Mike "Ike" Iaconell is the BASS angler with the longest active Bassmaster Classic qualification streak. He's won a Classic, and AOY title, an Open and come in the top 10 more times that we can quickly tally, between his BASS and FLW fishing tournaments. In this 1hr 20min fishing instructional seminar, Iaconelli will teach you the ins & outs of fishing a soft plastic jerkbait. Ike loves this technique, because it will catch bass when other baits won't. One of reasons is because this bait can be rigged in many different ways to cover several depth zones, thus ensuring that your bait is in front of the fish. Another reason he loves soft plastic jerkbaits is because they are amazing a immitating baitfish/forage. They can be accurate initators of shape, color, size and action.
Main Soft Plastic Jerkbait Topics
- 4:00 Soft plastic jerk baits
- 6:15 Match the hatch
- 9:00 Top zone rigging
- 23:20 Top zone fishing
- 31:15 Middle zone fishing
- 44:25 Middle zone fishing
- 47:00 Bottom zone rigging
- 57:45 Bottom zone fishing
- 1:03:30 Tackle
- 1:08:00 Bait modifications
Iaconelli first covers top zone rigging. In this portion of the how-to video, you will learn how to rig your soft plastic jerkbait to fish the bait on or near he surface of the water. Ike covers the tackle he uses for this depth zone, including VMC Ike Approved Wide Gap Hook, recommended fishing line, and tips for positioning the hook in the bait. Then he discusses how he casts, retrieves and works the jerkbait to eleicit strikes, particularly from active bass that are feeding or schooling.
Then it's time to discuss the second depth zone, the middle. Again, Iaconelli talks about tackle first, including the VMC Ike Approved Swimbait Jig Heads, fishing line recommendations, and rigging tips to help get the bait down into lower depth zones, and whether or not to use a barrell swivel and why. Iaconelli talks about "counting down" a soft plastic jerkbait and how to ensure that the bait has a natural fall.
Lastly, Iaconelli talks about fishing a soft plastic jkerbait on the bottom of the water column. He discusses three different rigging method for getting your jerkbait on the bottom. For each method, he discusses the tackle you will need to get your bait to the bottom and catch bass. Some of the recommended tackle includes VMC Ike Tungsten Drop Shot Cylinder Weights. Iaconelli shares secret tips and tactics for catching bass on all three rigging methods. What do you do with the bait after you throw it out and let it sink to the bottom? You'll learn what action to impart to the bait and when to expect bites in this jerkbait bass fishing instructional seminar.
If you enjoy learning from Mike Iaconelli, he has a host of instructional videos at Bass University TV. Watch Hours of Mike Iaconelli Fishing Videos including seminars on locating bass, seasonal patterns, finesse fishing, football jigs and other jerkbait fishing seminars. If you want to learn more about rigging and fishing soft plastics, be sure to check out Soft Plastic Baits & Rigging Techniques.
