Got out yesterday for a good 8 hrs. Ended up finding them in 15-20 ft over rock piles. The 110+1 jr. in perch was the ticket. Ended catching 13 over 2 lbs with the biggest going 3.6 and 19.5”. 

Great Job!!

 

Yep, for me there is nothing better than punching through a foot of hydrilla. 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

Jerkbaits are up there, but i live when im burning a spinnerbait and they smash it

It’s infectious.

I think I'd put smallies on a Rat-L-Trap up there pretty high, doesn't seem to matter how many times I experience it, the adrenaline rush of a hard fighting river smallmouth smashing a lipless gets my motor running pretty good, I'd probably fish a jerkbait for them more if I were fishing water with less/no current, and were on a boat away from the bank more, but tossing a jerkbait from shore is a recipe for lots of lost jerkbaits and frustration and money down the drain.

I love catching smallies on jerkbaits. Actually dealing with one after it's landed on a jerkbait is not so fun though. 

5 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I love catching smallies on jerkbaits. Actually dealing with one after it's landed on a jerkbait is not so fun though. 

Isn’t that the truth. I’ve learned to

always use pliers when removing treble hooks. Had to many thrash a hook into my hand over the years not to. 

It’s has to up there by the top on the thrill meter. 

If you do catch & release ? Bend all the barbs down. Less pain & infection for you & the fish.

I only leave the rear hook on. Or replace all the trebles with just 1  single tail hook. SOOO much easier on both of us.  The bass will keep biting until it hooks itself.   Bank on it. 

 

A bump or tug on the lure only means a bigger more positive 1/4 to 1/2 second later strike.  

 

I have both S S needle nose pliers and S S Surgeons long Racheting Forceps.  For pike & deep swallows.  It also allows you to not handle or have the fish flopping on the ground or boat bottom. Both can rub off the protective slime & cause those red & grey infection spots that look similar to a large or small Lamprey suction spot.  When there are no Lampreys.

I don’t catch many smallies on jerkbait. “Be a lot cooler if I did!”

Great job.  Sounds like fun.  

 

I've only caught a couple on a jerkbait.  It's definitely a hole in my arsenal. My favorite way to catch them is on a tube.  Love setting the hook and feeling the weight and knowing you have a 4lber+.  

9 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I love catching smallies on jerkbaits. Actually dealing with one after it's landed on a jerkbait is not so fun though. 

 

I learned a long time ago to respect the potential problem. Simply use a boga grip to take them out of the net & hold them while removing the trebles with pliers. If it's a good one you can grab a quick weight too. 

I thought jerkbaits work only in spring/fall, need to learn more from board members ? Great catch OP!

I use Rapalas with medium Split Shot and the lure 3 feet above it.

6 minutes ago, cyclops2 said:

I use Rapalas with medium Split Shot and the lure 3 feet above it.

I'm assuming your talking a original floating minnow?

FM

Yes both 1 1/2" & the larger one.  All 6 of them in Perch Green pattern. All have 1 tail hook only. Some have no diving lip on them.

8 hours ago, dovii said:

I thought jerkbaits work only in spring/fall, need to learn more from board members ? Great catch OP!

One of my biggest jerkbait smallies last year was the end of June in 80 something degree water. I like them small and fast for warm water smallies. 

River SMB slamming 1.5s is a feeling everyone should experience.

 

Topwater for sure. Specifically when they come from 20ft down and blast your spook 3 ft in the air!

You need to fizz those fish. They are both belly up.  Now I've got a crick in my neck.

On 8/16/2021 at 12:18 PM, dovii said:

I thought jerkbaits work only in spring/fall, need to learn more from board members ? Great catch OP!

Jerkbaits work year round as a category, but a given jerkbait might have one season it excels at in a given body of water, typically I find that the warmer the water the more aggressive you can get away with fishing them, and the less picky they are with regards to a lot of things like action, perfectly suspending baits, etc, and the colder the water temperature the more those little details matter and the slower you can work them with success. 

In the south on a gizzard shad spawn. The most aggressive jerkbait bite I have ever experienced.  

I'll take a topwater bite over a jerk bait any day.

On 8/16/2021 at 7:47 AM, TnRiver46 said:

I don’t catch many smallies on jerkbait. “Be a lot cooler if I did!”

Thats cuz you use tubes! Problem is I'm really liking them swimming craw tubes so much I can't seem to put them down for anything else. Guess its just an excitment rush whatever they chose to blast when your holding the rod. Smallies from 3lbs up are a whole different world on the thrill meter.

11 minutes ago, Tatsu Dave said:

Thats cuz you use tubes! Problem is I'm really liking them swimming craw tubes so much I can't seem to put them down for anything else. Guess its just an excitment rush whatever they chose to blast when your holding the rod. Smallies from 3lbs up are a whole different world on the thrill meter.

I get some of them but mostly a largemouth magically appears and eats my jerkbaits. Kind of crazy, spotted bass really like them too 

 

im about to go fishing once I can see and maybe get some smallies to hit it 

5 hours ago, Cdn Angler said:

I'll take a topwater bite over a jerk bait any day.

“Well that goes without saying “ -some lady in some funny movie or commercial  I can’t recall