Jerkbait Bite

[JCrzy4Bass]

Hey guys I'm heading down to a very clear lake (5-6' visibility in some areas down lake) on Monday. The water temps fluctuate right now from the low 50's to mid 50's. I threw my jerkbait here back in February when I went but the water temps were high 40's to low 50's at that time (very low 50's).

Truth be told I am kinda new to hard jerkbaits. Aside from watching Timmy Horton and a few others on Bass Pros throw em' I don't really have the technique mastered yet. But I kinda get it. Most of the action is done with the rod and not the reel. It's just timing when to reel and jerk to get the action you want.

My question is since I have yet to catch a bass on this technique when do the bites typically occur and do they feel the same as let's say a crankbait bite (Rat L Trap or Mann's or Rapala)?

I know the best thing to do this year especially in clear lakes in downsize your lure. I was planning on throwing the 4" jerkbaits I have (Rapala X-Raps). I have a 6" model in all white (transparent) which I kind of use to mimick a shad. The 4" model I have is in a transparent blue. I may pick up one or two more down at one of the lakes tackle shops to mimick a minnow or shiner or something (minnow colors).

Anyway, last time at the lake jerkbaits were all they hit (soft and hard). I caught two on an Original Rapala slow retrieving and twitching and another nice fish on a purple senko.

Point blank, I'd like to really get this technique down so I can add it to my arsenal.

Other ideas for a clear, heavy pressured, very open lake? Plenty of docks, rip rap, islands, points, breakwalls, etc...

Any other ideas for baits at a clear lake fellas? Right now I'm planning on tossing Rat L-Traps for searchbaits unless we get a little of that fun March wind, then I'll throw a spinner and experiment with retrieves. Also if I see a bit of feeding going on I may throw my Mann's cranks and DT's for a bit to break apart the water column. Any other good search baits?

As far as plastics and such go, I'll probably stick to the senko and experiment with colors and weight depending on where they are in the column. I may toss a bisty jig with yum trailer depending on what kind of structure we decide to fish.

I'm pretty much a power fisherman.

Oh yea, I forgot to mention we will be in a boat, not fishing from shore.

[rondef]

Jay,

The temps are supposed to be hovering around 60 degress down lake where we will be.

[Munkin]

Not sure about where you fish but I find that most of the fish that hit a jerkbait is right when you start to move it forward again after a pause. I love jerkbaits and have at least 200 of them because not only do they catch numbers but big fish as well.

Allen

[Chris at Tech]

I just started throwing hard jerkbaits seriously this year, and I've done pretty well so far.

But truth be told, I've yet to feel the bite.  My fish seems to just be there after I pause the bait.  When I get ready to twitch again, I just felt the weight.

But yeah, all the work is done with the rod.  Jerk the bait when you still have some slack in the line.  Jerking it with tight line won't get nearly the action you want.  And experiment with the pauses.  Try longer pauses, then shorter until you find what the fish want.

[ohiobassmaster93]

I just started throwing hard jerkbaits seriously this year, and I've done pretty well so far.

But truth be told, I've yet to feel the bite. My fish seems to just be there after I pause the bait. When I get ready to twitch again, I just felt the weight.

But yeah, all the work is done with the rod. Jerk the bait when you still have some slack in the line. Jerking it with tight line won't get nearly the action you want. And experiment with the pauses. Try longer pauses, then shorter until you find what the fish want.

x2 i don't think i've ever "felt" a bit just weight on the next twitch

[Catt]

Sound to me like you already have an excellent game plan stick with it  

[JCrzy4Bass]

Thanks for the info guys.  Hopefully I'll feel the weight of a big fish on one of the twitches!  There have been bass pulled out of here over 8-9lbs and it is a HUGE lake.  So lot's of area to cover.  Luckily some guys from one of the clubs around here have kinda given us some info on where to start and some ideas on where to check out and stuff so... between that, the maps we have, and the depth finder HOPEFULLY we can get on some fish.  I'll post pics here if I get any on the jerkbait  

Wish me luck!

[Chris at Tech]

One more thing.

If you're intending to throw the jerkbait most or all of the day, be prepared for your wrists to hurt

I can't throw a jerkbait for a very long time on a baitcasting rod, so spinning gear is MUCH more comfortable for me.

Just an FYI.

[JCrzy4Bass]

Yea, that's what I use Chris.  Even with spinning though, the last time I threw this bait down there early in February after about 30-45 minutes and not a fish I was like my hands are KILLING ME!  But I'm gonna have two rods rigged up.  One with the jerkbait another with a spinnerbait or a jig at the time so that way I can take a break need be.

I don't know how these tourney guys keep at it.  Must be conditioning and what not.  But yea, thanks for the advice Chris.  I need to learn how to cast my baitcaster before I use more complicated baits with it.  I have no clue, starting to practice soon though.  Plan on going in my dads backyard one day and just tossing a weight around getting the hang of it.  But that's another story.

[Chris at Tech]

I need to learn how to cast my baitcaster before I use more complicated baits with it.  

It's not that a jerkbait is complicated or hard to throw on a baitcaster...it's just the way I hold a baitcaster (palming the reel) and the wrist motion needed to give it the action that's uncomfortable.

[Boett43]

Hard jerkbaits has become one of my favorite techniques recently, the one real piece of advice i can give is do your best not to set the hook when you feel the weight of the fish, most of the time when you feel the weight the fish is already hooked from attacking the bait while it was being jerked. Thats what i do anyway and im doing pretty good with it soo far.

[djmax22]

The bite can sometimes barely be felt. Sometimes the fish is just there. If the water temp is over 50 I think there are better options than a jerkbait.

[Tokyo Tony]

One of my top 2 or 3 favorite baits in the spring (and summer and fall and winter for trout) is a jerkbait, and it's an amazing search bait.  One of the only times they're not effective is when the fish are too deep and not active enough to come up 10+ feet to strike it.

I think the most important thing with a jerkbait is to experiment with your retrieve until you find one that they like, and then within that general retrieve-style you can hone it further.  I've had many days where I was working it too slow and would just get followers, or where I was working it too fast and wasn't getting anything at all until I switched it up.

You can vary your retrieve with different sequences of jerks, different lengths of pause, etc.  In my experience in the Northeast, the best color for really clear lakes is just plain white.  Of course that may not be the case at your lake, but it's a pretty good starting point.

As for the strikes, a lot of times they'll hit it right after the pause, as was mentioned, and a lot of times they'll hit it right as you pause it.  This spring I've noticed a lot of the fish I'm catching hit it as the bait is motionless...

To explore that a bit - over the winter I invested in a really nice, sensitive rod, and I think that actually may be why I'm noticing a lot of strikes during the pause.  In the past it always felt like they were hitting it right after the pause, but it could be that I only felt the strike after the pause when I started working it a bit...

Anyway, sorry to be long winded, but I absolutely love jerkbaits, and I hope you have a great time.  Usually feeling the strike isn't tough.  You'll just feel the fish there when you start working it again after a pause.  Good luck and post a report!

[JCrzy4Bass]

Will do, thanks for the input guys.  Any fish caught on the jerkbait this weekend will be on this thread.  No dinks  !