Jerkbait Or Crankbait

[The Bassinator]

What factors determine whether you throw a jerkbait or a crankbait like water temp, time of year, weather conditions, cover or structure?

[A-Rob]

Jerkbaits for me are good for me on smallies over rockpiles in the shallows, or colder water b/c you can twitch-twitch-pause for as long as you want while it suspends.

The rest of the time I'm throwing a crankbait, especially for largies. I will use this to cover a ton of water, crank fast and see if I get a bite. I will do this for both smallies and largies. I just find the largies are less picky on the cranks. Smallies may follow more often...have a wacky senko on the ready to clean up.

Thats my take on it.

[brushhoggin]

i dont touch my jerks till dead winter or summer when theyre sluggish. i basically fish them with the same patience as a worm, just at different depths in the water colomn rather than the bottom.

[hookingem]

i dont touch my jerks till dead winter or summer when theyre sluggish. i basically fish them with the same patience as a worm, just at different depths in the water colomn rather than the bottom.

This. I feel more comfortable throwing a crankbait. Iv'e thrown a Pointer In a spot with no luck and then thrown back in with a square bill and got bit. Plus for me a shallow diving crankbait can be used all season and iv'e only really had luck on the jerkbait in 58>.

[Bluebasser86]

Jerkbaits are usually my bait of choice in colder water when there isn't much cover and the water is fairly clear. Crankbaits get more use in warmer dirtier water in heavier cover.

[kanasbassfisher08]

I like to throw jerkbaits during the cold months, prespawn, and spawn til the water temps are above 58 degrees but then its cranking time. sometimes i have had an ok bite on a jerkbait and had a feeling to throw a crank and catch some on both but i am a big fan of the jerk early on.

[WanderLust]

Early and late I will always have some sort of Pointer tied on. Of course the water in Vermont is pretty darn cold now...

[Hooligan]

I'll fish some sort of jerkbait every month we have open water; there's always a situation that they're an appropriate attack and I have a lot of confidence in fishing them. That's not to say that it's the only thing I'd throw, but very often it's one of the first things I will throw. Determination of whether I will throw a jerk or a crank is based more on whether there's a pattern established. Are they, or were they, hitting a moving bait? Are they suspended or relating to deep structure? Are they hanging tight to cover and short striking on a spinnerbait, for instance? That would be a place that I'll switch back and throw a rip bait of some sort. When water temps warm, I've done very well on the Xrap with neutral fish or picking up fish after a hard cold front.

Crankbaits are a great search tool for me when I'm on a lake I'm not terribly familiar with. If you can start to pick apart the depths and zones that fish should be keying to based on water temps and prior experience, crankbaits are often a good way to maximize your time usage in doing it. If you get a couple fish to poke at it but just won't commit, it gives you an idea to go with.

[.dsaavedra.]

this is how it works...

if fishing:

    throw crankbait

else:

    go home

[Whets Lines]

this is how it works...

if fishing:

    throw crankbait

else:

    go home

Dave, this was funny. It isn't so much what you said, but how you said it. Don't know how many got it.

ActiveFish.Bite = True

On to the rest of the subject, I fish quite a bit on a local lake which is gin clear and very weedy. There is about a 4-5 foot column of water over the weeds. I'm looking to increase my jerkbait usage over these weeds this year. I had some luck last year with Rapala X-Raps so I've been stocking up on LC pointers, etc to work above the weed-hidden bass.

Whets

[Chris]

I fish jerkbaits the most in early spring or late fall. I fish them around points, bluffs for the most part. They are also a great schooling lure or when bass are suspended. I also use them on shallow weed flats from time to time and up against the shore or any edge. When the bass stop hitting topwaters I start throwing jerbaits in the same areas to pick off a few more fish. They are not the most weedless lures in the world but still are effective. I fish them mostly in clear to stained water.

[Vinny Chase]

If I'm fishing lmouth in the spring, ill pick up a lipless crank everytime over a jerkbait

[BobP]

I say choose to suit the cover situation and how the fish are holding. In open water or on suspended fish, a jerkbait is hard to beat. In grass or wood, or when the fish are holding on the bottom, a crankbait.

[Dwight Hottle]

My rule of thumb is jerkbaits prespawn & crank baits starting with postspawn until the water starts cooling back down in the fall. Then it's back to the jerkbaits.

[The Bassinator]

Thanks for all the replies! Ive loved fishin jerkbaits ever since I caught five last March in about 45 mins. Ive always liked cranks too and Ive found that they do work for me from the post spawn on or in heavier cover and deeper water. Ive also found that if I cant get bit on a crank a jerkbait will often produce even in the summer. Thanks for all the opinions though Ive definitely learned a lot from all of you!

[EastTexasBassin]

For me it depends on the cover. If there's a lot of wood and brush, I throw a crankbait. If it's more open, I throw a jerkbait.

I use crankbaits to deflect off of cover, jerkbaits to get reaction strikes without cover.

Water temp determines how fast or slow the retrieve is, with either bait.

Most of the time, though, I'm more of a 'jigs and plastics' guy.

[GrundleLove]

If I'm fishing lmouth in the spring, ill pick up a lipless crank everytime over a jerkbait

So true.

I literally threw my entire tackle box at this one pond where I live for 2 weeks and didnt get crap.

Went to a lipless crank, caught 3 in 15 min span.

[chromedog]

I love jerkbaits. I use them year round. Anywhere fish are suspended, have wide open water or a weed line I am trying to stay above.

I will grab a square crankbait if I want to deflect off of cover and bounce the bottom if the fish are holding tight.

I throw the lipless when I want to rip through weed cover that isn't too heavy to get that reaction bite. Most the time I won't even bother throwing them in open water.

[bowfin48]

I have been fishing tournaments since 1983 and just realized that I have never caught a fish in a tourny with a jerkbait. I own a bunch of them but for whatever reason I never uuse them (no confidence in them). I don't know if its the cadence(jerk, jerk, Pause)that I have a problem with, but anytime that I ever threw them I would give up on them within about ten casts. I have a tourny this Sunday and the water is only about 43 degrees maybe this is my oppertunity to change this condition.

[Vinny Chase]

So true.

I literally threw my entire tackle box at this one pond where I live for 2 weeks and didnt get crap.

Went to a lipless crank, caught 3 in 15 min span.

There are some days in the spring when they destroy lipless cranks, but other days they are just a great search bait to throw to figure out a pattern for that day.

I'm itchin for some the ice to melt!!

[.ghoti.]

A jerkbait if the water is cool and clear. Otherwise a crank. I try to keep it simple.