Jerkbaits????

[JINXBASS]

I have fished my share of jerkbaits over the last couple years. My best and second best bag ever came off of jerkbaits. Now that is not saying much but its true. So I still feel as though I am not great with them. My biggest question is what is the average depth jerkbaits do you use generally? Most of the time I am using a deep jerkbait. I am talking 10-15'. I hear so many people using jerkbaits in the 5-7' range. I have gotten many bites dredging the bottom. Anyone else? Just curious. There is so much talk about the megabass 110. You can generally get 5-6' out of them with light line. I personally have only caught 1 fish on a megabass. I must be doing something wrong. My Preference is Luckycraft, and 90% of the time it will be a dd or xd.

So let me know your thoughts. Just thinking out loud.

Thanks

[572 Fitter]

Fish JB all year long,a MB 110+1,MB Jr and a pointer 78 are my most productive baits.

[John Jackson]

I also fish them year round. With jerkbaits, is all about the stop. Stop is on slack, and the colder the water, the longer the stop. They will come up for it. I use the deep ones too, especially in the winter. But going larger will draw them further even without the depth.

[JINXBASS]

I also fish them year round. With jerkbaits, is all about the stop. Stop is on slack, and the colder the water, the longer the stop. They will come up for it. I use the deep ones too, especially in the winter. But going larger will draw them further even without the depth.

Ok I understand what you are saying.

[Pokie Pa]

Got to be honest with ya. I had over 12 MB 110's and DUO Realis and Lake Fork Jerk baits I did not do good with them. I always went back to my BASS catchin deep
jerk baits and that is the Rapala Shadow Rap Deep. Might be just me and the way I fish but those Shadow Raps out fished the others 5 to 1.
OH YEAH... BTW, I sold all the MB 110s and 110 JRs and only kept Shadow raps and LC's

[John Jackson]

I do well with the 110's, even better with the slightly larger Ito shiner. I've had the same experience with the 110 Jr's. Even when slaying them with the standard 110, put the Jr on to "match the hatch" and get far fewer bites and much smaller bites.

[okiebass]

last year i did really well on the berkley cutter 110 ---not the skinny cutter

[Spinnerb8]

I have been catching them really good on a 110+1. This is really the first year I have thrown the +1 and it's been a better producer for me than the regular 110.

[VictorM.]

I have been catching them really good on a 110+1. This is really the first year I have thrown the +1 and it's been a better producer for me than the regular 110.

I Like the +2 in addition to the +1's.. There is also a +3 that is a JDM model only right now.. Going to be ordering a couple to try out in the next few days.

[DrewFlu33]

I love fishing a jerkbait, and have fished a lot of both shallower diving and deeper diving varieties. I seem to go back and forth on this, but after last season I believe I’ve started to change the way I think about them. This mostly echoes what John Jackson is saying above.

Always before, I wanted the jerkbait running pretty damn close to the depth I was fishing. If the fish were in 15 feet, I wanted a bait that would get down there. Seemed to make the most sense, and I caught some fish that way. But last year, I began to notice that my catch rate went down when I was using the deeper runners (which also usually coincides with post-spawn into the summer). I was chalking it up to a time of year thing and not thinking much of it otherwise.

Then, to quote the great Bob Ross, I had a bit of a “happy accident.” I was fishing 5-8 foot sand/rock flat that rolls off very, very quickly into 40 feet. So the boat is sitting in 40+ feet and I was casting up onto the flat where I’ve often found smallmouth roaming. Turns out they weren’t on the flat, but I started catching fish on a normal Jackall Rerange (4-5 feet, maybe?) that were coming up and blasting it from 20 or more feet down off the edge of that flat. Both smallmouth and largemouth. After that I tried using the shallower runners over deeper water a little more. I was really surprised as how many fish I was catching that were coming up a long way to get those jerkbaits.

Those experiences really sort of convinced me that a jerkbait works best it’s above the fish and it can attract attention from a long way away. As I result I’ve been tending more toward shallower runners in general, for whatever that’s worth. I think it’s more true with smallmouth than largemouth, but it definitely works both ways. Of course no rule always holds true, but it was something that was eye opening to me.

A separate but tangentially related thing is not to think of them only as cold water baits. They work really well even in the summer, but you’ve got to MOVE them in warm water. Move them to the point of needing to take a break every 10 minutes or so...amazing how well it can work.

[JINXBASS]

I love fishing a jerkbait, and have fished a lot of both shallower diving and deeper diving varieties. I seem to go back and forth on this, but after last season I believe I’ve started to change the way I think about them. This mostly echoes what John Jackson is saying above.

Always before, I wanted the jerkbait running pretty damn close to the depth I was fishing. If the fish were in 15 feet, I wanted a bait that would get down there. Seemed to make the most sense, and I caught some fish that way. But last year, I began to notice that my catch rate went down when I was using the deeper runners (which also usually coincides with post-spawn into the summer). I was chalking it up to a time of year thing and not thinking much of it otherwise.

Then, to quote the great Bob Ross, I had a bit of a “happy accident.” I was fishing 5-8 foot sand/rock flat that rolls off very, very quickly into 40 feet. So the boat is sitting in 40+ feet and I was casting up onto the flat where I’ve often found smallmouth roaming. Turns out they weren’t on the flat, but I started catching fish on a normal Jackall Rerange (4-5 feet, maybe?) that were coming up and blasting it from 20 or more feet down off the edge of that flat. Both smallmouth and largemouth. After that I tried using the shallower runners over deeper water a little more. I was really surprised as how many fish I was catching that were coming up a long way to get those jerkbaits.

Those experiences really sort of convinced me that a jerkbait works best it’s above the fish and it can attract attention from a long way away. As I result I’ve been tending more toward shallower runners in general, for whatever that’s worth. I think it’s more true with smallmouth than largemouth, but it definitely works both ways. Of course no rule always holds true, but it was something that was eye opening to me.

A separate but tangentially related thing is not to think of them only as cold water baits. They work really well even in the summer, but you’ve got to MOVE them in warm water. Move them to the point of needing to take a break every 10 minutes or so...amazing how well it can work.

Thanks and very interesting. I will take note of that and give it a try. Do you feel that in the very cold of winter they would come up 10...15...20 few to get 1?

[John Jackson]

Absolutely. But you need at least a 10 second pause in very cold water. And instead of hard jerks or twitches, try little pulls. Works better for me. And I don't think anyh fish in very cold water moves very fast, so a jerk might be a deterrent.

[fisheye216]

I love fishing a jerkbait, and have fished a lot of both shallower diving and deeper diving varieties. I seem to go back and forth on this, but after last season I believe I’ve started to change the way I think about them. This mostly echoes what John Jackson is saying above.

Always before, I wanted the jerkbait running pretty damn close to the depth I was fishing. If the fish were in 15 feet, I wanted a bait that would get down there. Seemed to make the most sense, and I caught some fish that way. But last year, I began to notice that my catch rate went down when I was using the deeper runners (which also usually coincides with post-spawn into the summer). I was chalking it up to a time of year thing and not thinking much of it otherwise.

Then, to quote the great Bob Ross, I had a bit of a “happy accident.” I was fishing 5-8 foot sand/rock flat that rolls off very, very quickly into 40 feet. So the boat is sitting in 40+ feet and I was casting up onto the flat where I’ve often found smallmouth roaming. Turns out they weren’t on the flat, but I started catching fish on a normal Jackall Rerange (4-5 feet, maybe?) that were coming up and blasting it from 20 or more feet down off the edge of that flat. Both smallmouth and largemouth. After that I tried using the shallower runners over deeper water a little more. I was really surprised as how many fish I was catching that were coming up a long way to get those jerkbaits.

Those experiences really sort of convinced me that a jerkbait works best it’s above the fish and it can attract attention from a long way away. As I result I’ve been tending more toward shallower runners in general, for whatever that’s worth. I think it’s more true with smallmouth than largemouth, but it definitely works both ways. Of course no rule always holds true, but it was something that was eye opening to me.

A separate but tangentially related thing is not to think of them only as cold water baits. They work really well even in the summer, but you’ve got to MOVE them in warm water. Move them to the point of needing to take a break every 10 minutes or so...amazing how well it can work.

Would like to know your opinion on the buoyancy of the jerkbait ( neutral vs slow sink/rise) depending on water temps and time of year.

[DMart1]

No wind, Bluebird skies.. You guys pick up a 110+2 or a Jr ? Curious.. Those are typically tough days to fish a JB.

[John Jackson]

Would like to know your opinion on the buoyancy of the jerkbait ( neutral vs slow sink/rise) depending on water temps and time of year.

I put all mine in a minnow bucket of water, and adjust weight until they just sit there. If they move at all, I want them to float up maybe 1/8th inch / second. I use a snap, and balance them with a snap so I know what they will do in the water.

[DrewFlu33]

All personal preference on the buoyancy thing, but I personally want mine to either suspend or sink. I usually add suspend strips to get them to do so if I have one that won’t. Any kind of rising action is unnatural in my mind. Is that really true? Well, lots of people catch fish on slow risers, so clearly not. Confidence is a funny thing though.

Absolutely. But you need at least a 10 second pause in very cold water. And instead of hard jerks or twitches, try little pulls. Works better for me. And I don't think anyh fish in very cold water moves very fast, so a jerk might be a deterrent.

Agree completely, save for the at least 10 seconds piece. I’ve definitely seen times where that was true, but I’ve found most times 3-4 seconds is enough. Mileage may vary though, and I will say that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a time in cold water where slowing down more hurt.

[Bigguyone]

How much deeper 110+3 run vs the +2 as both appear to say 12'.

Thank you

[VictorM.]

How much deeper 110+3 run vs the +2 as both appear to say 12'.

Thank you

They list it at 4 meters but I'm certain it will be more as the +2 will reach that depth..

[VictorM.]

Try this link to the +3's

http://samuraitackle.com/fishing/ind..._65_75_101_228

[41bass]

Aren't those 110R series baits designed more for reeling them in than actual jerkbait?