It's prime to throw a jerkbait, and while everyone knows they work great when the water is cold, there may be a few things you can do to get more bites this winter, according to Bridgford Foods pro Randy Blaukat. The longtime tournament angler and popular YouTube personality has been throwing jerkbaits for many years and has learned a few things about getting the most out of them. The main mistakes he sees other anglers make when fishing cold-water jerkbaits are not having the right rod and line and not adjusting their cadence enough to match the conditions.
Choosing the Right Jerkbait
Before getting into the mistakes some anglers make, deciding on the right jerkbait is essential. Blaukat has been with Megabass for decades, helping with the design process of the famed Vision Oneten in the late 90s. He still uses that bait but employs several others based on the conditions.
"We started on the prototypes for the Oneten in 1998, and I had my first ones the next year, and interestingly, it's probably the one I use the least now," he said. "I like the Oneten Jr. +1, the X-Series, the Megabass X-70 and X-80, and the Nanahan. They make about a dozen different types that I use depending on the situation."
For colors, the Bridgford pro breaks them down into three categories. "You have the flat matte finishes, which I like in low-light conditions," he began. Then you have the shiny metallic finishes, which are great for windy conditions, and then you have the translucent colors for clear water and high-intensity sunny days. That's how I look at the baits in terms of colors."
Mistake #1 – The Wrong Rod
Blaukat goes against the grain with this but believes spinning tackle is the way to go. He has his reasons, primarily to increase casting distance.
"Some jerkbaits are really light and will cast like a potato chip, so spinning gear simply allows you to make a longer cast," he said. "A longer cast is critical with any jerkbait to get the bait deeper. Plus, you can use lighter fluorocarbon line on spinning, which also helps the bait go deeper."
Blaukat uses the Megabass Whipsnake or Addermine, both 6-foot, 11-inch, and says they can easily cast a bait 25 percent further than casting gear, which he believes helps him catch more fish.
"With light line and a longer cast, you can get your bait down three to four feet deeper, extending your cast," he said. "On top of that, spinning tackle allows you to manipulate your bait better with different actions. It's also much better for fighting fish because they are more forgiving when using baits with small hooks."
Mistake #2 – Using Line That’s Too Heavy
In addition to getting the bait down further, Blaukat says a light line gives your bait more action. Instead of the 10 or 12-pound test many anglers use, Blaukat uses line half that size.
"In the wintertime, I typically use a 4 or 6-pound test because, like I said, it's all about depth attainment," he said. "The lighter line allows you to get subtle action from your bait that you can't get with heavier line. I think most anglers use 10 or 12-pound test and call it good, but I believe they are severely limiting themselves regarding potential depth and the type of action you can get from a bait."
Blaukat prefers Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon, an entire reel full and not a braid to a fluorocarbon leader. "In a clear water, open water environment, I use 4-pound test," he said. "But for most situations, I use 6-pound because it can handle the bigger ones. Very rarely, if I'm dealing with off-colored water, I'll go up to an 8-pound test, but that's the absolute heaviest I'll ever use."
Mistake #3 – Not Adjusting Cadence Enough
A standard 'jerk, jerk, pause' works to catch fish, but Blaukat mixes in several other techniques based on the fish's mood. He's also looking to keep the bait in the "sweet spot" as long as possible.
"On a cast, there is a 'sweet spot' where most of the big fish bite, which is the maximum depth your bait reaches," he said. "About 25 percent of your cast is the bait on its way down, then 25 to 30 percent is the 'sweet spot' before it starts to come back up to you. That section before it ascends is where most of the big fish bite, and you have to determine the mood and personality of the fish to see how they want the bait to move to get them to bite."
When the bait is in the correct zone, Blaukat will use several little tricks. "Sometimes I'll just twitch my rod slightly, or sometimes I'll slowly pull the bait," he said. "Other times, I'll give it a straight reel, and others, I'll give it a more aggressive jerking action when it's in that sweet spot. It all depends on the mood of the fish, which is determined by weather patterns and clarity, temperature, and more. The key is to experiment until you see what the fish prefer that day."
Bridgford pro Randy Blaukat is a wealth of information for all things bass fishing, and his decades of experience at the top level have taught him to pay attention to the minor details. It's how he approaches everything in fishing, but with jerkbaits, these minor adjustments can lead to more bites in cold water situations.
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