Favorite Jerk bait!?!

[gilkeybr]

I went through my box of jerkbaits last winter in an effort to make sure they all suspended just right.  Sat on my couch for a couple hours with a bucket of water in front of me dunking baits in, applying lead tape, and dunking them again.

 

I was surprised to find that my Husky Jerks were the ones closest to suspending without any additional weight.  Most of the others (Megabass, Lucky Craft, Jackall, Yozuri, etc) required some small amount of lead.  This is being ultra particular though, as i'm talking about perfect suspension.  Most of these baits that required weight would appear suspending to the naked eye as they had probably 1" rise in 10 seconds.

 

Secondly, suspension is only one part of the equation.  Casting distance is key.  Action is of course key.  Paint durability.

 

And after all that rambling, when its time for me to tie on a jerkbait, my first option is always a Vision 110 or 110+ depending on the depth i'm fishing.  Usually in a perch/gill type of pattern.  The amount of side to side, erratic, action it has is impressive.  I do want to throw the Rerange more this year.  That bait seems to have a nice action and caught me some fish last year.  Also its weight transfer system makes the most satisfying "CLACK" on every cast.

[Bluebasser86]

13 minutes ago, gilkeybr said:

I went through my box of jerkbaits last winter in an effort to make sure they all suspended just right.  Sat on my couch for a couple hours with a bucket of water in front of me dunking baits in, applying lead tape, and dunking them again.

 

I was surprised to find that my Husky Jerks were the ones closest to suspending without any additional weight.  Most of the others (Megabass, Lucky Craft, Jackall, Yozuri, etc) required some small amount of lead.  This is being ultra particular though, as i'm talking about perfect suspension.  Most of these baits that required weight would appear suspending to the naked eye as they had probably 1" rise in 10 seconds.

This is going to vary with water temp, something to keep in mind.

[NHBull]

13 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Megabass Vision 110+1 in GP Perch.

And second ain't even close.

A-Jay

If I could only have 1 ^

[EGbassing]

Rapala X-rap actually has amazing action for the price. It's like an underwater zara spook.

[Dwight Hottle]

My favorite on Erie for smallmouth was always a pointer 128 in whatever color I thought was going to work that day. The reason was I just knew that when that bait got bit it was going to be a good one. That same bait also scored my PB largemouth for several years before it got surpassed. 

[deep]

A little more "experienced" than @A-Jay's GP Pro Perch.

 

 

I probably have 30+ different kinds (not colors) of jerkbaits, but here are the ones I like the best (top to bottom):

Flashminnow 110

Pointer 112MR

Vision 110 Type R

Ito Shiner

Vision 110 plus 1

Staysee 90SP

KVD deep jerkbait

Vision 110 plus 2.

 

Have fun.

 

 

[A-Jay]

14 minutes ago, deep said:

A little more "experienced" than @A-Jay's GP Pro Perch.

 

 

I probably have 30+ different kinds (not colors) of jerkbaits, but here are the ones I like the best (top to bottom):

Flashminnow 110

Pointer 112MR

Vision 110 Type R

Ito Shiner

Vision 110 plus 1

Staysee 90SP

KVD deep jerkbait

Vision 110 plus 2.

 

Have fun.

 

 

Those are the ones right there that when hung up, I'm seriously considering going swimming for. 

A-Jay

30 minutes ago, NHBull said:

If I could only have 1 ^

There's a PLUS+ 2 now - opens up a whole new column of water . .  .

I have a few.

Can't wait !

A-Jay

 

[Tizi]

Question:  How are these fished?  Cast, reel to desired depth, then jerk?  Or start our jerking to get lure to desired depth?

[Fishingmickey]

9 hours ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Vision 110FX Tour Premium in Cosmic Shad.

Dag nabbit Harold! now I got to go find one or three of these. That's way too sexy!

FM

[fishballer06]

LC 78's and 100's are my all around go to's. 

 

I'll also throw a Megabass Vision 110 when I'm not in pike infested waters. 

[A-Jay]

30 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

LC 78's and 100's are my all around go to's. 

 

I'll also throw a Megabass Vision 110 when I'm not in pike infested waters. 

I could use a few less of those myself

A-Jay

[J.Vincent]

I haven’t found a favorite yet; because I’m trying to find a lure that costs $4.99 but performs like its $14.99 

[fishballer06]

8 minutes ago, J.Vincent said:

I haven’t found a favorite yet; because I’m trying to find a lure that costs $4.99 but performs like its $14.99 

Let us know when that pans out. Most quality jerkbaits these days have $4.99 worth just in hooks, rings, and the tungsten weight inside them.

[waymont]

My favorite is the Dynamic Lures Travado (discontinued) BUT also do great with the Husky Jerk (both regular and deep versions), X-Rap, and the little known Lucky Craft Bevy Shad 75SP. The Bevy Shad is kind of a shad shape, not long and skinny. It's a Smallmouth catcher big time.

[J.Vincent]

34 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

Let us know when that pans out. Most quality jerkbaits these days have $4.99 worth just in hooks, rings, and the tungsten weight inside them.

I was only mirroring the sentiment of most Bass Anglers : )  But the reality is: as consumers we have actually witnessed price inflation in the jerkbait category for over 20 years. This all began mid to late 90s with the Daiwa Corporation and the TD Minnow. Those Team Daiwa Minnows were very popular in Japan and then America. I know because I owned a bunch and they outfished the jerkbaits of the time about 2 to 1. They ran consistently, suspended properly and used quality components and arguably a more advanced transfer system then 99% of today’s jerkbaits....they cost $7.99 to $9.99 per lure, but now a lure in this same caliber costs $14.99 to $29.99. Those Daiwa jerkbaits were the catalyst which set off a chain reaction of retail inflation in this entire category. Apparently they were designed by Seiji Kato. He worked with Daiwa, Lucky Craft and also Jackal. But in all of this time he or other lure designers can’t figure out how to do with lures what Andrew Jones has done with Audio Speakers. So I think what Im saying is , it’s time for a manufacturer to give us 90% of the performance and 50% of the cost. I know this can be done, as it’s been done with countless amounts of other consumer products in various industries for years. Where are those manufacturers who are making reasonably priced jerkbaits that perform very good or close to the top line tackle ? Where are those manufacturers who aren’t actually inflating the retail cost ?

[BassThumb]

I've been using a lot of the Rapala Shadow Raps (three hooks) and Shadow Rap Shads (two hooks), both standard and deep. I use a lot of the Berkley Cutter, too. I've usually paid about $4-6 for them.

 

I really like the LC Pointer 78 and 100, too. They are my favorite jerkbait.

 

Problem is, my local waters have so many northern pike that I lose jerkbaits to them all the time, sometime one or more per trip, so I try to use the cheaper versions. There's no way to stop this without using some sort of fluorocarbon or light wire leader, which will badly affect the action. 

[bagofdonuts]

my favorite all-time jerk bait is a green pumpkin super fluke.

[Russ E]

I have used and lost a lot of jerkbaits over the years.

Lately I have had a lot of success with the duo realis line. 

Especially the suspending 110sp and the duo realis Rozante suspending 75.

 

Another bait that has impressed me are the academy h2o express jerkbaits. While they are not sold as suspending baits. They have a very slow rise when paused. Selling at $5.99 A piece is a bonus.

[J Francho]

A Pointer 100 or Staysee 90 in Aurora Black are still my favorites. 

[Gundog]

My pick is the Rapala Husky Jerk, followed closely by the Original Floating Rapala. The only thing that the Husky Jerk has over the Original is the colors, in my opinion. 

[gilkeybr]

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

This is going to vary with water temp, something to keep in mind.

True.  I made my water bucket 55F, because I figured most of my suspending jerkbait fishing will be in the water temp range.  

[Bankbeater]

Spro mcstick, Smithwick suspending rattlin rogue, and a Zoom super fluke. 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

I mainly river fish around tons of structure, current, bowfin, pickeral, to name a few. 

 

I can't afford to loose those vision 110, my choice is a Smithwick Rogue, floating and suspending

[Munkin]

7 hours ago, J.Vincent said:

I was only mirroring the sentiment of most Bass Anglers : )  But the reality is: as consumers we have actually witnessed price inflation in the jerkbait category for over 20 years. This all began mid to late 90s with the Daiwa Corporation and the TD Minnow. Those Team Daiwa Minnows were very popular in Japan and then America. I know because I owned a bunch and they outfished the jerkbaits of the time about 2 to 1. They ran consistently, suspended properly and used quality components and arguably a more advanced transfer system then 99% of today’s jerkbaits....they cost $7.99 to $9.99 per lure, but now a lure in this same caliber costs $14.99 to $29.99. Those Daiwa jerkbaits were the catalyst which set off a chain reaction of retail inflation in this entire category. Apparently they were designed by Seiji Kato. He worked with Daiwa, Lucky Craft and also Jackal. But in all of this time he or other lure designers can’t figure out how to do with lures what Andrew Jones has done with Audio Speakers. So I think what Im saying is , it’s time for a manufacturer to give us 90% of the performance and 50% of the cost. I know this can be done, as it’s been done with countless amounts of other consumer products in various industries for years. Where are those manufacturers who are making reasonably priced jerkbaits that perform very good or close to the top line tackle ? Where are those manufacturers who aren’t actually inflating the retail cost ?

Those TD minnows still wreck fish; yellow spots and Ayu are my go to colors. They were like $18.99 each over a decade ago when they quit selling them. I have a stash of about 30 of them so I am set for awhile.

 

Allen

[J.Vincent]

10 minutes ago, Munkin said:

Those TD minnows still wreck fish; yellow spots and Ayu are my go to colors. They were like $18.99 each over a decade ago when they quit selling them. I have a stash of about 30 of them so I am set for awhile.

 

Allen

Yes those were very good Jerkbaits . Are you sure they were $18.99 each ? I thought that was the MSRP....but in any event, I remember that TD Minnow basically ushering in more higher cost jerkbaits....and man I wish I was sitting on a collection of 30 of those !