Jerkbaitfishing in the "Polders"
Allow me to start by stating that jerkbaitfishing is a very spectacular way of fishing. Everybody has read an article about jerkbaitfishing on big waters at one time or another, about the terrific strikes and the XL jerkbaits that where used. But who can say from experience that fishing jerkbaits in the polders can be just as exciting and spectacular? Who knows what jerkbaits are suited for this purpose, and which materials are best used for this way of fishing? That's what I want to talk about in this article.
When fishing with jerkbaits I prefer a baitcaster over a spinningrod. My favorite rod is a baitcaster that has a length of 6'8" (200cm) and is fast-tapered. The length improves the subtle game you play while reeling in your jerkbait, but it's long enough for fishing from steep and high banks. This doesn't mean that a spinningrod can't be used. A spinningrod with equal qualities will do just fine. You don't have to go to extreme lengths to choose the reel. I use a Shimano Calcutta 251, with 20lbs dyneema on the spool. I use the same reel when fishing larger waters as well.
When fishing for pike you need a single strand leader. I always use a jerkbait leader of 25cm made from stainless steel wire with a diameter of 0.8mm, with a strong crosslock at the end. On large waters or when using heavier lures like my small cobb's glider of 13cm, I use jerkbait leaders of 22cm and with a thickness of 1mm to 1.2mm. If you take a leader with a bigger diameter you will soon notice that the weight of the leader influences the action of the small jerkbaits negatively.
Now, which jerkbaits are suitable for fishing in the polders and which ones do I use personally? Well, I'll explain this using the three types of jerkbaits. As everybody knows there are three types of jerkbaits: divers, gliders and hybrids (also known as sliders in the USA and Canada). Usually I fish with hybrids/sliders and divers. But to simply say that I catch all my pike on these two types of jerkbaits is a tad too easy. I believe you need to find the right action for the day. Let me clarify that. I've had days when pike had a preference for the glider. And other times the hybrids and the divers caught better. A jerkbait is not a miracle lure so you'll have to spend a while searching for the right one. Often it appears that pike prefer a certain lure-action. It's my opinion that the action of the lure and the way you present it is more important than shape or "looks". "The action catches the fish, the color catches the fisherman". Having said this, I have discovered that the 6.5" bobbie bait and the 7" suick are among the best divers. I retrieve both these lures with long, steady pulls of 50 cm long, and after every pull I give the jerkbait a little time to rise. This way I fish them at a depth where I can easily follow the jerkbait while jerking it back. I have experienced that when you pick up your retrieve after a short pause, pike tend to strike. I think a jerkbait that suddenly accelerates, looks very much like a fleeing baitfish.
Gliders are a different story. Some people always catch fish when using them, and there are others that hardly ever catch with gliders. I'm not very fond of them myself, but sometimes they just have that little something extra compared to other jerkbaits. The gliders I normally use are the "halve liter", a handbuilt 14cm "tekneek" and a handbuilt 14cm "zig zag bait". I just fish them with short, slow pulls or twitches, which make them turn from left to right. After each pull they suspend a short while before they start to sink slowly. Models like a "Small Darter", "Robbait", "dr. Dre", … are good lures as well, as long as they sink slowly. Especially a suspending glider works fine for a few of my friends. A stop & go retrieve-style lures a pike into taking your bait.
And now I'm going to discuss my favorite category of jerkbaits, the hybrids/sliders. This year I've discovered three hybrids that are very productive: a handbuilt slow sinking flipper of 11 cm built by a good fishing buddy of mine, Luc de Lange; the "Wowijs" which is built by Arjan Willemsen, and my own divani hybrid of 14cm. I usually retrieve this one with short taps, coupled with long, steady pulls of about a foot or two. On my divani hybrid, which moves in about every direction thinkable except straight ahead, I had takes that were so aggressive that the jerkbait leader was bent in an angle of 90°! A pike of 52cm managed to jump out of the water in order to grab the divani hybrid which was hanging some 8" (20cm) above the water's surface while I was taking a break to look for hunting pike! The takes I had on the "wowijs" and the "flipper" were a bit more subtle, but pike often kept following the bait until it reached the bank after a failed attempt to grab it the first time. That shows how realistic these lures swim! One of these pike succeeded in taking the wowijs three times in two casts. In the first cast he took it but I failed to hook him. But when the wowijs approached the bank to about 5m, I suddenly saw a dark torpedo-like shape tuning in: pike, and not a small one either! She followed the lure to right under my feet, but she was so focused on the wowijs that she didn't noticed me at all. I saw her mouth opening while she was testing her jaws, and it appeared that she fancied a bite out of the wowijs. I twitched the jerkbait slightly upwards and allowed it to sink down again. Suddenly I pulled it 5 cm further. That was enough to convince this pike to take the bait. The result was a very skinny pike of 91cm. After I took a picture I released the pike, because I strongly believe in the catch and release principle. After that I cast again and immediately saw a V-shaped bow wave approaching. Very exciting!!! Again I missed it. Just like it happened during the first cast, this pike kept following the lure until it reached the bank. I immediately noticed that this was the same fish. My friend Luc had a similar experience one day later, when a pike took his handbuilt flipper up to three times in one cast and still it only just got hooked in the lip.
The amount of hybrids that are currently on the market is very limited. The small flippers built by ACE, the torrop, the titchy jim and the lureland hammer are some hybrids that can be used in the polders.
There's nothing left to say but to add that jerkbaitfishing in the polders is not just productive during in the summer months. In the autumn and during winter time jerkbaits still catch a lot of pike. Unlike on those big lakes, pike can't move to deep water where they are out of the reach of a jerkbait. The strike zone doesn't differ much throughout the year. Just the spots where you can find them. A good tip is to look for crossings of drains and canals, rotting weeds and around deeper holes in the middle of the water. If you keep trying, success is bound to follow!
Dirk.