A jerkbait’s wobble-and-pause action perfectly mimics the shad that Lake Wylie bass feast on during late fall and winter. Here’s how to use these slender suspenders to catch more fish.
Late-fall and winter fishing on Lake Wylie, the Catawba River impoundment that straddles the North Carolina/South Carolina border, is an uncomfortable proposition. Docks and decks are slick with frost. Travel mugs of piping hot coffee quickly turn stone cold. The outboard needs more time to warm up at the dock. The bone-chilling boat rides are downright painful. And the extra clothes needed to make them tolerable make casting difficult. Line guides freeze closed after a few casts.
But one thing can make the misery worthwhile. And that’s catching a bunch of bass. One of the easiest ways to do that is with a jerkbait. These lures are red hot when the water is cold. Winter bass feast on schools of shad. You can catch them deep on a jigging spoon, but a jerkbait’s wobble-and-pause action produces reaction strikes from even the most sluggish bass. Plus, its horizontal rather than vertical presentation lets you cover more water.
It’s not uncommon to catch a dozen or more largemouth bass, some 5 pounds or bigger, during a day of jerkbait fishing on Wylie. To cash in, you’ll need some patience and understanding, not only of what’s happening below the surface but how to get the most out of your lure, too.
Jerkbaits shine in cold water
Matt Arey of Shelby, N.C., loves fishing with a jerkbait. A pro angler with national tournament wins under his belt, he fishes jerkbaits year-round. In the summer, he uses them to catch bass suspended over deep brush. But it’s late fall when they start playing the biggest role on Lake Wylie.
“When the water temperature is in low 50s and high 40s, I start to throw them,” he said. “I think they really shine when the water dips into the 40s, (which causes) a big shad die off.”
Lake Wylie never gets too cold for jerkbaits to work, he said, laughing, “unless it freezes over.” He keeps casting them until bass move shallow and set up on hard cover during their spring prespawn ritual. But that’s just a break. He picks a jerkbait back up as soon as shad start spawning, which begins when bass finish.
Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., is another pro bass fisherman who has developed a reputation for skipping jigs under docks and pulling big bass out. But he knows the potential of jerkbaits in cold water.
Jerkbaits perfectly imitate what Wylie’s bass are used to seeing
“It really imitates a dying or real sluggish shad that (bass) might make a quick little run at,” he said. “That’s what they are focused on eating.”
Lake Wylie bass eat threadfin shad and sometimes their larger cousins, gizzard shad. The key to locating the best places to fish a jerkbait, according to pro angler Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C., is finding where shad are “grouped up.” Most days, that’s easier said than done.
Shad are on the move during the winter, seeking out the best conditions for themselves. As the weather changes, so do the best places.
“They are going to keep moving,” Arey said. “They aren’t going to stop.”
Montgomery said shad can school in the middle of a pocket or on a point. You may have to fish several of each until you find them. And on Lake Wylie, the sheer number of both makes that a daunting task. Montgomery has a few shortcuts. Watch for birds, he said, especially those diving into the water. This is a tell-tale sign of a school of shad. Your electronics can help you locate shad schools, although that approach is better suited for deep water.
Don’t hide from the wind
Arey will cast jerkbaits at deep-water cover. But he targets clay banks or natural rock outcrops that are near a creek channel swing more often. Bass will hold near deep water and push shad onto the shallow structure, where they feed. Bass chasing shad in shallower pockets and creeks will use the structure and cover that’s available to them. A small point at the back of a pocket can make an excellent ambush spot. Laydowns, brush piles and even docks serve that purpose, too. Use your jerkbait like a spinnerbait or square-billed crankbait and cast it along and into the cover.
When they’re cold, many anglers hide from the wind.
“I got news for them,” Arey said. “That’s the worst thing you can do, even when it’s bitter cold out.”
The wind moves plankton, the microscopic food of shad, and according to Arey, the shad follow the plankton toward windy banks. Bass are never far behind.
Look for good water clarity
Regardless of where you find shad, the water needs at least 2 feet of visibility to make jerkbaits effective, Cherry said. Their subtle movements force bass to find them with their eyes as much as their lateral lines.
Montgomery usually finds that clarity on Lake Wylie’s lower end, near Big Allison and Little Allison creeks. But those aren’t the only spots.
“If the water is clear all over the lake, then they will work all over the lake,” said Arey, who uses them to catch bass above the Buster Boyd Bridge, including Withers Cove and around Seven Oaks at the mouth of Catawba Creek. If a lack of rain curtails runoff, then water clear enough for jerkbaits can be found farther upriver, even past Paw Creek.
Match your fishing gear for best results
The right gear will bring the most action from your jerkbait. Fluorocarbon line in 8- to 12-pound tests is preferred. It sinks, unlike monofilament, and that runs your jerkbait deeper and helps it suspend. If you need more depth, use a lighter line. The smaller diameter offers less water resistance.
Montgomery also recommends reels with smaller gear ratios that make matching your retrieve to what cold-water bass want easier. Instead of a reel with a line-gobbling 7-to-1 gear ratio, use one with a slower 6.3-to-1 gear ratio, mounted on a 7-foot, medium-action rod. It flexes more, casting lightweight jerkbaits farther and keeping surging bass from throwing treble hooks.
As for jerkbaits themselves, each angler has his favorites: Strike King KVD models, Lucky Craft Pointers, Livingston Jerk Master 121s — which Cherry helped design — and the Megabass Vision 110, which was mentioned the most.
Twitch and pause when retrieving jerkbaits
For colors, Arey matches them to the water. In the clearest water, he’ll throw translucent colors. He adds more flash as the water becomes dirtier. That might be one in French pearl, which sports white sides and an orange belly, or the chartreuse, silver and red combination called Clown. But even if you fish the right jerkbait, you can still go home without a bass if you’re using the wrong retrieve.
Jerkbait retrieves have two parts: the twitch and the pause. While any combination will catch bass, matching the cadence to each day’s conditions will generate more strikes. Cherry said two twitches and a pause is typically what most Lake Wylie bass want.
Tougher conditions, such as when water temperatures bottom out or a cold front passes, often put bass in the mood for longer pauses and softer twitches. This is when working a jerkbait can feel like plastic-worm fishing. The bite is no more than a jump in semi-slack line during a pause.
Even when the water is in the mid-40s, Arey still throws a sharp twitch or two in each retrieve. To find the day’s best retrieve, he varies his cadence within each cast, which always begins with a few fast cranks to get the jerkbait down. Then it’s two or three quick twitches and a 30-second pause. He continues the retrieve, but varies the number of twitches and length of pauses rather than dedicating it entirely to one cadence. That helps him quickly dial into what the bass want. Once he gets a bite, he’ll add more of that cadence to each retrieve. If it produces two or three more bass, he’ll use it exclusively the rest of the day. The process begins anew on the next trip.
DESTINATION INFORMATION
HOW TO GET THERE/WHERE TO GO — Lake Wylie lies roughly between Charlotte and Rock Hill. I-77, I-85 and I-485 provide good access to the lake. For fall and winter jerkbait fishing, the lower third of the lake offers the best conditions, although any area with clear water will do. The Buster Boyd Access Area on the west end of the NC 49 bridge is popular with anglers and offers a four-lane ramp and plenty of parking at the lake’s midpoint, close to food and fuel. Copperhead Access Area offers three ramps near the east side of the bridge. Closer to the dam, choose from public access sites in Big Allison and Nivens creeks. The drought has closed some of the ramps. To see which are open, check www.duke-energy.com/lakes/acess-information.asp.
WHEN TO GO — The jerkbait bite takes off then the water temperature drops into the lower 50s, usually in late November, but depending on how fast fall disappears. Water temperatures typically bottom out in late December or early January. Jerkbaits are effective through the beginning of March, though less and less so as more traditional springtime lures, such as jigs, lizards and even topwater, come into play.
Other info
BEST TECHNIQUES — Start your search in pockets and on points near river- and creek-channel swings. Rock on the bank or underwater will draw more bass. Clear water is key, so move around until you find at least 2 feet of visibility. Vary the twitches and pauses in your retrieve until you catch a few bass, then mimic that cadence on every cast. Make sure your jerkbait suspends and its color matches current water conditions: translucent colors in clear water and flashier ones in stained.
FISHING INFO/GUIDES — Jerry Neely, Jerry’s Fishing Guide Service, 704-678-1043, www.carolinasfishing.com. See also Guides and Charters in Classifieds.
ACCOMMODATIONS — Accommodations are plentiful in any direction from the lake. Visit www.charlottesgotalot.com; www.visitgaston.org; www.yorkcounty.gov/tourism.
MAPS — Fishing Hot Spot, 800-All-MAPS, www.fishinghotspots.com; Kingfisher Maps, 800-326-0257, www.kfmaps.com; Duke Energy, www.duke-energy.com/pdfs/wylie.pdf.
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