No Confidence With Jerkbaits

[gnuisance]

I'm new to fishing jerkbaits. It's still early here in jersey but the bite is starting to turn on. I have tried throwing a number of different jerkbaits I bought over the winter with no success. Have tried LC pointers, x raps and husky jerks. pop, pop, pause retrieve. I'm much more comfortable fishing a square bill with a slow retrieve and it seems to work better for me. I don't want to give up on jerkbaits, any secrets for me?

[Fish Murderer 71]

I use suspending jerks in the winter with a technique called "Dead Sticking"  Bass are just not into fast moving techniques when its cold.  I'm using my diving jerkbaits now for the prespawn/spawning with a lot of success.  So dont give up on them, just got to learn when and how  to use them.  I cant say as to when the diving jerks would be most effective for your water temps, but here in Texas they become effective at about 60 degrees (our water temps in East Texas only get down to the low 40's, but get up in the 90's). So, with that said I would be looking to whatever the middle range water temps are for your lakes...  Retrieve rates and presentation are just something your going to have to experiment with.  Here, some days, they want fast erratic. other days they want slow subtle...  Mix it up and you'll find something that works.

[pbrussell]

The secret, from one guy who has the same issues with confidence in this bait is this:

 

Firstly, find some water where fish are easy to catch or are known to readily eat a jerkbait. If youre fishing water that is tough to begin with, it isn't going to help you gain confidence in this technique. 

 

Secondly, buy a variety of baits in a variety of colors. Jerkbaits can easily break the bank, so perhaps try a couple of the cheaper models in each style. Change hooks on baits that have crappy ones, that'll save you some money.

 

I recommend trying the following variety that aren't too expensive. You already have a few, 

but I'd also add some smithwick rogues/Luck-e-craft RC Stix to your arsenal. I've found that somedays one jerkbait works better than others, so keep rotating till you find "the one".

 

Lastly, when you go to the waters where fish are easy to catch, ONLY bring your jerkbait box. Fish it all day if you have to. Experiment with your retrieve, and jerkbaits until you find what works. All it takes is catching several fish in a row to boost your confidence (I'm speaking from personal experience.)

[Deleted account]

1. Fill sink with cold water.

2.put jerkbait (any jerkbait) in it.

      If jerkbait slowly sinks, and comes to rests with just the hooks touchjng the bottom, skip to # 4

3. adjust weight by changing split rings/hooks*, or adding a little lead tape**

4. go fishing***

 

* If you need to add weight use heavier split rings and or hooks, or add a second split ring to the nose one, or wrap a little copper wire on hook shank, you can also fine

   tune by using a snap.

 

** I like to punch lead tape with a hole punch and add "cheeks". If I'm feeling bored, Ill color coordinate, and seal it with some nail polish (fish don't care)

 

*** I like a med 6- 6 1/2 foot rod with 10-12 lb mono. fast, but not too fast. Either baitcast or spinning will work.

 

   There are 3 main ways I'll fish it, and they will usually bite at least one (fished for an hour each, Sat and Sun and got 3 )

 

      1. Standard cold water jerkbaiting: Snap, snap, pause, snap, pause, snap, snap pause. Pay attention to the cadence, and the duration of the pause, as well as starting    

       each snap by pointing the rod forward to create a bit of slack (how much will determine how wide the bait glides, but that's for the advanced class). 

 

      2.  Move the bait quickly a foot or two (or less) by sweeping the rod and/or reeling briskly, pause, repeat. Again, vary the variables too see what works best. I do this

        mostly on a tight line.

 

      3.  Jerk and pause ( about 2 to 6 seconds) without rhyme or reason and without stopping the entire cast (folks around should think you are epileptic). A little slack like in

         #1, and huge snaps, and they just show up, you'll go to snap, and fish will be there, just keep reeling...

 

      4. Pseudo Deadstick: Pull the bait about a foot or two slowly enough for it to have little or no action, pause, repeat. I like long pauses, and a bait that sinks oh so slowly.

       If they are going to hit it, they will just after you stop, or as you begin to move it. A little like watching paint dry, but works well sometimes. Sometimes when I find them

       stacked in prespawn, its almost bearable.

[gnuisance]

I appreciate the input. I will try the deadsticking technique. Part of my problem is that I'm not comfortable feeling a fish bite with a slack line. I like feeling a fish take my bait with a tight line, which is why I fish square bills, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits etc...

[WIGuide]

Make sure you're making your pause long enough. If the water is really cold maybe even try to just pull the bait and pause instead of snapping it. Another suggestion would be for you to locate fish with your crankbait and after you know what they're doing try running your pattern with a jerkbait instead. Don't give up yet! They're a proven fish catcher.

[Master Bait'r]

If I were you I'd start off with T-rigging some 4" Slug-Gos.  Get your cadence down and develop a successful technique with them first- they're cheap, ultra sensitive, completely weedless and fish absolutely own them year round...  Once you're confident with your technique, branch out into the more expensive, bigger and non-weedless versions where you'll end up using a "bigger" and slightly less forgiving version of the same techniques you got down with the Slug-Gos.  

[Master Bait'r]

I appreciate the input. I will try the deadsticking technique. Part of my problem is that I'm not comfortable feeling a fish bite with a slack line. I like feeling a fish take my bait with a tight line, which is why I fish square bills, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits etc...

 

 

In such instances that you can't feel what you're doing, watch your line on the water.  Try to work on your ability to move from feel -> sight.    

[iceintheveins]

Just make sure you are pausing long enough in  cold water. With water in the low 50s, I usually pause 7 - 15 seconds between twitches or series of twitches. Make sure you work your jerkbait on a semi slack line. That is essential to get an erratic, wandering action.

[Hogsticker]

Nice! Good info guys. One thing I would add is to spend some time watching what that bait does in front of you while in the water. Play around with it and see how it behaves with different rod strokes and motions. Don't give up. Jerkbaits can be an essential tool for a successful day on the water.

[Bluebasser86]

What's the water clarity like at the place you're fishing? Jerkbaits are mainly a clear to moderately stained water presentation, so if you're fishing water with a pretty heavy stain to it, that might be contributing to your problems.

 

I think a lot of guys get in to big of a hurry with jerkbaits and probably fish them too aggressively. When the water is still really cold like it is, I use very gentle, short twitches, sometimes even a short, slow pull and pause will get them. Once the water warms up is when you can really start snapping them again. I'm not patient with them I must admit, so what I have to do is count every pause. I usually start at a 10 count and work up or down depending on how the fish respond. 

[smalljaw67]

What's the water clarity like at the place you're fishing? Jerkbaits are mainly a clear to moderately stained water presentation, so if you're fishing water with a pretty heavy stain to it, that might be contributing to your problems.

 

I think a lot of guys get in to big of a hurry with jerkbaits and probably fish them too aggressively. When the water is still really cold like it is, I use very gentle, short twitches, sometimes even a short, slow pull and pause will get them. Once the water warms up is when you can really start snapping them again. I'm not patient with them I must admit, so what I have to do is count every pause. I usually start at a 10 count and work up or down depending on how the fish respond. 

 

I'll echo Bluebasser86, if you don't have at least 2' of visibility then a jerkbait isn't going to do well, this is a visual technique for the most part. The other important factors are water temp and in which direction that temp is going, that will give you an idea of where to find fish at. I'm in PA and we still have a lot of lakes with ice yet but I'd say that if you are looking at 43 to 46 degree water temps and it is getting warmer, then find a flat near sharp breaks, the fish will stage there before moving up. If you get a cold front that drops the water temp a few degrees then try longer pauses with a deeper running jerkbait, I like to use something that runs in the 3' to 5' range for the warming water as the fish are looking to move up to flats and feed but I also have deeper running baits that run 6' to 8' and those are used when the fish back off to the first drop off. In the eary part of the year, like right now, the most important aspect of your retrieve is the pause, I normally try to get the bait down and then pause for 5 second and then give 2 small rod movements and let sit for 5 seconds, if this doesn't work then try both shortening the pause length and extending it but keep at it, jerkbaits are incredible at this time of year and remember, when you rip or jerk the bait, do so on a slack line, this will give you the most erratic action.

[gnuisance]

Thanks for the input. The water I'm fishing currently is very clear. Definitely more than 2 feet of visibility. We have a ton of nice, crystal clear water from the snow melt up here so everything is nice and clear right now. Now we just need the water temps to come up a bit. 

[daiwaguy]

Dont know where you are located maybe it was in this thread and I overlooked it but this weekend in Mid Missouri the Jerkbait bite was slow but one of the only bites you could find and it required a slowrod sweep and a 15-20 second pause.

[ColdSVT]

Slow down....fish the bait not the rod

[Hittmann]

As far as feeling the bite on a slack line just watch any little tick in the line is probably a bite. Not sure where I heard it was probably on here but hook sets are free if you even think you have a bite set the hook a lot of time there will be a fish on the end.

[RoLo]

With jerkbaits in particular, there is a period of adjustment,

but after a couple bass, you'll be riding that two-wheeler.

 

Remember one thing about jerkbaits, the emphasis is NOT on the jerk,

the key is the the duration of your 'pause'. Water temperature provides a rough guide,

but onsite experimentation provides the best input.

 

Roger

[paul25]

i've been fishing jerkbaits for a while now, spring thru winter i've had alot of sucess with them thru the summer months even. This time of year during the pre spawn what i've figured out thru trial and error is like the others have pointed out i not letting the jerkbait set long enough. I went out twice last week and caught fish both trips but it wasn't until the second trip i realized i wasn't letting the jerkbait sit long enough. I was letting it sit for about 8-10 seconds and couldn't get bit, but after i started letting it sit 12-15 seconds the fish would about jerk the rod out of my hand. Just make sure your jerkbait suspends good and don't be to impaintent and not let it sit long enough.