Traditionally, jerk baits have been a cold water tactic for brown bass. In recent years though, I have found myself using them more and more for largemouth. And not just in colder water either.

 

My question is, what should I be doing differently when using them for largies as opposed to smallmouth, if anything? I feel like sometimes the smallmouth really like flashy or bright colors. And the largemouth prefer more natural colors. Anyone here use jerk baits for both?

I do. I tend to use more natural colors, and bigger body jerk baits for LMB. The Trout Dynamic Travado is a favorite of mine, but is not discontinued. It's pretty beefy, but does great for LMB.

Only thing I do different is in lakes that have both I can use bigger baits.  All the clear water around here natural colors work best for both SM and LM. Lucky Craft Ghost Minnow is the best color overall and I will throw the 100sp in lakes with LM instead of the 78sp.

 

Allen 

From what I noticed is LMB seem to really like a slightly longer pause. Than a smallie would. Again that could be various other reasons but, just want I have seem to notice.

I only fish for largemouth. I use white/Pearl for cloudy days, sexy shad or chrome for sunny days. Simple as that. 

34 minutes ago, Darnold335 said:

From what I noticed is LMB seem to really like a slightly longer pause. Than a smallie would. Again that could be various other reasons but, just want I have seem to notice.

 

This^^^^!!!!! Color is also different. The smallmouth react to brighter patterns like clown. More natural colors work better for largemouth. When it comes to the Vision 110, French pearl works on both but I catch more smallmouth on the French pear with orange belly and more largemouth on the plain French pearl.

1 hour ago, Cbump said:

I only fish for largemouth. I use white/Pearl for cloudy days, sexy shad or chrome for sunny days. Simple as that. 

Do you ever use the deep jerkbaits like the megabass plus one or two?

Jerkbaits work phenomenally for LM when the water starts hitting about 42 degrees. Problem is the Pickerel really get keyed in on them at that temperature in the spring too lol. But I catch a lot of good LM on jerkbaits. Typically 95-125 size jerkbaits are good for LM. For smallies they really seem to like a 75-95 size jerkbait. 

 

48 minutes ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Do you ever use the deep jerkbaits like the megabass plus one or two?

It hasn't ever produced well for me - or at least I haven't been in situations when it was the ticket. The +1's though have been great.

1 hour ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Do you ever use the deep jerkbaits like the megabass plus one or two?

Yessir at times. I used the plus 2 in my last two tournaments because the fish were staging in creek mouths at about 10-12 feet. 
Plus one and two is how I learned I hated my previous noodle of a jb rod. I’ve replaced It though. 

SM and LM eat the same things where I live, they don’t really have a choice 

The stunna +1 was been awesome for me in deeper water. I use the regular stunna all the time even in 3ft of water up on the banks. I think my best producing color has been the city lights version or whatever it is called. It translucent and purple and a little bit a chartreuse on the belly.  

Jerkbaits are very effective for both LM and SM bass.

My only complaint is, I gotta net every fish in fear of sinking a hook in finger.

 

My favorite way to fish them in lakes is casting horizontal to the bank.

Prefer suspending in Bone.

 

Oh, be careful casting them above submerged timber, big fish will take them down and hang. ?

 

I fish them pretty much the same. The only real difference for me is I'll slow it down a little more when I'm fishing largemouth with them as largemouth get more lethargic quicker where a smallmouth will stay a little more active in cooler water than the largemouth will. I might throw something a little brighter for smallmouth, but usually the cold water periods have the clearest water of the year so natural colors aren't a bad choice regardless of species. 

IMO a jerkbait has more drawing power for a SMB than a LMB. A SMB is more likely to move 10-20 feet to eat a jerkbait. So I'd feel more comfortable fishing a jerkbait over deeper water when targeting SMB as opposed to LMB. In that scenario a long pause seems to draw the fish. I'd say the same thing about topwater. 

I use them a lot for both and there is no universal rule for either. I like bright colors for smallmouth, but largemouth love them too. Smallmouth here seem to like longer pauses than largemouth when the water is cold, but then like the bait sped up when it's warmer. I fish jerkbaits for both well into summer. I picked up one of the new KVD Elites last week with smallmouth in mind, but all it kept doing this past weekend was catching largemouth. Bone is one of the most universal colors I've found. 

Biggest difference for me is when the water is warming up I'll work my bait like a maniac, especially when fishing smallies in really clear water. 

8 hours ago, Bird said:

My only complaint is, I gotta net every fish in fear of sinking a hook in finger.

No kidding. You get one of those nutso smallies on a 110 with 3 trebles bouncing around its just asking to stick in some flesh.

On 3/7/2023 at 10:31 AM, Cdn Angler said:

IMO a jerkbait has more drawing power for a SMB than a LMB. A SMB is more likely to move 10-20 feet to eat a jerkbait. So I'd feel more comfortable fishing a jerkbait over deeper water when targeting SMB as opposed to LMB. In that scenario a long pause seems to draw the fish. I'd say the same thing about topwater. 

 

I agree. I'm more likely to reach for a jerkbait if I'm fishing SM water rather than LM.