As most of you know, we like to keep our reviews in line with the seasons that you get a sense how we are using the baits that we discuss at any given moment. Today is no exception to that rule. Overnight temps have fallen into the mid-thirties around here and the bass are sluggish but obviously still catchable.
One of the patterns that tends to be successful this time of year is using suspending jerkbaits to target these less than active critters and todays review is on the River2Sea V-Joint Deep Dive Minnow 75 SU. I know that’s a mouthful but that is the name and size of the lure we’re going to take a look at.
Winter Time Bass Fishing Metabolism
When the water turns cold, old bucket-mouth goes through a transition in his metabolism that alters his feeding habits to the point that he can exist on roughly 1/10 of the intake he requires during the summer months.
With that in mind, the angler has to adjust their presentations accordingly. To accomplish this, we typically use smaller profile baits and slow our presentations to a crawl. This however does not mean that soft plastics are the only baits that are effective. One the contrary, suspending hard jerkbaits are one of the most proven classes of baits for these conditions.
River2Sea V-Joint Deep Dive Minnow Construction
In the past, most of these have been slender, single segmented bodies. The River2Sea is a three sectioned bait with a wider underside that helps it keep its running angle in the water whether retrieved fast or slow. The V-Joint is available in several sizes all featuring high quality components and detailed finishes.
This bait is really a cross between a traditional jerkbait and a swimbait. The action is one of the most natural available as well as having the ability to suspend. We chose the 75 SU as our local baitfish tend to be on the smallish size this time of year and of course, you should attempt to match the hatch in some way.
The baits that we got all ran true out of the package and all exhibited the same well designed swimming action. It’s almost mesmerizing for the angler to fish watching what amounts to a totally natural movement in the water.
Tips For Using The V-Joint Minnow
Using the V-Joint is simple. Cast it out, reel it down, allow it to die and begin your retrieve again. Small jerks can be interspersed just to change your cadence and entice a wary follower. Most of our strikes came following a pause, sometimes up to 20 seconds or so. Immediately after we started the bait moving again, the fish would commit and strike the lure. The two sharp Daichi trebles did the rest and our hook-up ratio has been excellent.
You’ve got to play with your retrieve this time of year to allow these sluggish fish the opportunity to not only locate your bait, but also to commit to it. In our testing, the most effective retrieve was one that constantly changed speeds as well as the amount of time we allowed the lure to sit. It varied from one part of the lake to the next with the only consistency being inconsistent on our retrieve.
One thing of note in our experience with this bait is that we fished it following weather conditions that were stabilizing after cold fronts blew through. I suppose that during these cold winter months, most of us are going to take our shots on the water when we see these same caveats met.
The River2Sea is an effective alternative to the traditional jerkbait especially if the water you’re fishing is receiving lots of pressure. It is also a good value in terms of the retail pricing when compared to some of its competitors offerings. Throwing something that is somewhat different than the fish are seeing day in, day out can result in your catching them while other anglers aren’t.
| River2Sea V-Joint Deep Dive Minnow | |
|---|---|
| Overall Review |    |
| Great bait for coaxing sluggish bass to bite | |
See ya’ on the water …