Are Megabass jerkbaits really king or is it a confidence thing?

[Cgolf]

With the joking around on the sale thread about is there a sale on Megabass baits or not it got me to thinking about the jerkbait I will likely never buy. Simply put is a Megabass that much better of a bait or are folks more confident fishing it so their results are better? Personally the biggest reason I won’t buy one is that musky up here love jerkbaits and losing a 9 dollar bait is painful enough. 

My jerkbait history is long littered with little success. I always had issue either finding the right cadence or missing strikes on slack line. I had zero confidence in the lures and presentation. Last year on vacation I had spotty luck early on, building some confidence and on the last day it clicked. 

Ultimately I had switched from a baitcaster to a spinning rod and that rod happened to be an ugly stick. What this combo did though was helped me keep just the right amount of slack in the line to allow the bait to work and still detect strikes and get a good hook set. Once it clicked and I had confidence in the presentation my catch rate skyrocketed that day. Over that week I also caught fish on 4 different jerkbaits. 

The reason I ask about the Megabass jerkbaits being king, is that I have a hard time believing that one bait will always have the right action under all conditions. I always hear the cheapest, husky jerk, is one of if not the best cold water bait. While some baits slowly rise at rest, slowly sink at rest, are neutrally buoyant at rest, and of course the different actions of the baits, each will have there time and place. I am guessing the same is true with the Megabass. There are times it will hands down be the best, but I would expect there are just as many times another bait will perform better. The thing that can't be replaced though is confidence, which will lead one to fish certain baits more proficiently than other baits. 

Am I off in this thinking? I am in no way saying people shouldn't use the baits, just really are that much better at triggering bites or if folks are that much more confident when fishing them leading to more bites?

To those that say how can one day change your outlook on jerkbaits, it is as simple as confidence. Now instead of hoping for a bite I know I will get bite once I find the right presentation and bait. Each cast will have a slightly different retrieve until I find what the fish want, and of course I will try different jerkbaits as well till I find the one that is working. Jerkbait fishing has been the most difficult presentation for me to learn over the years, I am looking forward to next season to use it a lot more.

[Catt]

The number 1 priority of any lure is to catch bass.

 

The number 2 priority is to catch the angler

[senile1]

2 minutes ago, Catt said:

The number 1 priority of any lure is to catch bass.

 

The number 2 priority is to catch the angler

 

I agree, but would reverse these two with catching the angler as number 1.

[Catt]

2 minutes ago, senile1 said:

 

I agree, but would reverse these two with catching the angler as number 1.

 

I attended a seminar in which Tom Mann was asked why he made so many lures in some many various colors.

 

His answer was to catch the angler...a bass has never put a penny in my pocket.

[Logan S]

Short answer is yes, the Vision 110 is the king of jerkbaits .

 

They obviously aren't the only jerkbait that can catch bass...But you'd be hard pressed to find a bait with more of a proven track record from regular everyday guys all the way to the top professional anglers.  I can't really explain why they seem to work better, but their record of success over the years tells me that they do.  

 

I can tell you why I personally like them.  Excellent craftsmanship and consistency.  Excellent color schemes and over 100 different color options - Some might not put much weight on that, but I personally love being able to get very specific on the color if I want to.  And most importantly, they work very well for me!  They aren't the only jerkbait I use but they are usually the first one's I tie on and it's not often that I take them off.  

 

I've been 'caught' by Megabass but I'm OK with that because they do a lot of catching for me .

[punch]

They're just that good.  Dig around in any pros boat and I bet you'll find a couple. 

[BassNJake]

I remember an FLW event(Beaver Lake 2011) where 9 of the top 10 guys were all throwing a vision 110.

I bought into the hype and got a few.

I don't think I've paid for another brand of jerkbait since.

I never had a lot of luck with jerkbaits and for whatever reason these starting catching fish for me

With the increased confidence I threw them more often and had better luck

Now they are a confidence bait

[roadwarrior]

23 minutes ago, Logan S said:

Short answer is yes, the Vision 110 is the king of jerkbaits .

 

They obviously aren't the only jerkbait that can catch bass...But you'd be hard pressed to find a bait with more of a proven track record from regular everyday guys all the way to the top professional anglers.  I can't really explain why they seem to work better, but their record of success over the years tells me that they do.  

 

I can tell you why I personally like them.  Excellent craftsmanship and consistency.  Excellent color schemes and over 100 different color options - Some might not put much weight on that, but I personally love being able to get very specific on the color if I want to.  And most importantly, they work very well for me!  They aren't the only jerkbait I use but they are usually the first one's I tie on and it's not often that I take them off.  

 

I've been 'caught' by Megabass but I'm OK with that because they do a lot of catching for me .

[Scott F]

The way some guys feel about the Megabass lures, I feel about Lucky Craft. I have such good success with them, that in the spring, I have one tied on all the time. If I switch to any other bait, I know in my mind, I’d be catching more with a Pointer. No, Megabass isn’t the only bait that will work. You find the one that fits where you fish and your wallet.

[RichF]

Honestly, I have a hard time believing that the action of these things is so different from the million other baits out there that it produces significantly more strikes. However, if they consistently run true, suspend correctly, cast great, etc., they're probably worth the high price. They sure do look awfully nice.  I'm not much of a jerkbait fisherman but I imagine at some point I'll get a couple of them to try.

[Tizi]

Are they worth the extra coin and do they actually work better?  I guess that is up to personal judgment.  I have several 110, 110 +, and 110 +2.  I bought them on sale, so there is that.  I have caught a lot of fish on the 110 specifically.  I have also caught a bunch on the 6th Sense Provoke 106 and Berkley Cutter 90.  If had to choose 1, it would be the 110.

[A-Jay]

Addicted to Jerkbaits ~ Guilty as charged.

The Vision oneten and oneten plus have accounted for several very respectable brown bass for me.

But so has the Lucky Craft 100's & 100 Deep.

Additionally, the SK KVD 300 & 300 Deep both kill it for me.

And long before any of that noise - the Rapala Husky Jerk and the Deep model, along with the Smithwith Rattle Rogue, were sticking fatties both early & late season.

  IMO, there are a ton of quality baits in this category that can & do get the job done.

Based on each of our different locals, environments and even the way we present these baits - each may find success with a different make & model. 

 To answer the OP's question - I say yes, the 110 is a great bait that out performs some baits in some conditions.

But it's not the only one I fish because it's not the only one that catches.

A-Jay

 

[thunderblack]

I have been addicted to jerkbait fishing for about 9 yrs now. My gear, freshwater, saltwater, and river fishing revolve around it. I love fishing mirrolure, Rapala, LC, Megabass, STX, Duo, you name it. Of all the jerkbaits the 110 and plus 1 are my favorite. Not just for action but also for how far they cast. Hooks I could take or leave. Pointer is also a great bait. They are fragile and lose paint like any other bait that is fished hard but where I fish....they work. Just caught a 25lb snook on an old storm twitch stick 2 weeks ago.

[pauldconyers]

I'm thinking I might pick a few of these up if I can find a small sale on them. Never tried them, are the hooks good out of the package? If not anyone got a recommendation and size to go with?

[Harold Scoggins]

38 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Addicted to Jerkbaits ~ Guilty as charged.

The Vision oneten and oneten plus have accounted for several very respectable brown bass for me.

But so has the Lucky Craft 100's & 100 Deep.

Additionally, the SK KVD 300 & 300 Deep both kill it for me.

And long before any of that noise - the Rapala Husky Jerk and the Deep model, along with the Smithwith Rattle Rogue, were sticking fatties both early & late season.

  IMO, there are a ton of quality baits in this category that can & do get the job done.

Based on each of our different locals, environments and even the way we present these baits - each may find success with a different make & model. 

 To answer the OP's question - I say yes, the 110 is a great bait that out performs some baits in some conditions.

But it's not the only one I fish because it's not the only one that catches.

A-Jay

 

Nishiki Pointers @A-Jay? I have a few of the LC Pointers in Nishiki and they're some of my favorite.

[Dens228]

1 hour ago, Scott F said:

The way some guys feel about the Megabass lures, I feel about Lucky Craft. I have such good success with them, that in the spring, I have one tied on all the time. If I switch to any other bait, I know in my mind, I’d be catching more with a Pointer. No, Megabass isn’t the only bait that will work. You find the one that fits where you fish and your wallet.

I'm with you almost.  All my jerkbaits are MegaBass or Lucky Craft.  I love them both!

[Dwight Hottle]

3 hours ago, cgolf said:

The reason I ask about the Megabass jerkbaits being king, is that I have a hard time believing that one bait will always have the right action under all conditions. I always hear the cheapest, husky jerk, is one of if not the best cold water bait. While some baits slowly rise at rest, slowly sink at rest, are neutrally buoyant at rest, and of course the different actions of the baits, each will have there time and place. I am guessing the same is true with the Megabass. There are times it will hands down be the best, but I would expect there are just as many times another bait will perform better. The thing that can't be replaced though is confidence, which will lead one to fish certain baits more proficiently than other baits. 

Am I off in this thinking? I am in no way saying people shouldn't use the baits, just really are that much better at triggering bites or if folks are that much more confident when fishing them leading to more bites?

To those that say how can one day change your outlook on jerkbaits, it is as simple as confidence. Now instead of hoping for a bite I know I will get bite once I find the right presentation and bait. Each cast will have a slightly different retrieve until I find what the fish want, and of course I will try different jerkbaits as well till I find the one that is working. Jerkbait fishing has been the most difficult presentation for me to learn over the years, I am looking forward to next season to use it a lot more.

No your not off in this thinking. I have caught a lot of bass on jerkbaits & can guarantee you based on my results that Megabass jerkbaits are not necessary to your jerkbait success. Different jerkbaits manufactures almost all work well. Some work better than others. I have had excellent success with Lucky Craft, Rapala, Smithwick, Duo Realis, Ima, & Deps. Disclaimer: I do own Megabass jerkbaits totaling about a dozen, They are good quality & work well but are not necessary if you already have a good selection of different baits. I achieved a high level of success using various jerkbaits before I ever started using Megabass so I'm speaking from experience. On any given day one particular jerkbait will outfish others because of its size, sound or lack of it, suspension, erratic movement, tilt or position in the water & color. Some days the fish want the bait work slowly other times you can't work it fast enough. Time on the water will help you overall success more than having one particular "hot bait". 

[Hook2Jaw]

Y'all stop.  I've ordered some Lucky Craft Pointers and Staysee 90s based off the reviews and had to swallow my lunch again when I saw my order was approved.

 

I don't know if I can keep it down if I've gotta plop 200 bucks down for 8 or so jerkbaits.

[FryDog62]

I think they’re the best, but unfortunately pike up north think so too.  Therefore I use more $8 jerkbaits and probably catch just about as many bass... and don’t have to reach for the Maalox when a snot-rocket takes off with one

[Cgolf]

Wow this really took off. I will get through and like some replies after work.

 

My current crop of Jerkbaits is varied and with the exception of the shadow rap series many are one offs.

 

I have Shadow raps (standard and deep), Shadow rap shads (Standard and deep), X raps, Husky jerks, Perfect 10s, Some of the Strike Kings (shallow only),  1 SPRO mcstick, Storm twitch sticks in the small size, couple of Jackall squad minnow 80s (TW sale), LC pointer 127, and LC Flash pointer 127 MR.

 

So I have a fair amount to chose from. Once I become proficient with them I will have to decide if I want to try out a 110. It seems that stained water muskys are the ones that attack the jerkbaits, so maybe I only use the 110 in clear water?? Just such a hard choice knowing we have a lot of pike and musky just waiting to bite off that nice lure. I lost one shadow rap to a musky on its first trip out and after catching a couple of bass and missing a few too. Its replacement, next trip to the lake, lasted all of 3 casts before a large musky walked of with it. Musky are a love hate thing, but surely can run up the tackle bill.

 

So curious what the 110's attitude at rest, and is that what sets it apart from others? Or as someone said is it just the consistency bait to bait that say rapala or others can't match?

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Nishiki Pointers @A-Jay? I have a few of the LC Pointers in Nishiki and they're some of my favorite.

Both are LUCKY CRAFT Staysee 90SP V2 - 251 Nishiki 

 

Warning / Disclaimer ~ click the below link at your own risk 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LUCKY-CRAFT-Staysee-90SP-V2-251-Nishiki/131461777448?epid=1500454407&hash=item1e9bbb8828:g:QG8AAOSwEeFVDEpM

A-Jay

[Hook2Jaw]

@A-Jay, do I need to replace the hooks on the LC Staysees?

[A-Jay]

Just now, Hook2Jaw said:

@A-Jay, do I need to replace the hooks on the LC Staysees?

That's up to you I guess - and not to Hi-Jack this thread . . . .

 Most LC baits comes stock with a better than average treble IMO.

I'll often fish them as is but when one is 'the bait' for a day or a trip or two, I'll keep a close eye on them.

 And just to be clear, I change out stock trebles because of three main reasons;

Point sharpness, hooking / holding ability, durability & strength under the load of a long(er) fight from a trophy fish.

In most instances, I prefer an 1X strong EWG treble. 

Finally, the question / concern of a bait's 'balance' is often mentioned when replacing trebles.

In my fishing, I have ZERO concern regard how a bait 'sits' (nose up, down or anything in between), Fish don't care.

If they are going to eat a bait - they'll eat it regardless of it's 'posture'.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

[pauldconyers]

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

That's up to you I guess - and not to Hi-Jack this thread . . . .

 Most LC baits comes stock with a better than average treble IMO.

I'll often fish them as is but when one is 'the bait' for a day or a trip or two, I'll keep a close eye on them.

 And just to be clear, I change out stock trebles because of three main reasons;

Point sharpness, hooking / holding ability, durability & strength under the load of a long(er) fight from a trophy fish.

In most instances, I prefer an 1X strong EWG treble. 

Finally, the question / concern of a bait's 'balance' is often mentioned when replacing trebles.

In my fishing, I have ZERO concern regard how a bait 'sits' (nose up, down or anything in between), Fish don't care.

If they are going to eat a bait - they'll eat it regardless of it's 'posture'.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

What is your opinion of the stock hooks on the oneten?

[Fishes in trees]

Hijacking the topic for a sentence or two, I feel good, that I've got more boxes of jerk baits than A-Jay does.  Truth be told though, I have a strict one bait per slot rule, mostly to keep the paint jobs on the baits as pristine as possible.  I don't have any problem at all buying another box whenever I need another one to accommodate my jerk bait collection.

 

Back on topic - I haven't drank the Vision 110 Kool- Aid yet, mostly for fiscal reasons.   Lucky Strike came out with some copy cat baits a few years ago and I have a dozen or so of them.  I haven't gotten them wet yet, mostly because 90% of the time when I'm choosing to throw a jerk bait, I'm throwing a Lucky Craft Pointer in the Table Rock Shad color.  

The other 10 % of the time I might be throwing a Husky Jerk, one of the many iterations of the Rogues that are out there, maybe a Bomber Long A or a Cottom Cordell Red Fin.

Fishing buddies who have drank the Kool-Aid tell me that the Megabass baits are better.  This hasn't caused any major self esteem issues yet, but with winter coming on and no doubt I'll have plenty of time to think about how to upgrade my jerk bait game,  I might have to buy some.  Of course, I'll keep with the program of one bait - one slot, so I'll have to get more boxes as well.