Get a big tube of KY Jelly for your time on reserve. All joke aside, if you know you’re going to need the jump seat, try to be at the gate early to check in with the CA that way he knows you’re commuting and will (typically) try to get you on.
Some gate agents are not that helpful/friendly.

The actual plane is fine, not sure what the lines look like in Chicago for the 145, but I don’t think they're nearly as bad as the DFW trips