in the Pamunkey section because of the water clarity?

[gregt]

ok... information overload!!! Teddy you need to write a book on bass fishing. This was a great piece of information. Just going to take a while to set in and stop dreaming of 8lb bass on jerk baits!

[teddycarr]

Lunker: I'm targeting a lot of points both primary and secondary during this time. Working a water depth ranging from 4 to 10-foot of water. So position your boat accordingly. As for cover if it's mid-lake it's primarily submerged stumps, rocks, shale, or clay. Up in the Pamunkey it's clay, rocks, shale, isolated stump cluters and old fence lines. In the North Anna it pretty much the same but throw in the waterwillow grass.

Lakerdan: Yes that water that looks like coffee that only got a half a scoop of cream is taylor made for the clown color, the Pamunkey very closely resembles the water color of Buggs.

Gregt: I know what you mean man can you just feel that big Gootchie Mama Sow load up on that rod on the pause then you set the hook and all you get is drag slippage....."Oh for the love of fish slime"!!

Thanks for the complements boys but I'm very particular about the info I put out there I want it to be perfect (My wife thinks I have a problem that i need to talk to Doctor) and sometimes/most times that causes me to get long winded.

tc

[Striper]

Alright Teddy - I got a few to try this coming season...

[teddycarr]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Brian my guide Eric Peterson is going to have a heartattack when he sees that bottom X-Calibur. He's going to swear that I slipped that color to you privately

As for the smallies the winter pattern that I fish on the Susky will apply to the our rivers down here. I have approached the James in the same way and have done very well. By far my favorite lure would be a green pumpkin YUM mega tube. There are 4-parts to an eddy the head which is at the shallow part of the structute or obstruction causing the eddy. Then there is the tail which is the area where the eddy ends. The eddy itself that contains the still pool. Then there is the nitty-gritty part the area I called the seam or the curtain. That is the area where the still water meets the current. This is where you will find the most active bass they stage along the still water foraging on what the current washes in to them. I concentrate that tube right along the seam first then I hit the still water, the head of the hole seams to work earlier and the tail works better as the season progresses. Work shoreline eddies early and as the water warms work the one out in the middle. The water along the bank warms before the water out in the middle.



Case in point my son caught this one from Rapidan.

[Striper]

Actualy I had some spending money in a paypal account and got those lures from sleezebay but I am excited to try that one - one reason why I bought it. Now I know I have the magic color.

On the tubes is it typically a slow presentation when its really cold - letting the current work the bait with a slight jigging acttion?

[teddycarr]

Yeah that's the deal with the tubes. Make sure you keep the slack up and if it feels like a perch peck set the hook immediately the winter bite is really lite.

[Striper]

Ok for those looking for some of these baits at a very good price click on this link - but they arent going to last lakeannastriper.proboards83.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=specials&thread=1171308068&page=1