While many have overlooked these lures in recent years, Schultz believes the floating jerkbait is one of the best year-round bass-fishing lures an angler can use.
"Whether you're targeting spawning fish, elusive winter fish, or anything in between, this lure consistently will produce impressive limits," he said.
What makes these baits so effective? It boils down to one word: versatility.
As Schultz noted, "There aren't too many good near-surface hard baits that can make the same claim. In the spring through the fall, it can be used at the surface or as a twitch bait, and in the winter and summer months, you can easily weight it in order to make the bait suspend on the pause. With this one lure, you're able to cover a large section of the water column, depending on the conditions."
Given Schultz's propensity for collecting old-school lures, there's no surprise in the fact he considers the Rapala Original Floater as the most popular and time-tested lure of its kind.
"Its side-to-side action, coupled with its subtle rolling tendencies, make it an attractive choice for anglers at all skill levels," he said. What many anglers don't know, he continued, "is that the Original Floater has a dual action. Not only does it move from side to side throughout the retrieve, but it also rolls on its side. We call it the 'Rapala roll'."
In the fall, as the days become shorter and the cooler nights arrive, baitfish begin their annual migration to the backs of creeks, and of course, the bass are in hot pursuit. This autumn feeding frenzy can set up nicely for some outstanding jerkbait action.
"The first consideration for anglers," according to Schultz, "is matching your floating jerkbait to the size and coloration of the prevalent forage, which, in the fall, could be shad, perch, or shiners."
Because fall is schooling season, Schultz makes a concerted effort to find areas where the feeding opportunities are the greatest. He utilizes both his eyes and his electronics to determine his plan of attack.
"I'm essentially looking for schooling activity, whether it be on, near or below the surface," he said. "Then I cater my cadence to those clues."
When bass are busting bait on the surface, it's often a matter of simply getting your floating jerkbait to the fish. Schultz will make a long cast to the activity and let the bait sit completely still. If that tact doesn't work, he'll give the lure erratic movements with downward twitches of his rod.
"If they're aggressively chasing bait, it can be hard to do anything wrong with a floater," he said. "If they're being finicky, experimentation is necessary... . I'll use a jerk-jerk-pause cadence, and I'll also try a steady reeling retrieve. As long as you're seeing schools of bait on the surface and keep the bait there, you'll crack the code."
Schultz also suggests using a slower cadence to mimic an injured baitfish and draw bass toward your bait. You can pause your lure a few seconds between every other jerk, or make your jerks less aggressive to further coax them. Keep experimenting until you find a cadence that works.
In the winter, Schultz urges the use of a weighted 13-, 14- or 17-sized Original Floater. All that's required is the addition of some Storm SuspenDots or SuspenStrips right in front of and behind the front hook hanger.
"To optimize your chances of success, you'll need to use a painstakingly slow approach to match the mood of winter bass," said Schultz. "Your twitches need to be subtle, and your pauses should be up to 20 or 30 seconds."
With the arrival of spring, bass start moving toward their spawning grounds. They hold tight to cover, which makes a floating jerkbait an ideal choice.
"I usually choose a 9-, 11- and 13-sized floater throughout spring," said Schultz. "I'm not trying to get the bait down to any particular depth. It's all about shallow water. The tougher the bite and the smaller the bass, the more likely I am to use a 9."
During the post-spawn, when females are off the beds and males are guarding fry, fishing long stretches of bank with floating jerkbaits can yield impressive results.
"We're talking about fish that have gone into an area to spawn and staked claim," said Schultz, "so they're going to attack any intruders. Look for high-percentage, shallow-water targets near potential bedding areas and experiment with surface or near-surface retrieves."
Schultz has learned that summertime bass fishing can get tough but that a floating jerkbait still can draw reaction strikes from stubborn warm-water fish.
"This is when your cadence should become more aggressive," he said. "They're starting to leave the banks, and you'll probably be forced to cover more water. Primary and secondary points, grass lines, submerged grass beds, and docks become your most high-percentage targets. I also start using the modified slow-rising or suspending models during this period."
Although it's largely dependent on a fishery's primary forage, Schultz has found confidence in two particular colors in most situations.
"Most of the time, I'm using silver or gold, with a foil finish," he said. "They'll work just about anywhere... .
"Floating jerkbaits may not be the sexy choice, but for overall year-round effectiveness and versatility, they are hard to beat," concluded Schultz.
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