How important is perfect suspension of your Jerkbait?

[AlabamaSpothunter]

So I've basically bought all the high end suspending Jerkbaits on the market.   I've got the Duo Realis 100SP, a Lucky Craft Staysee 90SP, a Shimano World Minnow Flash Boost, a Jackall 110 sized suspending model, and a number of the MegaBass Vision baits.    Got several hundred into these baits, well down the rabbit hole lol.      Many of the baits have been highly successful.   

 

After buying 5 MegaBass Vision models over the last month to see the mountain top, only one of them suspends, and by that, I mean really slowly floats.    It's not perfectly suspending like I know a bait can do.     That said, I'm still catching the fire out of them on a few models, but my favorite one that has produced the best is also the one that suspends the best.    This is in water temps ranging from the lake at 45-60d, and a tub of water with 50d water.   

 

Here is MegaBass's response to my question over having a bunch of these baits being "slow floaters":  

 

"The Vision Onetens will slow float, which will vary in speed due to many factors—water temp being just one, with water density, line type and strength being some others. It may take some experimentation, but changing the hooks or upsizing split rings could help, or trying something like suspend strips or dots is not uncommon. If the baits rise quickly it could be another issue.

 

One note about changing the hooks: rather than going up a size, you may try using a regular wire hook of the same size (#6). Since our Katsuage are a more finesse hook, simply going with a more standard treble might help."

 

At first I tried the hooks and rings but realized I'm adding another several dollars on a $25 bait and more importantly taking away from the original design/balance.   I really like the stock hooks on both models even though I've lost a big fish and came close to losing a 7.2lb a week or two ago on one.    I catch lots of these jerkbait fish that only swiped at the bait.    I might lose more fish on these finesse hooks, but I'm sure I'm getting more hookups, not looking to mess with that at this time.    I've adjusted my own technique/drag to account for this going forward.  

 

Today I bought Suspend Dots that I used on big Rattling Rouges growing up, but hate the idea of having to use suspend dots on high end JDM baits that say they suspend, but in reality very few actually do.   

 

The Jackall suspends perfectly, the Shimano suspends close to perfect, then a MegaBass 110jr +1.   Haven't tried the LuckyCraft or Duo yet.   The thing about the Vision I've noticed vs. the others is how it sits perfectly nose down.   The Shimano perfectly sits horizontally, both baits have produced terrific results, yet have quite different actions when jerked.   

 

So my question is this, how important is perfect suspension of your jerkbait, and if you don't require a perfection suspension, what level of slow float are you willing to deal with?

 

Any of you Vision 110 fans using Suspend Dots?

[Deleted account]

There is no true suspending jerk bait. It will slowly sink or slowly float based on several factors, primarily water temperature. As far as how important it is varies situationally, sometimes you want it to hover as long as possible, sometimes you want it to sink slowly, and sometimes you want it to float slowly. I find JB success lies in knowing what your bait is doing both when you move it and when you pause it, the bait itself is secondary. 

[Team9nine]

5 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

As far as how important it is varies situationally, sometimes you want it to hover as long as possible, sometimes you want it to sink slowly, and sometimes you want it to float slowly.

This, pretty much ^^
 

Very situational based on a lot of variables. I just pull out the dots and strips as necessary. In most cases, I prefer a slow floater over a slow sinker. Much easier to work with and still get the desired outcome.

[A-Jay]

I agree with @Team9nine plenty of variables.

But I do lean more to the slow sinker than the slow floater.

May be related to the environments I fish them.

Might be 'several' versions of what works best offered here

and they are all correct at some point.

I fish mostly MB & SK baits with a few LC and Smithwicks mixed in.

Get any of them around biters and it's generally a good time. 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

A longer version of this is here https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/211811-brown-bass-tools-~-questions-answers/?do=findComment&comment=2564979

 

 

[Team9nine]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

But I do lean more to the slow sinker than the slow floater.

May be related to the environments I fish them

Probably this ^^

 

In shallower ponds, sinkers of any kind are usually a bad thing unless the water is warm enough that you can just keep them moving. In our reservoirs, it’s not as big a deal except in those where we’re trying to keep the baits over submerged vegetation…sinkers also aren’t great in the standing timber we sometimes deal with.

[Bird]

You can control your Jerkbait by increasing or decreasing your cadence and rod angle.

The last thing I want is a suspending bait to sink into cover and hang.

This is where an upward sweep may be more beneficial.

 

That said, I fish gin clear water and almost always have a visual. The bait disappears and I set the hook, truly a fun way to fish.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Appreciate the replies!

 

Been watching too much TacticalBassin lol, there does seem to be a correlation between my best suspending jerkbaits and success.    

 

I thought Chatterbaits were addictive, but the nuance and mastery of Jerkbaits has a grip of my soul or at least the Jerkbait Monkey does.    

 

These things produce spectacular results and excitement, very fun bait to fish.   

2 minutes ago, Bird said:

You can control your Jerkbait by increasing or decreasing your cadence and rod angle.

The last thing I want is a suspending bait to sink into cover and hang.

This is where an upward sweep may be more beneficial.

 

That said, I fish gin clear water and almost always have a visual. The bait disappears and I set the hook, truly a fun way to fish.

That would be killer, and I agree about the slow sink.   I got a Stunna, but I fish a lake with heavy cover.   Now that I've got solid sonar I work over the top of these areas lots.   Long casts with fluoro and a slow sink would have me snagged lots 

 

The other way I'm catching lots of fish on these right now is when a lot of Bass are able to push up and trap a large group of Shad against a bank, corner, pinch point.    I sit back a little bit and target the 5-10ft zone with the +1s trying to pick off the bigger fish that I think stay a bit deeper and just wait for slower moving or dying Shad to come to them, whereas above them a bunch of 1-2lb fish are launching themselves out of the water sometimes right against the bank.   

 

 

[Big Hands]

I have exactly one Vision 110. One of the first times I used it, I caught an 8.5 lb bass from a 'fishing pier' at night . . . in February no less ;~). There are lights shining onto the water so it's lit up like an aquarium. I saw the fish and worked the bait until it was about ten feet away and the fish turned to look at it (along with another of about 5 lbs). I stopped it and let it sit for about ten seconds and gave it one jerk. The 8.5 pounder charged it so fast I couldn't believe it and slammed it.

 

It was new and suspended fairly neutrally on the 8 lb yo-zuri co-poly line I was using at the time. Not long after that, I had another big one follow it back and when I got the bait back to the pier, I just stopped it. The fish followed it and came up about six inches and just stared at it. I lost count of how long I just let it sit there suspended and I finally gave it a tiny twitch and the bass just turned and swam away.

 

I snagged the stock hooks on my fishing back pack and had to cut the hooks to get them out. I first tried some ST-36 treble hooks and it would sink like a stone. I ended up getting some stock Megabass Katsuage outbarbs and put them back on. I had put different split rings on it with the ST-36 trebles and was having a heck of a time just to get it to suspend slightly nose down and pretty neutral. I had to play around with various split rings and finally got the balance pretty good.

 

It was a unique experience to see the situation unfold like that right in front of my eyes. I can't say if 'perfect suspension' (or nearly perfect) is always necessary, but it certainly didn't hurt to be close to that IME. 

[Deleted account]

5 hours ago, Big Hands said:

I snagged the stock hooks on my fishing back pack and had to cut the hooks to get them out.

The best way I've found to get hooks out of clothing, bags, and the like is to grab the fabric with one hand close to the hook and pull sideways on the hook towards the side with the barb with needle nose, essentially stretching the hole into a tiny button hole, then turning the hook 180 degrees and pull out with tension in the opposite direction, may need to do it a couple of times depending on the fabric.

[Bankbeater]

I hardly ever let the jerkbaits sit and suspend very long. Around here the water gets pretty clear and I’ve had bass charge the bait just to turn away from it when they get close enough to get a good look at it. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

7 hours ago, Big Hands said:

I have exactly one Vision 110. One of the first times I used it, I caught an 8.5 lb bass from a 'fishing pier' at night . . . in February no less ;~). There are lights shining onto the water so it's lit up like an aquarium. I saw the fish and worked the bait until it was about ten feet away and the fish turned to look at it (along with another of about 5 lbs). I stopped it and let it sit for about ten seconds and gave it one jerk. The 8.5 pounder charged it so fast I couldn't believe it and slammed it.

 

It was new and suspended fairly neutrally on the 8 lb yo-zuri co-poly line I was using at the time. Not long after that, I had another big one follow it back and when I got the bait back to the pier, I just stopped it. The fish followed it and came up about six inches and just stared at it. I lost count of how long I just let it sit there suspended and I finally gave it a tiny twitch and the bass just turned and swam away.

 

I snagged the stock hooks on my fishing back pack and had to cut the hooks to get them out. I first tried some ST-36 treble hooks and it would sink like a stone. I ended up getting some stock Megabass Katsuage outbarbs and put them back on. I had put different split rings on it with the ST-36 trebles and was having a heck of a time just to get it to suspend slightly nose down and pretty neutral. I had to play around with various split rings and finally got the balance pretty good.

 

It was a unique experience to see the situation unfold like that right in front of my eyes. I can't say if 'perfect suspension' (or nearly perfect) is always necessary, but it certainly didn't hurt to be close to that IME. 

8.5lb Bass say's "welcome to world of Megabass, now hand over your wallet" ?

 

Or at least that's what happened to me as soon as I saw how well these baits catch fish. 

2 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

I hardly ever let the jerkbaits sit and suspend very long. Around here the water gets pretty clear and I’ve had bass charge the bait just to turn away from it when they get close enough to get a good look at it. 

That makes sense, whereas I get a ton of my strikes on the pause, sometimes they hit the darn thing on the pause so hard it startles me.   

 

I fish the opposite of your conditions, so maybe longer pauses are needed in my waters to give fish time to locate it.  I get maybe 2ft of viz on normal days.  

[Woody B]

It's easy enough to make something float.  It's also easy enough to make something sink.  

 

Does water temperature, clarity or any other water "stuff" have an effect on how a bait suspends.   I noticed yesterday, watching on live sonar that the DT8 I was using would suspend perfectly.   I don't think they're even considered suspending.   This was a brand new one.  I bounced one off a lay down and popped one of it's eyes out.  I had just tied on a new one when I noticed the suspending action.   

[Dwight Hottle]

All baits vary a little even among the same manufacture. I try to set the winners aside from the others & fish the he11 out of them. You want sinkers, suspenders & floaters as they all trigger bites at different times. 

[TnRiver46]

56 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

All baits vary a little even among the same manufacture. I try to set the winners aside from the others & fish the he11 out of them. You want sinkers, suspenders & floaters as they all trigger bites at different times. 

 

me frantically searching for Dwight’s collection of winning jerkbaits 

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, Woody B said:

It's easy enough to make something float.  It's also easy enough to make something sink.  

 

Does water temperature, clarity or any other water "stuff" have an effect on how a bait suspends.   I noticed yesterday, watching on live sonar that the DT8 I was using would suspend perfectly.   I don't think they're even considered suspending.   This was a brand new one.  I bounced one off a lay down and popped one of it's eyes out.  I had just tied on a new one when I noticed the suspending action.   

I've never seen a DT that suspends, but I sure would like a couple. There are no 2 cranks that are exactly the same, and some are all over the place, this is bad if you are trying to match one, but good if you want something a tad different. My HJs are like a box of chocolates when they come out of the package, a majority float, some almost suspend, and every so often one sinks. 

[Boomstick]

22 hours ago, A-Jay said:

But I do lean more to the slow sinker than the slow floater.

I find that it is much easier to keep a slow sinker in the target strike zone most of the time when fished slowly.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 hour ago, Dwight Hottle said:

All baits vary a little even among the same manufacture. I try to set the winners aside from the others & fish the he11 out of them. You want sinkers, suspenders & floaters as they all trigger bites at different times. 

I'm coming to this conclusion on hardbaits in general.     Seems like it's just part of the cost of doing business.   The only problem is the finish on the ones that work.   

 

Appreciate the added replies from others as well!  

[TnRiver46]

13 hours ago, Boomstick said:

I find that it is much easier to keep a slow sinker in the target strike zone most of the time when fished slowly.

I’ve had good success fishing the rapala shadow rap deep that way