Jerkbaits

[McCarter]

Since the topic of jerkbait rods was such a hit, lets talk about jerkbaits in general.  What are your favorite jerkbaits and why? What colors do you like?  When do you use them the most?  What jerkbaits have caught your eye but you havent bought or tried yet.

My favorite jerkbaits are LC Pointer 100s and Smithwick Rogues Suspending rogues.

I really like the Pointers in the fall and early winter and like the Rogues in the spring.  The rogues slowly float back up on the pause on 8 lb mono.  This action really triggers the bites after ice out and all the way through the prespawn.  Chrome/black back/orange belly is my favorite all time rogue color.  This one has produced best for me.  I also like the log perch pattern for certain lakes.

For Pointers, my fav color is Ghost Minnow.  This color gets it done for me.  I have a handful of others that i throw, but Ghost Minnow is my top producer.

Next spring, i want to check out the XCaliber jerkbaits.  The look similar to the Rogues but have a little more detail and a better color selection.  If they have that slight rise on the pause i would suspect that they will work out great.

I need to play with the Rapala X rap some more as well.  I did well on them in the fall of 05 and never threw them once since.  They have a great action and the feather tail accounts for a few bonus strikes, im sure. 

McCarter himself

[MaizeNBlue]

I like throwing pointers as well, done pretty good on them in the fall. Not really a go to bait for me, but I would like to try it more often. I also like ghost minnow when I do throw one.

[Skip Johnson]

Bomber long A"s silver or gold but gold is my first choice.

[Ryan]

My new favorite jerkbait is the X-Rap from Rapala.  I had good prespawn success on them and then they produced well again for me this fall.  My favorite color is the Silver with Black Back, but the Clown color seemed to be a favorite with the smallmouths.  I'm asking for a few new colors for Christmas, so hopefully I will be able to further expand my arsenal.  I really like the feather on the rear treble, I'm not sure if it improves catch rates, but it definetly caught my eye in Bass Pro!  One nice thing about the X-Rap is they cast really well, I can throw them much further then a Wild Shiner or Rogue.  At somepoint, I would like to try out Lucky Crafts, but it is hard to afford those on a student budget.

-Ryan

[Skip Johnson]

Ryan
Dont feel bad its hard to afford those on anybodys budget, I dont own any allthough I think I will breakdown and buy 1 or 2 this spring!

I bought a few x raps earlier this year but I never took them out of the box, I gotta get out of old school lond A"s and try some new baits its just hard to change what I know works so well.

[Skulley]

I probably don't fish Jerkbaits as much as I should.  I have been a little partial to the Mann's Loudmouth Jerkbait.  The loud rattles really turn the fish on.  Clown color seems to put more fish in the boat than the other loudmouth jerkbait colors.  I also like the x raps.  White and Clown are my favorites.  The real feather is always better than mylar.  I will agree with McCarter on the feather.  Anytime I buy a lure with mylar on the rear hook, I always change the hook to one with a feather.  I also like the old Excalibur Autograph KVD Long A in Clown.  That always seems to put fish in the boat no matter what the conditions are.  I am also partial to ones that suspend because when paused, they stay in the strike zone longer.

BD         

[csfishslayer]

I Well my vote would have to be on the lC I used it a lot this past year and caught lots of Fish On it I did Find It worked best for me in the spring. as For color I really like the table rock shad I used that and Tennessee shad But the Ghost minnow is also a good color. I wish they were a little cheaper I would buy a bunch more .

[McCarter]

I wish they were a little cheaper I would buy a bunch more .

Try searching ebay.  Sometimes you find some deals like 2 LC Pointer 100s for $20.  I have bought several this way.  I have also heard that you can buy them without hooks and they are way cheaper.  I dont remember who told me this ( but it seems like it was stackenem ) or where to by them like this, but if you do a little investigating you should be able to find something.

Welcome to the board!

McCarter himself

[huston]

My votes go to LC pointers also, I started with Smithwicks which are a dime a dozen but LC's really give good action. The Mat Green works well for me on St. Clair and also the gold with the black back.  I've got X raps but haven't used them a lot. Those LC baits make you not want to throw them if yout think there may be toothy critters lurking. Ive got some saltwater jerkbaits that are not regular colors I'm going to try by Storm.

[joshimoto son]

I don't use jerkbaits very much... I have tried them in the pre-spawn and have caught more pike on them than bass.

I actually favor the soft plastic jerk baits over the hard baits.

The albino super fluke with a 3/O EWG on 8 pound mono has caught me a lot of bass.
Rigging it texas style with the point of the hook skin hooked in the back allows me to get right on top of lay downs and and other cover the pre-spawners are holding on without getting hung up.

Not to mention the dying action of the soft plastic jerk bait is just killer.

joshimoto son

[Jmcfarland]

 Im a hardcore jerkbait junkie. It was one of the first lures I started fishing with and I always seem to be able to catch fish or more importantly LOCATE fish with them. I don't think theres a better search bait for smallies. I like them all. Couldn't pick a favorite if I tried. I have a thunderstick in trout pattern that just seems to be the berries up here in prespawn, and you wouldn't think so cuz it floats up when paused. Its the only one I can find in this color, it has no green on it like the newer ones do. I am just waiting for a big pike to come up and snatch it, that will be a sad day. Husky Jerks are also a favorite of mine. Black back gold belly is hard to beat early spring right after ice out. The X-rap is the only one i  haven't had that much luck on. Maybe I just need to learn how to work it better but I had one tied on pretty much all spring last year and only caught a few fish. Haven't ever tried Lucky Crafts. Just to expensive for me and knowing my luck a pike would come up cut off my only one  on my 3rd or 4th cast. Also haven't tried the wild shiners but I will pick a few up this winter. I fish jerkbaits all season. Just work them differently. I would say jerkbaits are my biggest confidence lure. If I can't catch a fish on one its just not my day.

[spinninbug]

I was reading these posts and thinking about flukes,  I agree with Josh.  I have more luck with the flukes than with hard jerk baits.  But if I had to pick I would say the X Rap is probably my fav.  I do throw jerk baits alot but I do prefer the flukes. Smallies just slam em usually right next to the boat so I can see them and scares the poo out of me.  So much fun!!!

[Hooksetter]

I like suspending Husky Jerks in black/chrome or perch pattern for spring on Kent. These two colors just kill 'em in the spring.

The rest of the year I have better success on LC Pointer 78's or 100's in Pearl Ayu or Tennessee Shad.

On St. Clair I have better luck with a LC Staysee 90sp in the Clown or Pearl Ayu pattern. On 12# P-Line mono and a looonnng cast they will get down to 8-10 feet or so and suspend there.

I like to throw Super Flukes in Pearl White or Shad colors but I have better luck with hard jerk baits.

[fiker]

I've been experimenting w/ various types.

I've had by far the most success with the white flukes.  Zoom quit making the ones I really liked though.  I used the regular fluke, not the super fluke.  I seemed to have better action, and got bit much more.

I do like the X-raps.  Inland I've had better success with them than others.  (chrome w/ black back)
Smithwicks also worked inland. (clown was best color)

With the LC's I kept catching Pike on inland lakes.  But on Clair, they worked well for finding the schools.  (aurora black, and ghost minnow) in the 78 size.

[yukonjack2]

I am a JB junkie - my go to bait most of the time - mus tbe I like to crank and work the bait when the fish aren't as cooperative as I would like.

As far as soft jerk baits go - pearl white Strick-9 from Kim Stricker in the garlic scent.  These damm things hold their scent for days - don't leave em rigged in touy rod locker, or it'll smell like a 3 week old little ceasars bread stick.  Hot pink from Zoom super flukes is a close second for spring smallies on/near the beds.  I like rigging them either t-rig weightless on a 4/0 or 5/0 gammy, or better yet on a mustad weighted hook.  They also skip pretty well under pontoons and docks in the heat of summer with a slow fall better than senkos on occasion.

I played around with a rig setup I saw in the bass insider magazine last spring - putting a 3-way swivel on the mainline, and a mustad weighted version mentioned above on a short dropper, and the unweighted on a longer dropper.  Cast with care they do not tangle, and ther's nothing better than one scrappy smallmouth on a soft JB except for two on at once - can you say chinese firedrill?

Hard Jerks - Pointer 100's ghost minnow is my go to, with nishiki(clown) a close second.  I had a favorite BPS JB from years ago in a brown sided blue back hue that they don't make anymore, that had the bill broken off by mister toothy somewhere along the way.  I had Carolina Chip match the pattern on a few 78 and 100 pointers, and they are awesome - I highly recommend checking out his work.  I always have the 100 rigged, unless the bite is tough and then go downsized to the 78.


As far as line goes, I have the best success with 10 lb BPS fluorocarbon.


Jack