Jerkbait Help/ Advice

[DementedMutt]

How can I tell if a jerkbait is a suspending jerkbait if there is nothing about the bait on the package? Rebel baits are a well known and famous brand, so why is it they put nothing on the package about what the bait is supposed to do. Their cranks have no dive depth written on the package, nor is there weights of the lures, does the minnow jerkbait suspend or float or sink. Not just picking on rebel a lot of brands do this. Strike King is awesome about info on there packaging but for someone on a budget $8 for a jerkbait is a bit much when I can get a Rebel for $4.

Bit of a question and a rant, but anyone know how to tell if a jerkbait is a suspending jerkbait without an aquarium or pool cuz I have neither?

[J Francho]

How can I tell if a jerkbait is a suspending jerkbait if there is nothing about the bait on the package? Rebel baits are a well known and famous brand, so why is it they put nothing on the package about what the bait is supposed to do. Their cranks have no dive depth written on the package, nor is there weights of the lures, does the minnow jerkbait suspend or float or sink. Not just picking on rebel a lot of brands do this. Strike King is awesome about info on there packaging but for someone on a budget $8 for a jerkbait is a bit much when I can get a Rebel for $4.

Bit of a question and a rant, but anyone know how to tell if a jerkbait is a suspending jerkbait without an aquarium or pool cuz I have neither?

 

You can look up the specs on the baits here: http://www.lurenet.com/brands/rebel-lures

 

Nothing is exact, though.  Line type, and diameter have a big influence on running depth.

[Hi Salenity]

Another thing, to me a $25 110 that I actually use is a better value than the lower priced baits I've bought and probably will never use.

[Bass Junkie]

Another thing, to me a $25 110 that I actually use is a better value than the lower priced baits I've bought and probably will never use.

This is so true... If I could have back the money I spent on lures laying around....

[Mccallister25]

Whats the best times of year to use jerkbaits? Are fish really particular when it comes to these lures?

[Dwight Hottle]

I use jerkbaits all year. A lot of guys prefer to use them under cold water conditions. Fish do seem to prefer certain size baits and actions throughout the year. 

[Mr_Scrogg]

I cant get over the stretch feeling of the line when I work a Jerkbait. I feel I need to really jerk it hard and long to get the lure to move.

[Dwight Hottle]

I cant get over the stretch feeling of the line when I work a Jerkbait. I feel I need to really jerk it hard and long to get the lure to move.

Braid and a leader will solve that problem. Try working the bait boat side or bank side to get a better idea how it moves with different strokes.

[Mr_Scrogg]

Im using some Big Game right now. Going to pick up a spool if Copolymer soon to see if that would help with feeling things

[Dwight Hottle]

Save your money. You need braid or floro.

[Hi Salenity]

Save your money. You need braid or floro.

Do you normally use braid while throwing a jerkbait?

[Dwight Hottle]

Do you normally use braid while throwing a jerkbait?

 

Always.

[Hi Salenity]

Always.

Interesting, I've never tried braid for that.

Tell me a little about your setup.

[Dwight Hottle]

I use 10 or 20 lb braid with a maxima ultragreen leader in 10, 12 or 15lb. The rods I use are moderate action M or MH power St Croix's in spinning or baitcasting. I use a fairly light drag setting that just barely slips on a hard hooksett. I know a lots of guys prefer fast or extra fast actions but they are not very compatible with braid. The braid allows you to work a bait with very short or subtle movements of the rod tip. This system works well for me on the open waters of lake erie.

[A-Jay]

I use 10 or 20 lb braid with a maxima ultragreen leader in 10, 12 or 15lb. The rods I use are moderate action M or MH power St Croix's in spinning or baitcasting. I use a fairly light drag setting that just barely slips on a hard hooksett. I know a lots of guys prefer fast or extra fast actions but they are not very compatible with braid. The braid allows you to work a bait with very short or subtle movements of the rod tip. This system works well for me on the open waters of lake erie.

 

Yea - that's a bit of an Understatement.

 

A-Jay

[NathanW]

There are many theories on it.....

Hooligan, Do you size up your hooks on your pointer 78? I typically go up a size up to #5's but I have never really spent the time to anlyize if it changes the baits behavior/action?

[DelcoSol]

OK guys, after seeing everyone's success with jerkbaits I am going to upgrade some of mine and really dedicate myself to them this upcoming year. I currently only have Rapala Husky Jerk and X Rap. Can anyone put together a starting point for a few other brands/models I should try? All that is available here locally is Rapala so the higher end stuff like Lucky Craft is unknown to me. I will have to buy online so please include as much specifics as possible so I don't buy the wrong ones. Thanks

 

Frank

[dam0007]

Before I really researched very much I bought a half dozen x raps to start with. What's everybody's take on these lures for cold water fishing?

I had great luck with them over the years during pre spawn.

[roadwarrior]

Rapala puts the X-Rap in a different category, "slash bait" not jerkbait.

The major difference is the fast, erractic action of the lure. I think it is

generally too fast for winter fishing. I think you would do better with

a more subtle approach.

 

 

 

[sprint286]

Water temp. plays a role in suspending baits because cold water is denser than warm water so a bait that may suspend in 45 deg. water may rise  In 55 deg water and so on . so the warmer the water the more weight you will have to add to get a bait to suspend. I like up sizing the hooks on a rapala shad rap in the winter to get it to suspend.

[Nick]

Been slinging suspending jerks for a few decades myself. Conditions do change and what the bass want changes, but it's been my experience that finding the fertile ground to jerkbait fish is undoubtedly most important variable to control- way more so that brand, color, movement, or even lure depth. Since I fish them mostly now at Lake of the Ozarks, I'm constantly looking for shad at the depth level within the range where my jerkbait will suspend.  Sounds easy, but lots of guys just go down any banks fishing them regardless of the presence of suspended food fish. When the shad are hugging the bottom, rareIy do I have a good catching day with jb's. can look at my locator and pretty well tell when I get to a patch of busted up shad, that is, smaller clumps of scattered that indicate they have been targeted by gamefish. I often tell my buddy in the boat next to me to get ready for a strike, and it happens pretty frequently when I see the right formations on my screen.

After location of food at the proper depth, then one can tweak the color, speed/tempo, action to get even better results. Particularly if one guy in the boat is getting the vast majority of strikes, then through comparison, better start copying what he is doing. Sometimes it's pretty subtle. 

I do find it interesting that on Lake Ozark, a very good jb lake, that the suspending Rogue was supplanted by the Pointer which in turn was supplanted by the Megabass brand these last two decades. It's hard to argue against the Megabass brand for its casting distance and fish catching abilities.  It tends to suspend tail down often, but occasionally rides parallel to the surface. For those wanting to save a few bucks, the Lucky Strike Clunn model works pretty much the same, but the internal weights can be fussy, and the lips are slightly smaller than the 3x more expensive Megabass. I'm not saying the Megabass 110 is always better, but it's really hard to argue tournament results around here.

Like Bo says, and we have won money before together jerk baiting, sometimes bass want something different for no apparent reason. At times, the could prefer a painfully slow sinking model that will get down to the 10-12 foot level with a quicker quiver than a spoonbill will give, but there are times that the fish want a spoonbill, wide wobble. And some around here even drill holes in a floater Rogue to make them sink in a circular pattern as deep as the angler wants and they can be deadly at times. So the real key is to be flexible and not tied in to one approach or lure. Sometimes the retrieve pattern makes a difference, but I like to fish them as fast as I can as long as I'm getting bit.  I'll cover more water that way.  I might actually only suspend and slow it down for 6-8 feet during a long retrieve(and I might hold it still for 6-10 seconds in a preferred zone) when I'm really dialed in to the location. Faster can be better when fishing against the clock.

As far as fishing the xrap, go for it.  They catch lots of bass, and it can be slowed down and stopped in any temperature to match the bass' wants. I kind of like that little, cute fly tail too. It can be a trigger.

I would agree that braid gives better feel, and I think working a jb with just the tiniest bit of slack in the line gives that bait more wiggle room if desired.  I like to move my rod tip at the 8 o'clock position about 2-3 inches before I feel the lure pull tight. I think I get better twitches that way if the bass want a sharper twitch. For economy, I can't find a way to beat straight Yozuri hybrid in 8 or 10 lb. test, and a 6'9" medium rod, and a quality bait caster. I get decent feel, and I don't break off like I did with flouro. For me jb fishing is done below 50 at it's most effective, and below 39 degree water temps, I have a much tougher time like everyone else I know. 

[aavery2]

Nice post and good information Nick.

[kingkong85]

Would appreciate your input.

Got into hard jerkbaits last year so I'm still fairly new to this.

Q: How do you hold a baitcast rod with a trigger while working it?

I'm using a st croix triumph MH fast action 6'6" baitcast rod and after a few downward movement of the rod, I start noticing pain in my pinky and ring finger (trigger is between these 2 fingers). So I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong.

[Dwight Hottle]

Would appreciate your input.

Got into hard jerkbaits last year so I'm still fairly new to this.

Q: How do you hold a baitcast rod with a trigger while working it?

I'm using a st croix triumph MH fast action 6'6" baitcast rod and after a few downward movement of the rod, I start noticing pain in my pinky and ring finger (trigger is between these 2 fingers). So I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong.

 

 

You need to try a different grip. Maybe try holding the reel instead of the grip. Or try holding the handle behind the trigger. I know some guys who removed the trigger for some applications. Your other choice would be to try a spinning rod & reel.  

[J Francho]

 

Q: How do you hold a baitcast rod with a trigger while working it?

 

All my fingers are in front of the trigger, with the rod between my index and middle finger.  I rest my index finger just in front of the reel, by the level wind guard, and my thumb on top of the reel.  I use a very small profile reel, a Daiwa Alphas, though I'm also comfortable using a Zillion.