Fish Swiping at Jerkbaits...is there a fix?

[Casslaw]

With Spring heating up here in Florida I’m working a jerkbait a lot. I’ve noticed this week a LOT of fish swiping at my bait but not getting the hooks. Is this just something that happens or can I do something to provoke a better attack?

I have both seen the fish swipe at the lure and felt it. I have tried my damndest to vary up retrieve styles but it just keeps happening! It’s happening with my squarebills too and I don’t work them anything like a jerkbait.

A lot of them are smaller fish, but I don’t care, I like catching them all! Provoking the bite is the fun part but it’s getting to me that they’re missing my hooks!

Its happenning on lures with stock hooks and with good replacements so I don’t believe it’s a hook issue.

Any pointers? I’m all ears! Thanks, Chris.

[Transom]

I would try different colors if you have not done so already.

[AgAuthority]

Feathered rear treble?

Ag

[Bassguy7]

Make sure they are round bend not EWG. Also a red back treble could help.

[basscat tyler]

If they’re swiping at it and you would add a red treble I’d do it to the front hook. Ive also heard guys taking a sharpie and putting a black dot above the front hook on the bait.

[jamey1e]

I would try different colors if you have not done so already.

This would be my first choice. Sounds like they want it but something just seems a little off to them so their not committing. I've also had them do that before only to return a couple hours later and wreck'em. You may just have hit them at a non feeding time.

[slipknobber bot]

Another vote for different color. And don't be afraid to go crazy. The other thing that can help is switching to a slow sink jerkbait. I've found that when they're chasing the bait and swiping, a long pause with a slow sink gets hammered a lot.

[Phrog Phil]

Color or maybe cadence

[fishinarc]

.

[Phrog Phil]

For Smallmouth I always use a fast cadence like Chips second tip. I think they are attracted to the sound,flash or movements and when it’s going away from them they got to bite it before it leaves or another fish takes it.

[Casslaw]

Thanks everyone, I’ll try speeding up my cadence tomorrow morning. I don’t have 50 Vision 110s to try many colors but I have enough KVDs that I have enough colors to expirement pretty much across the board.

A second split ring? Will try! Thanks for the tip! I know the feeling of coming back to an area and slayin them after being there an hour before...that’s why the swipes drive me nuts! I enjoy making fish that aren’t actively feeding hit a lure, that’s the fun! Oh so close...will try these things. Thanks again. Chris

[M1RT]

If not already, switch to the sharpest round bend hooks you can find. Also a slight color change will likely help too.

[DrewFlu33]

Nothing really to add - I think changing colors will be the cure. Interested to see if it pans out!

[Casslaw]

Well today I switched from a KVD 200 series pro blue to a MB 110, Ito Natural, very close in color to the swimbait I was getting fish on. I fished one little wind driven point and got 4 on 5 casts so they were hammering it! Those MB hooks are no joke! I ended up with 5 on the jerkbait, biggest was 4lbs, and don’t think I missed any strikes.

Im using 12lb Big Game right now as I switched from braid. I think this line has a little too much stretch so I’m going to try a copoly like CXX.

Any line suggestions im all ears! Thanks guys, after a couple fish I was throwing that puppy with confidence!

[born 2 fish]

Yo Zuri Hybrid is a good copoly also izoroline platnum. I've been using a spinning rod with braid to 12 lb big game leader and its been working awesome on these Florida pond bass. I'm using a gold jerkbait with black back.

[Transom]

I use CXX myself because I have a lot of it but I do not think that the stretch of mono really matters for jerkbaiting. In fact I just bought some old school stren to replace CXX on everything except bottom contact setups when it comes time.

[slipknobber bot]

8 or 10lb CXX is great jerkbait line

[DrewFlu33]

I've been throwing them on braid to a fluoro leader for several years now on a mod-fast rod. Probably about the same as throwing them with mono on a fast rod, but I like the braid.

[M1RT]

For years I fished jerkbaits the "Lindner Style" - a spinning rod with a braid mainline and fluoro leader. Casting distance was phenomenal, you had great input in your bait, and wind was never an issue with baits that didn't have a weight transfer system (Rogue, Husky Jerk, Long A, Cutter, etc.) I still use this setup as part of my jerkbait rotation during peak jerkbait times.

However, my two fulltime jerkbait setups are casting rods (6-4 and 6-8) with straight 10lb Fluoro in open water. I do use 10lb or 12lb Berkley Sensation frequently, especially around grass. In my opinion, Sensation is king for jerkbaits and crankbaits. Low stretch, strong line, and thinner than CXX or XT.

[Casslaw]

I switched from 40lb Sufix 832 for mono because of the wind. Unless I was casting downwind the bow in the line kept me from feeling the jerkbait on the pause so I went to my old tried and true 12lb big game. A lot of people are saying CXX is a great jerkbait line. I’ll check the thickness cause I’d like to stay right around .013 but would like 12lb. Florida bass can get rather large and I’ve seen many big girls being pulled in lately...my time has to come up soon!