Jerkbait fishing is one of my go-to techniques for targeting both largemouth and smallmouth bass in the cold waters of January. It will also catch walleye and pike on occasion if you like to snag some of those toothy critters as well. Up here in Wisconsin, I have one tied on all year for the most part, but it really seems to shine in the cold water. Maybe it’s because few things seem to work during the cold water months, but regardless, a jerkbait has been a cold water staple in bass fishing for a long time.
A hard-bodied lure designed to mimic the erratic movement of an injured baitfish, jerkbaits are typically slender, minnow-shaped lures equipped with one or more treble hooks. They come in various types, including floating, suspending, and sinking models, each suited for different fishing scenarios. The key feature of a jerkbait is its ability to dart erratically when jerked, imitating the movements of a distressed baitfish.
However, the hard jerkbait can be one of the most complicated lures to fish so we’re going to break it all down in a step-by-step guide full of tips and tricks to maximizing that elusive cold water bite.
When to Use a Jerkbait
Jerkbaits may have a reputation for being good cold water lures, but the truth is, they can be pretty effective year-round. Like I said, I generally have one tied on at all times (except now, when there’s 8 inches of ice on my home lake here in Wisconsin) but they particularly excel under certain conditions:
Cooler Water Temperatures: In early spring and late fall, as well as the dead of winter in places where you don’t have ice up, jerkbaits are an ideal choice.
Clear Water: The visual appeal of a jerkbait makes it more effective in clear water where fish rely heavily on sight to locate prey. Smallmouth in particular, I’ve seen them come up 20 feet to smash a jerkbait in clear water.
Active Fish: When fish are actively feeding or chasing baitfish, the erratic action of a jerkbait can provoke aggressive strikes.
Types Of Jerkbaits
Like any bait, choosing the appropriate jerkbait involves a number of different factors such as depth, size, and color:
Depth: These days, a lot of anglers will opt to utilize forward facing sonar while jerkbait fishing, and of course, that makes it much easier to locate the fish, see where they’re setting up, and figure out their behavior. Shallow-diving jerkbaits are suitable for targeting fish near the surface, while deeper-diving models, as the name aptly describes, reaches fish suspended in deeper water. But most of your standard jerkbaits will dive somewhere between 4 and 8 feet. But remember, they’ll come up to feed, so if they’re suspending at 12 feet, you don’t need a jerkbait that dives to 10-14 to catch them.
Size: Match the size of your jerkbait to the local forage. If bass are feeding on small shad, a smaller jerkbait can be more effective.
Color: There’s a zillion different jerkbait colors and patterns out there, and to keep it relatively simple, I prefer to focus on finish more than color, per se. In clear water, I like to opt for more natural and translucent patterns… simply put, a bait you can see through. In stained water or darker conditions, more of an opaque finish (one you can’t see through). If you have some shining sun, I sometimes like a metallic finish… a gold or silver.
And then you can try out different colors under those general categories. For example, I live on a pretty clear lake in Wisconsin, generally have at least 5 foot of visibility, often as much as 10 or 12 feet, so I usually like to start with a translucent perch pattern. On a cloudy day, probably start with a matte white, but you gotta play around with it a little bit.
Jerkbaits can be pretty expensive, so here’s a few across a couple different price points. Megabass is the gold standard, but that Rapala Mavrik is on sale right now and a steal for around $10 bucks a bait. It also comes with VMC RedLine treble hooks so you don’t need to upgrade.
Here’s a few favorites:
Megabass Ito Vision 110 – $24.99
Colors: Elegy Bone, GG Megabass Kinkuro, HT-ITO Wakasagi
Rapala PXR Deep Mavrik 110 Jerkbait – $10.30
Colors: Matte Shad,
Colors: Ghost Ayu, OZ Shad, Pro Blue
Berkley Stunna 112 and Stunna 100 – $16.99
Colors: Northern Lights, Perch, Hankie Pankie, Stunna Shad
Jerkbait Gear
Using the right equipment enhances the effectiveness of jerkbait fishing:
Rod
A medium to medium-light power rod with a fast action tip allows for precise control and the ability to impart the desired action to the lure. The action is really key to get the most out of this technique, not so much the sensitivity, so you really don’t need to spend a fortune for a good jerkbait rod since you’re probably going to get the bite on the pause. You’ll reel into the fish on your next jerk and feel it there OR… you’ll see that slack line start to move. Then reel up and lean into it.
Most people opt for a shorter baitcaster between 6’6′ and 7′, however some prefer a spinning reel.
Personally, I use a St. Croix Victory 6’8″ M XF, but here’s a few other options at various price points:
St. Croix Bass X Casting Rod 6′ 8″ M XF – $135.00
Daiwa Tatula Cork 6’8″ M F – $179.99
Shimano Expride B Casting Rod ‘6 10″ M MF – $329.99
Reel
A baitcasting or spinning reel with a fairly “medium” gear ratio enables quick line retrieval, essential for maintaining proper slack during the retrieve. Generally, something around a 7.1:1 works fine and a lot anglers opt for a shallower spool to help you throw them in windy conditions.
Here’s a few options:
Shimano SLX A Casting Reel – $114.99
Daiwa Tatula 100 Casting Reel – $199.99
Daiwa Tatula Elite Casting Reel – $299.99
Line
Fluorocarbon line in the 10-12 lb test range is preferred due to its low visibility and slight stretch, which helps in detecting subtle strikes, but you can go up a little higher if you’d like, especially if you use a brand with a smaller diameter than the average. I generally use Sufix Advance but whatever your preferred fluorocarbon is should do just fine. Seaguar, Sunline, SPRO… I’ve used a few different ones and wouldn’t be afraid to spool them up.
Jerkbait Retrieve
Mastering the retrieve is crucial for jerkbait success. Anyone can tie one on and jerk it around, but if you want to get the most out of the bait, and the proper action, it takes some know-how and a lot of practice.
You’re going to want to cast it out beyond your target, and then give it a few turns on the reel so it can get down to the intended depth you’re looking for. Use a rhythmic pattern of rod twitches followed by a pause. The standard cadence is often called the “jerk, jerk, pause” pattern, but play around with different combos of jerks and pauses. In cold water, you are generally going to want to pause it for a longer time, 5-10 seconds… sometimes 15-20… we’re talking painfully long. In the summer, I generally keep the pauses really quick.. couple seconds at most.
Ensure there is slight slack in the line during the jerks to allow the bait to move erratically. Too much tension can dampen the lure’s action. The strikes will often occur during the pause, so the hookset is pretty simple… just lean into it when you feel that rod load up.
But the big secret to catching more fish on a jerkbait… changing up the cadence. You’re always making adjustments. If you always use the exact same cadence, you’ll absolutely limit your odds of success. Maybe they want it faster today? Maybe they want it really slow? Maybe 1 jerk gets it done, maybe 5 straight jerks gets them fired up.
If you have forward facing sonar, Humminbird’s Mega Live 2 for example, you can see their reaction on the screen and it’ll cut out some of the guesswork, but you don’t need it. Just try different speeds, different patterns, and see what works. Sometimes, just straight up yanking and burning, almost like a crankbait, creates an erratic motion that will drive them to bite. Don’t be afraid to deviate from the standard “jerk, jerk, pause” pattern. In fact, you probably HAVE to deviate from the standard pattern rather often. Especially if you’re in clear water, a little more speed doesn’t hurt.
Getcha some.
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