- Jerkbaits are slender floating lures that resemble an injured baitfish when correctly used. You need to retrieve a jerkbait with a series of jerks, hence the name. Jerkbaits possess small lips in front that make it possible to pull them under the surface. They also have small treble hooks. You should concentrate fishing with jerkbaits in open areas of water because it is very difficult to pull a fish out of heavy weed cover with a jerkbait. If you do use one near weeds, it is important to force the fish away from them quickly once hooked before they can tangle in them. Jerkbaits are most effective in shallow water. The lure will move from side to side when you employ short hard jerks on your rod tip. The bait will bob beneath the water when you use long smoother motions of the rod. Cast the lure past where you think fish are holding, then bring it past them with different jerking motions. Be prepared for a strike, which in many cases will come from right below the lure as the bass grabs the jerkbait.
- Buzzbaits are a "prop lure"; they have blades that spin as the lure is reeled in, churning the surface and attracting fish. You have to keep a buzzbait on the top of the water for it to work. This means you have to be reeling it in even before it splashes down into the area that you cast it. Engage your reel a split second before the lure lands, pull back slightly on the rod tip and start to reel. This will keep the buzzbait from sinking and get those props whirling. In most cases, a buzzbait will get a reaction from a bass on the first throw to an area. Bass will see it as it is coming toward them and mistake it for a butterfly, dragonfly or other winged creature. Be prepared for a hit in the first moments after the buzzbait lands and is being reeled in. If a bass attacks the lure but you fail to hook it, resist the temptation to cast right back to that spot. Instead, wait as long as five minutes before trying a cast to that spot and be ready if the same fish tries once again to grab the lure.
- Crayfish are one of the favorite foods of smallmouth bass, and anglers can use this fact to catch them. While most people decide to rely on live crayfish, it is easier to utilize plastic versions. You can rig them to catch smallmouths in a river or stream setting. The best way to rig your line for crayfish is to pinch a heavy split shot 18 to 24 inches up from your hook. Bait a No. 6 or 8 with the crayfish. Stick the hook in the middle of the tail about 1/2 inch from the end of the tail. Cast this set-up downstream and allow it to drift. The split shot will keep it from staying right on the surface without anchoring the crayfish in one place. The current will make the crayfish move up and down. Smallmouth will grab this type of presentation and take off, so be alert for your chance to set the hook.
