A Hidden Gem of the Lure World

That's the way Wired2Fish writer Walker Smith referred to the floating jerkbait. He explained that while "many of us enjoyed incredible success with these lures throughout our childhoods, as we explored the banks of local ponds and streams, they've become largely overlooked in recent years."

There's at least one pro fisherman, though, who didn't fall into that trap of overlooking them.

According to Bernie Schultz (right), "The floating jerkbait is one of the best year-round bass-fishing lures an angler can possibly use.

"It doesn't matter if you're targeting spawning fish, elusive winter fish, or anything in between, this lure consistently will produce impressive limits," according to this veteran angler. "What's important to understand is that the thing which makes it so effective can be boiled down to one word: versatility.

"In the spring through the fall," said Schultz, "it can be used at the surface or as a twitch bait, and in the winter and summer months, you easily can weight it in order to make it suspend on the pause. With one lure, you're able to cover a large section of the water column, depending upon the conditions."

This bass pro's favorite floating jerkbait is the Rapala Original Floater, which he described as "perhaps 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.

"The Original Floater has a dual action of which many anglers aren't aware," Schultz said. "Not only does it move from side to side throughout the retrieve, it also rolls on its side...we call it the 'Rapala roll.' Essentially, visualize the body axis rolling to one side and all the way to the other, but at the same time kicking to each side. The balsa construction facilitates this unique behavior, which is why it really hasn't changed much in 65 years."

He went on to explain that 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 hot on their tails. This autumn feeding frenzy can set up quite nicely for some stellar floating-jerkbait action.

"The first consideration revolves around matching your floating jerkbait to the size and coloration of the prevalent forage," noted Schultz. "This time of year, there's going to be a dominate forage species on which the bass are focusing. It could be shad, perch or shiners...there's always a primary target. So when you initially begin your dissection of a fishery, identifying the forage should be your first order of business."

Because fall is schooling season, Schultz makes a concerted effort to find the 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 either on the surface, near the surface, or below the surface," said Schultz. "That's how I break it down. 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," he continued. "I make a long cast to the activity and let my bait sit completely still on the surface...sometimes that's all it takes. But if that doesn't work, I simply give the lure erratic movements with downward twitches of my rod to elicit a reaction strike," he noted.

"If they're aggressively chasing bait, it can be hard to do anything wrong with a floater," Schultz said. "But if they're being finicky, experimentation is necessary. They'll absolutely eat a floating jerkbait, but you just have to figure out their preferred cadence. I'll use a 'jerk, jerk, pause' cadence, and I'll also try a steady reeling retrieve. As long as you keep it on the surface, you'll crack the code."

When you see schools of bait on the surface without any bass activity, Schultz cautions anglers not to worry, 'cause the bass aren't far away. He suggests using a slower cadence in order to mimic an injured baitfish and draw bass towards your offering. When they won't eat a steady jerking retrieve with no pauses, he begins pausing his lure between every other jerk for a few seconds.

"You also can make your jerks less aggressive to further coax them," said Schultz. "Basically, I'm going to slow down everything until they tell me what they want. More times than not, whatever cadence gets the first fish to bite will get the next fish to bite, too."

Although the words "floating" and "winter" don't often go together in the winter months, Schultz has enjoyed some outstanding catches by utilizing an old-school tactic taught to him by legendary anglers Dion Hibdon, Guido Hibdon, Randy Moseley, Randy Blaukat, and Stacey King.

"You can take a weighted 13, 14 or 17-sized Original Floater and catch some monsters on bluff banks throughout the winter," Schultz said. "There's a whole faction of fishermen who know that, but a lot of the younger guys haven't heard of it. Of course, we used to drill holes in 'em and insert bullet weights to add weight, but now you can simply add Storm SuspenDots or Storm SuspenStrips right in front of and behind the front hook hanger to achieve the same result."

According to Schultz, it takes a painstakingly slow approach to match the lethargic mood of winter bass. He makes long, quartering casts to bluff banks or subsurface timber, allowing the weighted floater to reach its maximum depth and utilizing super-long pauses.

"Your twitches need to be subtle, and your pauses must be up to 20 or 30 seconds," he said. "It's laborious and tedious, but it's ridiculously effective. You didn't see many 25-pound winter bags back in the day, but when you did, they often were caught with this technique. And trust me, it works just as well today.

"As spring bass start moving toward their spawning grounds, they're notorious for holding tight to cover, such as flooded brush, cypress trees, lily pads, and grass lines. Fortunately, these are ideal places for using a floating jerkbait," he continued.

Schultz doesn't use this lure to cover water quickly in the spawning period, opting instead for a much more detailed approach. It's not as much about reaction strikes this time of year, but rather drawing the fish toward the bait.

"I usually choose a 9, 11 and 13-sized floater throughout the entire spring," he said. "I'm looking for a smaller profile, and 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'll be to use a 9, but the sizes I use most frequently are the 11 and 13."

During the post-spawn period, when the females are off the beds and the males are guarding fry, Schultz fishes down long stretches of bank with floating jerkbaits, which can yield some impressive results. They don't see this profile and action very often, and its lifelike action is quite believable to territorial bass.

"You're looking for bass that are either guarding fry or still protective of a particular bedding area," Schultz said. "We're talking about fish that have gone into an area for spawning and staked claim, so they're going to attack any intruders. Your presentation won't be any different than the spawn; look for high-percentage, shallow-water targets near potential bedding areas and experiment with surface or near-surface retrieves."

When summer rolls around, the fishing can get tough, but Schultz has learned that an aggressively fished floating jerkbait can draw reaction strikes from stubborn, warm-water bass.

"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 points, secondary points, grass lines, submerged grass beds, and docks become your most high-percentage targets. I'll also start using the modified slow-rising or suspending models during this period and concentrate on the 4-to-6-foot range. If you cover water sufficiently, you'll get some really nice bites with these lures."

While you certainly can get away with using generic equipment when fishing a floating jerkbait, Schultz has discovered a few particular subtleties that can make for a more successful experience.

Most floating jerkbaits can be fished with either casting or spinning gear. If you're using a lightweight balsa lure, however, your setup can be a bit more important.

"If I'm using the smaller floaters, such as the 5 or 7, I'll probably opt for spinning gear because they can be a little challenging in terms of casting distance, especially in the wind," Schultz said. "But I'll certainly use a casting reel if I feel I can cast it effectively. You'll probably find that a 7-foot medium or medium-heavy action rod will work best for this technique with both setups."

Schultz makes a point to use lighter line when fishing a floating jerkbait in order to give the lure as much action as possible.

"I primarily use 8-to-10-pound line, but I'll occasionally bump it up to 12-pound test if I'm around particularly thick cover," Schultz said. "When I'm fishing the lure on the surface, I use Sufix Superior copolymer due to its increased buoyancy. If conditions dictate a sub-surface approach, I'll use fluorocarbon line, such as Sufix Invisiline Castable Fluorocarbon."

Although it's largely dependent upon a fishery's primary forage, Schultz has found confidence in two particular colors of jerkbaits for most situations. Most of the time, he uses silver or gold with a foil finish...an excellent starting point for those who are new to the technique. He contends these colors will work just about anywhere.

The next time you get on the water, don't forget about the effectiveness and versatility of the floating jerkbait. It may not be the sexy choice, but in Schultz's words, "It has caught giant bass for decades and will continue to do so."