Best prespawn pattern?

[Bassfreak]

What are your best prespawn patterns and lures? Last year I tried to get a bite using suspending jerkbaits on main and secondary points, with no luck. Either I am doing something wrong or fishing the wrong places. I was just wandering what some people have had good luck with during prespawn. I have cabin fever and am ready to get another season under way.

[Dave Stewart]

If you were fishing Ky Lake (see you are from Aurora) last March you should have been catching plenty of fish with the jerkbait...was the best jerkbait bite overall I think I have ever seen down here.

[Owskiwoski]

If you were fishing Ky Lake (see you are from Aurora) last March you should have been catching plenty of fish with the jerkbait...was the best jerkbait bite overall I think I have ever seen down here.

Dave, I had the same problem last march. I have never really fished a jerkbait until last year but didn't catch a fish. Do you have some tips...depth, color, areas, etc. I fished it real slow most of the time on points. Thanks

[Fntsyfbgod]

Plenty of info out there on jerkbaits. You can search this forum or just do a google search. Jerkbaits are something the pros use alot more than weekend fisherman. They are hard to beat and sometimes unbeatable but there are also days when they just dont get bit period. Similar to Jigs. Clearer water is key 3ft visability minimum for a good jerkbait bite. Wind also is a big key everyone agrees on. Clouds are important depending who you ask but I personally feel if its windy clouds arent a huge factor unless its really clear. Cadence and how hard you jerk and how long you pause are key also. So is getting a jerkbait that gets to the right depth. Gotta have a suspending one when water is colder and deep diver when its really cold and fish wont come up for one. Another key I picked up on the last year or two is you need to jerk the american made ones harder than japanese ones. I use a medhvy rod with my rouges or jerk a med rod hard and use a soft rod and more subtle jerks with my lucky craft baits. But I could go on forever about jerkbaits just look around and you will find plenty of info.

[smljaw]

Agree with Fntsyfbgod... My very best jerkbait days have come when I'm fishing clear water. The colder the water the longer you want to pause the bait between twitches/rips. I caught a 6.14 a few years ago in early January on a jerkbait (I was pausing the bait up to 30+ seconds that day). I've also had real good luck March through early April... Throw it with confidence in clear water conditions and you'll catch fish.

I'll generally stick with these baits for prespawn... Jigs, jerkbaits & crankbaits. At the tail end of the prespawn you can also also catch some real donkeys with spinnerbaits!

[Shimano4Life]

What are your best prespawn patterns and lures? Last year I tried to get a bite using suspending jerkbaits on main and secondary points, with no luck. Either I am doing something wrong or fishing the wrong places. I was just wandering what some people have had good luck with during prespawn. I have cabin fever and am ready to get another season under way.

The best pre-spawn pattern that has worked for me is to find transitional areas (changes -- visible and underwater) near spawning flats and CRANK THE HELL OUT OF IT! Crank it until your arms are burning and feel like they are going to fall off. If you get them fired up, catch 'em until you stop getting bit. Then change colors and use a crank with no rattles. Subtle changes will fire them up again. If not, switch your presentation and slow it down a little with a jerkbait (like said above), a jig, or a big worm. This works for me.

Hope it helps you.

[Dave Stewart]

Here are some tips:

1. Tie your jerkbait on with a loop knot....vary the size of the know to vary the action of the lure.

2. Vary the length of time you pause the jerkbait until the fish let you know how they want it that day...many of the days last year the fish wanted the pause to last at least 15 seconds.

3. Jerkbait fishing shines in early prespawn....late Feb and month of March...once the water temps hit 60 you can still catch fish on it...but a crankbait will produce better most days.

4. Watch your sonar...most of the time when fishing deep points and banks you can see the shad with the targets under them...this will help you decide if you need a deep or shallow running bait.

5. Test your lure to see if it is suspending in the water you are fishing...your lure is made to suspend at certain water temps...if the water you are fishing is colder than that or warmer than that...it is not going to suspend. Just because your lure suspended in your sink at home does not mean it will be suspending in the water where you are fishing that day. You do not want you lure to be rising...this can be adjusted by adding suspend dots. If the lure is falling...a slow fall is not really a bad factor...you want it to fall nose down if you can't make it suspend.

6. If the water is stained...go with clown pattern....if sun is really bright and water clear...think blue/chrome...most days shad patterns such as black/silver, table rock shad, green/pearl etc are best producers...remember...they are eating shad on this pattern.

I use a number of different makes and models...Rogues, Xraps, Husky Jerks, Pointers etc....most days they will all catch a fish if the jerk bait bite is on...but there is always one that will outperform the others...and normally one that will catch more fish than the others each season...you just have to figure out which one it is and then make sure you have plenty of them....last year on Ky/Barkley they were eating the Pearl Ayu suspending pointer like candy...year before it was the Aurora Black pointer...get my point?

[jcatron]

jerkbait, rat-l-trap, or jig.

[Bassfreak]

Thanks for any and all advice. I will be back next week and ready to hit the water.