Jerkbait Fishing

[Ej Thomas]

Want to try a jerkbait out for an up coming tourney. i would like to know more about the best way to fish them. The best rod,spin or bc, best line rather mono,floro or copoly. Going to be throwing a lucky craft pointer as the bait, just need some insight on the matter.

[aavery2]

I like to throw my hard jerkbaits on a bait casting combo. For line I like to use a 12lb FC, a reel in the 6.4:1 to 7.1:1 range works well, for a rod I like to use a med power moderate fast to fast action 6'6" rod.

Like all things fishing there are so many variables and you will get as many answers to this question as people that reply, you have to find what works for you.

[Fishes in trees]

Generally, jerkbaits are more of anopen water bait, so I like to throw them ona rig that I can get maximum distance with. For me that is a medium light spinning rod and 10 or 14 lb fireline. I generally use a short, 2 foot or so fluorocarbon leader. I find that I can cast better in the wind with a spinning rod as opposed toa bait caster.

[Nitrofreak]

If I am fishiing in water 40 - 55* I look for structure with a more vertical drop 30 to 45* in depth's 10 to 25' of water.

3 types that I use, sinking, suspending, both of which I use mostly for 7 to 12 ft of water and suspending jerkbait that has a bill for anything deeper than 12 ft.

The colors I use are Firetiger, silver, white, and range in size from 3 to 8 inches.

Two most important things to me are line size and cadence, 6-12 lb floro, reel and speed are not as important as the rod since I use my rod to move the bait, 7' med rod with a sensitive tip is what I like.

If I want a sinking jerkbait to fall a little faster I use a lighter line or to make it go a little deeper too.

Cadence to me is the absolute key to fishing a jerkbait, once I get the bait to the desired water level.

I will twitch it once count to 5 and twitch it 2 more times and count to 5, then start increasing in 5 second intervals on each wave of casts.

It is very important to note this takes time, SLOW is key here, you should know your forage before you decide your bait.

If you have never fished a jerkbait, a tourny is not the place to start, but if you do fish it be confident and be slow until you get the right cadence then it will be deadly.

Good luck and be safe !!!

[quanjig]

This is my set up for jerk baits and how I fish them. 7' MH moderat action rod, calcutta150 with 12lb mono. I think that my baits suspend the best with mono plus with a MH rod, I like a little extra stretch. Pointer 100. I like areas that have a deep flat close to deep water, preferably at a turn in the channel with a little cover. Throw the bait out and crank the bait down about 6-7 turns of your reel. Like nitro said cadence and pause are critical. After my bait is down, I start with a count to 12, then impart 2 small twitches. And start my count again. This is seriously tedious fishing. You will be very tempted to do things faster, DON'T!! Fan cast the area and change your pause times and twitches until you find one that the fish want.

[SirSnookalot]

I agree with Fishes in and Trees and Nitrofreak, main difference for me, my Florida canals and ponds are shallow and I work not to far out from the shoreline. I too move baits with my rod, so gear ratio and ipt are not important to me. I swim against the current on this one, I wouldn't use b/c gear for freshwater fish.

[roadwarrior]

My set-up is an Avid AVC66MF/ Scorpion 1000/ Sunline Super Natural.

Typical presentation is to reel down fast, then let the lure sit for

at least ten seconds. My first move is always a quick jerk-jerk-pause.

If a fish is there looking at the jerkbait, they will strike it on the

first pause. After that there is a lot of experimentation until you

find the right cadence. Once you do, use that same presentation the

rest of the outing.

One more suggestion: Sometimes long pulls followed by long pauses will

trigger a strike, but most of the time I fish jerkbaits fast.

[Nitrofreak]

My set-up is an Avid AVC66MF/ Scorpion 1000/ Sunline Super Natural.

Typical presentation is to reel down fast, then let the lure sit for

at least ten seconds. My first move is always a quick jerk-jerk-pause.

If a fish is there looking at the jerkbait, they will strike it on the

first pause. After that there is a lot of experimentation until you

find the right cadence. Once you do, use that same presentation the

rest of the outing.

One more suggestion: Sometimes long pulls followed by long pauses will

trigger a strike, but most of the time I fish jerkbaits fast.

Interesting !! even in cold water ?

[J Francho]

Enjoy!

http://www.burniehaney.com/files/Cold_Water_Jerkbaits_LOO_Spring_09__1_.pdf

[roadwarrior]

Well, I'm not fishing jerkbaits in what most people would consider "cold water".

I haven't fished any since last fall when the water temperature was 60 something.

Probably start back up again in a few weeks, but the water will be +/- 60 by then.

Someone else will have the experience to give you better advice than me.

[Nitrofreak]

Well, I'm not fishing jerkbaits in what most people would consider "cold water".

I haven't fished any since last fall when the water temperature was 60 something.

Probably start back up again in a few weeks, but the water will be +/- 60 by then.

Someone else will have the experience to give you better advice than me.

I was just wondering, I have never tried it fast in colder water, thought you may have some insite thats all.

[Nitrofreak]

Enjoy!

http://www.burniehan...ring_09__1_.pdf

Pretty good artical there J. Thanx !!!

[quanjig]

Ej, just for giggles because I know you fish the res, where is the tx you are going to fish??

[Ej Thomas]

Going to Anna in march. Club tournament/pre fish for the fisher of men later in march. I was going to throw it on a baitcast med rod with fluro but I feel like a spin rod would be better. Like the info I got thanks everyone. I just might tie one on each st up and give it a try. My main focus will be a jig.

[quanjig]

Try a pointer 78XD in a shad pattern. At least that's what I hear works well early march. Should be great on spinny setup

[quanjig]

I agree with about 80% of that article. 2 things that I think really help in cold water jerkbait fishing is: 1- realizing baitfish are usually at their largest this time of year where I fish so I generally start with a larger bait. Most of the mature shad I see in the reservoir I fish are 5-7 inches. That's not to say smaller shad are not present but the ones I see struggling to make it thru tha winter flopping on the surface are that big so why not match it! #2- mono, I want my bait as neutrally buoyant as possible and in my opinion with a good neutral bait, flouro will make it sink more than I want, especially on a long pause over some sticky water. That results in lost baits from time to time. I've spent about 10yrs trying to find the right recipe for jerk baits and these this work well for me. Not to say other ways are incorrect or non productive, just saying this is how it works for me!

[Nitrofreak]

Firetiger jerk bait at Anna in march, and tell Dubby I said hello!!

[J Francho]

Firetiger jerk bait at Anna in march, and tell Dubby I said hello!!

There's a case where local knowledge is a MUST HAVE. Up here, you might as well be throwing rolls of quarters in the lake. Northern Pike have a definite preference for expensive baits that resemble a perch.

[Nitrofreak]

There's a case where local knowledge is a MUST HAVE. Up here, you might as well be throwing rolls of quarters in the lake. Northern Pike have a definite preference for expensive baits that resemble a perch.

LOL, I have fished the lake he is talking about for the past 15 years, in heartbreaking detail at times too.

[J Francho]

I've fished Anna in the summer. Has a lot of potential, but I can see the heartbreak part.

[Nitrofreak]

I've fished Anna in the summer. Has a lot of potential, but I can see the heartbreak part.

REALLY? When were you down here fishing anna?

[J Francho]

Couple years ago. I get around, LOL.

[Ej Thomas]

Ej, just for giggles because I know you fish the res, where is the tx you are going to fish??

Hey quanjig which res were you referring to.

[quanjig]

Occoquan of course!