Suspending Jerkbaits

[jdw174]

Was going thru my hardbaits this afternoon. In my jerkbait box were 8 "suspending" lures and I got to wondering...do they really do what they're supposed to? So I hauled out a bucket and filled it with cool water, then proceeded to drop them in, nose first, to check just what happened. Out of the eight, only ONE went to the bottom and hung there with a slightly nose-down attitude (A Strike King Wild Shiner). Out of 3 Bomber Suspending Long-A's, only one suspended briefly before rising slowly to the top. The other two came back up almost immediately. I had two Super Rogues that came up like nuclear subs on emergency blow....likewise two Rapala X-Raps.

Luckily, I had some Suspend-Dots and Suspend-Strips in the boat so I went to work and now they all do what they were intended to. Haven't had a chance to try them yet, but hopefully the action hasn't been altered too much, if at all. If you've never tried this with your suspending lures you might want to take a looksee for yourself. You may be surprised.

[J Francho]

Neutral bouyancy is not going to be perfect every time with every bait. Temperature has an affect.

[lmoore]

As mentioned above, temperature has an effect on the bouyancy. The table below shows the density of water in english units at various temperatures. The difference in density is shown better in metric units, as the change in density of 1 lb/cubic meter is rather significant.

Temp Density

°F pounds/cubic meter

0+ (liquid) 62.4

39 62.42

68 62.28

104 61.92

That being said, I rarely find a jerkbait that suspends exactly how I want it to right out of the package, even in 45-50 degree water.

[weezy109]

they aren't supposed to sink to the bottom, they should stay at whatever level you reel them to, very slowly floating up would probaably be ideal.

[jdw174]

They hit the bottom of the bucket, bounced back and stayed there...right where I wanted them in the cold water. None of them "sank".

[ww2farmer]

I would rather have a suspending bait that floats than sinks, floaters can be adjusted to do what I want them to, sinkers go in the garbage.

[Nitrofreak]

I like a slow rise or fall depending on the water temp and depth when I stop them.

I like to make them roll to one side or the other especially if they have a tendency to want to rise.

My testing is done in my gold fish pond lol.

[Bigbarge50]

I would rather have a suspending bait that floats than sinks, floaters can be adjusted to do what I want them to, sinkers go in the garbage.

Not a fan of a countdown lure?

[J Francho]

If I wanted a countdown, I'd buy a countdown. And for bass, not a fan. For northerns, well that's another story!

[Gatorbassman]

Almost every one of my two or three dozen jerkbaits have been modified one way or the other. I usually add a split ring or two, go up or down a hook size, or even switch to a heavier or lighter wire hook on rare occasions. They need to be adjusted often depending on the water temp or what the bass like. I've found that a jerkbait that suspends or very slowly sinks works best for me.

[ww2farmer]

Not a fan of a countdown lure?

No

[Hooligan]

Odd, every single LC Pointer and/or Megabass Vision has done exactly what it's supposed to do, for me. I've never had to add weight, reduce weight, or change anything on the bait with the exception of possibly tuning it left or right.

Also when you say "hit the bottom of the bucket bounce back..." they're sinking. Do you think that by hitting bottom they magically changed? The fact is they hit bottom, would they not have hit bottom, they'd have continued going in the lake until they either hit a density of water to suspend or they would continue to sink. A bucket isn't the way to test and tune a bait; the only way you can really do that is on the water.

[J Francho]

My pointers work right. I don't own any MB jerks anymore, northerns made off them, which was semi on purpose, long story. But they seemed to very slowly float. It takes anywhere from 2 to 5 X-Raps to get one that sits right in the water. One trick, put a 2X hook up front. That'll give a bad one that head down attitude that seems delicious to fish. My very best jerkbait, a JDM flash minnow, is pure poison. It's more of a shimmy bait. Less is MUCH MUCH more with it.

[roadwarrior]

Odd, every single LC Pointer and/or Megabass Vision has done exactly what it's supposed to do, for me. I've never had to add weight, reduce weight, or change anything on the bait with the exception of possibly tuning it left or right.

I have never had an issue either.

[lmoore]

Odd, every single LC Pointer and/or Megabass Vision has done exactly what it's supposed to do, for me. I've never had to add weight, reduce weight, or change anything on the bait with the exception of possibly tuning it left or right.

Also when you say "hit the bottom of the bucket bounce back..." they're sinking. Do you think that by hitting bottom they magically changed? The fact is they hit bottom, would they not have hit bottom, they'd have continued going in the lake until they either hit a density of water to suspend or they would continue to sink. A bucket isn't the way to test and tune a bait; the only way you can really do that is on the water.

They hit bottom because (if I understand right) he was dropping them in from a distance above the bucket. If he were to set them i, they would suspend. To quote you, "Do you think that by hitting the bottom they magically changed?" They suspend after hitting bottom, so either they did magically change, or it's because there was an outside force when they were first added to the bucket. Drop your perfectly suspending pointers into a bucket and they'll "sink" at first too.

[Gavin]

A bucket doesnt really tell you much...String up a rod and toss those baits in some clear water to see what they do. Access to an inground swimming pool is a plus. Have fun!