What is jerk bait

Crankbaits generally have a shorter fatter body shape and a variety of different styles of diving bill, whereas a jerkbait will have a longer more slender body. Crankbaits are usually used most in summer months and jerkbaits in winter months but this is not a hard and fast rule. Depending on the season and water conditions how you fish a jerkbait will vary as too will a crankbait. However, jerkbaits are generally fished with a lot more action added by 'jerking' or twitching the rod tip and then pausing. Crankbaits can also be fished in this style but they are more often than not cast along or near some kind of structure and retrieved in a more regular fashion. Crankbaits are also a popular choice for trolling with as there running depth can be easily controlled by either the speed the boat is running at or the use of a downrigger.

These versatile lures catch fish from spring to ice-up and in a range of bass habitats. A jerkbait is a minnow-shaped lure that provides a horizontal presentation. A straight retrieve makes a jerkbait swim with a shimmying action. This catches fish, but where a jerk-bait shines is on a snap-pause retrieve, which gives it an erratic, darting action that drives bass wild. The key here is to have some slack in the line when the rod is snapped downward.

Can you think of a better bait to catch bass in the Fall? Just the idea of Fall jerkbait fishing gets us excited to head to the lake! Jerkbaits are part of a very small group of lures that "trigger" a feed response in bass.

Plodding twitch-twitch-pause routines are pretty standard for early spring fish, but those in the know keep a jerkbait handy year-round for various scenarios. Such scenarios simply render the jerkbait impractical. Maternity Ward: Bed fishing — ehh, there are too many baits of greater potential to force the jerkbait here.