On 1/25/2023 at 11:45 AM, Obee said:

Can be very discouraging.  Just got done watching a dozen yesterday follow my jerkbait 25ft and never hit.  Tried all sorts of kinds and retrieves.  They definitely did not like the rapala's as they would rise way to fast.  

I wonder if a slow sinking jerkbait would have tempted them into biting?

On 1/27/2023 at 10:29 AM, BlakeMolone said:

I wonder if a slow sinking jerkbait would have tempted them into biting?

Might have, might not; always worth a try.  Sometime fish aren't in a positive feeding mood, where they follow, but won't bite.  Downsizing to a smaller profile sometimes does the trick, but not always.   Often times environmental conditions can make stubborn/neutral fish TURN ON in an instant.  At least from smallies, I've experienced situations where I was fishing a flat, with no wind, for an hour two without a bite.  Then the wind picked up, put a chop on the water, and BAM, hookups for me an my buddy.  Those fish were there and not biting, but the wind and chop turned them from neutral to positive.

On 2/13/2023 at 7:00 PM, GregN said:

Might have, might not; always worth a try.  Sometime fish aren't in a positive feeding mood, where they follow, but won't bite.  Downsizing to a smaller profile sometimes does the trick, but not always.   Often times environmental conditions can make stubborn/neutral fish TURN ON in an instant.  At least from smallies, I've experienced situations where I was fishing a flat, with no wind, for an hour two without a bite.  Then the wind picked up, put a chop on the water, and BAM, hookups for me an my buddy.  Those fish were there and not biting, but the wind and chop turned them from neutral to positive.

That exact thing happened to me yesterday. Horrible weather, rain wind, chop on water and vision 110 was really getting them to bite. At one point I was 6 fish for 9 casts. Then it calmed down, lake went to glass and the bite stopped.

Pulled a couple on Ned rig but definitely night and day.

On 1/25/2023 at 12:45 PM, Obee said:

Can be very discouraging.  Just got done watching a dozen yesterday follow my jerkbait 25ft and never hit.  Tried all sorts of kinds and retrieves.  They definitely did not like the rapala's as they would rise way to fast.  

Speeding up your retrieve can be the ticket with followers.  If speeding up your jerkbait doesn't work, switch to a trap.

On 1/25/2023 at 10:45 AM, Obee said:

Can be very discouraging.  Just got done watching a dozen yesterday follow my jerkbait 25ft and never hit.  Tried all sorts of kinds and retrieves.  They definitely did not like the rapala's as they would rise way to fast.  

awesome!!  did you vary the pause?  i think most of my hits are on the pause.

 

one time i paused for like 20 seconds.  felt like an eternity.  but they slammed it.  i think the slow slow float ticked them off.  

On 5/8/2023 at 8:54 AM, Dye99 said:

That exact thing happened to me yesterday. Horrible weather, rain wind, chop on water and vision 110 was really getting them to bite. At one point I was 6 fish for 9 casts. Then it calmed down, lake went to glass and the bite stopped.

Pulled a couple on Ned rig but definitely night and day.

My brother and i were out on saturday, i was using a vision 110 jr and he was using a rapala jerk and i was getting all the monster smallies and he was getting the dinks. it was a beautiful day! 

On 1/25/2023 at 1:45 PM, Obee said:

Can be very discouraging.  Just got done watching a dozen yesterday follow my jerkbait 25ft and never hit.  Tried all sorts of kinds and retrieves.  They definitely did not like the rapala's as they would rise way to fast.  

 

 That’s a group of fish that wants to chase something down… Go to a jighead minnow or swimbait..  Fish the jerkbait for fish holding tighter to cover.. I bet you‘ll get more bites..

On 1/1/2026 at 6:00 PM, RHuff said:

 

 That’s a group of fish that wants to chase something down… Go to a jighead minnow or swimbait..  Fish the jerkbait for fish holding tighter to cover.. I bet you‘ll get more bites..

Three years later I don’t think he’s still fishing that spot!

Plus he hasn’t been on the site since August of ‘23.

Great reply though 👍🏼

On 1/12/2026 at 2:45 PM, Motoboss said:

Three years later I don’t think he’s still fishing that spot!

Plus he hasn’t been on the site since August of ‘23.

Great reply though 👍🏼

Lol I didn’t even notice that