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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. Throw the lure past the nesting bass, slowly reel it back to the bed and let it sit in front of that … For example, some suspending jerkbaits are designed to sink only to about 4 feet (1.2 m), while others sink as deep as 10 feet (3.0 m). With a floating jerkbait once you pause the lure will start to rise slowly towards the surface. Jerkbait fishing often works best when you have a variety of jerkbaits to experiment with. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Only use them in static water like lakes or reservoirs. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. You will want to fish a good baitcasting reel also. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. When the water is warm, I’ll rip a jerkbait quickly and erratically, pausing for just a nano-second or two at best. Yes they catch aggressive bass, but if you know how to work them properly you can actually get lethargic bass to react and eat when they're not even in a feeding mood! Small diameter fluorocarbon line is a must for jerkbait fishing for a number of reasons. During this post spawn, floating jerk baits are my number one tool. This article has been viewed 15,421 times. This is a good thing! wikiHow's. If you’re trawling around a clear lake and happen to see a school of bass, start fishing with your jerkbait. Learning to fish a jerkbait is an essential step in becoming a better bass fisherman, especially on clear-water fisheries during the prespawn season. Reeling in a large bass can be a long, intense battle, so be sure to pace yourself. Generally, the colder the water, the longer the pauses. Floating jerkbaits are also great for catching bass in the top 3 feet (0.91 m) of water. If you find yourself getting impatient and wanting to reel in the bait before 30 seconds have passed, use the second hand on your watch to time the rest. In Warmer Water; If you are wanting to get bit in seasons such as Summer and Spring, the best practice is to make a nice, long cast, and rip your … So the rule of thumb is that you should always move the jerkbait with your rod tip, never with your reel. After you’ve fished over a patch of water 4-5 times, change your location and try the spot from a different angle. A little (or a lot) of chop on the surface makes it more difficult for upward looking bass to distinguish the bait from the real thing. Finally, it is more sensitive, which comes in handy for light biting winter bass. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 15,421 times. Feel the rhythm. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. What I mean by that is I will first fish … Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Modern-day bass fishing jerkbaits were meant to mimic minnows struggling in cold water like when shad get stunned when the water temps near 40 degrees. Maternity Ward: Bed fishing — ehh, there are too many baits of greater potential to force the jerkbait here. River jerkbait fishing … We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If you see a subtle twitch, or your line begins to move, set the hook! If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. The bright colors will catch the fish’s eye. So, avoid casting the jerkbait near shores or ledges, where you’re likely to find underwater grass, shrubs, and stumps. Before your fishing expedition, visit your local fishing store or sporting goods store and pick out 5-7 different jerkbaits. Plus, it is better than the highly-buoyant monofilament alternative. Jerkbait fishing, especially when the water temperature drops, can be hot! However, the right model can work wonders on hungry prespawners. Oftentimes a strike will occur when the bait is sitting completely still. Try fishing deep jerkbaits. Most jerkbaits are made to work in 3 to 6 feet of water while using fairly light line (typically 8 to 12 pound test), but sometimes the fish are holding on deeper structure or cover. Also try twitching multiple times, (twitch, twitch…pause…twitch). I also fish it in a 6'3" medium action in a casting rod or a spinning rod. Try a few different depths of suspending baits to find which works best at your local lake. Jerkbait fishing is all about the cadence. The bait has been designed to move like a struggling minnow, which will make the predatory bass react and strike at the bait. Stay out of the shallows unless you want to risk losing your bait among dense underwater vegetation. However, jerkbaits versatile enough that they’ll do a decent job in most seasons. When fish first … A suspending jerkbait also comes in handy when spawning bass are protecting their nests. As the name indicates, when an angler reels a jerkbait back in, they can make it twitch and dive in the water by jerking on the line. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. In fact, prior to the umbrella-rig craze, jerkbaits … A jerkbait excels when it is sitting still absolutely still. If you are using a … We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! On most casts, an average jerkbait can dive to a depth of 14 feet (4.3 m) under the surface of a lake. Seek out windy banks when you are tossing a suspending jerkbait. Due to the design of the jerkbait’s bill, it will dip down in the water when yanked. This should attract bass that are deep below the water’s surface. Cold Water. Research source. For example, in cold weather, fish may be more responsive if you let the bait sit in the water for 30 seconds. Fish a floating jerkbait if you’re a beginner. Floating jerkbaits are also great for catching bass in the top 3 feet (0.91 m) of water. “You can catch them on finesse tactics when the water gets cold, but I’ve found I can catch a lot of big fish on jerkbaits and cover water quicker,” he said. Last Updated: January 6, 2021 X The suspending models will remain at roughly the same depth they were at just after you pause. Fish can be finicky, and what color or jerkbait they strike may vary from day to day. References. Spinning rods are also nice for jerkbaits … Start eating vegetarian in 5 days, even if you love steak. While there are a few things that will determine whether or not … One of the most common mistakes anglers make when fishing a jerkbait is not twitching on a slack line. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. The fish also have a tendency to suspend around any available cover like docks, trees, or weeds. First, since jerkbait fishing is largely a clear-water technique, and since fluorocarbon is difficult for fish to detect, it is the perfect choice. Hard jerkbaits are better to use if fishing in an open, deep area where the chances of snagging are fewer. Once you’ve hooked the bass, 2 or all 3 of the treble hooks should be embedded deep in the fish’s mouth. Jerkbait would not be an effective bait in a moving stream or river. These baits also have a bill protruding from the front of the bait which makes the fish dive when an angler reels it fast or jerks hard on the line. When any, or all of these conditions exist, give the jerkbait a rip for bass fishing. By using our site, you agree to our. The majority of jerkbaits are filled with small ball bearings which put out vibrations in the water in order to entice bass to strike. Play around with the timing of your pauses and see what’s most effective for luring in bass. The quick dives and long rests of the jerkbait will make the bass think that the minnow (your jerkbait) is stunned by the cold water and can’t move properly. So, it’s very unlikely that a floating jerkbait will get snarled up in weeds, shrubs, or obstacles under the water. The natural suspending action of a jerkbait imitates bait fish … % of people told us that this article helped them. Winter is upon us, and if you aren't iced out of your favorite fishing spot, this cold water is a great time to fish a jerkbait for bass. For actual minnows, this occurs when the water in a lake gets down to about 40 °F (4 °C). Alternately, if the bass just aren’t striking at your natural color baits in clear water, switch things up and use an artificial-colored bait. The jerkbait setup depends on the water you are fishing. But when it cools down, like it is doing right now, I will lengthen the stop significantly to what good friend and In-Fisherman television host, Doug Stange calls a… “Painfully Protracted Pyzer Pause.” Doug and I were filming a bass-fishing … Here is a great fishing video to help anglers catch more bass with jerkbaits. Many are also painted with colors that will show up well underwater and lure in bass. Speaking of light biting bass, make sure to watch your line! Then you’ll be prepared to reel the jerkbait back over the area that bass may inhabit. Jerkbaits are long and narrow, usually between 3–6 inches (7.6–15.2 cm), and have 3 treble hooks dangling from their underside and tail. Fishing First Aid: What You Need To Know And What You Need To Bring, How To Find Winter Largemouth Bass In Open Water, Mystery Tackle Pro Box Unboxing (Multi-Species January 2021), Mystery Tackle Box Bass Elite Unboxing (January 2021), Mystery Tackle Box Bass Unboxing (January 2021). Sometimes, the fish want pauses as long as 15-30 seconds! With a jerkbait, you’re better off sticking to water that’s at least 10 feet (3.0 m) deep. As you would expect, the best way to fish a jerkbait is using short, jerky motions that will make the bait look more like tasty prey for the bass. Also, while it is true that fluorocarbon sinks, you can minimize this effect by using the lightest fluorocarbon possible. [1] Some jerkbaits float, some sink, and some even suspend once depth is reached. Most jerkbaits are made to work in 3 to 6 feet of water while using fairly light line (typically 8 to 12 pound test), but sometimes the fish are holding on deeper structure or cover. the jerkbait through several vertical feet of water. For example, if you’re fishing in summer and bass are hiding out deep in the lake, a fast-sinking jerkbait will take your bait to the fish more quickly than a slow-sinking bait. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. If you’re fishing a jerkbait in warm summer water, shorten the length of your pauses to give warm, active bass more of a chase. Jerkbaits are part of a very small group of lures that "trigger" a feed response in bass. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. These tips will help you catch more fish that is for sure! If you follow this rule, your bait will suspend just like a dying baitfish. I will often fish it as a dual bait on every cast. How to fish a jerkbait is a common question among beginners.. A lot of beginners understand the concept but not always the finer details of the execution, there are a few factors that can seriously affect your success when fishing … https://scout.com/outdoors/bass-fishing/Article/A-Quick-Guide-to-Bass-Fishing-Jerkbaits-106472993/, https://scout.com/outdoors/bass-fishing/Article/Why-You-Need-to-Fish-Jerkbaits-in-the-Summer-for-Bass-101451618/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqbkDwDUuM4&feature=youtu.be&t=34s, http://www.bassdozer.com/articles/crawford/jerkbait.shtml, https://scout.com/outdoors/bass-fishing/Article/Unconventional-Coldwater-Jerkbait-Tips-105347345/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqbkDwDUuM4&feature=youtu.be&t=1m19s, https://scout.com/outdoors/bass-fishing/Article/A-Year-Round-Guide-to-Floating-Jerkbaits-101451927/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Also, most hard jerkbaits have a larger front bill for deep diving. Some of these lures run shallow (1-3 feet), while others have internal weights that may shift or have a larger, steeper lip for diving to 10 feet or more. And since you should have a slight amount of slack in your line, you will not always see the strike. You … Also fish with artificial-colored jerkbaits in summer.
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