Jerkbaits Hard Vs Soft

[dreamertino]

I can't seem to get a handle on hard jerkbaits. I can catch the on a fluke or a trick like its nothing. My question is are soft jerkbaits as effective as hard ones in the winter time. Im about to break out the flukes guys.

[flyfisher]

I have caught fish on flukes in the dead of winter so go for it.  They are different baits to me used in different types of situations.  I like throwing hard jerk baits over places that are not as cover oriented.  I chuck them on flats., ledges, over rocks, points etc...they usually suspend and can stay in the strike zone a little longer.

 

I throw flukes in areas where having a more weedless presentation is an advantage and i am not stopping the bait for that long as they will sink and not suspend as the hard jerk baits do.

 

Bottom line is go out, have some fun and try it because i do not think there is a more versatile bait out there than a jerk bait, of either the soft or hard variety.

[dreamertino]

My thing is I have have the hard ones a fighting chance 5 trips no fish and I have more confidence in the flukes. Idk what to do in my situation

[smalljaw67]

Flukes will work in cold water to a certain degree but when you are in the 40s I think a suspending hard bait is the way to go. The reason is how they bite it, it can be very light and with a hard bait you often get fish to the boat that are barely hooked on the rear treble, those are fish that you'd never get with the fluke because they will often just nip at it. Keep trying, that is if you have clear water, I'm a jerkbait fanatic and I have used them in all conditions and it is true, anything less than 3' of visibility and the prospect of catching fish goes way down, 2' is the absolute lowest I use them and for that I use Rattlin' Rogues due to the sound, and Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows as they have some really bright reflective tape finishes that I think helps the fish find it. So if you are in dirty water it you may need to go to a different presentation but if the water is clear enough, focus on the pause and the cadence of working the bait. I'll start with a jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk just to get the bait down and then pause it for 5 seconds and then jerk-jerk-jerk and pause. If I use that cadence for a few minutes and I don't get any action I'll switch it up, if it is really cold I'll make the pause longer, and sometimes making it shorter works but you have to experiment until you get bit and then you repeat the process. In water that is in the upper 40s you could probably get fish on a soft jerkbait, well not just probably but you can, I've watched a friend do it consistently but the fish have to be pretty active, when it was tough the hard jerkbait worked much better.

[dreamertino]

The water temp is about 47 and the visibility is about 2'

[RoLo]

I can't seem to get a handle on hard jerkbaits. I can catch the on a fluke or a trick like its nothing. My question is are soft jerkbaits as effective as hard ones in the winter time. Im about to break out the flukes guys.

 

One big advantage to hard jerkbaits is that the suspending models stay pretty much in place, without sinking or rising.

But soft jerkbaits like the fluke have no Diving Lip, so they must be made of sinking plastic to reach their working depth.

In any event, since you already have confidence in the zoom fluke, the hard jerkbait will have a hard row to hoe.  

 

Roger

[dreamertino]

The ones I have im having trouble getting them to suspend. I have the rapala husky jerk and a smithwick rattling rogue any advice on getting them to suspend

[flyfisher]

Swap out to a heavier hook or use suspend dots....i usually swap out hooks on my baits anyways so it makes it easy to get them to suspend perfect.

[dreamertino]

I think I they have a size 4 on now go to 6

[Dwight Hottle]

The ones I have im having trouble getting them to suspend. I have the rapala husky jerk and a smithwick rattling rogue any advice on getting them to suspend

 

Not all rogues suspend. They make floating models as well. You may have floater rather than a suspender.

[RoLo]

The ones I have im having trouble getting them to suspend. I have the rapala husky jerk and a smithwick rattling rogue any advice on getting them to suspend

 

'Soft jerkbaits' are all sinking lures, but 'hard jerkbaits' are available in Floating, Suspending & Sinking models.

If your hard jerkbait is a suspending model, you shouldn't have to do anything to get it to suspend in place.

A suspender may rise or fall slowly due to differences in water temperature, but that's splitting hairs.

 

Roger

[dreamertino]

ill check it out when I get home but Dwight what are your favorite kind of jerkbaits

[dreamertino]

RoLo they rise very slowly when I added a suspend dot to one it did alot better. I was trying to get a 15-30 count and normally by the count of 20 it was on the surface

[dreamertino]

Ok the water temp when I fished them last was 52 had back to back cold fronts so will they suspend better in the colder water?

[RoLo]

Ok the water temp when I fished them last was 52 had back to back cold fronts so will they suspend better in the colder water?

 

It might loft slightly due to heavier water.

Even so, if you're dealing with suspend dots and the jerkbait still rises to the surface,

it's a sure bet that you have a 'Floating' model.

 

Roger

[dreamertino]

Ok ill check it out may have to use them when the water begins to warm up

[Comfortably Numb]

Lucky Craft Pointers suspend well out of the box. You can find them for about $10 if you look around.

 

And dont fish it like KVD LOL. Slower with more subtle twitches and pause. 

[primetime]

I find that a Smithwick Rogue suspending model and even a Rapala Husky Jerk will Suspend right out of the package without changing hook size, adding wire to treble shanks, or suspend dots..As mentioned, some will sink or float a bit based on water temp etc, but if you deadstick the lure, it will stay still for the most part..The floating rogues look exactly the same so you may have a floater, which is also a great bait, and I have had success with floaters in cold water in afternoons when the water has warmed twtiched super slow.....

If you have confidence in a soft fluke, then go for it....Despite what magazine articles say about cold water, cold fronts etc....THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES IN FISHING... I have caught bass when suspending jerkbaits, and every other cold water bait would not work by walking a Super Spook aggressively on the surface, and have also caught plenty of bass using buzz baits and other prop baits "burned" when the water is very cold....

My point is this....I typically use Suspending Hard Jerkbaits like the Rogue, Pointer, and a few other brands when cold, and it took me a few trips of using nothing but a jerkbait to finally figure them out. They are great lures which stay in the strike zone a long time when fish are barely moving, so the key is often pausing the bait in areas where you feel a fish should be holding for longer durations many times. I like to fish them near cover and cast as close to the strike zone as possible and then in deeper water nothing beats a suspending Super Rogue which has a long diving lip, and when pinned nose down on the bottom, it is deadly if fished slowly, and at times erratically as I often think they hit it out of reaction thinking its a craw.

I think the key to cold water bassin is confidence, casting accuracy, light line, stealth, patience, and making sure you are in an area holding fish as you may have to work it awhile to figure out a pattern or if they are relating to bottom, or suspending etc...I rarely modify lures, excepts I will change certain models which have small trebles up a size, or maybe add a larger treble in front for a nose down action which often is key....

Sorry if that was a ramble, but you can catch fish on your "favorite technique or lure all year round" and I truly believe that. You may have to alter your speed, casting angles etc. based on weather and water levels, but if you love topwater lures, you can fish them year round, soft baits are the same...Jigs- Maybe hair works well in winter, but a football jig rigged with anything dragged slowly is awfully hard to beat....often a carolina rigged fluke, or one on a split shot rig or light unpegged texas rig, or weightless fished fast is the ticket, but you will catch them in the cold....I find subtle colors and presentations of a fluke or SLuggo to work best in clear water, and I will go with 6-8lb test if Possible. translucent colors, smokes, motor oil, and maybe something with flash for reaction strikes..and you have to dip watermelon flukes in chartreuse.....That is an absolute!

[Dwight Hottle]

I like the large size husky jerk. Also the smithwick perfect 10 which fishes deeper than the hj. Your other choice is to splurge and buy a lucky craft 100 series pointer. That will suspend perfectly. Stick with it and you will be successful.

[dreamertino]

O I know I see him fishing one and it looks like he's going so fast the fish wouldn't have time grab it he doesn't jerk or twitch he swats lol

[dreamertino]

Dwight I have the bigger sizes I think it was the water temp I got home and tested them and only a few suspended correctly the others I added a split ring and they were fine. My water was at 43 while the times I was fishing the the water was 50+

[bassguytom]

Lucky Craft Pointers suspend well out of the box. You can find them for about $10 if you look around.

 

And dont fish it like KVD LOL. Slower with more subtle twitches and pause.

X2 on the lucky Craft. Do yourself a favor and get a lucky craft pointer 78. It will work great and you will catch fish. I only use soft flukes in the summer. Good luck.

[dam0007]

I use flukes pretty much year round. Some times up here the hard jerks just don't work for me. Last year early spring tournament I couldn't get them to hit either threw a xrap and had limit in a few mins. It really depends. I don't have patience to jerk pause if it's not being productive.