Initial Action after the Cast – It's about the Allure

Initial Lure Action after the Cast

Initial Lure Action is the lure action after the end of the cast and before the start of the retrieve. It is also what action the angler takes to get the lure to the desired strike zone.

Why is Initial Lure Action Important?

Initial Lure Action enables:

Getting to the Strike Zone: The initial action gets the lure to the desired depth.
Triggering a Bite: Some lures initial action prior to the retrieve will trigger the bite commonly called “hitting on the fall” or “biting on the fall”.

Initial Lure Action Options

Surface Lures:
- Immediate Retrieve: Start the retrieve as soon as the lure hits the water typically because the lure will sink.
- Pause for Strike: After the cast and with a lure splash that attracts bass (not spook them) waiting for the resulting wake from the lure landing on the water to dissipate in hopes the initial splash will trigger a bite.
Sub-Surface Lures:
- Slack Line Vertical Lure Descent: Letting the lure drop with no rod tip movement on a slack line. The lure descending action could trigger a bite while getting the lure to the strike zone.
- Tight Line Pendulum Lure Descent: Letting the lure drop with no rod tip movement on a tight line. The lure descending action is the lure’s action.
- Reel Down to Strike Zone: Some lures, for example hard jerkbaits and lipped crankbaits, require reeling the lure down to the strike zone.

Additional Considerations

Lure Fall Rate:
- Slow Descent: Some suggest a slow fall rate will look more natural and allow bass from far distances to see and react. Slow fall rate is generally also called fishing slow. Common when lure visibility is high.
- Fast Decent: Some suggest a fast fall rate will trigger a reaction bite. It also allows the lure to get to the strike zone quickly resulting in more casts and is generally called fishing fast.
Lure Fall Rate Factors:
- Lure Weight: Likely the largest contributing factor to fall rate.
- Lure Profile: The shape of the lure is a major contributing factor, for example a flutter spoon, may be heavy but will descend rather slowly due to the shape.
- Lure Buoyancy: Some soft plastics are buoyant. Also, the type of fishing line can impact the fall rate with monofilament line being most buoyant and fluorocarbon line the least.
- Sink Classification: Some lures come with a sink classification that assists in understanding the lure’s fall rate.
- Current: Current can significantly impact (reduce) the lure’s fall rate.
- Add-On Weights: Weights that can be added to increase the fall rate.
Depth: “Counting it down” is an expression of establishing the lure depth to reach the strike zone.