The book say's clear to moderately stained water, I saw a guy win a tournament fishing a clown colored x-rap in high muddy not to mention cold river water. This  destroyed my text book thinking  regarding the use of jerkbaits

Personally I tend to agree that the clearer the water the better, mainly from the standpoint of a jerkbait being a great bait for suspended or semi-active bass that will actually pull the fish to it from a distance when they can see it. That said, and as you experienced, in muddy water a bass will still eat a jerkbait if you can put it right in front of it's face. Much easier to do in a river situation, but can be done everywhere. It's just that most times in muddy, cold water there are better alternatives.

-T9

I had this same question recently, here is a nice article I read on the subject.

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/jerkbaits_muddy_water.html

I tend to stop jerking them if the water looks like chocolate milk. Sometimes even if the water is muddy you might have an upper layer or an edge of muddy water that jerking a jerkbait can still be productive. I also have used a jerkbait for many years in muddy water cranking it like a crankbait with success. One spring the only way to catch fish off of spawning beds when the water muddies up was cranking a bomber or bang o lure minnow bait. (not jerking it cranking it)

A jerkbait with rattles to me sounds as loud as a rattle trap underwater.  Well almost.  "The book" is full of lies.  Read with caution!!

I love it when people read that book. 

I just pull in behind them with my clown Pointer and catch all the fish they left behind.   

Another train of thought about jerkbaits........

Like already mentioned, bass don't read the books. Watch a jerkbaits action on a steady retrieve (no jerks). Quite a few models perform a wide X action on a moderate speed retrieve. That action displaces quite a bit of water similar to a wide wobble crankbait.

In clear water bass will react to the erratic jerk & pause normally associated with fishing a jerkbait.

In very stained to muddy water bass will track to the wide x-ing a jerkbait offers, you just have to think outside the norm and fish it differently.

A few years back I had a 50+ fish day (smallies), in visibility of about 1 foot, just casting and winding the bait back.

When the water is very stained, I fish clown or gold colored jerkbaits with shorter pauses so the fish can still easily track it.

no.1 Thanx for the reliable expierienced feedback. This kind of revelation spoke volumes against the "book" . the more time on the tools you have the less you truly know. For instansce how much noise and or water displacement does a crayfish or shad  actually have and yet still manage to thrive as a prey species

Heavily stained is when I will stop, but bigger, darker cranks work well in cloudier water.

I prefer 2ft+ visibility, but will start using them at 1.5ft. During the Spring anything less I throw crankbaits instead.

So what is a jerkbait supposed to look like?

A goofy and lonely shad.

If the bass cannot see the lure then it is worthless.

Water clarity is one of the factors of throwing a jerkbait.

I stick my rod in the water and if I can see only 12 to 18 inches I do not throw a jerkbait.

But give it a try and see what happens.

Bass don't read articles or subscribe to this forum.  ;D   ;D   ;D

At what water clarity do your bass stop eating?

I'll never stop using them based specifically on clarity, because think about it, a snap style retrieve moves a heck of a lot of water; as much as any crankbait I would imagine, and bass can use their lateral lines to pick up on that movement. If anything I may switch to a more contrasting color but that is it. Think Chartreuse, black, or even white based.

If I think I can catch a fish on a jerkbait, then I'm going to fish a jerkbait. 

Yes they are generally better in clear water but I've caught many many fish in stained to muddy water on jerkbaits.