How To Fish A Jerkbait

Skip to main content BlogSeptember 2020

How to Fish a Jerkbait

With cooling temperatures, the jerkbait will be used more for reaction bites. Here are all the jerkbait tips you need to know.

Water temperatures are beginning to drop and so anglers will be adjusting their seasonal tactics. Although it can catch fish all year, one traditional cold water lure is the jerkbait. If you are wondering how to fish a jerkbait, well, like the name indicates, you jerk it. But there is a little bit more to the jerkbait for beginners than that.

Rather than just steady reeling for the action for some lures such as a bladed jig or a crankbait, for jerkbait fishing, you make the lure twitch and shoot forward by popping the fishing rod and reeling in the slack line created. A crucial component of learning how to fish a jerkbait is the rhythm of this action. It may seem insignificant but the difference between, for example, “jerk-jerk, pause” and “jerk-jerk-jerk, pause” can be huge.

And don’t over look the length of the pause for jerkbait bass fishing, which may be 20 seconds or more. The colder the water, the longer the pause. If the water had a skim of ice in the morning, consider bass fishing expert and TV host Mark Zona’s patience creating tip: “Text somebody.” Once you discover this rhythm or cadence, for successful jerkbait fishing, you’re probably going to need to reproduce it consistently.

Although color certainly plays a role, the working depth can help determine what actually the best jerkbait is for the day. Some jerkbaits float, some sink, and some even suspend once depth is reached. Some of these lures run shallow (1-3 feet), while others have internal weights that may shift or have a larger, steeper lip for diving to 10 feet or more.

The jerkbait setup depends on the water you are fishing. River jerkbait fishing can be with hard or soft plastic lures. There are plusses and minuses for each. Hard lures may have 2 or 3 sets of treble hooks so anything that bumps it has an increased chance of hookup. However, this also can mean rocks and aquatic vegetation issues. One way around this is to use soft plastic jerkbaits, often called “flukes,” which can be rigged weedless with a single hook. If bites are missed, anglers can upgrade and rig with a single treble hook.

Another note about learning how to fish a jerkbait is that in warmer water, it is considered “work.” Other warm water techniques such as the drop-shot or Carolina rigs may be thought of as less work, and, as I’ve heard pro anglers say, more just “dragging it around.” However, as the water cools, Fish metabolism lowers, and fish are eating less. This means you may have to “work” harder by casting, twitching, jerking, lures to trigger a reaction bite, even though the fish may not necessarily hungry.

Bait Andy Whitcomb Andy is an outdoor writer (http://www.justkeepreeling.com/) and stressed-out Dad has contributed over 380 blogs to takemefishing.org since 2011. Born in Florida, but raised on banks of Oklahoma farm ponds, he now chases pike, smallmouth bass, and steelhead in Pennsylvania. After earning a B.S. in Zoology from OSU, he worked in fish hatcheries and as a fisheries research technician at OSU, Iowa State, and Michigan State. Popular Posts Blog / Andy Whitcomb Why Buy a Fishing License Early and Other License Questions Apr 21, 2025 Blog / Jeff Bogle Tips for Fishing With Your Dog Apr 16, 2025 Blog / Andy Whitcomb Think about Layering for Fishing Apr 14, 2025 Blog / Ken Schultz A Guide to Seasonal Fishing Licenses, and Other License Matters Apr 09, 2025 Blog / Jeff Bogle Tips For Spring Bird Watching and Fishing Apr 07, 2025 Blog / Jeff Bogle How to Make Fishing Fun with Kid-Friendly Fishing Activities Apr 04, 2025 Blog / Debbie Hanson Why Fishing for Mental Health is More Important Than You Might Think Apr 03, 2025 Blog / Debbie Hanson 5 Important Ways Fishing and Conservation Go Hand-In-Hand Apr 02, 2025 Do you like this content? Subscribe to our free Newsletter and get all the information you need to learn, plan, and equip for your next fishing adventure.

Newsletter Signup

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get fishing tips, boating resources, and personal stories from passionate anglers. Learn new skills, discover conservation tips, and more! Please complete the following to subscribe to our newsletter.

First Name (Required) Last Name Email (Required) State (Required) --- Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District Of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Subscribe to our Newsletter Subscribe to our Promotions You must click the checkbox above to continue.

Download this Resource

To download this free resource, please fill out the form below:

Email Choose industry --- State or Government Agency Fishing/Boating Media Other Sign up to receive NewsWaves Newsletter Submit