As a musky guide who implements many different baits for unique situations, I often get asked, “When and why do I use dive n rise baits and how does one effectively work them?” Dive n rise baits will catch muskies throughout the season and can be retrieved in numerous different ways This is proven as they are the longest standing designs/actions in the musky fishing industry. In fact, the original dive n rise bait, then referred to as a jerkbait, the Suick Thriller, was the first commercially produced bait of its kind all the way back in 1942. Many new variations and designs have since been produced by numerous different companies to tweak or improve on the original Suick Thriller design, which is still produced today. One thing remains clear, these types of lures have been around for a very long time. and have a reputation for putting fish in the boat. Let’s dive in (pun intended) to some tips that will help you fish dive n rise baits more effectively.
· SLOW DOWN: These are finesse baits that thrive with longer pauses between pulls and excel in tough conditions. The majority of the time when fish eat these baits, it is on the pause as they are slowly rising or suspending and not moving at all. This especially seems to be productive when giving the bait long pauses in open pockets in big weed beds.
· “Dead Stick” Method: These baits are by far the most effective of any lure on the dead stick method. This “dead stick” method is effective when a fish either misses the bait or is sitting under it and you don’t move it at all for a bit, then give it just the slightest little movement. The majority of the time the fish will then hammer the bait immediately upon the subtle movement.
· Be Methodical, Not Mechanical: Work the bait methodically through an area picking it apart by covering different cast angles with each cast. Work the bait in an erratic cadence, as nothing in natural is ever completely uniform. What I mean by this is, change the number of pulls between long pauses, change the length of the pauses, change the length of the pull, etc. Basically, have the bait working effectively in the water but never coming back to the boat the exact same way for the whole retrieve.
· Fish the Correct Dive n Rise (Depth): As mentioned before, nowadays there are so many different dive n rise baits to choose from. Therefore, the key becomes picking the right one for the job. It is much more effective to pick a bait that is either weighted properly or suspends properly to fish the correct depth versus trying to manipulate a bait to work differently or deeper/shallower than it was intended for. This is why the Titan made by Livingston Lure Company is one of my favorite dive n rise baits. It allows me to fish deeper or shallower without having to change the bait I am throwing. This is because it has 3 different size weights that can be interchanged to run effectively at different depths. Whether you chose the Titan for its versatility or one of the many other dive n rise bait choices, just be sure to use one that runs at the appropriate depth for you.
· Figure 8 Technique: These baits don’t do a whole lot if they are just moved straight through the water. For this reason, I give them pulls and pauses as I go around the figure 8. Just as you speed up on straight aways and slow down in the corners on a typical figure 8, I pull through the straight away, maybe 2 or 3 pulls with a shorter pause and give the bait the long, hanging pause at the corner.
As you can see, the dive n rise design has been around for a long time and is not going anywhere as it continues to put fish in the boat for musky anglers around the continent. These are some simple pieces of advice to help you work dive n rise baits more effectively, and gain confidence as you catch more fish using them . Remember, these baits are effective at all times of the year but truly thrive in tough conditions when worked slowly.
Good Luck,
Eagle River Musky Guide,
Josh Kreger
Musky 360
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