Spring Jerkbait Fishing

When bass are schooling up while moving into the spawning grounds the jerkbait can be the best option for catching a big limit of fish. The jerkbait is meant for getting fish fired up and it is great for triggering multiple fish in a school. Jerkbait fishing can be classified into two categories. These categories are big jerkbaits and small jerkbaits.

Big Jerkbaits

The first thing I do when approaching a school of fish is use a big jerkbait. When doing this I am trying to pick out the big fish instead of sifting through all the smaller fish. My favorite bait is the Rapala Shadow Rap. The Rapala Shadow Rap comprises of a fixed weighting system allowing it to sink with a slow-falling quiver which imitates a dying baitfish. If the bass are too deep for the standard version choose the Shadow Rap Deep. If the bass you are chasing are over five pounds then opt for the Jackall Rerange 130. Rarely will you need this jerkbait but it is useful to draw out big bites.

Small Jerkbaits

When the bass aren’t responding to big jerkbaits I tie on a smaller jerkbait. Do not mess with the medium size baits because what we are doing is trying to active a feeding response from the school of bass. I may catch a small fish but that will activate the big fish to feed, and I will end up catching a huge fish. My favorite bait and the only bait you will need is the Rapala RipStop. If the bass are deep in the water column then use the Damiki Abyss 90. It has a tighter action which helpful for catching bass in very early spring.

Retrieve

Rip Rip– Give the bait a few rips and pause, for example, rip the bait once and pause. After ripping it once go ahead and give it two or three rips and repeat the process throughout the retrieve. Make sure when you reel in the slack that you do not reel in all of the slack because it causes the bait to swim. If the bait swims the fish will not react for the bait is a reaction strike lure.

When and Where

Jerkbaits are great for clear water when the water temperature is between the fifty to sixty-five degree mark. While the water is at this temperature baitfish are dying off which is what the jerkbait is imitating – a dying baitfish. Fish it around secondary points and migration routes to spawning flats. A jerkbait is good for post-spawn, but works very well in pre-spawn due to the schooling bass and dying baitfish. Do not throw the jerkbait in more than twelve feet of water unless bass are suspended high in the water column.

Color

Due to this bait being a reaction strike lure color is not majorly important. The bait shouldn’t be solid chartreuse, but it shouldn’t be extremely realistic. The most important factor in color is flash. It should get the attention of bass especially when they are attacking large schools of bait so they can single out your lure from other baitfish.

Gear

Rod– 6’10”- 7′ foot medium action rod

Reel– 7:1:1 gear ratio reel

Line– 12-15 pound test fluorocarbon line

Lures

Big Jerkbaits

1. Jackall Rerange Jerkbait 130 (Secret Shad 2, Ghost Wakasagi, SG Threadfin)
2. Rapala Shadow Rap Jerkbait (Albino Shiner, Bud, Silver)
3. Rapala Shadow Rap Deep Jerkbait (Albino Shiner, Bud, Silver)

Small Jerkbaits

1. Rapala RipStop Jerkbait 9 (Albino Shiner, Silver, Houdini)
2. Damiki Abyss 90 Jerkbait (Black Shiner, Moss Back)

Great Rod Suggestion

Abu Garcia IKE Delay Series Casting Rod