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| alright guys here goes,
i need some instruction on suicks and other jerkbaits; burts? sledges? ive read the suick packages and think i can fish them fairly well but must be doing something wrong... any help would be much appreciated for this 3 yr hunter. |
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| Suicks...medium pull, twitch, pause...
Undertaker..Whatever suits you. Gentle pull..twitch, jerk-repeat
Reef Hawg--Pull-twitch-pull-stop-- repeat
Jerko--Pull,stop, twitch, stop-repeat
At least, this is how I like to make them dance. |
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| Not that this helps much, but I think the best way to perfect the way a lure works is: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and more PRACTICE. I was never good at working jerkbaits the first year I fished with them, but I kept putting them on and now I can work the baits pretty good. I'm even modifying the suicks to run the way I want them.
I liked the way Steve gave you instructions because I don't have a clue what to tell you as far as that goes, just keep practicing and you'll get it down.
BrettC |
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| If you have the option, hit a very clear lake early in the season. Cast the bait out a short distance and try different types of retrieves. Watch the action and dial in on those things you think make it look more edible. There are many ways any Jerkbait can be worked, to me its more a matter of feel and confidence.
I think Brett is on target, it takes some time to get used to them. Two years ago I started fishing Jerkbaits because of all I had read about them. At first I hated them because I never thought the action was right. After a while I started gaining confidence in them, then I nailed three fish in about an hour and lost a fourth. Now I go for the Jerkbait first and look to bucks and cranks second.
Dave |
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| I think this is a very valid question but hard to answer on the internet. I think that many jerkbaits have a best retrieve which results in more strikes per cast than other retrieves. I have seen people tie on 5-6 different jerks and use 1 retrieve. I don't think that 1 retrieve covers several different jerks very well, ie burt, suick, reef hawg, tek neek, bobbie, bdg, all very different baits, and all I feel lend themselves to different "best retrieves".
Another thing to remember is that alot of jerkbaits are wood and sometimes they are not balanced correctly, or the eye is in the wrong position, or hooks not correct and they simply will not work very well. This is an area where you can really help yourself by going to seminars, musky inc. meetings and fishing with various partners so that you can get a demonstration from a "specialist", someone very fond of a certain bait. They will invariably have found the best retrieve for that bait and will probably be able to identify whether or not your baits are working correctly or are dogs from the start.
You could probably even get fisherman coming off the lake or getting on to demonstrate certain baits for you, just act polite and lost, its amazing what other fisherman are willing to share.
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| I have found that your never going to figure out just what your baits really can do if you first try to figure them out while your actully muskie fishing.The time to try out baits is now . go to the nearest open water and just start chucking out some casts and doing diffrent things with every cast. Your not going to wasting your fishing time so your more apt to fiddle around a little more rather than sticking it back in the box and reaching for a no brainer bucktail to run ! Don't forget to put a pair of pliers in your back pocket to adjust line ties and tail fins . And try reeling down for a few feet first with the more boyant baits like the sledge and never stop reeling while your jerking your bait .
THE FERD |
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| So how did you work a Sledge again? |
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| Hiya,
Personally, I don't think there is such a thing as a 'correct' retrieve. There can also be just about an infinite variety of ways to work the same baits, all of which will probably work at one time or another. Case in point: I work Suicks pretty slowly - almost a steady retrieve with the occasional pull or variation in speed. At times I just cast them out and slowly wind them in. A friend of mine works suicks faster then a lot of people fish bucktails, and just about tears his arms out of the socket jerking them - they dart all over the place. Same bait, radically different styles, and both catch fish under different conditions.
Two things to think about I guess:
1. Each bait type or style (and with wood baits, often each individual bait even of the same type) has a range of capabilities in terms of speed, how aggressively they can be worked, ability to come through cover, etc. You just have to get to know them and figure them out. Only way to do that is to spend time 'getting to know them' so to speak.
2. Fish don't read the backs of bait packages. They don't know how baits are 'supposed to work.' If a bait suits the conditions at hand (running depth, cover, speed, etc., which you should learn as you go - see #1..) then 'using the bait right' is nothing more than working the bait in a way that gives you enough confidence to keep throwing it. It'll get hit.
Cheers,
RK |
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| Couldn't agree more with RK. I have seen some great sticks fishing baits radically different than I do, and all of them catch more fish than me!
That said, I have a Sledge rigged at all times while I'm fishing. I have one rod/reel combo specifically for them. I have found that it takes a pretty stout rod to keep even the wtd versions down where I like them, but if you over-jerk the rod then the bait does a rather unattractive (to me anyway) "spin out". I have found with my favorite Sledge, the 6" wtd Perch version, that short taps of 1' or less with my 7'6" HVY action rod creates the rythmic down-left, down-right movement that is most effective for me. I often throw in a few out of sync jerks to throw in that special mojo move. I fish my Bobbies and Wades the same way.
Hope this helps. |
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| thanks guys, i know you gotta just do it! but the helpful hints on different tactics are great! |
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| The best way to get the retrieves just right is to build an in ground lap pool for practicing of your casts and retrieves. It should be approximately 100'long by 10' wide by 5' deep.
Another option is to rent the trailer/aquarium called the Haug Trough from the Bass Sports Show Circuit during the off season!
The best way is to get a handle on a retrieve method is to fish with someone for a day to actually see how the baits work. Descriptions are "ok" but seeing it is 10 times better. |
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| my tip is not to get all caught up in making a glider swim in a glide path of 4 feet wide or using only one style of retrieve for a certain jerkbait. If you check the archives here and on MC you'll come up with some great ways to fish these magnificent lures! Try what suits you best. |
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| During the learning process,shorten up your casts somewhat untill that bait does exactly what you want/need!When teaching the kids this shortens the learning curve greatly! Jeff |
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