1984isNOW Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 Let's do the Jitterbug If this has ever been a place you've gained from somebody sharing their insight, or you've helped others grow by sharing yours let it be now. I had like 25 misses last night on a black Jitterbug. Not hits and then I missed, they just never put tension on the line. I felt a couple ticks from some of the hits, but they never brought the lure underwater. Most of them were just noises with no feedback on my end. I'll admit I was blown away by the amount of strikes, because I've only ever gotten 8 strikes at most in one night. I did try a part of the lake I don't normally, maybe it was that, but maybe it was the Jitterbug magic! Only 1 created tension and came off, but I wasn't ready for it cuz I had to reposition the yak. New moon pitch black with cloud cover. The few I caught managed to loose the blade and I lost a screw. It was the 650 jointed version. Was it too big for a small mouth to get a grip on? Should I add a swivel to the front hook, or at least a split ring? How you you position your front hook for best hook up? What do you guys do to modify your Jitterbug? What size hooks? What is your set up? Would you change your set up fishing from a kayak? I should wait to feel tension before setting the hook right? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetFishorDieTryin Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 Other than making sure the hooks are sharp I really never modified my jitterbugs. I fished the same one you do, the 2pc 5/8oz. I used to use them all the time, but got away from them. I never had many hits that were total misses, either I hooked up and landed them or they came unbuttoned, but there were no smallmouth in the waters I was fishing. As a general rule, you should wait to feel the hit before setting the hook with topwater. With a jitterbug you dont have to wind up and crack em as long as the hooks are sharp, just a swift pop should do it. Strange to hear that about the screws coming lose so soon. Ive had that happen on baits that had caught dozens of fish and hit a few bridges, but it by then the bait had paid for itself IMO. Hopefully the quality hasnt suffered since I stopped buying them. You could remove the stock belly hook, add a bearing swivel and add a #2 or #1 EWG short shank to help with leverage. Other than that I wouldn't do too much more alterations no matter where I was fishing it from. I always liked using them on lighter gear, like a M or MH MF or R action. The softer tip will help with distance and let the bait work as its supposed to. As I said before, you dont need too much power to set the hook with 2 exposed trebles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeet6 Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 As above, I have never made any changes, other than sharpening hooks on old ones. I also wait until I feel the fish, and then just a light hookset. I don't think it's a size issue, as I actually caught a decent sized crappie one night at my home lake on the same jointed Jitterbug. (Though that was a one-off, I'd imagine!) Mike B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User F14A-B Posted August 4 Super User Share Posted August 4 The hook hangers are garbage, you can remove them and use filler on the holes, drill new holes and use split rings for hooks.. I always used the smaller black bug and nailed most all strikes but hey, I’ve had the exact same results you did on a 1/4 ounce Pop R.. it’s definitely a thing 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwateronly Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 When fish do that repeatedly to any topwater I'm fishing, I've had better luck throwing something that swims high in the column but not on the surface, paddle tail swimbait, burner worm, etc. scott 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1984isNOW Posted August 4 Author Share Posted August 4 38 minutes ago, GetFishorDieTryin said: got away from them Why? 39 minutes ago, GetFishorDieTryin said: EWG I might try the ewg, I just figured the longer the dangle the more likely to get the hook. 41 minutes ago, GetFishorDieTryin said: MH MF I might assign my 7'2 MHMF St. Croix Victory target crank rod to do the job. 38 minutes ago, Skeet6 said: don't think it's a size issue Maybe it was just the blackness of a new moon on a cloudy night and they just didn't get their aim right? 24 minutes ago, alonerankin2 said: it’s definitely a thing Yeah, maddening! What are you using to attach the split ring after drilling new hole? 17 minutes ago, softwateronly said: high in the column but not on the surface Honestly I think it was the drawing power of the Jitterbug that really made the action so hot, I tried the spinnerbait and swim jig and didn't produce. Only one on the spinnerbait, but I think it's because I brought it right into the bass' "too close for comfort" zone. Also I think the pause made a big difference 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User F14A-B Posted August 4 Super User Share Posted August 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetFishorDieTryin Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 1 hour ago, 1984isNOW said: Why? I might try the ewg, I just figured the longer the dangle the more likely to get the hook. I might assign my 7'2 MHMF St. Croix Victory target crank rod to do the job. Maybe it was just the blackness of a new moon on a cloudy night and they just didn't get their aim right? Yeah, maddening! What are you using to attach the split ring after drilling new hole? Honestly I think it was the drawing power of the Jitterbug that really made the action so hot, I tried the spinnerbait and swim jig and didn't produce. Only one on the spinnerbait, but I think it's because I brought it right into the bass' "too close for comfort" zone. Also I think the pause made a big difference They were good, but I the vast majority of the time a buzzbait is just as effective while being more versatile and weedless. Although I mostly used 1 size and color, black, they take room which is a premium on a yak or small boat which is what i was fishing from at the time. Like I said, I would use black virtually all the time, day or night, so I doubt the color had much to do with it. To change the belly hook on a hangar, you unscrew the hangar or cut the stock hook with wire cutters. Then you thread the split ring, swivel and or new hook. If you add a barrel or bearing swivel that will more than make up for the shorter shank length. DONT drill any holes or try to unthread the joint connection or rear hook eye, eventually it will leak, or at least it did IME. I liked a jitterbug because it was like a tight walking bait that was very easy to use, I could literally troll with it, which I did. I found it to work best on calmer nights right outside pad fields that held fish during the day, and it also worked in open water. I would rarely stop mine. I would slow down and speed up quickly to change the cadence and that or just a steady retrieve took most of the fish. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRocket Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 5 hours ago, 1984isNOW said: Let's do the Jitterbug If this has ever been a place you've gained from somebody sharing their insight, or you've helped others grow by sharing yours let it be now. I had like 25 misses last night on a black Jitterbug. Not hits and then I missed, they just never put tension on the line. I felt a couple ticks from some of the hits, but they never brought the lure underwater. Most of them were just noises with no feedback on my end. I'll admit I was blown away by the amount of strikes Are you sure they were bass? I only ask because a couple recent similar incidents had me questioning myself, the lure, etc First was similar to yours at a pond in the late evening. Blow up after blow up with zero hooksets. On multiple lures. Turns out it was Bowfin hitting the lures but due to their extremely bony mouths, zero hookups. Next was yesterday in a Lake in the morning for Smallies. Several blow ups, no fish. After a bit we figured it out. It was Long Nosed Gar slamming the baits. But again, due to their mouth no hookups. I'm wondering if perhaps it was another species hitting your topwater? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1984isNOW Posted August 6 Author Share Posted August 6 @RRocket I mean I guess it's possible, but we don't have anything like that up here. its such a clear lake with so little vegetation I don't think I've even ever seen a sunfish there. There's lake trout and salmon, but they usually hang out 80 ft deep But perhaps it was something else just messing with me. Either way I now have one of each size Jitterbug on the way, I will figure this out haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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