Jerkbaits - The Best Bass Fishing Lures Around?

Jerkbaits are considered by many anglers to be one of the best bass fishing lures around. You can induce a strike from a long way away with a jerkbait. And to top it off, they are easy to use and great for kids to learn how to fish for bass.

Here are a few ways we fish the jerkbait at different depths.

Top Water
When a jerk bait is fished on top you need a delicate, subtle presentation. The most effective conditions is little or no wind and shallow water. You need to work an area slowly and place each cast so you cover the precise area you think the fish are holding. A slight twitch of the rod tip is all you need.

1 - 3 Feet
This is the pattern where jerk baits work the best. Reel the bait under the surface. Then pointing your rod tip down, use a series of quick jerks with the rod to keep the bait submerged while taking up the line between jerks. Some anglers like to keep a steady rhythm while others prefer an erratic retrieve with fairly long pauses between two or three quick jerks. Some fish will absolutely blast the lure, but most of the bites will only be a tick as the lure floats up. Try both styles and see what works best for the bass.

You can often draw a bite from a considerable distance. So even though the bait is running only 3 feet under the water, it is effective worked over depths up to 20 feet in clear water. If the fish are active, this pattern will catch them. You can cover a huge area quickly.

Fish that ignore spinner baits or crankbaits will sometimes nail a jerkbait. It's one of the best bass fishing lures we know for searching out fish that are scattered. It will work anytime the fish aren't hugging the bottom. A smaller version of the jerkbait with only two hooks is great for schooling fish and for fishing over deep weed beds.

4 - 10 Feet
Usually if I need to get a jerkbait this deep, I try one of two things. I might add a small split shot to help the bait sink to the depth the fish are holding. Another option is the Count Down Rapala. This bait will sink instead of float and you countdown each time to get the bait to different levels. When you get a bite, countdown each time to that level. Then use consistent jerks, both in force and length, or the lure will rise and fall accordingly. With a little practice, you can hit just about any depth down to around 10 feet consistently.

Over 10 Feet
Most of the time you can find something better than a jerkbait to fish below 10 feet, but of course there are always exceptions. If fish are suspended just off a deep ledge try a deep diving jerk bait like a Rogue. You have to make long casts past the ledge and reel quickly to get the lure down to about 10 feet. Then use a long sweeping motion to move the bait, reel up the slack and allow the bait to float up vertically. This is usually when you get the bite, so be ready!

These are just the basics for jerkbaits. They are an easy bait to use and can be great to teach kids bass fishing. They are also one of the best bass fishing lures you can have in your tackle box.

As always, thanks for reading.

Good fishing.

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