It could be said that seasoned pro Mike McClelland is the excellence of execution when it comes to using a McStick jerkbait to lure bass from cold water.
The proof is in the pudding. To wit: He has claimed his fair share of tens-of-thousands in tournament dollars while pulling fish from 40-degree water with these slow-moving shad imitators.
So, why can't everyone achieve a reasonable degree of success with these lures? McClelland suspects the problem lies in the fact most guys simply lack the patience to sometimes pause for as long as 30 to 45 seconds between twitches of the lure, once the suspending depth is achieved. That's the bad news.
The good news is: There are some alternatives, which may be more suitable for anglers who don't have a big threshold for patience. Here is a list of what some of them use to avoid frustration-filled moments on cold water with a jerkbait:
When a body of water is cold and stained-to-muddy, nothing works harder to connect you with a lunker bass than a jig 'n' pig. According to bass pro Ron Shuffield, "This is the ultimate cold-water big-bass lure." He recommends using a 7-foot heavy-action baitcasting rod or flipping stick with 20-pound mono for jig fishing. In his words, "You have to hammer the fish and winch it out of thick cover."
Mike Iaconelli throws a Rapala Shad Rap. "The secret is to use spinning tackle because it's such a lightweight crankbait," he said. He prefers a 7-foot medium-action spinning rod and 6-pound fluorocarbon line.
Although it's a world-class smallmouth lure, a hair jig works equally well on largemouths. It will catch anything that swims in gin-clear to muddy water and even can be fished under a bobber for suspending bass. Recommended gear for clear water includes a 6.5-foot spinning rod, with 6-to-8-pound mono. In heavily stained water, use a medium-heavy baitcasting rod with 12-to-15-pound line.
Tommy Biffle likes to throw his Biffle Bug on 20-pound Sunline when the water is in the 40s. He uses a 6-foot 10-inch rod, paired with a 7.3:1 reel to pick up the line quickly when he feels a bite.
One of the best things about a lipless crankbait is that you can cover a lot of water by fan casting it. Use a medium-action, 6.5-to-7-foot rod, and reel the lure fast enough to feel the action. A good low-stretch line, such as braid or fluorocarbon, performs well with these lures.
Davey Hite likes to use a chatterbait in cold water. He cautions, however, "The rod and line are the most essential ingredients to getting the most from your chatterbait." Hite swears by glass-composite rods and fluorocarbon line "because they improve the castability of the bait and essentially extend the strike zone due to their elasticity." His personal favorite is a 7-foot 3-inch heavy-action Evergreen Heracles Leopard rod, teamed with a Chronarch C14+ 6.2:1 ratio reel. His choice of line is 20-pound test Sunline Super FC Sniper fluorocarbon.
Virginian John Crews is an established expert on crankbait fishing. He even has an entire line of flat-sided crankbaits named after him: the Spro Little John series. His preferences for gear are a 7-foot medium-action Pinnacle Perfecta Cranking rod, with a Pinnacle Optimus LTE reel in a 6.4:1 gear ratio. His reel selection goes against the idea held by most that a slower gear ratio is best for crankbaits. John says, "I want to be able to get the fish to the boat as fast as I can once they are hooked."
The bottom line here is simple. If that "jerk, jerk, then pause"...for 30 to 45 seconds routine isn't for you, stop and give some of these alternatives a try. Change lures and change your luck.
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