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Hank Cherry: Change Pace for Fall Jerkbait Success
When it comes to catching bass on a jerkbait in the fall, throw out every rule you think you already know about jerkbaiting.
That probably sounds a little extreme, but it’s really not: a jerkbait like the Team Livingston JERKMASTER 121 with Electronic Baitfish Sounds (EBS) MultiTouch™ technology is a great way to catch fish in October, but you really have to refocus the way you fish a jerkbait as bass make that transition from late summer to fall.
Fish are on the move: The big difference between a winter jerkbait bite and a fall jerkbait bite is that the fish are constantly on the move this time of year. It’s a lot different than the winter, when bait is grouped up. As we get into October, and conditions continue to change – the amount of daylight changes, the water temperature changes, the location of the bait changes – fish just become more active. They move around a lot.
That means that you also to be more active to find them, and that’s why I like the JerkMaster 121 in the fall: I know I can get out there, let the EBS™ technology do its job, cover a lot of water, and have some really productive days.
Change your pace: Fall jerkbaiting is all about the pace. Whenever I take people fishing this time of year around my home in North Carolina, I always tell them “Don’t take your foot off the gas.” What I mean by that is “Once you start working that bait, don’t stop. Don’t even slow down.”
THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WINTER JERKBAIT BITE AND A FALL JERKBAIT BITE IS THAT THE FISH ARE CONSTANTLY ON THE MOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR -Hank Cherry
And I mean exactly that. Set the JerkMaster 121 on EBS Shad™, cast it as far as you can, and once that bait hits the water, start jerking it and keep doing it until you get it back to the boat. No pause at all! That’s a whole lot different than the “jerk, jerk, pause” retrieve I tell people to use in the winter. Don’t pause. Fish are actively feeding this time of year, and they’re much more apt to hit a moving bait.
Finding fall fish: Bait will be very visible on the water this month, and I don’t think it makes a difference if the wind is blowing at all. Fish are feeding up, so unlike in the winter – when your best jerkbait bites happen when it’s breezy – you don’t need the wind to blow.
When I’m searching for active fall fish, I always start on the biggest point on a major creek, and work my way back into the creek. That’s how the fish will move: they’ll start at Point A and transition back to Point B, and you can follow them right in.
Best fall colors: I throw the JerkMaster 121 in shad colors 99 percent of the time: Real Shad, Clearwater Shad, XXX Shad, etc.
My jerkbait setup: I fish the JerkMaster 121 on a 7-foot medium fast Abu Garcia Villian rod and a 7:0-1 reel spooled with 15-pound P-Line fluorocarbon.
-Hank Cherry
Mike McClelland Fishes Well but Misses Cut at Central Open No. 3
Lineberger’s Erie Re-Cap
As we headed up North to Sandusky, Ohio, it was hard to believe that we were already fishing the last B.A.S.S Northern Open tournament. The stage was set and Old Lady Erie wasn’t going to let us forget who was in charge.
Practice was a hit and miss as one day was good and the next was rough! The only fish I could find was around Pelee Island and as rough as the water was the risk was definitely high. I needed a good finish to stay in the top five in the points race in order to receive an invite to the 2016 Elite Series. So the risk of running to Pelee, which was approximately 27 miles one way in 6ft-8ft waves, was just as great as staying close and not catching enough to stay where I needed to be in the points. I wasn’t for sure what type of fish was there but was sure that this is where I had to be to get things accomplished!
Day 1 didn’t prove to be any easier as the ride took around 1 hour each way, which only lead to a 6 hour fishing day. Hats off to my Skeeter/Yamaha rig that handled the big waves extremely well and got there and back safely. The fish had scattered and I was in search mode. My Abu Garcia Premier 30 reel and Enigma 7” spinning rod got a workout as I made drop after drop. My Reins tungsten tear drop weights help make me aware when I was in the rocks and that was the secret to getting bit. As I switched between a Reaction Innovations Little Dipper in color Bad Shad and a Flirt in color Stinky Pinky I managed to catch about a dozen fish which weighed 16-3 and had farther down the list than I wanted to be.
Day 2 was no different as i climbed into the Skeeter/Yamaha rig and began our 1 hour trip in some pretty rough waters. Once arriving back at Pelee Island, I immediately put the Abu Garcia and Enigma setup to work. The Reaction Innovations Flirt (Stinky Pinky) and the Reins tungsten weight immediately found rock which led to 6 hours of fish caching where I caught 25+ fish. As I started back to weigh in I knew my fish were in good shape for the rough ride as the deep livewells in a Skeeter provide plenty of room so the fish did not get beat up on the rough ride back. Did I have enough? Only time would tell!
As we made it back to weigh in one more time safe and sound, I finally shed my STORMR Fusion rain suit, which was a must to stay dry and comfortable, and took a deep breath. The time was here! 18-14 for day 2 and that was good enough for 37th and put me in 3rd place overall in points. I had finally done it after years of trying; I will get an invite to the 2016 Elite Series!
Shane Lineberger
Inner-City Kids Enjoy Fishing with Philadelphia Eagles
Thanks to City Programs and The Ike Foundation Pittsgrove, NJ– October 2, 2015. Dozens of Philadelphia kids fished and hobnobbed with Eagles players in FDR Park, Philadelphia, recently as they vied for prizes and christened new fishing equipment provided by The Ike Foundation, a non-profit founded by Pro Angler Mike Iaconelli and his wife Rebecca.
The kids, members of the Mid-Atlantic Youth Angler & Outdoors Program and from the Sports for Juvenile Justice Program and the Tacony Police Athletic League (PAL), paired with the football players to fish the city’s only freshwater lake. The group also learned about local conservation efforts.
In June, The Ike Foundation made its first ever grant of equipment, donating sets of new and gently-used rods, reels and other gear to the Mid-Atlantic organization. Started in January 2015, the foundation’s mission is to “get kids hooked on fishing.”
“If it was not for Todd Pride and the Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers, most of these kids would never experience the fun of fishing—much less the chance to spend an afternoon with such positive role-models as these professional athletes,” said Iaconelli. “My thanks to the people who donated to The Ike Foundation who helped make this—and future events—possible.”
In the seven years since its inception, Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers has introduced over 7,500 youth to fishing and conservation activities as part of its efforts to train students for the “path-2- college” through fishing and boating and scholarship-awarding competitions. Over 600 colleges sponsor bass fishing teams nationally, with some offering financial aid as part of their sports programs.
In addition, Mid-Atlantic took steps last year to bring national attention to its work. Over 37,000 youth and fans turned out when Mid-Atlantic hosted the 2014 Delaware River Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament in Philadelphia. The organization became the first youth organization to host a national fishing event, and Philadelphia became the first urban city to host a professional series fishing tournament. Attendance broke the national record for fishing events, and ESPN network and the Outdoor Channel has broadcast the competition numerous times since last August.
For more information about Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers, visit its Facebook page, facebook.com/MidAtlanticYouthAnglers, or contact Todd Pride at (215) 954-6998 or CoachToddF16@gmail.com. For more information about The Ike Foundation, visit its Facebook page, facebook.com/TheIkeFoundation, or contact Rebecca Iaconelli at (571) 215-4366, becky@professionaledgefishing.com.
Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers & Outdoors Program
In the seven years since its inception, Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers has introduced over 7,500 youth to fishing and conservation activities as part of its efforts to train students for the “path-2- college” through fishing and boating and scholarship-awarding competitions.
The Ike Foundation
Established in July 2014, The Ike Foundation is an IRS registered 501(c)3, non-profit foundation focused on promoting the sport of fishing to America’s youth and developing their appreciation of the outdoors and our country’s natural resources. Trustees include Michael J. Iaconelli, foundation president, Rebecca Iaconelli, secretary and Carol Muracco, treasurer. Gifts to the Ike Foundation are fully tax deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law.
The Sports for Juvenile Justice (SJJ) Program is a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Philadelphia Family Court, the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative (PYSC) and three support organizations that place juvenile offenders into constructive sports programs. Since 2013 over 600 city youth have been placed in SJJ sports activities, including the Mid-Atlantic Youth Anglers’ fishing program and flag football, basketball, tennis, rowing, martial arts and golf groups.
Mike McClelland in Comfort Zone as He Guns for GEICO Bassmaster Classic Berth
BRANSON, Mo. (Sept. 30) — Cabela’s/GEICO For Your Boat angler Mike McClelland could not have picked a better location to try to secure his spot in the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic than Table Rock Lake.
Table Rock is where McClelland won an Elite Series event in 2014, and it’s the site of this weekend’s Central Open No. 3. To reach the Classic for the 11th time in his career, McClelland needs to win here again.
“I feel really, really good about this,” McClelland said. “This lake is one of those lakes where the clear-cut difference between winning and not is getting one or two quality fish. Last April when I won here, the difference-maker was a couple of good bites on key days. It’s going to end up being the same kind of situation, even though this is a totally different time of the year.
“This is a lake that I have a lot of history on, but it’s not a lake that I have fished a lot the last two or three years. I know what the lake looks like, I know what the lake has to offer — if I could just get the right bite or two. I feel like I’ve got a lot of areas I can run around and fish and it be to my advantage.”
After a good start to the Elite Series season, McClelland struggled and failed to clinch a Classic berth through the Toyota Angler of the Year standings, but a win in the Central Open would send him to Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Tulsa, Okla., for the 2016 Classic.
That may seem like a lot of pressure, but an all-or-nothing tournament might be simpler to approach.
“These events are sometimes easier to fish than an event where you are worried about points,” McClelland said. “When you’re 100 percent fishing to win, you really try not to get wrapped up in, ‘How do I go catch a limit?’ There could come a time, if I get one or two good bites, that that is an issue. I’ve got to catch five a day to be competitive.
“I don’t want to make it sound like practice has been easy, but if you continue to fish the right kind of water during the conditions that are presented to you, it’s not been impossible to get a few keeper bites through the course of the day.
“I feel good about catching them early, and I feel good about catching them most of the day.”
McClelland figures the per-day weights won’t be as high as when he snared 61.15 pounds to win here last year.
“That makes a good bite even more critical,” McClelland said. “The lake is full of 15- to 16-inch smallmouth, Kentucky, and largemouth bass. Essentially, you can fish for all three species and pretty much end up with the same kind of weight.”
But largemouth are the kickers McClelland needs.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in practice trying to figure out how to target largemouth and catch a better-than-average largemouth,” McClelland said. “I feel like I’ve got a few Table Rock tricks up my sleeve to try to make that happen.”
A total of 170 anglers will fish Thursday and Friday, with the top 12 fishing Saturday for the Central Open No. 3 title.
Cabela’s/GEICO For Your Boat angler Mike McClelland could not have picked a better location to try to secure his spot in the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic than Table Rock Lake.