| What is a "twitch" bait?First off, what is a "twitch" bait? | | | | over real shallow weeds to the next open hole. Here |
| I first heard this term from my Brother-In-Law when he | | | | are the areas I concentrate on depending on the time |
| saw me catching fish on one and mumbled, "I never | | | | of day.Night to Early Morning LocationsWhen fishing |
| could catch anything on those twitch baits." A twitch | | | | one of these baits early in the morning I will fish shallow |
| bait is really nothing more than a floating crankbait with | | | | weed edges or flats with some kind of cover. Usually |
| a very small lip.The bait runs a few inches under the | | | | you will be seeing the tail-end of the night feeding |
| surface with a steady retrieve and returns to the | | | | crowd that has been out on the prowl. As the light |
| surface when the retrieve is stopped. Some examples | | | | gets brighter they will move closer to structure for |
| would be the original Rapala(tm), or some of the | | | | ambush possibilities.Mid-Day LocationsHere is where |
| floating Yo-Zuri(tm) lures but there are many models | | | | you get to test your casting skills. Move up towards |
| and brands, so pick your favorite.How do you fish | | | | the thick weeds that have open pockets. Start casting |
| it?Now onto the important part, how to fish the bait as | | | | to the close pockets and work your way out. Move |
| a "twitch" bait. This is a real simple method but it | | | | the boat quietly to avoid pushing the fish to other |
| requires some imagination. The whole idea is to imitate | | | | cover. If you don't cover all of a pocket on the first |
| a dying fish on the surface. You've all seen them, | | | | cast then throw back again, the fish might not move |
| those fish that make a few ripples on the surface and | | | | far from cover to get their meal.Evening to Night |
| then swim a foot or so before returning to the surface | | | | LocationsStart moving towards the weed edges and |
| again due to exhaustion. This is no different. I fish it in | | | | flats again. The edges near the cover that you fished |
| different areas depending on the time of day and | | | | in mid-day seems to usually produce. I have fished |
| weather. One thing though, if its real windy out skip the | | | | these baits with success at night but usually move on |
| small twitch bait and move to something that runs | | | | to Jitterbugs for surface work and Texas-Rig worms |
| underwater or makes a bigger surface disturbance. | | | | for fishing structure. I will write an article soon on my |
| Basically you will want to cast the bait and let it sit until | | | | experiences with night Bass fishing.ConclusionHopefully |
| the rippes settle. Be ready for a strike though, because | | | | I haven given you some ideas of what to do with |
| I have had fish hit the lure when it first lands on the | | | | those lures. It works for me and is my fallback method |
| water. Give it a quick jerk to make it dive forward and | | | | when all else fails. The idea is simple, you just have to |
| then let it surface. Twitch it a couple of times on the | | | | work at until you get the technique. Feel free to email |
| surface to make it ripple but not move. Repeat and | | | | me with questions or comments about this article, or |
| mix up this process. Sometimes I will give it two or | | | | post your questions in the Online Michigan Lake Maps, |
| three jerks to make it jump forward underwater. Other | | | | Online Personal Fishing Diary, forums, and fishing |
| times I will twitch it just enough to move it forward | | | | articles. |