Jerkbait Basics

As temperatures begin to rise, you can bet that bass will too. And whenever fish are roaming the shallows or holding to structure in shallow water, it’s a good bet that they can be caught on a jerkbait.

Just about everyone has one in the tackle box, yet this lure is often forgotten. But from late winter until post-spawn, I suggest you wipe those cobwebs off and let them fly. This time of the year has the characteristics needed for a strong jerkbait bite, water temperatures between 50-60 degrees and fish in 0-10’ of clear water. Arizona fisheries are generally clear, which is better suited for the jerkbait. The jerkbait is a reaction bait that resembles a dying baitfish, probably better than any other lure when properly used. This bait comes in a hard or soft variety, but today I am going to be talking about the basic 5" straight, stick-like lure with a small lip, and three hooks hanging below the bait. These baits come in various color schemes, though I prefer either a black back, gold sides, orange belly, or a black back, silver sides and orange belly bait. I use this lure to cover a lot of ground similar to using a spinnerbait. To start out you will need a rod with a fast to medium tip. The small hooks on these baits don’t always get a good set and you will need a rod that is forgiving and will allow you to carefully work the fish. I also like a 5 ½’ rod when throwing jerkbaits since your rod tip will be just above the water when working this bait. We will get back to the retrieve in a moment. Unless you are fishing in heavy cover, you will want to spool up with 10-12 lb. test. Any heavier compromises the lures action. Another good trick to get better action out of this bait, is to use a split ring to tie your line to. Don’t tie straight to the lure. Now you are ready to go. Find some shallows you feel are holding fish and let it fly. I like casting to the bank or to the outside edge of cover to start. The wounded baitfish action will be obtained by pointing the rod tip to the water, taking out the slack line and jerking the rod tip down. The lure will dig and flutter around in an erratic manner. This, along with the flash and noise the bait omits, calls in nearby predators. While you reel in the slack from the jerk, your bait will slowly rise or just hang there, depending on the lure. Develop a cadence and experiment until you find the right one. I like to jerk, jerk, pause. Most of the time you will get hit on the pause, when the lure is settled or floating upward. Though bass will often ambush the lure if it is constantly on the move as if the wounded baitfish is fleeing danger. When you are working the bait, be aware of any subtle changes. Sometimes you will have no doubt you were struck but other times you may just feel an added weight sensation. A moderate side sweeping hookset is all you will need. Don’t get into a big hurry landing the fish either. You will lose more than you catch if you get impatient.

These baits may be best suited in shallow water and in certain temperature ranges, but a lot of your top anglers on the circuit will have one tied on at all times. These baits resemble wounded baitfish and that will always be tempting to a big bass.