MHALL, would like to hear more about March Jerkbaits?

[FlyLie]

Mark, never fished them much. Sounds like I have been missing something? Any advise on baits and techniques for March? Smallmouth on Lake Cumberland and LM on Kentucky?

Thanks,
Gary

[mhall]

Jerkbait fishing is a book all in itself with many techniques and applications. Mostly a clear water tactic and some stained water but only slightly stained most of the time. Muddy water you are wasting your time. I fish some on a spinning outfit with 8 to 10lb line, Floro's or co=polymers for me. If I'm fishing a little larger jerkbait I will fish baitcasting equipment with a 6 or 6.6 foot rod and 10 to 12lb test. Match the Hatch on your colors and bait sizes. If they are chasing mostly 1.5 inch to 2 inch bait throw that size jerk, if not upsize to what they are eating. Color is sometimes to be determined by the fish. Shad patterns are always good. Clown colors can be deadly on cloudy days, while more subtle transparent or light colors are better for very clear days with little wind.

Points in the spring will always be a good starting point, from there you can go into some cuts, backside of windblown points ect to find where the fish are postioned. I love the wind, it camoflouges you from the fish. What I mean is in very clear water it hides you and your line visability from the fish. It also gives a top backdrop to the bait and makes it at times irresistable to the fish. Water temps can be important. After the water gets above 50 degrees and especially 55 degrees they start to really get on that jerkbait bite. However it can be deadly in the winter in VERY cold water also. There is a technique called deadsticking, where guys will weight their suspending jerks with suspend dots to hold them in place or even give a slightly slow sink to them. The sweep and pause can last 30 to 40 seconds between jerks in this technique and can catch some toads. Suspending jerks are the most commonly used but floaters have there time. Find the shad and at what depth and stay in them or above them a little with your lure. Experiment with your jerk cadence. Sweep and wait a few seconds then do it again. Sometimes working it very quickly is the key to not let them get to long a look at it. If you have fish chasing it to the boat and you see them rushing it and stopping to stare, speed it up bigtime. If that doesn't work be irratic or slow it way down. Also a color change here my be in order if they are doing that. When you figure it out you'll know. I have been lucky enough to figure it out before and it's heart stopping. I have had several days on Cumberland in the past where my best five would have weighed well over 20lb in all brown fish. When they are on the jerkbait, there may be nothing better, well other than topwater, lol. Also sometimes jerking very aggressively will get the bite while other times more of a soft jerk and pause will be better.

I can keep going as fishing jerkbaits is easy but at times very complicated to figure out exactly what they want. I will say there are some awesome jerbait fisherman on this site that could probably help you more than I could and I'm sure they will chime in. Buy some and fish them and hang on to your rod tight.....cause when one of them ole 5lb brown ones hit at a 20 foot run at it it will make your arthritus hurt at the end of the day. It can be bone jarring on some of the strikes, its' very exciting.

Lucky Craft pointers
Rapala X-Raps
Rapala Husky Jerks
Smithwick Rogues
These are just a few for you to look at on the shelves to get you started.
Good luck Gary, and stay with it, some guys give up to quick on the jerkbait bite, you'll figure it out. The lake you like to fish Cumberland, Dale and Kentucky are all awesome jerkbait lakes at certain times of the year.

[kygorski]

Gary, the xraps are great, rouges are also.Colors? well at dale some off the wall colors seem to work well in dingy water. I have never had any luck on the pointers. they work better in colder water, in warmer water, I like something that works a little quicker. that rouge I was telling you about that works well on dale is the tenn shiner

[apb]

Mark definitely knows a few things about jerkbaits. Learned me a few things over the last couple of years. Definitely right about holding on to the rod, at times they will slam it. If you are on Cumberland, hold on to the rod tighter cause those stripers will sometimes hammer the jerkbait. You think a 4-5# smallie hits them hard, try a 16# striper sometime

Andrew

[mhall]

I forgot about that good striper trying to tear your arm off on that jerkbait, lol. He has a nice pic of that pleasant surprise. Wish I would have been in the boat with ya that day.

[Mean Morone]

Mhall, thanks for posting this thread. I haven't fished the jerkbait that much, but when I did I ended up catching my biggest smallmouth. It is a blast to cast out a jerkbait and work that thing back to the boat and see these brown shapes come from nowhere and nail it. I'm partial to Gizz 4's even though they are floaters. You can make that thing turn a big circle and dart in different directions. Drives the smallies crazy. I guess you can put some suspend dots on them and work them slower, never had to try it. Mhall, you can try it and let me know how it works for you.

[mhall]

Good thoughts Scott. He is right fellas and I should have mentioned the Gizz 4 makes an excellent jerkbait. When jerked as a jerkbait, it imparts a wild action and of course looks exactly like a Gizzard shad and it's size is perfect to. Netboy, (Rob N) out of my boat caught his best striper to date on the Gizz 4.

Boone you better stock up on a few of these as well. They are all over your area down there and of course they are known striper producers as well.

Suspend dots or suspend strips either one would convert a G4 to a suspending bait easily with the proper weight added. Scott you got me thinking on that one, hmmmmm....

[kygorski]

Giz 4s are a good bait, got some suspend strips and will give them a try. ggod bet on cumberland for stripes.

[FlyLie]

Thanks Mark, Andrew and Larry...just checked the calendar and it looks like we will have full moon last week of March..first week of April. (Does that mean a man should leave his wife and go fish?) Now you know, I'm just kidding LOL.

[apb]

I forgot about that good striper trying to tear your arm off on that jerkbait, lol. ....

I seem to remember another day, right around the corner from heartbreak bank, where some stripers took a liking to a jerkbait and would not leave it alone. Right after seeing that pig of a smallie try to take a jerkbait away from either a decent LM or small striper. Won't be too much longer

Andrew

[bigwormy]

im not an experienced jerk bait fisherman by any means, however, i had my best day on dale with one. ive stated this before that the snow blew and had covered the boat. but, them smallies and spots were eating that jerkbait up!!! easy to stay warm with all the action!

[mhall]

I seem to remember another day, right around the corner from heartbreak bank, where some stripers took a liking to a jerkbait and would not leave it alone. Right after seeing that pig of a smallie try to take a jerkbait away from either a decent LM or small striper. Won't be too much longer

Andrew

I remember that....................I can't wait Pal, we got some milestones to Log this year.

You know the numbers....................