Pro anglers' jargon is chock-full of tournament fishing buzzwords that get BassFans' blood rushing. It's the lingo of a daylong game that transpires over long hours of meticulous repetition punctuated by brief moments of thrills and chills.
Jason Quinn, the South Carolina pro on the leading edge of the wave of fresh new pro-bass personalities, can talk up a storm when a microphone's in his face, and he can light up the weigh-in scales too. Listen and you'll hear the new poetry of competitive bass fishing carom from his tongue like a crankbait careening off a stump.
Recently, he got on a roll while describing tricks that deliver the "bounce" he wishes to achieve with hard-body jerkbaits.
To Bounce or Not To Bounce
Quinn uses different lines for jerkbait fishing depending, on the water temperature. His counsel is timely for those gearing up for the jerkbait bite on northern U.S. waters.
"You can really affect a jerkbait by the line you use," he said. "For cold-water jerkin', you want to slow down the lure – not just the speed of the retrieve, but also how it reacts on the end of your line. You want less bounce."
When the water temperature is in the upper-40s and low-50s, he chooses fluorocarbon line. For water 55 degrees and higher, he goes with regular mono.
"Fluorocarbon slows down the lure's action," he said. "A jerkbait bounces a lot more with mono. It has a lot more dance and wiggle. With fluorocarbon, when you pull the lure, it not only bounces less, it also stops quivering more quickly.
"You want less bounce when the water's cold. The bass just go for a sluggish jerkbait better when the water is less than 54 or 55 degrees."
He said the trick works on all jerkbaits.
"Take any bait on the market and you can change the action by using fluorocarbon or mono. I don't care whose bait it is."
Bigger Fish, Too
Quinn also said fluorocarbon often produces bigger fish in cold water.
"It seems like with a more erratic action, you'll usually get smaller fish. With fluorocarbon, the bait is moving slower and that's often what the big ones want."
His favorite jerkbait is a 4 1/2-inch Smithwick Rattlin' Rogue. He usually goes with the suspending model and prefers brighter colors like those that mimic shad – chrome with a blue back and clown, particularly.
For cold-water fluorocarbon jerkbaiting, he targets red clay and chunk-rock banks that lead into spawning coves. After the water tops 55 degrees, he heads into the pockets, flats and riprap banks with a Rogue tied to mono.
His preferred retrieve – whether with fluoro or mono – is a steady walk-the-dog style.
"I like a twitch-twitch-stop action. I just speed it up a little when the water starts to warm up."
A Matter of Physics
Quinn noted the same properties that make managing fluorocarbon on the reel a bit more difficult contribute to its effectiveness in cold-water jerkbait fishing.
"Because fluorocarbon is stiffer, it restricts the bait's movement. It doesn't bounce and quiver as much. It's perfect for a slow, finesse-type presentation with a Rogue and other jerkbaits."
He said fluorocarbon also is a good choice for crankbait fishing in cold water. "It keeps that crankbait's wobble a little bit tighter, and that can be the difference between a successful day and a so-so day.
"It's a matter of understanding how your line affects your lure. One of fluorocarbon's real advantages is in cold water."
Notable
> Quinn's jerkbait outfit includes a Pflueger President baitcasting reel and a 6'6" medium-action All Star rod. He typically spools up with 10-pound Shakespeare Supreme mono and fluorocarbon.
> He returned to one of the Bassmaster Tour venues April 28 to extract a little revenge. Still smarting from his 138th-place finish at Clarks Hill Reservoir (six fish, 6-14), he whacked 23 bass on his return trip. "The Super Spook action was awesome. The biggest was about 4 1/2 pounds and we got seven or eight over 3 pounds. I'm going back in a week or two."
> He also said his guide work at lakes Wylie, Norman and Murray has been strong. "Since the end of the Tour season, I've been doing four trips a week. I'm booked every day I want to work."