Jerkbaits for smaller lakes and ponds

[TriStateBassin106]

What are some jerkbaits I could throw in smaller lakes and ponds? So far I only throw the Rapala Husky Jerk and xrap around my waterbodies but I'm interested in buying new jerkbaits down the road before the spring begins. Any recommendations? 

[OkobojiEagle]

what is the forage fish size in your pond?

 

oe

[Boomstick]

Also what's the depth?

[Deleted account]

While smaller JBs are usually a good idea, it pays to try larger ones in ponds, specially if shiners of shad are present. Any of popular 100-120 sized ones or some old school ones like the Long A will work. I've yet to fish anywhere where a #10 HJ won't get bit, the shadow rap has been good as well. 

[lynxcat]

I rarely fish jerkbaits in ponds due to the grass and shallow layouts. I use a Rerange 110 when I do. 

[Boomstick]

3 minutes ago, lynxcat said:

I rarely fish jerkbaits in ponds due to the grass and shallow layouts. I use a Rerange 110 when I do. 

 

Sorry, I had to ?

[TriStateBassin106]

2 hours ago, OkobojiEagle said:

what is the forage fish size in your pond?

 

oe

A lot of 6inch bluegill and fat golden shiners. 

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

Also what's the depth?

I fish two ponds one is max depth of 7feet and the other is max depth of 15 feet both are retention ponds and have multiple fountains running through. 

1 hour ago, BassWhole! said:

While smaller JBs are usually a good idea, it pays to try larger ones in ponds, specially if shiners of shad are present. Any of popular 100-120 sized ones or some old school ones like the Long A will work. I've yet to fish anywhere where a #10 HJ won't get bit, the shadow rap has been good as well. 

I'm in business then hahaha my one pond has huge shiners 

[Derek1]

10 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

A lot of 6inch bluegill and fat golden shiners. 

I fish two ponds one is max depth of 7feet and the other is max depth of 15 feet both are retention ponds and have multiple fountains running through. 

I'm in business then hahaha my one pond has huge shiners 

I think you need to add a hud and a s waiver. Not a jerkbait. 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

JBs can be a pain to fish in ponds or shallow lakes, they can get grassed up easy especially at the end of the cast.  Its not hard to snag one up and losing a 10 or 15$ bait sucks, so I hesitate to throw a JB in water I'm not familiar with.  Floating or slow floating bait will help reduce snags and if you think your in a spot where you may snag the bait just wait until it floats to the top before you retrieve it. 

If your looking to get into some of the higher end baits the first company I would suggest would be Duo.  The Rozante 77 SP can get down about 3ft, but you can fish it comfortably in a little over 2ft depending on casting distance.  They arent very heavy 8.5gs I think, but the weight transfer allows you to bomb them.  The stock hooks are as sticky as the G finesse trebles, but they are ligher wire so set your drag accordingly.

[Boomstick]

23 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

I fish two ponds one is max depth of 7feet and the other is max depth of 15 feet both are retention ponds and have multiple fountains running through. 

So one is pretty shallow. For those shallow waters, I've had great success with the Berkley Cutter Shallow 90. The Skinny 110 model isn't too bad either. For slightly  deeper water I would switch to the Lucky Craft pointer which you can get down to 5-6 feet pretty easy. I would try both the 100 and 115 sizes and see what works better.

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

JBs can be a pain to fish in ponds or shallow lakes, they can get grassed up easy especially at the end of the cast.  Its not hard to snag one up and losing a 10 or 15$ bait sucks, so I hesitate to throw a JB in water I'm not familiar with. 

10-15 lb BG with a palomar or a uni will straighten out trebles (or bring in some wood) with a steady pull 99% of the time.

[GreenPig]

The Damiki Slim Jack is what I throw in most ponds as it runs 8" - 16". I've tried all the major brands and it consistently out fishes the others for me. I believe it's because it stays above the fish and not below or in their face. A weighted slow floating Rapala original works pretty good also.

[TriStateBassin106]

1 hour ago, Derek1 said:

I think you need to add a hud and a s waiver. Not a jerkbait. 

I've tried glidebaits, bass don't like them very well but around here the pickerel attack them like crazy. 

1 hour ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

JBs can be a pain to fish in ponds or shallow lakes, they can get grassed up easy especially at the end of the cast.  Its not hard to snag one up and losing a 10 or 15$ bait sucks, so I hesitate to throw a JB in water I'm not familiar with.  Floating or slow floating bait will help reduce snags and if you think your in a spot where you may snag the bait just wait until it floats to the top before you retrieve it. 

If your looking to get into some of the higher end baits the first company I would suggest would be Duo.  The Rozante 77 SP can get down about 3ft, but you can fish it comfortably in a little over 2ft depending on casting distance.  They arent very heavy 8.5gs I think, but the weight transfer allows you to bomb them.  The stock hooks are as sticky as the G finesse trebles, but they are ligher wire so set your drag accordingly.

My ponds are both subdivision and treated with stuff that kills off excessive grass. Plus I only plan on throwing jerkbaits in the spring when it's not as bad. 

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

So one is pretty shallow. For those shallow waters, I've had great success with the Berkley Cutter Shallow 90. The Skinny 110 model isn't too bad either. For slightly  deeper water I would switch to the Lucky Craft pointer which you can get down to 5-6 feet pretty easy. I would try both the 100 and 115 sizes and see what works better.

I've heard about the cutters, what colors would you recommend throwing in slighty to mild stained water? The only color jerkbaits I've had success on in the ponds are clown and some type of firetiger/shad patterns. 

[MIbassyaker]

If you've got pickerel, that may be a good reason to stay inexpensive.

 

Other than that, and the likelihood that shallow-divers probably go as deep as you need a jerkbait to go, I don't see any reason why your situation requires a different recommendation than any other body of water. I tend to downsize a bit in small waters, under the assumption that bass are eating small forage, but that's not a universal.

 

In addition to the Husky Jerk and X-rap, try:

Smithwick Suspending Rogue

Ima flit 100 and 120

KVD 200 and 300

Berkley Cutter & Skinny Cutter

[Boomstick]

18 minutes ago, TriStateBassin106 said:

I've heard about the cutters, what colors would you recommend throwing in slighty to mild stained water? The only color jerkbaits I've had success on in the ponds are clown and some type of firetiger/shad patterns. 

I've had luck with yellow perch and ghost bluegill in mildly stained waters as well as clearer water but when it gets real clear, I will turn to silverish colors. Blue silver might be worth a try. Basically something that can be seen through the stain in the water.

[FryDog62]

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

So one is pretty shallow. For those shallow waters, I've had great success with the Berkley Cutter Shallow 90. The Skinny 110 model isn't too bad either. For slightly  deeper water I would switch to the Lucky Craft pointer which you can get down to 5-6 feet pretty easy. I would try both the 100 and 115 sizes and see what works better.

I’d also suggest the Berkley Cutter 90 shallow. They have a ghost bluegill pattern that might be just the ticket ?

[Boomstick]

6 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

I’d also suggest the Berkley Cutter 90 shallow. They have a ghost bluegill pattern that might be just the ticket ?

Funny, I just suggested the same color. It's been that work anywhere color for me but especially effective in what sounds like a similar situation.

 

[TnRiver46]

Storm twitchstick and Excalibur ghost minnow . I would get a floater . Original floating rapala is also a legendary fish catcher 

[Bankbeater]

I would start off with a floating minnow.  That will tell you if the fish in your lake want a jerkbait style bait without getting hung up on the bottom.

[Bluebasser86]

If you can find the Storm twitch sticks, they've been great pond baits for me. Lucky Craft 65 pointers are another I fish in ponds a lot. The old school Rogues are good too.

[FryDog62]

16 hours ago, Boomstick said:

Funny, I just suggested the same color. It's been that work anywhere color for me but especially effective in what sounds like a similar situation.

 

Ghost Bluegill is great if the primary forage are gills. If Perch are present like in our Northern waters then I throw a lot of Ayu and Yellow Perch - smallies and white Bass like the bite-sized Cutter 90 too??

[GetFishorDieTryin]

On 2/21/2021 at 4:02 PM, BassWhole! said:

10-15 lb BG with a palomar or a uni will straighten out trebles (or bring in some wood) with a steady pull 99% of the time.

That depends on the treble and what your snagged in.  15lb mono isnt going to let a JB get very deep anyway.

On 2/21/2021 at 4:09 PM, GreenPig said:

The Damiki Slim Jack is what I throw in most ponds as it runs 8" - 16"

Thats the shallowest running JB Ive ever used and it works really well for me in clear water.

[Deleted account]

2 minutes ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

That depends on the treble and what your snagged in.  15lb mono isnt going to let a JB get very deep anyway.

Ok.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

On 2/21/2021 at 4:20 PM, TriStateBassin106 said:

My ponds are both subdivision and treated with stuff that kills off excessive grass. Plus I only plan on throwing jerkbaits in the spring when it's not as bad. 

You pickup grass and debris from the bottom at the end of the retrieve even in the winter.  The window where the JB crushes em  in the spring can be small in ponds and shallow lakes.  Try to have everything together ASAP,

[Big Hands]

On 2/21/2021 at 11:35 AM, Derek1 said:

I think you need to add a hud and a s waiver. Not a jerkbait. 

 

On 2/21/2021 at 11:24 AM, TriStateBassin106 said:

A lot of 6inch bluegill and fat golden shiners. 

I fish two ponds one is max depth of 7feet and the other is max depth of 15 feet both are retention ponds and have multiple fountains running through. 

I'm in business then hahaha my one pond has huge shiners 

Hard to beat a Megabass Vision 110 generally speaking, but if you're open to something other than a jerkbait. If the price of the Vision 110's are a deterrent, there are some offerings from Lucky Craft like the Pointer, or the Jackall Rerange that are still good, and a little easier on the wallet.

 

There are also a plethora of 'soft jerkbaits' on the market as well like the Fluke that are even more budget friendly and potentially weedless so you can get them right down in the salad where the fish live.

 

However, I think with 6" bluegill and nice fat shiners like that, I'd be going with swimbaits. The Gantarel and Gantarel Jr are excellent bluegill imitations and are not that expensive. The Gantarel Jr. can be thrown with regular bass gear, but you'll want a heavier duty setup for the full size Gantarel. 

 

An S-Waver 168 or 120 could be a decent shiner imitation and can also be thrown on regular bass gear.