Rip
Baits Combine Subtle Action With Power For Success
Rippin’
Through The Delta 2006
We’ve
all heard it, the West’s Top Angler’s throwing suspending
jerkbaits.
I must say suspening jerkbaits
are one of most demanding lures we fish. Its strength is its ability
to attract fish that aren’t necessarily feeding and to cause
the fish to strike when it did not intend to. When fished properly
it’s deadly, when the lure is not presented properly, for
the moment, it will not produce. The lure and presentation that
worked last week may not work today. Figuring out the proper lure
and presentation at any point in time is the challenge.
So
what makes Ripbaits so unique?
What
is it about it that can drive fish wild? The ability to make a
lifeless piece of plastic replicate that attraction and response
is what jerkbait fishing is all about. Basically, topwater type
presentation below the surface.
Yes,
that’s right when working these baits properly knowing when
to pause them just dance them there will draw you vicious strikes
from both Blacks and Stripers. One Delta Ole Timer regularly works
a plain chrome blue broken back Rebel with success on Stripers
and big blacks on occasion.
Jerkbaits
work best in clear water they’re great in the lakes too
as the water temperature drops. Although they have rattles and
send out pressure waves, they rely on visibility as the primary
attraction, in the Delta bright colors do come into play a lot
throughout the year.
What
makes a good jerkbait?
Because
this is such a visual lure, realism, size, color and contrast
are very important. Ultra detail may only play in the clearest
water. Most of the time, the bait is viewed from below so a silhouette
against the sky is what the fish sees. Most pro’s will tell
you, the color of the back and sides of the lure are less important
than the belly. Most jerkbaits
have either a white or orange/red belly’s. I suspect the
contrast of these colors against the sky is what dictates the
color choice of the moment. White/Opaque bellies seems to work
most of the time but I try to fish both when looking for the right
combination of the day.
What
most prefer is a bait that suspends motionless in a head-down
attitude. I loose confidence in a lure if it float or sinks during
the pauses. Some baits sold as suspending bait simply do not suspend.
Some can be modified; some I just won’t buy again.
Before
I fish any new bait I look at its characteristics in cold water
in the pool. I understand it will react differently with fishing
line attached, but I feel I can predict how the bait will perform.
If the lure tends to float, like the Rogue try upsizing the front
hook usually corrects the problem. The draw back of larger hooks
is they can tangle each other, the line, or in some cases the
body of the lure. All of these tradeoffs must be considered when
modifying a lure. A word of warning. Any change in the weighting
of the lure will effect the natural swimming action of the bait.
From my experimentation, adding enough weight to change a floating
lure to suspending lure will totally kill the built-in action.
My recommendation is buy the baits that require the least tinkering.
They cost more up front but the pay-off can be huge!
I
like several different baits and each has its own strengths. New
bait to me lately is the Specialty
Tackle Z-Wave . Z-Wave
Deep Diver features a round nose that thickens quickly in
the mid-section and a narrow tail section. In addition to the
unique body design, the
Z-Wave features the Active Ballast System with three different
positions; the casting mode, the diving/swimming mode, and suspending
mode. This weight transfer allows the bait to give the best performance
in each mode without interfering with other functions. This innovation
allows the Z-Wave
to be a top performer in it’s class. The Z-Wave
dives about 9-12 feet on 12 pound test line.
If
I want a slow retrieve with extended pauses (3 or more seconds)
I opt for a Lucky
Craft Pointer 78 or 100. For colors I like aurora black and
ghost minnow. Two things that I prefer in a bait are weight transfer
systems like those in the X-110 or Pointer 100 and a bait with
three trebles. Transfer systems allow for longer casts, and I
believe having the extra treble lands more bass especially when
fishing for smallies, as they tend to slash at the bait.
When
and where do these lures work the best?
In
general the jerkbait work best during the cold-water periods,
late fall, winter and early spring. Suspending baits run in the
3-5 foot range they work best over medium depth water. Places
like the faces or downstream side of rock points or shoals. Riprap
and/or bank protection on the main channel are good choices. Vegetation
on channel edges and current breaks around points also are good
place to look. Wood may not be the best choice because of hang-ups,
but worth buying a good lure retriever.
What
lure presentations work best?
There
are two basic retrieves. The first is a pull-pause where the natural
swimming action of the lure is the attraction. In this retrieve
the rod tip is swept ahead, the lure is paused, then slack is
taken up and the process is repeated. If you learn from this article
remember this. The lure must remain motionless during the pause!
The most common mistake I see anglers make is they want to stay
in contact with the lure so they wind down which usually causes
the lure to move. The pause must be fished on slack line! The
pull-pause is the easiest retrieve and I find it works best in
the coldest water and for largemouth bass. The pull-pause is the
only retrieve I use for long-bill, deep-diving baits Like the
Z-Wave.
The Z-Wave
body design gives the a completely different swimming action compared
to baits with thicker tail sections since the smaller cross section
moves easily through the water for a faster wobble
The
second presentation works best for active fish and Stripers. It’s
the jerk-jerk-pause retrieve. It’s not easy and may take
time to develop rhythm. The rhythm of the retrieve may change
but the mechanics are the same. The trick to this retrieve is
you must jerk slack line, in the delta this is 17 lb P-line CXX.
I find that this retrieve is easiest with the rod tip pointed
at the water. Jerk the line and immediately pop the tip back toward
the lure. Depending on how far you want moving the lure you may,
or may not need to reel up slack with each sequence. If I want
to keep the lure in one location I will make three short jerks
and the pause before I reel up the slack. If I’m covering
water its jerk-reel-jerk etc. Again, I have to stress the importance
of not moving the bait during the pause. That means fishing slack
line will draw the strikes.
Both
retrieves require experimentation. Vary the rhythm , change the
CD you’re listening too. The length of pause and how fast
you move the lure till the fish let you know what they want.
Suspending
jerkbaits
are a very wide ranging lures. I wish I could tell you start here
and this will work for you. The truth is no one lure, color, retrieve
or location works all of the time. It’s a lure that requires
time to learn to fish it properly. You need to develop “confidence”
lures, retrieves and delivery systems. You need to be open-minded
and experiment continually. The fish can be very selective as
the temperatures drop so let them tell you what they want. Spend
some time with these lures and eventually you will be rewarded!
Enjoy!
Dan
Mathisen
FishDelta.com
- All Species, All Delta
The
Ultimate Resource For California Delta Fishing
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