Jerkbait Comparison Questions.

[rockchalk06]

I'm starting to really get into jerkbaits. Even in the summer, I've been having decent luck. Give me something to do when the jig bite dies.

Anyway, I have a few jerkbaits so far built up. A few Rogues, XCalibers, Rapala's and Strike King.

I'd like to try more and expand on my color and size collection. I really like the Rapala Cracklin rap, but the color selection kinda blows.

I been eyeballing the Lucky Crafts and Megabass brands due to the colors. In the gods honest truth, what does the 15 dollar plus baits have over the 6-7 dollar baits? Other than hardware, what makes one better than the other?

[edfitzvb]

I have been given some of the more expensive baits, but when I buy for myself, it is hard to beat a Rapala or a Rogue. If I need casting distance I also like Long A's. They catch a LOT of fish for me. In the summer doldrums a jerkbait fished at dusk gets reaction strikes.

[Quillback]

I'm starting to really get into jerkbaits. Even in the summer, I've been having decent luck. Give me something to do when the jig bite dies.

Anyway, I have a few jerkbaits so far built up. A few Rogues, XCalibers, Rapala's and Strike King.

I'd like to try more and expand on my color and size collection. I really like the Rapala Cracklin rap, but the color selection kinda blows.

I been eyeballing the Lucky Crafts and Megabass brands due to the colors. In the gods honest truth, what does the 15 dollar plus baits have over the 6-7 dollar baits? Other than hardware, what makes one better than the other?

I had a Megabass 110 and a Luck E Strike RC STX custom painted in the same color (Norman Flake).  When they came back it was virtually impossible to tell them apart. both visually and performance wise. 

[papajoe222]

The more expensive baits, be they cranks, topwater, etc. tend to have the best quality components and quality controll during manufacturing. This results in a higher priced, better product. Do or will you catch more fish using them?  Maybe and maybe not.   I don't own any Lucky Craft baits, but I do have a number of Poes cranks.  I've never changed out the stock hooks and although a few of them are identical models, because they're wood each has it's own 'personality' in the water.

If you were to equate your baits, to say cars the difference is more personal preference.  A Chevy and a Lexus will both get you where you're going. If you can afford either, which would you drive?

[roadwarrior]

The biggest advantage is balance and components. The original Smithwick Rogue is a

VERY effective lure. My biggest issues have been the hooks, balance on casting and

sinking over time. The aerodynamics drive me crazy! Foot-in-mouth disease is a common

complaint, especially if you are fishing at night.

 

I think LC Pointers were the first to introduce a ballbearing based system for weight dispersement. 

Casting is noticably different. The hooks are sharp and do not need to be replaced.  Pointers

will suspend perfectly right out of the box. The "secret" ingredient is a slight vibration when the

lure appears to be perfectly still.

 

Then we have my favorite "collectable".  Megabass Ito Vision 110 is a work of art. Perfect in every

way. Besides the beauty the next best feature is the Katsuage hooks. I won't claim they are far

superior to other jerkbaits in terms of "catching", but I just love collecting them!

[tgm]

MeGa bass baits come out of a china factory maybe better hardware but 15-24 bucks?they see you coming a mile away.

[rockchalk06]

The more expensive baits, be they cranks, topwater, etc. tend to have the best quality components and quality controll during manufacturing. This results in a higher priced, better product. Do or will you catch more fish using them?  Maybe and maybe not.   I don't own any Lucky Craft baits, but I do have a number of Poes cranks.  I've never changed out the stock hooks and although a few of them are identical models, because they're wood each has it's own 'personality' in the water.

If you were to equate your baits, to say cars the difference is more personal preference.  A Chevy and a Lexus will both get you where you're going. If you can afford either, which would you drive?

Thanks

[rockchalk06]

The biggest advantage is balance and components. The original Smithwick Rogue is a a

VERY effective lure. My biggest issues have been the hooks, balance on casting and

sinking over time. The aerodynamics drive me crazy! Foot-in-mouth disease is a common

complaint, especially if you are fishing at night.

 

I think LC Pointers were the first to introduce a ballbearing based system for weight dispersement. 

Casting is noticably different. The hooks are sharp and do not need to be replaced.  Pointers

will suspend perfectly right out of the box. The "secret" ingredient is a slight vibration when the

lure appears to be perfectly still.

 

Then we have my favorite "collectable".  Megabass Ito Vision 110 is a work of art. Perfect in every

way. Besides the beauty the next best feature is the Katsuage hooks. I won't claim they are far

superior to other jerkbaits in terms of "catching", but I just love collecting them!

Gotcha. I have several of the Rogues but I have only been fishing them since around December of last year so I didn't know their longevity.

[rockchalk06]

The biggest advantage is balance and components. The original Smithwick Rogue is a a

VERY effective lure. My biggest issues have been the hooks, balance on casting and

sinking over time. The aerodynamics drive me crazy! Foot-in-mouth disease is a common

complaint, especially if you are fishing at night.

 

I think LC Pointers were the first to introduce a ballbearing based system for weight dispersement. 

Casting is noticably different. The hooks are sharp and do not need to be replaced.  Pointers

will suspend perfectly right out of the box. The "secret" ingredient is a slight vibration when the

lure appears to be perfectly still.

 

Then we have my favorite "collectable".  Megabass Ito Vision 110 is a work of art. Perfect in every

way. Besides the beauty the next best feature is the Katsuage hooks. I won't claim they are far

superior to other jerkbaits in terms of "catching", but I just love collecting them!

Now I'm kinda confused on the all the models now lol What do you recommend for a suspending bait under 5" that dives to around 6 feet

[smalljaw67]

Being a certified jerkbait fanatic I have a selection for both warm water and cold water so I 'll let you know what I see in the different baits and give you opinions on which to have. The first thing is the expensive jerkbaits, there are a lot actually but the 2 biggest are Lucky Craft and Megabass, the one reason why I forked out the money for a LC Pointer is the suspending properties, the pointer is a good cold water bait and one I believe should be in your tackle arsenal if you fish in sub 50 degree water. The Megabass 110 is strange to me as I can't put my finger on why it works but it does seem to get bit better when fish are selective, for example I had a day when the smallmouth would just slash at my X-Raps and even changing the color and size didn't do to much, I'd get a few but losing a lot as they weren't eating it. Enter the Vision 110, I tied my bait on and the fish were really eating it, this has happened a good bit and I bought a 110 high float, to this day it is the only floating jerkbait that I caught fish on in cold water without putting weight on to make it suspend. My arsenal for the summer months is the Rattlin Rogue, the ARB 1200 series, I suggest going to lure net for rogues as they sell all the different types and there are a lot, the one I mentioned is a shallow diver that can be worked slow like a topwater bait or worked aggressively at the 1.5' to 2' range, and that is when it works best for me when I'm on smallies. I also have been using with great success the Bagley Bang-O-Lure, both the 4" and 5" sizes have been productive, the rogue gets more bites while the Bang-O-Lure seems to get bigger fish on average. The Rapala Flat Rap, this is awesome because it has a real subtle roll but it responds well to angler input letting me fish it fast but instead of hard darting and slashing, it is more of a side to side walk the dog action, very good for schooling fish or post frontal conditions. For the cold water periods I like the Lucky Craft Pointer as it suspends out of the box really well, I'm also becoming a big fan of the Storm Twitch Stick, these look like a Pointer and even have the same little wobble when paused  but the suspend better in the upper 40s to 50 degree range so I prefer the Pointer at low temps. The X-Rap is one I do use year round because it doesn't go deep but it does have a hard slashing action that triggers fish in warm water but it also has a subtle action at slow speeds and it suspends making it a good cold water bait. Next spring I'll be trying the Baker jerkbaits and I'll be looking to find some Erratic shads at a discounted price since the pro who the bait was made for is with a different sponsor. BTW, I like the Xcalibur Erratic shad as well as the Xt3 and Xs4 baits, they are really good so grab some if you find them, I didn't include them on my list because they do come out with great jerkbaits but then they discontinue them and what is bad is they flat out work great, the deep diver Xt3 rund about 7' deep on 12lb line, it is a killer when the fish are staging at the first drop off of a flat, but this is just a short list of all my baits but these are my goto jerkbaits, welcome to the sickness!!!

[rockchalk06]

Being a certified jerkbait fanatic I have a selection for both warm water and cold water so I 'll let you know what I see in the different baits and give you opinions on which to have. The first thing is the expensive jerkbaits, there are a lot actually but the 2 biggest are Lucky Craft and Megabass, the one reason why I forked out the money for a LC Pointer is the suspending properties, the pointer is a good cold water bait and one I believe should be in your tackle arsenal if you fish in sub 50 degree water. The Megabass 110 is strange to me as I can't put my finger on why it works but it does seem to get bit better when fish are selective, for example I had a day when the smallmouth would just slash at my X-Raps and even changing the color and size didn't do to much, I'd get a few but losing a lot as they weren't eating it. Enter the Vision 110, I tied my bait on and the fish were really eating it, this has happened a good bit and I bought a 110 high float, to this day it is the only floating jerkbait that I caught fish on in cold water without putting weight on to make it suspend. My arsenal for the summer months is the Rattlin Rogue, the ARB 1200 series, I suggest going to lure net for rogues as they sell all the different types and there are a lot, the one I mentioned is a shallow diver that can be worked slow like a topwater bait or worked aggressively at the 1.5' to 2' range, and that is when it works best for me when I'm on smallies. I also have been using with great success the Bagley Bang-O-Lure, both the 4" and 5" sizes have been productive, the rogue gets more bites while the Bang-O-Lure seems to get bigger fish on average. The Rapala Flat Rap, this is awesome because it has a real subtle roll but it responds well to angler input letting me fish it fast but instead of hard darting and slashing, it is more of a side to side walk the dog action, very good for schooling fish or post frontal conditions. For the cold water periods I like the Lucky Craft Pointer as it suspends out of the box really well, I'm also becoming a big fan of the Storm Twitch Stick, these look like a Pointer and even have the same little wobble when paused  but the suspend better in the upper 40s to 50 degree range so I prefer the Pointer at low temps. The X-Rap is one I do use year round because it doesn't go deep but it does have a hard slashing action that triggers fish in warm water but it also has a subtle action at slow speeds and it suspends making it a good cold water bait. Next spring I'll be trying the Baker jerkbaits and I'll be looking to find some Erratic shads at a discounted price since the pro who the bait was made for is with a different sponsor. BTW, I like the Xcalibur Erratic shad as well as the Xt3 and Xs4 baits, they are really good so grab some if you find them, I didn't include them on my list because they do come out with great jerkbaits but then they discontinue them and what is bad is they flat out work great, the deep diver Xt3 rund about 7' deep on 12lb line, it is a killer when the fish are staging at the first drop off of a flat, but this is just a short list of all my baits but these are my goto jerkbaits, welcome to the sickness!!!

Thanks a million man!!

[Brian Needham]

I am not a jerkbait guy, but I enjoy reading about them.

 

EVERYONE, and I mean everyone, especially those that are known for jerkbaits all rave about the Lucky Crafts and Megabass jerkbaits.

 

If I was to consider using the technique, those 2 would be the only baits I would even consider throwing. I own nothing from either company at the present.

[Team9nine]

Here's a comparison of the two in question. I've fished them both and done well on each. Very similar, yet some differences. 

 

-T9

 

[Quillback]

Here's a comparison of the two in question. I've fished them both and done well on each. Very similar, yet some differences. 

 

-T9

 

Thanks for that chart. 

[webertime]

A LC Pointer 110 in chartreuse shad is the best cold water smallie bait up here. Good bait for clear water (you can bomb these). The LC Flash Minnow is a bit more subtle and doesn't go as deep (3-5 feet) but seems to be a good follow up when the Pointer has lost its magic (you've caught nearly the entire School and want those last 4 fish).

The LES Clunn works better in water that is warmer. But contrary to what has been claimed, you should still change out the split rings and hooks even on the newest production runs. Doing that makes it a very good bait otherwise you'll get back a bait missing hooks and that stinks for you and could kill the fish.

Bomber suspending long a is a fish catcher for sure (any color with orange on the belly).

One of the deep diving suspending rogues should be in your box too. Work it by raising you rod as opposed to sweeps or downward.

[Stingray23]

I've tried them all but the most consistent one for me has been the Xcalibur XS4. I SLAYED bass and trout in march and april of this year with it.

[NathanW]

I have had so much success with an Pointer SP 78/100 that I rarely spend time fishing anything else. I will switch between two colors one is always chatruese shad and the other is some type of yellowgreenish ghost color. I would highly recommend LC Pointer SP 78, dont stress out about the price because its not like your banging it into the rocks to the same extent as a crankbait. You dont lose jerkbaits. By the time you wear a pointer out so much that it breaks you will not cry because of the price of the bait, but because of how much sentiment it has earned over its tenure.

 

One thing I can tell you is that Xcalibur and Reaction Strike both made pointer clones XT3 and XRM100 that are very accurate. I believe both are discontinued but would be worth a look on the web. I own a few of each, most of the colors are reflective which is a feature I like in jerkbaits only when the weather is gray (not so common in eastern WA).

 

I had a couple situations this season where I really wish I had shallower running floating jerkbait to stay above the rocks and grass, like in the 0-2.5 foot range. Anybody recommend anything for that application? A high running bait that fishes very fast?

[rockchalk06]

I have had so much success with an Pointer SP 78/100 that I rarely spend time fishing anything else. I will switch between two colors one is always chatruese shad and the other is some type of yellowgreenish ghost color. I would highly recommend LC Pointer SP 78, dont stress out about the price because its not like your banging it into the rocks to the same extent as a crankbait. You dont lose jerkbaits. By the time you wear a pointer out so much that it breaks you will not cry because of the price of the bait, but because of how much sentiment it has earned over its tenure.

 

One thing I can tell you is that Xcalibur and Reaction Strike both made pointer clones XT3 and XRM100 that are very accurate. I believe both are discontinued but would be worth a look on the web. I own a few of each, most of the colors are reflective which is a feature I like in jerkbaits only when the weather is gray (not so common in eastern WA).

 

I had a couple situations this season where I really wish I had shallower running floating jerkbait to stay above the rocks and grass, like in the 0-2.5 foot range. Anybody recommend anything for that application? A high running bait that fishes very fast?

 

 

Thanks. I went ebay crazy and got a bunch of them. I got some Live 80'S, Pointer 100 SP's 97 MR's, Staysee 90Sp Ver 2's. I caught two on the Live Pointer that were two of the most violent hits I've ever had.

[Bluebasser86]

The 78 pointer and 97 slender pointer MR are two of my favorites. The Luck E Strike RC stix are a great bait, I really can't tell a difference in appearance or performance from my Megabass. The Erratic shad is a great bait too and seems to catch bigger fish than my other jerkbaits for some odd reason. I have high hopes for my Perfect 10 Rogue but haven't gotten to fish it much yet. 

[jeb2]

The more expensive baits, be they cranks, topwater, etc. tend to have the best quality components and quality controll during manufacturing. This results in a higher priced, better product.

You'd think so. But the MB 110's have a rep for being pretty fragile. Lips breaking off of them is VERY common. Tails breaking off is reported too, and I've had that happen to one of mine. I have a lot more MB 110's than I like to admit, but have pretty much stopped fishing them since the SK STX came out. For me, in the Ozarks, they just work better. The fact they are 1/3 or less the cost is just icing on the cake.

 

I also own a lot of LC jerkbaits, and they are great also. The SP78 in regular and DD catch me a lot of fish. Spro McStick is another winner in this area.

 

But I rarely tie one on in warmer weather. The little I have done it yielded no results, but I think about it every now and then. Very realistic lures, so you'd think they'd work any time of the year.

[Comfortably Numb]

Good buy Rockchalk. I have tried a bunch and like the Lucky's the best. I am not big into buying expensive lures but these are worth it IMO.

 

I mainly use the SP100 and the Staysee 90 for a lil deeper. 

 

As you noticed suspending baits get hit hard.

[rockchalk06]

Good buy Rockchalk. I have tried a bunch and like the Lucky's the best. I am not big into buying expensive lures but these are worth it IMO.

 

I mainly use the SP100 and the Staysee 90 for a lil deeper. 

 

As you noticed suspending baits get hit hard.

Yepper. It's like a topwater high but better lol. I haven't paid over 7 bucks for one yet and all were new!

[BuckMaxx]

Check out OSS custom baits. I don't have anything to do with him other then he makes all mine. For the same price as a lucky he can make you anything you want. he makes some SICK stuff!

[ec1]

Jerkbaits that are more expensive also probably has a lot more R&D behind it.

 

I don't know what makes it happen, but have you seen the quiver of a pointer at the end of a rip? Or perhaps how some jerkbaits suspend head down tail up? We're honestly at a time where there's so many good baits out there that you have to pick and choose ones you really like, gain a ton of confidence in them and just go out fishing.

[Ohio Dave]

I don't fish jerk baits much at all but have wanted to learn a bit more about them including the wide price range\

this has been a wonderful discuss: thanks all for sharing !!