Hi Guys,

I need some advice here.  I simply can't seem to hook up with a jerkbait.

It's not always been like this.  Two of my most memorable fishing experiences were with jerkbaits.  First, the first time I ever outfished my dad was with a jerkbait, and I had a witness!  Dad and I took a friend of mine fishing in the boat.  I started targeting cover -- stuff folks generally didn't consider trying back before braid unless they were very, very good.  I threw a jerkbait to that cover, twitched it, and a bass blew it up!  Tried again in different spots with the same results.

Later, sometime in my 20s, I went fishing on the river.  I generally didn't fish during that time and went to get away.  I tossed that same Rapala out, let it float down in front of a rock, and twitched it.  A sauger blew it up -- my first sauger!

Recently, though, I've had no luck.  This evening was typical.  I tried using a jerkbait on the combo I purpose-built for fishing jerkbaits: A 4600c3 (modified) on an 80 million modulus rod, very light and very stiff.  Line is light braid (8lb eq diameter) with an 8lb fluoro leader.  I spent the first half hour trying different jerkbaits with different cadences and counts, and nothing.

When I started tossing a squarebill, I hooked up three times; landed two.  I mean, they were there.  They just didn't want the jerkbait, or what I was doing with it.

I jerked on slack line and didn't reel until I was ready to jerk the bait.  

I'm about ready to put the slower gears (26ipt) back into the 4600c3 and use it on my squarebill combo, replacing the EON 3600 I currently have on it.

Does anyone have any idea what I might be doing wrong?  I simply don't know.  Maybe the water where I fish isn't clear enough?  The lake has a pretty good green stain going on, but I can see pretty deep if it's not rained.  The river is generally muddy/clay suspension if it's rained.  However, I can also usually see fairly deep into the river if it's not rained a while.

But maybe I'm not doing anything wrong except using jerkbaits in the wrong situations?

Any help?

Thanks!

Josh

Since you said you used a very stiff rod I would imagine you were over working the bait. You need good tip flex for working jerks, otherwise you literally jerk them forward instead of working them. I know that doesn't make any sense, but I can't think of the right way to describe it. 

What were your conditions? Floating, suspending, or sinking jerkbaits?

The fish dont always hit what you want them to hit .