Best Jerkbaits for Smallmouth

[MnAngler21]

What are some of your favorite jerkbaits for smallies.

[Crestliner2008]

You should carry a variety of makes/models in various colors and sizes. Let the fish tell you what they want. If you are not getting hit, switch to another model or color. To start off with, you really can't go too far wrong with a size 10 Rapala X-Rap. I would get one in a subdued color pattern and one in an audacious pattern (i.e.: Hot Head). One of those will get you bit up until the water temp gets to 60 degrees or so. Just vary the pause times between twitches (notice I didn't say jerks). In cold water, you do not need to jerk hard to get a reaction strike. As the water warms, decrease your pause time and increase your jerks. You'll get bit!

[fisherrw]

I really like a lucky craft stacy 90 chart shad for Smallies

[WI_Angler1989]

I only have experience with a few but:

-Smithwick suspending rogue, used these on a guided trip in Sturgeon bay.

-Rapala x-rap

-Rapala Husky Jerk, these are my favorite and most productive around here (central wi)

-Rapala Shadow Rap, used a lot last year with good results. They are slow sinking and I was a bit timid since I fish snaggy rivers, but overall they were great. 

I've wanted to try others: slender Pointer, mcsticks, etc but the price is right on Rapala and the fish like them. Can't agree with it.

[Bluebasser86]

Lucky Craft Slender Pointer

Luck E Strike STX

Custom painted 110 KO's

[newriverfisherman1953]

Rapala husky jerk. By far my favorite 

[Scott F]

Lucky Craft Pointer size 65, 78, 100

[WI_Angler1989]

I wanna try Lucky craft slender Pointers but I can't afford to buy a few just to lose them in my rivers. I'd need a loan to make it through a season at 17.99 a pop!

[bowhunter63]

Rouge or Rapala orginal floater

[TyF]

Pointers are worth the money in my opinion. I have tried other brands that look almost exactly like the pointer out of the box but have many problems when they are actually put in use. Almost all of the cheaper brands I have tried either don't run straight and are difficult to get down to depth or don't truly suspend like advertised on the box which is important for winter fishing. I know there are ways to make the bait suspend like adding split rings or changing hooks but in my opinion you are paying the $17 for the consistency of the bait and so you don't have to mess around with the bait and waste time on the water to get it to run the way you want. I try to buy my pointers used or when they are on sale so I don't spend all that money.

[MDBowHunter]

LC staysee 90, LC slender pointer, MB vision 110 ITO tour premium are the three that get the most use.

[ranger7717]

just got a lucky craft slender on e-bay for 9 dollars( + 3 sh)....had real good time with the shadow rap last season...like 'em both

[Hogsticker]

As much as I hate to admit it having a box full of Duo, Ima, Lucky Craft and Spro, the Rapala X Raps seem to always find fish. 

[SE PA Pete]

Last year I threw a number of different kinds on Lake Erie, but only had a lot of action on shadow rap. Only silver colors on my trip. Anything dark was not working on the bright and clear weekend we fished. Did not have much luck with shallow runners. 

[no39]

On 2/7/2016 at 8:48 PM, WI_Angler1989 said:

I only have experience with a few but:

-Smithwick suspending rogue, used these on a guided trip in Sturgeon bay.

-Rapala x-rap

-Rapala Husky Jerk, these are my favorite and most productive around here (central wi)

-Rapala Shadow Rap, used a lot last year with good results. They are slow sinking and I was a bit timid since I fish snaggy rivers, but overall they were great. 

I've wanted to try others: slender Pointer, mcsticks, etc but the price is right on Rapala and the fish like them. Can't agree with it.

How deep do the shadow raps run? If you work them really slow would they fall an extra foot in a cast?

[MSWV]

Ive played with the shadow raps some in very clear water just to watch how they suspend and Im very pleased.  Yeah, they will actually sink 3" or so during a 5 sec pause but wont sink too much in a cast to give you problems..  Most jerkbaits actually rise 3" or more during a 5 second pause.. I like the sinking better..  Personally, Im not much of a jerkbait guy (I hate to fish with them) but Ive found the Shadow rap to be my favorite.  

[smalljaw67]

On ‎2‎/‎9‎/‎2016 at 1:18 AM, Hogsticker said:

As much as I hate to admit it having a box full of Duo, Ima, Lucky Craft and Spro, the Rapala X Raps seem to always find fish. 

I have a lot of jerkbaits and I have the Megabass Vision 110 in the regular version and the Hi-Float model, along with a good bit of Pointers, flash minnows and flash pointers and on and on. As Hogsticker has said, with all the expensive jerkbaits out there, and all the ones I own, the X-Rap is still a major player!!!

[Mothercanucker]

Xraps and Visions are great but my absolute favorite are the Jackalls. Specifically the Dowzvido for smallmouth. Smaller profile. Kind of a "finesse jerkbait" for a little deeper than just 3-5 foot flats.

 

[gardnerjigman]

DocDrew custom painted in Sizzle fry, clown or french pearl. 

[BassManA]

Anyone ever use MegaBass jerkbaits on smallmouth with much luck. Just got a few and was wondering before I try them out?

[no39]

7 minutes ago, BassManA said:

Anyone ever use MegaBass jerkbaits on smallmouth with much luck. Just got a few and was wondering before I try them out?

I have.  They're nice and always suspend nose down.  The downside is they're uber expensive and the visions had three trebles which would be a nightmare sometimes.  I took out the middle treble but it wouldn't suspend right.  I haven't the inclination to mess around and test different hook set ups.  I can't really say if they catch more fish.  For me, the x-rap is proven and cheaper but when I need slightly deep running jerkbait I go to vision 110+.

[BassManA]

22 minutes ago, no39 said:

I have.  They're nice and always suspend nose down.  The downside is they're uber expensive and the visions had three trebles which would be a nightmare sometimes.  I took out the middle treble but it wouldn't suspend right.  I haven't the inclination to mess around and test different hook set ups.  I can't really say if they catch more fish.  For me, the x-rap is proven and cheaper but when I need slightly deep running jerkbait I go to vision 110+.

Thanks for the info! Good to know, they are very expensive so If I lose these I may be turning to x-raps. Interesting that the middle hook removal messes up suspension. I may be trying It out next weekend to see how they do.

[ww2farmer]

Same ones I use for largemouth............SK KVD 200's and the Storm Twitch Stick. The nice...and fun thing, about jerkbait fishing in the spring around here is, on any given cast you never know what is coming to the boat. I have caught largemouth, smallmouth, pike, walleye, crappie, carp, perch, rock bass, big bluegills, and old pair of underwear all from the same 50 yard by 50 yard area before.

[Dwight Hottle]

1 minute ago, ww2farmer said:

Same ones I use for largemouth............SK KVD 200's and the Storm Twitch Stick. The nice...and fun thing, about jerkbait fishing in the spring around here is, on any given cast you never know what is coming to the boat. I have caught largemouth, smallmouth, pike, walleye, crappie, carp, perch, rock bass, big bluegills, and old pair of underwear all from the same 50 yard by 50 yard area before.

Were they trophy underwear?

[WI_Angler1989]

40 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Were they trophy underwear?

I hate catching underwear, I've always preferred briefs.