How to Use Jitterbug Lures to Catch Trout
The Jitterbug lure is one of the most recognized fishing lures in the world. It has a thick oval body and a distinctive oversized wobble-plate attached to the lure's nose. Despite its unusual appearance, this topwater lure can be extremely effective in the hands of both expert and beginning anglers.
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Instructions
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Assemble your fishing equipment. For Jitterbug fishing, it's best to use a spinning rod and reel with 12-pound test monofilament line. This relatively light fishing outfit maximizes your casting distance and will help you impart a natural motion to the lure.
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Cast toward your intended target. A Jitterbug can be fished effectively over open water or along the edges of fishing cover. Avoid actually casting into heavy cover because the lure will tangle or snag easily.
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Let the Jitterbug sit for a moment after it hits the water. Then begin reeling in the Jitterbug using a steady retrieve at a slow to moderate pace. Adjust your retrieve to maximize the gurgling sound generated by the wobbleplate on the lure's nose.
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As with most topwater lures, fish generally hit a Jitterbug lure hard and fast. When the strike occurs, keep reeling steadily as though nothing had happened. The striking fish may miss the lure completely or may hook itself. Fish that miss the lure frequently strike a second time while you are retrieving the lure.
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Once you feel that weight of the fish on the line, set the hook with a judicious jerk of the rod. Once the hook is set, you are on your own.
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Tips & Warnings
To catch a really big fish, try fishing a black Jitterbug lure at night. Although such lures are effective under various conditions, a black Jitterbug seems particularly deadly when fished at night on still or slow-moving water. Sharpen the hooks on the Jitterbug lure before you fish it. The hooks from the factory are reasonably sharp, but your hooking success rate will improve if you make sure that the hooks are razor-sharp.
Be careful when unhooking a fish caught on a Jitterbug lure. These lures generally have two sets of treble hooks and a quick move by the fish can impale your hands or fingers on one of the exposed barbs.
