Whether you are chasing speckled trout and redfish on the flats or stalking bass in a local reservoir, a jerkbait’s long, thin shape and erratic action are too much for any fish to resist. Jerkbaits come in soft plastic, hard plastic, lipless, lipped, floating, suspending and sinking models and in a limitless variety of sizes, shapes and colors—but choosing the right model doesn’t have to be daunting. Here are some jerkbait tips that will get you on track to catching more fish in no time.
6 Pro Tips to Drive Fish Mad with Suspended Twitchbaits
1 Do the Jerk
A jerkbait does two things that drive fish crazy: twitch and pause. To match the action of a dying bait fish, cast out the jerkbait and let it sit. After a few seconds, hold the rod low and quickly jerk the tip to make the bait dart. Then let the bait pause again. Alternate between a twitch-pause and twitch-twitch-pause pattern and experiment with the cadence of twitches and pauses until something works.
2 Match the Hatch
You can never go wrong with matching the hatch, which means picking a bait that resembles the size and color of the local bait species. Fish feeding on mullet are looking for a long, fat target. Shiners would be long and thin. Shad are shorter and broader. Take into consideration water color and clarity. If the water is very clear, use natural colors such as white and silver. If the water is murky, use bright colors such as fire tiger, chartreuse and gold.
3 Got Style?
Choose the style jerkbait that will work the strike zone. When fishing a grass flat or a shoreline choked with cover, the perfect tool is a weedless soft plastic jerkbait. When fishing water that is three to five feet deep, a floating/suspending jerkbait will do the trick. If fishing deeper water, go with a sinking/suspending model. Use a lipless jerkbait when there is grass or other debris in the water. A lipped jerkbait will dive to fish deep water.
4 Pro Tip for Bass
Robbie Milam, a fixture on the Texas bass tournament trail, says it’s all about the pause. “Take your time, especially in cold water. I pause the bait for up to 30 seconds. A suspended jerkbait triggers an instinctual response that even the most frigid bass can’t resist.”
5 Pro Tip for Redfish
Florida-based kayak fishing guide, Jason Stock, likes bouncing lightly-weighted soft plastic jerkbaits along the bottom of potholes during a negative tide. “They don’t spook fish in skinny water because they land softly. Coupled with a light fluorocarbon leader, they can fool even the most pressured fish.”
6 Pro Tip for Sea Trout
At high tide, Cameron Schurlnight, a veteran of the IFA Redfish tour, power fishes the flats with a small-lipped floating jerkbait. “The trick is ripping the jerkbait through the water and pausing it right above the grass. As the bait pauses, it floats towards the surface. There is something about the ascent that makes trout rise out of the grass and pounce on the bait.”
Don’t be a jerk: Use these jerkbait tips to fool trout, redfish and bass. | Feature photo: Jose Chavez
