Is it "Jerkbait time" yet or is it still too early?

[Eddie101]

What do you experts think?  

[DitchPanda]

Far from an expert here but I've caught lots of bass on a jerkbait. A lot of guys will say that anytime is jerkbait time. My experience is it's way to early..water temps around me are low 70s and my jerkbait fishing is best from 50 down or in spring from ice out til 50. Your mileage may vary of course.

[Born 2 fish]

You’ll catch them but it’s only gonna get better.

[jbsoonerfan]

5 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Far from an expert here but I've caught lots of bass on a jerkbait. A lot of guys will say that anytime is jerkbait time. My experience is it's way to early..water temps around me are low 70s and my jerkbait fishing is best from 50 down or in spring from ice out til 50. Your mileage may vary of course.

I wish the water here was down to that temp. The lake I fished today is still between 84-89

[Dens228]

Some places I need the water to clear up so it's too soon, other places the water is clear so I'll use a jerkbait. 

I base it more on water clarity than temp.  A dying baitfish is a dying baitfish no matter what time of year. 

[DitchPanda]

The bass up here are seen to be more tolerant of colder water therefore they don't react as quickly to water temp changes in fall. What I'm getting at is just because your water temp is higher than mine the fish are probably acting in much the same way. I have great success in fall on spinner bait all the way down into the mid to high 40s...for a lot of guys down south that temp is as cold as you get all winter and is strictly jerkbait and lipless temp. Seems like you grow em bigger but we grow em tougher. Just my opinions from what I've seen...not backed with science!

6 minutes ago, Dens228 said:

Some places I need the water to clear up so it's too soon, other places the water is clear so I'll use a jerkbait. 

I base it more on water clarity than temp.  A dying baitfish is a dying baitfish no matter what time of year. 

I agree with this sentiment to a point but I think the jerkbait excells in cold water for two reasons: can hang in there face and like you said dying baitfish action. Lots more dying baitfish in winter cuz shad type species are not cold shock tolerant.

[Dens228]

44 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

The bass up here are seen to be more tolerant of colder water therefore they don't react as quickly to water temp changes in fall. What I'm getting at is just because your water temp is higher than mine the fish are probably acting in much the same way. I have great success in fall on spinner bait all the way down into the mid to high 40s...for a lot of guys down south that temp is as cold as you get all winter and is strictly jerkbait and lipless temp. Seems like you grow em bigger but we grow em tougher. Just my opinions from what I've seen...not backed with science!

I agree with this sentiment to a point but I think the jerkbait excells in cold water for two reasons: can hang in there face and like you said dying baitfish action. Lots more dying baitfish in winter cuz shad type species are not cold shock tolerant.

I also agree with you.  But warm water or non-feeding bass can cause them to be lethargic too.  A jerkbait can be like a finesse crankbait. I found shallow jerks to work good when bass are busting shad on the surface in warm weather.  Sometimes they are so gorged that the easy meal just sitting there is the ticket. 

[Way north bass guy]

It’s always jerkbait time. I have one on the deck from the start of the season to ice up. Caught a ton of big bass in the heat of the summer on one, it’s just like any other lure, you have to put it in the right place at the right speed and it’ll work. Lots of bass have hammered one in the hottest weather for me, often ripping it as hard as I can. 

[Hewhospeaksmuchbull]

Today 116 air temp, water high 80"s, three smallies on the jerkbait.

 

Been that way all summer.

 

[gim]

For years I had trouble catching bass on jerk baits. I mostly used them in the spring for brown bass in clear water before they spawned. A couple years ago I really started to catch them more consistently. I believe it was the pause time in between jerks.

 

Fast forward to this season. I kept using them all season long, in warmer waters, even for largemouth too. And it worked.

 

I think they do excel in colder water, especially for brownies, but they can work almost any time of year for smallmouth or largemouth. The type and color of jerk bait also matters. I’ve had the best success with mega bass and rapala in perch colors.

[Dirtyeggroll]

I have experienced that a jerkbait can work well all year around. In my experience it’s the cooler times that jerkbaits start to outperform other baits. Probably a combination of other baits not seeming as interesting and possibly the jerkbait becoming more interesting.

[Bird]

Early spring " pre spawn " is Jerkbait must throw season but year around has proven productive. 

[Shimano_1]

I fish jerkbaits year round. Ill slow down a little in the heat of summer but still have days when they'll out perform most other lures.  As stated its only gonna get better tho as it starts cooling down

[813basstard]

Jerkbait tend to be better in cooler water but I look for clear. If I can see 3 feet plus, I’m gonna need Tommy John surgery cause I’m jerkin no matter the temp

[Boomstick]

You can catch them all year round on a jerkbait, but in the northeast it's prime time for a jerkbait

[Eddie101]

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

You can catch them all year round on a jerkbait, but in the northeast it's prime time for a jerkbait

Really? Why is that? 

[Bluebasser86]

Water temp was 82* last Wednesday and a jerkbait was my best bait going for smallouth. There is no such thing as "jerkbait time", unless you only fish them during certain times of year.

 

Don't fish a jerkbait in warm water the same as you do in cold water. You don't fish a crankbait or spinnerbait the same in cold water as you do warm water, so why do the same with a jerkbait? It's a killer bait for triggering a reaction strike from inactive bass and great for covering water, but I'm fine with people leaving them in their box and letting me catch all those fish.

[NorcalBassin]

It's definitely knocking on the door here and I can't wait.

[Boomstick]

21 hours ago, Eddie101 said:

Really? Why is that? 

Well the water is getting colder and the fish are feeding more. It's not quite to the point where jerkbaits are perhaps the most effective bait, but jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, spinnerbaits and topwater just started becoming real effective up here.

 

Come usually mid to late October, it's a jerkbait and a jig or t-rig or a very slow rolled spinnerbait. But that changes year by year.

[thunderblack]

I fish jerkbaits year-round with great success. Always jerkbait time! 

[Tizi]

I typically always have a hard or soft jerkbait tied on.  They always catch fish.

[moguy1973]

I've never had much confidence in jerkbaits anytime of the year.  Yesterday I was out in my in-laws farm pond and I knew the fish weren't on the bank anymore due to the heat.  Got the little boat they have out in the middle of the pond and tried a SK KVD jerkbait and caught 5 within an hour.  Lost the bait on either a really large bass or when I snagged one of the big grass carp they have in there and it broke off.

 

Like Bluebasser said, it's all in how you work it depending on the time of the year.  Cold water calls for slow long pauses and warm water is a faster cadence. Or at least that's what was working for me yesterday.

[TnRiver46]

On 9/6/2020 at 4:08 PM, Hewhospeaksmuchbull said:

Today 116 air temp, water high 80"s, three smallies on the jerkbait.

 

Been that way all summer.

 

I was just thinking, bass eat a jerkbait every time I throw one for an hour or so. They look like a fish! 

[Hewhospeaksmuchbull]

20 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I was just thinking, bass eat a jerkbait every time I throw one for an hour or so. They look like a fish! 

Imagine that!

 

I'm constantly breaking the rules and catching fish, call me a Rebel.

 

Only problem this time of year is the sweat running into my eyes. Not a problem with jigs but I like catching fish.

 I don't know who this guy is but I can relate.

[Mbirdsley]

This will be my first time fishing into fall.  Depending on the weather I’m hoping to spend a day or 2 during hunting season fishing.  Supposed to be a high of 65 for the next week.  So I’m sure the water will be about that range shortly.  
 

Just picked up some lucky craft pointers.  I havnt fished jerk baits a lot hoping to change that in the next 2 months before ice up