Need help with my jerk shad technique

[FISHMD]

After getting no strikes with my senko worm, spinnerbait, crankbait and jig I tied on a 5-inch z-man jerk shad z. I rigged it weightless with a 3/0 gamakatsu EWG worm hook with the hook slightly buried in the belly. On the third cast I got to blow up, felt the weight of the fish, set the hook but did not get a hookup. I then rig the tip of the hook loose in the belly of the bait with the same result. I then push the hook through the top of the bait and tex skimmed the tip... Same result. Lastly I kept it hooked thru the top of the bait but released the tip .. Again same result. 15 lb braid with 20 lb fluoro leader on a Dobyns FR 705 CB. What am I doing wrong?

[cport]

Go with a 4 or even 5/0 ewg. I used to fish flukes with a 2 or 3, then I went fishing with a friend, and his hook up ratio on his 5/0 was far better than mine. Converted me right there  I will use the thicker superline ewg for a faster sink rate sometimes; it can trigger bites when they haven't been hitting it. I will also use the heavier hook when bank fishing, as I can make longer casts with it as well. Good luck

Oh, and I always fish it texposed

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[cport]

On the third cast I got to blow up, felt the weight of the fish, set the hook but did not get a hookup.

Question... When you say you felt the weight, was it on the jerk? Often times they hit it on the fall and you won't know till you make the next jerk, and you may have jerked it from the back of his mouth which is why you miss the hooksets. Instead of jerking it after the fall, I've started doing more of a light twitch, then jerk if I don't feel a fish, then let it fall, and repeat. With the light twitch, you feel the pressure right away, then you can reel down and cross his eyes with a sweeping hookset.
Even if you think you have jerked it it off his mouth, let it fall and rest for a few, then twitch it. They will sometimes follow it and you get a second chance.

And I'm pretty exclusive to zoom flukes. The channel they have in the belly is perfect for ewg, and they move like no other.

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[zippyduck]

Chris,

That covers it all. Well written explanation. 

[cport]

Chris,

That covers it all. Well written explanation. 

Thanks zip. I figured this out the hard way fishing the river. I throw in to wood upstream, and let it sink like usual. Then I would give it a jerk. But with that moving water, I don't see the line move or twitch like I can on a lake when there fish takes it on the fall, so I was jerking it out of their mouth. Also, throwing it in to wood sometimes it drifts into a branch. If I jerk it, I'm hung, but if I twitch it I can work it past, and often get a hit.

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[FISHMD]

Question... When you say you felt the weight, was it on the jerk? Often times they hit it on the fall and you won't know till you make the next jerk, and you may have jerked it from the back of his mouth which is why you miss the hooksets. Instead of jerking it after the fall, I've started doing more of a light twitch, then jerk if I don't feel a fish, then let it fall, and repeat. With the light twitch, you feel the pressure right away, then you can reel down and cross his eyes with a sweeping hookset.
Even if you think you have jerked it it off his mouth, let it fall and rest for a few, then twitch it. They will sometimes follow it and you get a second chance.

And I'm pretty exclusive to zoom flukes. The channel they have in the belly is perfect for ewg, and they move like no other.

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After the strike I immediately reeled in and could feel the weight of the fish as if he was holding on to the bait. I used an upward hookset and he was off. It felt as if I pulled it out of his mouth. The Zman jerkshad Z is a floating bait so it stays on the surface.

[DonM]

When you a little older, it gets easier.  I just toss it out there and try to hold my hands steady.  Of course they start shaking and shake more and more the longer you try to hold them still.
Then when the fish gets the bait my slow reaction time give him plenty of time to chew, eat and digest it.  The I reel em in. 

[cport]

Gotcha. I usually do more of a sweep hookset, get em in the corner of the mouth. I've never tried those, I might have to check those out. I can make my fluke go topwater, but I'm reeling it fast and twitching the whole time to keep it on top. If it's already floating, I can work it more subtly. Does it dart side to side in a walk the dog style?

And I would definitely upsize the hook

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[coldfront]

Chris,

That covers it all. Well written explanation. 

piling on:  agreed.  two great explanations from one poster in same thread!

zoom flukes:  accept no substitutes!  and texposed EWG's!

something else I'm a 'fan' of:  I put just a few drops of shad scent (smelly liquid) in the hook slot.  helps get some of those tail-biters to commit a bit more of the bait into their mouth.

[FISHMD]

Gotcha. I usually do more of a sweep hookset, get em in the corner of the mouth. I've never tried those, I might have to check those out. I can make my fluke go topwater, but I'm reeling it fast and twitching the whole time to keep it on top. If it's already floating, I can work it more subtly. Does it dart side to side in a walk the dog style?

And I would definitely upsize the hook

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It does dart side to side like a walk the dog style, great action very responsive. I got it a mystery tackle box that my daughter in law gave me as a gift and just threw it on since nothing was working. I normally wouldn't choose a pink and white color bait in a stained lake but they seem to turn on the bite. I'm a little limited on bait in Ohio at the moment cause I left my gear in Maryland by mistake. Should I upsize to a 5/0 on a 5" bait?

[Oldfart9999]

Just another thought, it's possible they aren't taking the bait all the way, grabbing the tail. A larger hook may be the answer, I quite often use a straight shank hook over grass and don't have trouble with hook ups. Before putting the Senko down rig it texposed and try throwing it out, let it sink a couple of feet then do the jerk dance with it.
Rodney

[coldfront]

Just another thought, it's possible they aren't taking the bait all the way, grabbing the tail. A larger hook may be the answer, I quite often use a straight shank hook over grass and don't have trouble with hook ups. Before putting the Senko down rig it texposed and try throwing it out, let it sink a couple of feet then do the jerk dance with it.
Rodney

rodney:  are there' some pros out there who also put a feathered treble on the EWG, so it rides in back of the jerk shad?  seems a relatively common issue?

[Oldfart9999]

Could be, I'd try a small blade on a swivel, I've done that and it can work, just don't expect a good side to side action with either, they tamp down that action.
Rodney

[cport]

It does dart side to side like a walk the dog style, great action very responsive. I got it a mystery tackle box that my daughter in law gave me as a gift and just threw it on since nothing was working. I normally wouldn't choose a pink and white color bait in a stained lake but they seem to turn on the bite. I'm a little limited on bait in Ohio at the moment cause I left my gear in Maryland by mistake. Should I upsize to a 5/0 on a 5" bait?

I use a 5/0 all the time with my 5" flukes. In fact, I usually use the super line EWG gammies cuz it makes it sink faster, which I need in the river

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[BarryFL]

I have to ask... are you sure these are bass? In FL, gar will grab flukes but you cant hook them. They hold it like holding it with needle nose pliers. I fought some all the way to the boat before they opened there mouths and let go.

~Barry~

[FISHMD]

I have to ask... are you sure these are bass? In FL, gar will grab flukes but you cant hook them. They hold it like holding it with needle nose pliers. I fought some all the way to the boat before they opened there mouths and let go.

~Barry~

Yes they're bass. I've pulled some in and some up close enough to see.
. Lots of great advise here. I used my I picked up some Gamakatsu 5/0 offset worm hooks which seem to be a better fit. I downsized my leader to 12 lb flouro on Mojo M F spinning rod. I feel I owe you all an update:  Today I tried a different lake the wind was a factor so the spinning rod came in handy. Unfortunately, the bass weren't interested in the Zman Jerkshad Z today so I have to try again to report how my new technique works with that bait. Fortunately I pulled out another new bait from my Mystery Tackle box gift called Big O's Eeliminator, texas riggied it weightlless and that got the fish biting. I tried to delay my hookset but I must of waited too long cuz it let go. I used the gear and techniques I learned here to get some hookups. I still made some mistakes remembering to make sweeping hooksets (old habits are hard to break) but all in all a fun day. FYI, I've been fishing for over 50 years and had never tried these baits before, just shows the need to keep trying new stuff. Thx for the help guys.

[cport]

Yes they're bass. I've pulled some in and some up close enough to see.
. Lots of great advise here. I used my I picked up some Gamakatsu 5/0 offset worm hooks which seem to be a better fit. I downsized my leader to 12 lb flouro on Mojo M F spinning rod. I feel I owe you all an update:  Today I tried a different lake the wind was a factor so the spinning rod came in handy. Unfortunately, the bass weren't interested in the Zman Jerkshad Z today so I have to try again to report how my new technique works with that bait. Fortunately I pulled out another new bait from my Mystery Tackle box gift called Big O's Eeliminator, texas riggied it weightlless and that got the fish biting. I tried to delay my hookset but I must of waited too long cuz it let go. I used the gear and techniques I learned here to get some hookups. I still made some mistakes remembering to make sweeping hooksets (old habits are hard to break) but all in all a fun day. FYI, I've been fishing for over 50 years and had never tried these baits before, just shows the need to keep trying new stuff. Thx for the help guys.

Dude we all miss a few. Maybe I should clarify, I'd hate for your hookset ratio to suffer because of what I said. I guess what I'm trying to say is I still hit them real hard, I just changed my angle. I don't lift straight up when I hook, but more like a 45° angle with the wide gap hooks. I am of the opinion that you have to clear the front bend of the hook out from the mouth, then the point can grab. The corner of the mouth clears quicker than the front  I also read where the fish is swimming while I reel down before the hookset and set in the opposite direction.

So when I say sweeping, I mean less of a jerk, more of a full lifting of the rod in a rapid manner, using all the power and leverage of the rod.

That all being said, I still have a few choice words with the bass when I miss some, but I definitely hook more than I miss.

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[FISHMD]

Dude we all miss a few. Maybe I should clarify, I'd hate for your hookset ratio to suffer because of what I said. I guess what I'm trying to say is I still hit them real hard, I just changed my angle. I don't lift straight up when I hook, but more like a 45° angle with the wide gap hooks. I am of the opinion that you have to clear the front bend of the hook out from the mouth, then the point can grab. The corner of the mouth clears quicker than the front  I also read where the fish is swimming while I reel down before the hookset and set in the opposite direction.

So when I say sweeping, I mean less of a jerk, more of a full lifting of the rod in a rapid manner, using all the power and leverage of the rod.

That all being said, I still have a few choice words with the bass when I miss some, but I definitely hook more than I miss.

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I wasn't missing bcuz of the sweeping hookset but more due to forgetting to sweep and automatically using my old jerk style. I just need to think more before setting the hook. Thx for the encouragement, sometimes it's harder for an old dog to learn new tricks.

[Deadeye]

Dude we all miss a few. Maybe I should clarify, I'd hate for your hookset ratio to suffer because of what I said. I guess what I'm trying to say is I still hit them real hard, I just changed my angle. I don't lift straight up when I hook, but more like a 45° angle with the wide gap hooks. I am of the opinion that you have to clear the front bend of the hook out from the mouth, then the point can grab. The corner of the mouth clears quicker than the front  I also read where the fish is swimming while I reel down before the hookset and set in the opposite direction.

So when I say sweeping, I mean less of a jerk, more of a full lifting of the rod in a rapid manner, using all the power and leverage of the rod.

That all being said, I still have a few choice words with the bass when I miss some, but I definitely hook more than I miss.

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When we were all fishing at the Mud Hole, I missed one that bit my Jig. I said to the SIL must not of had it it good. He said "or you ripped it's lips off".

I also tend to set the hook hard, whether it's a Sweeping Hookset or an Upward Set. Bass have a hard interior of their mouth except the outer lip area.  Using Sharp Hooks and enough force to drive it home helps with Hook Up ratio.