I noticed when I turned a spinning reel crank my lure would go fast then slow the fast again etc. I noticed it was my hand on the crank not making a perfect circle that was throwing my constant lure speed off. When I adjusted my hand to turn the crank in a perfect circle my lure speed was constant and my catch did pick up. It can be the little things that we do wrong that we need to tweek. Hone in on your presentation. Bigbill

bigbill, a twitch bait, jerk bait and flukes may work best with pauses an not a steady retrieve.  I fish spoons and jigs erratically too.

I hardly ever use a steady retrieve. No bait fish I can think of has a constant steady movement.

I move crankbaits, spinnerbaits, inline spinners, spinflys,

And other lures that can require a steady even movement. Don't forget the bass will look for flaws in certain presentations when it comes to constant even speeds.

I did notice when I roll my wrist when cranking reels I could hear the topwater bubbles go fast and slow, uneven. As I corrected this I got better at it, my bite picked up.

Some beginners need to focus on how they crank the reels too.

I also twitch everything too. But I notice when the bass bite is really on they like things moving. I had this happen the first time they hit my nightcrawler as I reeled it in as they hit it. I changed to an inline mepps spinner and caught bass after bass. My son said do you have another one of those lures. I threw one to him and we caught doubles till it got dark. I have no clue as to how many bass we caught that night.

Another evening I was slow reeling a rebel BIG CLAW crawfish crankbait on the bottom. I had bass after bass hit it too. I have no clue as to how many bass I caught that night too.

My point is sometimes a slow movement of certain lures makes them an easy meal. Plus they want something that looks alive not dying.

It's good to master all the presentations and even how we crank our reels too. Trust me at times it matters. Bb

Where like a baseball pitcher and throwing a change up can be good.

Maybe it's an overlooked presentation and reel crank error. But I know it can make a difference on a tough day too. The little things we do wrong that we can correct.

Here's a test try holding your rod tip straight up with a Colorado or Indiana spinner bait on. Cast it out and watch the blade pop on the topwater. How even is the pops? It should be a steady beat like a drum.

When you do it right the fish will smash it. The spinner bait blade and wire will pop left and right.

I usually employ a steady retrieve on the handle, and add action via the rod.  There are times with moving baits, when I only move the bait with rod, and simply reel up the slack.  Navigating a diving crankbait through weeds, yo-yo retrieving a trap, or bouncing a spoon along bottom are some examples.

Maybe the steady retrieve with crankbaits and spinners the rattle in the cranks and the vibration of the blades work on the lateral line like keeping it an even beat. Any erract beat sends the smart ones away.

I disagree.  Not in the sense that I don't catch fish on a steady retrieve, but that using a steady retrieve allows me to sense when something is different, be that a following fish, the bait ticking a weed top or contacting bottom, running into fallen timber, or other cover....it's those events, when the bait's action is interrupted, and becomes erratic that they get bit more often than when simply hauling water.

I do it pretty much the same way Francho does.

i also do it the same way as J Francho...even when there is nothing for it to get hit on ill pause for a sec or 2 randomly during retrieve and usually helps get more hits

I slow move lures in channels at different depths, over submerged weeds. I also go back with a twitch n pause over the weed pockets.

One of my best, hottest productive lures is the mister twister top prop for reeling it slow. They have blown up on it moving, on a 3 twitch n pause. Or a cast n pause. When the top prop pauses it goes almost vertical. Either way they like it.

All I can add is when it's slow try a lure with a slow reel action. It's my favorite presentation, well one of them.

Not that I keep any statistics, with the exception of just a few species, I catch so many more fish on the pause, the drop, etc., than a fast moving lure.

I mix it up but It normally not  straight and steady, if you catch fish like that by all means don't stop doing it..