The jerkbait minnow suspending is for me one of the basics of pike fishing because it is productive in all seasons provided you select the right models at the right time! Let's see it season by season.
Springtime
In spring, the resumption of fishing in the second category coincides with the peak of reproduction of cyprinids. Pikes, in the front row, enjoy this show. As I have mentioned in previous articles, many things are possible from a technical point of view at the beginning of the season but a 12-13 cm Jerkbait corresponds to a good part of the baitfish targeted by the pikes at this period. In the spring, when the fish are back in the water column, are active from a feeding point of view, the use of a classic jerkbait minnow swimming up to 1.5 m depth on lively and fast animations in continuous twitching is quite relevant and productive.
The summer
This is the season during which I fish the least for pike because of the high temperature of the surface water. When I do it is in a river where the dissolved oxygen level, due to the water movements, is much higher than in closed water and logically favoring the ends of the day. In summer, pikes can easily be focused not on the white fish reproducing as in spring but on their offspring, hence the interest of downsizing to go down on jerkbait minnows of 10 cm and less to match with these small white fish of the year. Fast animations are still relevant.
Autumn
In autumn, pike return to frequent feeding activity in preparation for their near winter lethargy. As in the spring, a lot is possible from a technical standpoint. I'll use classic jerkbait minnows and start drawing Medium Runners, the Rerange 130 SP MR in the lead, and longbills as the water temperature drops to challenge the fish deeper while taking longer and longer breaks during the retrieve.
The winter
Winter is THE season when I love to fish for pike with jerkbait minnow. From the second part of autumn, when the first cold fronts have clearly cooled the upper water layer and the fish start to go deeper, it's time to get out the longbill and clearly slow down the pace.
In winter, the jerkbait minnow has no equal in imitating small fish dying after those first big cold snaps but at this season it is not the size of the lure that will make the difference but its ability to both call the fish from afar on active and inciting phases and to remain perfectly still on pauses that can be made to last too long, giving the pike the opportunity to seize its prey by expending the minimum energy possible. Pike analyze everything, all the time, and in winter this is certainly even more true. The fish seem to think more before attacking, which is why it is important to extend the duration of the breaks considerably. I don't count the number of pikes caught in the heart of winter on 15-20 seconds breaks and more! Once again, a jerk minnow suspending will be essential and formidable for this exercise.
On sunny winter days, do not hesitate to fish, when the sun is at its highest (or lowest!), the shallowest areas which are precisely those that warm up the fastest. It is not uncommon for fish to migrate to these areas between noon and 2pm and become active. Classic jerk minnows (with a short lip) can easily be used in these conditions.
The question of the 3 triples according to the seasons
In 80 or 90% of the cases, the jerkbait minnow strikes take place during the breaks when fishing for pike in winter and often the attacks are not very frank, the fish are often bitten on the triple tail or the central triple. This is a sign that the fish are not really attacking to kill. When it is the case, the fish are most of the time bitten on the head hook.
The triple to be removed on the sectors where it will be necessary to be in phase with the regulation will thus vary according to the season and the activity of the fish. Let's say that from spring to autumn we will be able to remove the central triple while from the transition between autumn and winter and in the middle of winter it will be more judicious to remove the first one and to keep the central triple and the tail one, the activity of the fish being globally lessened and their attacks less frank.
