Jerkbait Type Winter

[wuchr20]

Does anybody know a quality jerk bait used for wintertime?  I've heard of Strike King and SPRO but i am not sure what color to use.  

[Smokinal]

I feel color is more related to a particular body of water, and even more important to the weather/cloud cover than anything else. And as far as time of year, I believe the speed in which you work said jerkbait is more important than brand.

I'm sorry I haven't directly answered your question but I just hammer them in the spring on a good 'ol Rapala Husky Jerk...nothing fancy.

[Matthew2000]

Lucky E strike Rick clunn are copy of megabass jerks.

[Comfortably Numb]

Lucky Craft Pointer 100sp and Staysee for a lil deeper.

[rangerjockey]

I fish the Spro a lot..Norman flake and blue bandit have been my best colors.

[bassinyea]

I like a lucky craft pointer and staysee which runs a lil bit deeper.  Same as comfortably numb.  I also fish a megabass 110 and 110+1 sometimes too and do well.  I have a bunch of old rogues that I used to fish a lot but they just dont cast as well as the others.  Jerkbait bite is on big time right now on my home lakes the water temperature recently got down into the high 30s and shad have been dying.  Sea gulls are fat and happy and until the water temp gets up all the fish eat around here is shad.

[bassguytom]

I throw Lucky Craft pointer 78 and 100's after ice out here in PA.

[Senko lover]

Not too much variety on these boards. These guys all have visions about jerkbaits and can give you plenty of pointers. 

 

If you pay, of course.

[A-Jay]

Not too much variety on these boards. These guys all have visions about jerkbaits and can give you plenty of pointers. 

 

If you pay, of course.

 

 How many times do we have to tell you - The Senko is not a Jerk Bait . . . .

 

 

A-Jay

[chadlass]

You really cannot go wrong with smithwick, or you can try out the new shadow raps.

[Senko lover]

 How many times do we have to tell you - The Senko is not a Jerk Bait . . . .

 

 

A-Jay

 

Wait, really? No way! My dingers can outperform your pointers any day!

 

Actually, probably not. I'll remain humble . I'm way below your class.

[fisherrw]

Lucky craft pointer chart shad

[djmax22]

Megabass Vision 110 or 100 + 1

 

Pro Blue 

White

Shad pattern one

[A-Jay]

Wait, really? No way! My dingers can outperform your pointers any day!

 

 I'm a Diamond in the Rough ~     .

 

I fixed that for you

 

 

A-Jay

[Hogsticker]

Different baits provide more defined, distinct action such as flash, dart, and roll. Some suspend better at certain water temps. A lot of trial and error, especially if you're fishing multiple waters. When the water dips below 40 it gets tricky. Generally I reach for a Pointer 78, Rapala Husky Jerk, or Spro McStick. I've been experimenting with a handful of Ima Flits this winter. I throw jerks year round. When I'm not catching Smallmouth I'm catching Browns and Bows. I put quite a bit of time into fishing and observing several different jerks in clear water under all sorts of conditions. I guess like any other techniques, you just have to put your time in.

[Bluebasser86]

Luck E Strike is one of my favorite jerkbaits, French Pearl would be my favorite color, Pro Blue would be a close second. 

[smalljaw67]

I fish a lot of jerkbaits, and I feel to cover a wide variety of situations and water temps you should have at least 3 different brands. For ice out up to 44 degrees I like the Lucky Craft Pointer 78 and 100, I would include the Xcalibur XT3 but they are now hard to find as they have been discontinued for some time. The Lucky Craft is high in price but it does suspend really well in a wider range of water temperatures than most others. For 45 to 49 degrees, the Luck-E-Strike RC STX 4.5 and 3.75, both sizes work well and I know some will get mad I have these over a Megabass 110 but truth be told, the RC STX suspends a lot better as the 110 isn't a true suspending bait so it tends to do better at higher water temps. 50 to 55 degrees it is hard to beat an X-Rap, it has the ability to be fished slow if you have a slight drop in water temp and during warming trend it is right at home being worked in an aggressive manner. There are others that can go here easily but I didn't put on because of price or other problems for new users, the Smithwick Rattlin Rogue is awesome and affordable but there are so many different models that it can be confusing to get the right one. The Storm Twitch Stick, this is the steal of the jerkbait world, it is the most inexpensive jerkbait but it has quality hooks and works very well, the smaller versin need a suspend dot to suspend in water temps below 54 degrees but the larger size 10 suspends pretty good at the 48 to 50 degree mark. I didn't include the Spro McStick because I feel the Pointer covers the same zone and water temps but the McStick is a little better be worked aggressively, and I left out the Megabass Vision 110 because it is more of a specialized jerkbait, this is for someone who has used all the other flavors and needs something different, it is more for a seasoned jerkbait guy as it doesn't suspend, it is a slow floater and at the current price isn't a bait I'd recommend for a new jerkbait angler.

[bassinyea]

It is very easy to change the suspending characteristics of the megabass 110 by just changing the hooks.  The katsuage or whatever that come on them cause the bait to slowly rise in most water temperatures.  I put a VMC #6 short shank 1x on the middle hook hanger and a gammy short shank #6 on the front and the back hook hangers (gammys are a lil heavier than the VMC trebles) and it suspends perfectly in 40 degree range of water temps.  Keeping the lighter hook in the middle keeps the bait balanced out which causes it to keep the correct diving angle.  I have also experimented with adding the heaver hooks on the front with lighter on the back of the bait to try to get it to go deeper but the bait lost some of its action with the nose facing too far down.

 

Sometimes I put 3 gammys on it and it will slowly sink which is supposed to be good for cold water.

[smalljaw67]

It is very easy to change the suspending characteristics of the megabass 110 by just changing the hooks.  The katsuage or whatever that come on them cause the bait to slowly rise in most water temperatures.  I put a VMC #6 short shank 1x on the middle hook hanger and a gammy short shank #6 on the front and the back hook hangers (gammys are a lil heavier than the VMC trebles) and it suspends perfectly in 40 degree range of water temps.  Keeping the lighter hook in the middle keeps the bait balanced out which causes it to keep the correct diving angle.  I have also experimented with adding the heaver hooks on the front with lighter on the back of the bait to try to get it to go deeper but the bait lost some of its action with the nose facing too far down.

 

Sometimes I put 3 gammys on it and it will slowly sink which is supposed to be good for cold water.

 

That isn't something a new jerkbait angler is going to do. I like the 110 also but I don't believe it is for some just getting into jerkbaits, if I had to change different size and brand hooks out of the box to get a crankbait to run right when I was first learning, I probably would have just said forget it. We have to remember, what is easy and logical to us isn't that way for someone that is just beginning a technique, how many want to pay $25 for a bait in the first place, and then have to buy heavier hooks in order for it to suspend? We can overload information to someone new to fishing or to a certain technique and it could result in someone just giving up because it was made too complicated and I tend to do that sometimes.

[roadwarrior]

I can't imagine changing out Katsuage hooks. Perhaps using another brand of jerkbait

when the conditions dictate would be a better option.

[bassinyea]

No doubt that the katsuage hooks are sticky sharp but they are also very thin wire hooks.  First fish I ever caught on a 110 was a 4 pounder and after getting the fish in I noticed that one of the hooks had started to straighten out.  The 110s are really meant to be fished on light line but if you throw it on a 12 pound baitcaster setup like I do I would definitely change out the hooks.  If not don't try to horse the fish in and set the drag pretty loose.

[bassinyea]

That isn't something a new jerkbait angler is going to do. I like the 110 also but I don't believe it is for some just getting into jerkbaits, if I had to change different size and brand hooks out of the box to get a crankbait to run right when I was first learning, I probably would have just said forget it. We have to remember, what is easy and logical to us isn't that way for someone that is just beginning a technique, how many want to pay $25 for a bait in the first place, and then have to buy heavier hooks in order for it to suspend? We can overload information to someone new to fishing or to a certain technique and it could result in someone just giving up because it was made too complicated and I tend to do that sometimes.

 

I get what you are saying and you are right it might be more than what someone new to jerkbaits would want to do.  

[smalljaw67]

I get what you are saying and you are right it might be more than what someone new to jerkbaits would want to do.  

 

Sorry man, I reread my post and it sounded a little arrogant and I didn't mean it that way. I love jerkbaits and I have a few 110s, I even have the Hi-Float model but if you want a winter jerkbait I believe there are better options that one can simply take right out of the package.  I feel you on the hooks too, the same thing with the Luck-E-Strike RC STX, the difference is they are weighted to the point that even a slightly heavier hook will make them sink, they have black nickel VMC light wire hooks but like the 110 they copied, it is intended for light line and spinning rods, 8lb test max and you play the fish, use 12lb and a bait caster and force the fish to the boat you end up with bent hooks. For me the Sting ST-36 is stronger and it works well on the 110 but can cause the RC STX to sink in water over 50 degrees, so for that bait I like the VMC 8540 but it looks to be the hook that is on it stock. Sorry for sounding like a jerk, I just wanted to let you know it wasn't meant that way as I tend to over complicate things all the time when it comes to new anglers.

[bassinyea]

Its all good no offense was taken.  I do think for early year cold water there are better choices too.  My early season baits are a lucky craft pointer and staysee.  Right after they spawn around here they chew on a jerkbait pretty good thats when i break out the 110s and flash pointers.  I also like the 110s and flash pointers in the fall.