Fishing Double Clutches for Australian Bass

By Charles West

Wintertime for me means shallow jerk baits for bass, one of my favourite styles of fishing. Unfortunately, the bass are not always shallow, so this is when the Daiwa Double Clutch in multiple sizes comes into their own. The 60mm, 75mm and the 95mm, assists me when I’m targeting these Bass.

When jerkbaiting for bass you will find that the bass often come from a long distance to strike your lure. This can see them come from the deep to nail your lure or swimming a reasonable distance along a bank, weed bed, or moving through standing timber to eat your jerkbait.

The action of a jerkbait is an erratic series of movements we call twitches. These actions are applied by the angler with a series of twitches from the rod tip. The action is to resemble a wounded bait fish, a bait fish attacking its pray or even a darting shrimp or prawn.

There is no right or wrong way to retrieve a jerkbait. The key principle is to move your lure, then let it sit motionless. This two-step process can range from aggressive rips with short pauses, or subtle twitches with long pause. Trial and error is the way to work out what the fish want on the day.

You will find that the bass will follow a jerk bait for a good distance as if they are mesmerised. This is why this technique is an exhilarating way to catch bass. That excitement of not know when the bass will smash the Double Clutch is what makes you fish it again and again. Strikes generally come on the pause or as soon as you move the lure after a pause. Regardless of when they hit the lure during the retrieve, the strike always gives you a rush of excitement.

The Colours

When it comes to colour, I generally opt for a natural tone because in most cases I’m trying to replicate the baitfish from the lake I’m fishing. I also like to go the opposite end of the spectrum and choose a bright colour that stands in the water. Both approaches work and trying each on the day is the way to go.

The Baits

* Double Clutch 60SP- this is my go-to for shallow jerk baiting when the bass are in half a foot to 3 feet of water.

* Double Clutch 75SP- is my next go -to as I can also fish this shallow, 1 foot to 5 foot of water. This bait works well when the bait fish are typically larger or want to present a slightly larger lure.

* Double Clutch 95SP – this is a lure that gets down to 6-7 foot down, when those bass are sitting deeper in the water column.

The Outfits

The outfits I use are both spin and baitcaster. I like to use spin rod tackle for the Double Clutch 60SP and go for a baitcaster for the 75SP and 95SP. There is no right or wrong with this, it’s just what works for you.

* Spin Outfit – 6”6’ to 6”10’ light rod matched to a 1000 to 2000 sized, PE 10lb to 15lb mainline and 6lb to 12lb fluro leader.

* Baitcaster Outfit- 6”6’ to 6”10’ light to medium light rod matched to a 70 and 100 sized reel, PE 12lb to 20lb mainline and 6lb to 12lb fluro leader.

So next time you are in the local tackle store and looking for jerk baits, take some time out and have a good look at the Daiwa Double Clutch range and apply them to your jerk baiting arsenal of lures.