By Kevin VanDam
As water temperatures drop rapidly – as they have in the north right now – bass move into winter patterns and several techniques can catch them.
For me, though, it’s tough to beat a deep diving jerkbait worked around drop-offs, edges, weedlines, bridge corners, riprap, bluff ends and places like that that cold water bass use.
I do fish the jerkbait slower than I do during other times of the year and pay close attention to boat positioning to insure my lure stays in the strike zone longer on those places I think the bass are using.
When I say I slow down, I don’t go as slow as a lot of people do. It’s still a very efficient technique for covering a good bit of water, so by fishing parallel to edges, I keep the lure in the productive zone throughout the retrieve.
Typically, our lakes are pretty clear throughout the country right now. To fish the jerkbait, I like water clarity of 3 to 4 feet or deeper. Crystal clear water is ideal.
I prefer the Strike King KVD Deep Diving Jerkbait in real bright colors – sexy shad and chartreuse sexy shad are my favorites – even in clear water. After all, it’s about getting the fish to see the bait when they are far away.
Mercury Report
Getting a backlash while using a baitcasting reel is part of fishing. It just happens, even to the best and most experienced casters. So, when you do get a backlash, what’s next?
According to Mercury Pro Team angler and 2019 Bassmaster Classic champ Ott DeFoe, the first thing to do is stop and stay calm.
“It’s going to be OK, and you’re going to get this out,” he said.
The Blaine, Tennessee, angler believes that most people attack a backlash too aggressively – probably in part due to frustration.
“Most people immediately engage the spool, put their thumb on the spool and start pulling on the line. That’s not the best way to get out a backlash,” said DeFoe. “That method often makes the line bind back up even worse.”
DeFoe knows from experience that there’s a better way and offered an advanced method that’s surprisingly effective with only three simple steps:
You can see these steps in action at the video down below.
Finishing the Job
Make sure and get the backlash completely cleared. The line should look like when it was initially spooled, with no lines crossed underneath and no loops.
When reeling the line back onto the spool, keep tension on the line by reeling it through the thumb and index finger of your off hand. At some point, a kink may develop in the loose line. Slowly pull the line out at that spot to keep it from binding into a knot.
If you’re on the water going through DeFoe’s process, pull all the line out from end of the rod and let it fall in the water before reeling it back in. It’ll be less likely to tangle and form a knot.
Back to Casting
Once the line is back on the reel, loosen the spool tension knob back to where it was originally, and the process is complete. However, consider adjusting the knob to avoid future backlashes.
DeFoe offers a video on how to set up a baitcaster and utilize the spool tension knob on his YouTube channel here.
https://one.bidpal.net/bassfishinghof22 - all leading up to induction of the 2022 class at the Hall’s annual plaque unveiling ceremony and dinner gala at the Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium on Oct. 6.
“Celebrate Bass Fishing Week” kicks off on Monday with the start of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s annual online auction -The online auction and live auction during the induction dinner will include a large selection of bucket list trips with Hall of Fame inductees, plenty of other fishing and hunting experiences, unique fishing art items and memorabilia, tournament jerseys from leading professional bass anglers, fishing tackle, and much more.
You can click on the link above to preview some of the auction items but the preview will shut off sometime Sunday before reopening Monday for the live auction. The online auction can be accessed by bass fishing enthusiasts throughout the U.S. and Canada on their smartphones, tablets and computers.