Dirty Water Jerkbaits

[bigbassin']

What's the lowest clarity water you'll fish hard jerkbaits?

[Ozark_Basser]

I dont really like fishing a jerkbait in really dirty water. Dirty water usually means fish are hugged tight to cover or the bottom. Dirty water and bluffs has been pretty good for jerkbaits in the past, but I still would rather run a crankbait parallel to the bluff. I usually reserve jerkbaits for very clear water.

[papajoe222]

The clearer the better, but I've been known to throw them on a sunny day in water with 4ft. of visibility.  Any murkier than that, I'd opt for something fatter that will move more water.

[smalljaw67]

2' of visibility at the very minimum, any less and it is a waste of time. Now, I have watched my buddy catch one on water with less than 1' visibility but he only caught that one and has never been able to duplicate it.

[A-Jay]

There are some real jerkbait aficionados here of which I will not claim to be one.

 

But in my somewhat limited experience, dirty water or limited visibility water is often tough sledding with jerkbaits.

 

Any success I've see & had in these conditions almost always happen on or very close to the bottom.

 

So baits that get down there often produce with a little more regularity.

 

btw - LUCKY CRAFT Pointer 100DD and XD in Nishiki (color # 251) has produced well in 3 or 4 feet of vis).

 

A-Jay

 

[Chris at Tech]

For whatever it's worth, the best five fish limit that I've ever had on my boat (27 lbs) was caught on an LC Pointer in the fall in water that had at most 2 ft of visibility (and was probably a bit less than that).

[bigbill]

Sometimes we forget the rules??

Clearwater, natural colors, smaller sized baits, fished faster.

Stained water, brighter colors, medium sized baits fished slower. A rattle and scent+++

Muddy water conditions, brightest colors, larger sized baits fished the slowest. A rattle and scent+++.

Remember this on a tough day when a firetiger color could save the day. We can have different water conditions stacked on top of each other in the water column.

I know you tornies guys don't have time to experiment but I have the time to patiently sit there and try different sizes and colors till something works.

[J Francho]

This one place I actually like a big old X-Rap.  Don't use huge pauses, keep a steady cadence, even if it's rip-rip-rip-pause, repeat.  Clown is a good color.  So is pink and orange.

[everythingthatswims]

If the water is dirty I'm throwing a lipless crank. I prefer dirty water because I catch most of my winter bass on a 1/4oz red eye shad fished SLOW. Still figuring out the jerkbait stuff.

To me it seems that the success rate with jerkbaits depends more on the body of water than the conditions, I know places where they pounce on a jerkbait but go to another lake that same day and you won't get a sniff.

[Silas]

Down in the bayous of Louisiana, the water is rarely clear. If I can see a white spinnerbait one foot down, that would be considered clear.

I just started fishing jerk baits last fall and caught over 20 a couple of times fishing a 4 foot flat with a Pointer 78 Sexy Shad.

I think I was the only one throwing one.

Will try them again in a couple of weeks.

[scaleface]

I dont throw them often and the water around here is always stained , usually around a foot of visibility 3 foot would be considered clear .I've had good luck on x-raps on days when bass are hitting shallow cranks with their mouths closed . jerk , jerk , jerk pause is the cadence I usually employ .

[Bluebasser86]

I don't fish them in really stained water often but a large, loud jerkbait in bright or flashy colors will work at times. I've done well in some pretty dirty ponds with a pink Xrap.