Jerking Basics
Jerking
Perhaps every fishing enthusiast who just yesterday began to be interested in spinning fishing is familiar with such terms as jerking
and
twitching
. However, not everyone understands the difference between these two methods the first time. Let's try to figure it out.
What is jerking
Jerking
- this is the same as twitching (catching predatory fish with a spinning rod with sharp movements of the wobbler). The difference between jerking is that heavy baits are also used for this method. Large predatory fish, as a rule, are “in the depths”, so jerking is ideal.
Translated from English, “jerk” means “jerk.” Hence the essence of this method - retrieving the bait with dynamic jerks.
How does jerking work?
Like twitching, jerking helps create the illusion of panic and chaotic movement of the bait. Highly dynamic vibrations are transmitted to the predator fish, awakening the hunter's instinct in it. By means of jerking, it is possible to “show” the prey all the facets of the wobbler – shiny sides, belly. Thus, the bait “comes to life”, and its behavior is made as close to natural as possible.
The difference between jerking and twitching
In many Western fishing magazines, these two words - jerking and twitching - are used as synonyms. It would seem that the difference between these fishing methods is not so significant as to distinguish, say, jerking as an independent species. However, there is some peculiarity that allows us to talk about it as a separate fishing method. This feature is a stiffer, sharper wiring of the wobbler.
Thanks to this rigidity, it is possible to catch a larger volume of water, since the amplitude of the bait’s movements increases. Also, for jerking you can use not only minnow-type wobblers, but also heavier baits.
Along with twitching, jerking is becoming increasingly popular in our country. Convince yourself of the relevance and convenience of this method.
What is jerking
One of the spinning fishing techniques, which involves jerking (from the English word jerk-jerk) wiring of jerkbaits (jerks).
Jerk or jerkbait are special artificial baits, a prototype of large wobblers that do not have a blade.
The peculiarity of jerky fishing is the possibility of catching a large predator that lives at depth due to the weight of the bait, a special material of manufacture that allows it to perfectly demonstrate its sinking and buoyant properties, as well as durability in use.
Features of jerks:
- gaming activity depends on the skill of the fisherman, since gaming independence is completely absent;
- the greater the depth, the less effective the game and the presentation of the bait.
A special feature of the jerking technique is that it is possible to make jerking movements not only with jerks, but also with silicone baits and spinners. You can add compound wobblers and minnow wobbler to this list.
Difference from twitching:
- powerful jerks;
- wider amplitude of movement of the bait;
- heavier weight and size of baits.
The seasonal conditions for using the jerking technique are summer-autumn, at high water temperatures, the presence of food in the reservoir and the activity of fish, all these conditions are ideal for leisurely, jerky retrieves.
Varieties of jerking
Based on their appearance, many spinning anglers classify jerkbaits as wobblers. The main differences between jerks lie in the large size of the baits and the absence of blades. In addition, the weight of these North American toys reaches 100 g. Jerkbaits also differ from wobblers in the material of manufacture. That is why such large artificial fish have significant strength and durability. Like wobblers, jerks vary in buoyancy (floating, neutral, sinking).
There are 5 categories of jerkbaits:
- The most common class are gliders
. Lures have a body with flattened sides. During the drive, the glider wiggles from side to side, creating powerful vibrations. - Darters
are similar in appearance to gliders, but the action of this bait is original. Its uniqueness is due to its unpredictable behavior in water. - Divers
can be called an intermediate option, forming an invisible thread between large wobblers for trolling and jerks. The bait has an elongated body shape, when moving under water it resembles the habits of a small pike. - Twitchbaits
resemble wobblers in such an element as the nose blade. Many anglers think of twitchbaits as just big crankbaits. - Pullbaits
are one of the leaders among jerk baits in terms of body size and weight. Lures weighing 100 g have a length in the range of 150-180 mm. Since there is no blade in the pullbait, jerking is required to deepen the bait. Stable play is observed with different animations.
Jerking tackle
For jerking, specialized baits alone are not enough. You also need a strong rod, a well-tuned reel and a powerful leader.
- The rod
should be quite heavy (20-80 g). Due to the fact that jerking involves heavy loads, it should be short (no more than 2 meters) and hard. It is believed that the most convenient are non-component or two-piece poles equipped with a finger trigger. This trigger helps to hold the fishing rod when biting heavy predators. - It is better if the reel
is multiplier. The leaders among inertia-free models are “barrels” that can withstand strong jerks. The advantages of barrels include versatility (the ability to work with various jerkbaits) and durability. If jerks are not too massive (up to 40 grams), “soap dishes” are quite suitable. - As for the fishing line
, opinions are divided. Some believe that a braided cord is optimal for jerking, while others argue that a monofilament cord is optimal. Accordingly, it’s up to you to decide. When fishing for pike, titanium leashes are good.
Although if you are the most inexperienced of the inexperienced, then you can do without special gear. Fishing techniques can be mastered with a short, hard spinning rod, a reliable spinning reel (2500 according to DAIWA) and a thick cord (at least 0.4 mm). After all, the fish only sees the bait, which you must learn to “revive.”
Tackle for jerk fishing
Fishing with jerkbaits requires the presence of specialized gear - a short and powerful “jerk” rod, a powerful well-functioning reel, best of all a multiplier, thick and strong “braid”.
For those who want to become a real “jerkist,” they will have to purchase a real heavy jerk rod with a weight of 20-80 grams, because jerk baits can weigh up to 100 grams.
It goes without saying that a jerk rod should be short, stiff, have a fast action and designed strictly for this method of fishing. These requirements are due to the fact that fishing involves enormous loads when casting and jerking of the bait when retrieving. For ease of fishing, the length of the rod should be short, up to two meters. As already mentioned, the test of the rod must correspond to the weight of the baits in order to avoid breakdowns under significant loads (from 20 to 80g).
Multiplier reels are used, which under shock loads (when casting or jerking a bait) will give maximum service life. A rigid leash is needed, preferably not braided, but made from one steel string. The titanium leashes that have recently appeared on the shelves are very good.
However, for the first steps in mastering jerking, even the special tackle described above is not necessary. I think that if you are just mastering jerking, you don’t need to immediately buy a special super-powerful rod and an expensive multi-reel. To begin with, a short hard spinning rod (1.8–2.3 m), which you used for trolling or jig fishing, is quite enough. It is also not necessary to use a multiplier reel; just take a reliable inertia-free reel with a metal spool from a good company and a class of at least 2500 according to the DAIWA nomenclature. But the cord, of course, will have to be replaced with a thicker and more reliable one, at least 0.2-0.3 mm.
By and large, fish don’t care how long your spinning rod is or what size reel it is. After all, all that the fish sees is the bait. But the bait must play attractively! The lion's share of the success of jerk fishing depends on how you learn to “revive” the jerkbait. So let's talk about ways to retrieve jerkbaits.
Jerking wiring
If you translate the word “jerking” into Russian, the wiring method will immediately become clear. "Jerking" or "jerk". This is what the game of big jerks is built on. Due to the increased mass, jerks, accelerating during a jerk, due to inertia, move in the water longer than small wobblers.
Sharp jerks are more typical for medium jerks. Heavy lures require a smooth pull. This helps to avoid overlap with the leash. The condition of not allowing slack in the fishing line is mandatory, as is the case when fishing with all artificial baits.
The process itself looks like this: the rod with the leash and bait slack is carried behind the back and, after checking that the line does not overlap the tulip, it is sent forward with a smooth vertical movement.
The release of the cord from the reel is controlled by a slight touch of the index finger. When the bait approaches the surface of the water, the cord slows down, and the brake on the reel is turned on by turning the handle.
Further, if fishing occurs at great depths, time is given for the jerk to deepen, after which a series of jerks with stops are carried out. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the jerk class, its weight and size, since all these parameters require some kind of wiring.
Wiring on the current
There is an opinion that it is impossible to fish with jerks in the current, because when they get into the stream, they lose their game. This misconception will be dispelled if we consider that jerking in the current
- the process is creative. Making the current work for the benefit of the fisher is the task of the fisherman.
The current can be a good factor for variety of wiring. For example, you can try floating the bait down with periodic delays. At the same time, it becomes possible to achieve the maximum jerk swimming distance. Or do wiring in an arc. You can also hold the bait over some promising place, pulling it up and releasing it again. There are many options.
Myths about jerking
- Large jerks don't catch fish, they only scare them
. There is no doubt that it is easier to catch, and even more so to believe in a jerkbait, if you start with small-sized lures, which in terms of handling are not very different from the usual large pike wobblers-minnows and walkers. However, you should not delve into such fishing for a long time, because this is not real jerking, but a kind of transitional, compromise option. - Small and medium-sized fish cannot be caught using jerk
. Of course, the fact that jerking is primarily trophy fishing has not been canceled. Of course, you will be much more likely to be rewarded for your efforts if the philosophy of trophy fishing is in your blood, and you know and visit the places where catching big fish is most likely. But it’s worth noting: medium and medium-sized fish can be caught quite well on jerk, you just need to find your own special “key” for it. - Jerk cannot be caught in the current
. A dangerous misconception that can wean more than one thousand anglers from jerk fishing. For some reason, this completely unfounded statement is especially widespread among fishermen who actively visit the Volga expanses and other large rivers. It may be based on the fact that some, but not all, jerkbait models are affected by current. This means that the current can, to one degree or another, change their own “game”, which, ultimately, is more a plus than a minus. - Jerk is a surface bait; it does not work at depth
. For many, the concept of “jerkbait” is primarily associated with glider-type lures. And most popular glider models are almost impossible to drive to a depth of more than one and a half meters for one simple reason - they are floating. However, we should not forget that there are sinking models, as well as divers, which were specifically created for such fishing conditions. And with such models you can fish very effectively at depths of 3 - 5 m. And a small number of “bulldog” or “twitchbait” models, with some skill, can be made to go deeper to 7 m and even 9 m. - Jerking is an expensive pleasure
. In order to say this, it is necessary, at a minimum, to conduct a comparative analysis of the cost of spinning rods, reels and baits used in various fishing methods. And if you do this, it turns out that a spinning rod for jerking costs no more than a jigging or twitching model made at the same technical level. - You can only fish with jerk in the fall
. Yes, jerkbaits show the best results in the fall, when pike, which is the main object of fishing for us, having significantly increased in size over the spring and summer, is fattening - and therefore gives preference to larger objects of hunting. But this does not mean that jerks do not work in spring and summer. On the contrary, last summer, when not only the South, but the whole of Russia was covered by abnormal heat and the fish were in a complete stupor, it was the medium-sized jerks that more than once rescued the fishermen.
Jerk fishing: equipment for fishing with jerkbaits
Among the wide variety of modern fishing methods, the jerkbait is a relatively recent addition. It was practiced by the American Indians several centuries ago. Modern fishermen did not accept it for a long time, considering it clumsy, ineffective and quite expensive. As it turned out - in vain!
The jerk bait, the basis of the jerkbait, has quite impressive dimensions - up to 25 cm in length with a weight of up to 150-200 g. It is designed to imitate a wounded fish with all its characteristic features - sharp jerks, multidirectional lunges and other attributes of behavior. Moreover, all this must be performed by the skillful hand of a fisherman. What is a jerkbait? This is fishing based on sharp jerking movements. At first, this caused a storm of indignation and pessimism, but time put everything in its place and yesterday’s haters of this method turned into fans.
The fact is that the fish do not always prefer to peck; there are also “fishlessness” - bad weather, summer heat, overfeeding or spawning, when the fish’s appetite drops sharply. This is when the jerkbait comes to the rescue, the most reliable bait method, completely imitating the natural prey - a wounded fish. The sight of such natural bait awakens the dormant instinct of a predator again, maintaining the fishing passion.
A jerkbait is most appropriate at a depth of 0.5-3 m, regardless of the strength of the current. More bait immersion reduces the effectiveness. But this parameter can vary significantly depending on the nature of the terrain and the reservoir. Strong currents do not frighten jerkers - correctly selected wiring with no pauses will be the right decision.
- Divers . The fastest sinking jerks, moving only in the vertical direction. This is ensured by special balancing of the bait with a shift of the center of gravity forward. Depending on their ability to float, they can be light or heavy. The first ones emerge quickly, the second ones – slowly. During a good predator bite, it is more advisable to use light baits, because there is no need to maintain wiring for a long time. Heavy ones, on the contrary, are used when catching more passive fish that do not want to chase the bait.
- Gliders . The most versatile and popular jerk baits. They are also called “sliding”. They make smooth lateral movements regardless of the nature of the wiring. This is possible due to their flat, elongated shape. Thus, it does not lean to one side when moving and has good repelling ability. Each movement of the angler's hand causes the glider to move forward and to the side, so a jerkbait spinning rod must be quite sensitive. The shape of the bait determines the frequency and amplitude of the jerks. Long-bodied, dense models move like a snake, leaning to the side more easily. Short bodied ones tend to run smoother. Gliders allow you to catch predators in strong currents.
Photo 1. Gliders - jerk classics.
Photo 2. Composite jerk.
In addition, jerks can be floating or sinking. Floating ones are designed for surface jerk fishing, especially in hard-to-reach places - thickets of algae, snags and other obstacles. Also, the floating species is relevant for summer fishing, attracting mullet, mackerel and other surface inhabitants with its mobility and maneuverability.
Sinking ones are designed for more passive fish that live at depth, for example, pike perch or pike. A spinning jerk will be an ideal option against such predators. In this case, fishing is accompanied by fishing with pauses for more reliable biting and swallowing.
Jerk tackle includes the following elements: rod, reel, fishing line and leader. Each of them has certain requirements:
Photo 3. The tackle must be harmonious!
A wide variety of jerk baits allows you to adapt to fishing in any conditions. This or that option can be justified by the depth of the reservoir, the type of fish, the weather, the characteristics of the gear or the mood of the fisherman.
