I've read a lot of things that say the jerk bait is a go-to for spring fishing, however I am unfamiliar with it. Any suggestions on how to work it or size/color selections?

There's a ton of great info here: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/108594-jerkbait-help-advice/

Start off with a few rc stx and if you get the hang of it look into the more expensive baits. Later in the spring the xraps work good when there moving a little faster

There's a ton of videos on YouTube with pro's showing how to use a jerkbait. That's probably easier than us trying to explain it.