I get really intimate about working my plugs so bear with me.
I used to spend alot of time fishing bridges. This gave me the opportunity to watch and see how baitfish get attacked while just swimming along the surface just outside that shadowline, OR a cloud-less summer day for that matter. What I learned I'm not sure I could possibly ever put down in words but what I can say, is that it helped me in being 1 with the plug, without being longwinded let me get back to your question
....
My initial retrieve will vary. It can be either nothing or a few quick turns of the handle or a 1/2 sweep of the tip. I look at it like this...
The second my plug hits the water, in my mind, it BECOMES a baitfish and I am it's puppateer:
Ok, SPLASH, it landed..... It either spooks or gets the attention of a nearby fish. (Spooking is good, they come back
) I'll sometimes let it sit. I've noticed that when single baitfish are being attacked there is a moment of assessment? (they'll freeze when seeing a predator), then they'll take off. A dead standstill shows a baitfish on guard and with just tightening your line, it can give it that very small movement almost preparing it to take off. Just reeling in your slack gives it that slightest action. Sometimes that alone can trigger a strike. A few small twitches against the current also works for me before the retrieve.
Times when the lure makes more of a splash than others, I will retrieve quickly for a few turns then stop. I feel it gives the impression that either this baitfish just jumped or a predator just attacked but the fleeing baitfish got away and it quickly moved out of the attack zone, hopefully a nearby striper attacks it before my imaginary predator returns
Sometimes I just slowly crank it in like a carefree baitfish just swimming along and sporadically make odd twitches and pauses trying to show some nervousness.
The current and wind factor also play a part in how I make my retrieve. I think the most important thing is having confidence in yourself that you are mimic'ing a baitfish to your best ability in the current environment as that also varies, strong currents versus bath-water situations etc.., the rest will take care of itself.
So to me, there is no right way...it all depends on how it lands, my mood, the conditions...how I caught the first one
