Early Fall Jerkbaits For Bass

Color Choices:

Jerkbait colors are very simple to select. Black Back with Silver (Chrome) Sides, Blue Back with Silver (Chrome) Sides, and Black Back with Gold-Plated Sides are three universal minnow imitators. Adding an Orange Bottom to the lure will expand the flash to a bass. An additional color that will get the attention of a bass is a Clown Color. This color is comprised of Gold-Plated Back, Silver (Chrome) Sides, White Bottom and a Red Head. The Clown Color will literal glow in the water. In Northern or Natural Lakes, a Yellow Perch is a favorite baitfish. This color may represent the basic forage instead of a Silver Shad Imitator.

The power of attraction is the Jerkbait’s prized possession. It will magnetize fish from a long distance. The proper tackle, hooks and colors will aid anglers in productive outings. Always remember, “The wind is your friend,” when searching for bass with a Jerkbait!


http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/fall-fishing-guide/post/early-fall-jerkbaits-for-bass

I've been doing pretty well with an Ima Flit 100 in chartreuse shad.

I like the Megabass Ito Vision jerkbaits. The 110 and the 110+1 are awesome.
First time using one on Clarks Hill, I caught a limit. I had one fish hit the bait so hard it almost took the rod out of my hand. I would recommend them to anyone. A little expensive, but worth it in my opinion.

Mr. Cawley said:

I like the Megabass Ito Vision jerkbaits. The 110 and the 110+1 are awesome.
First time using one on Clarks Hill, I caught a limit. I had one fish hit the bait so hard it almost took the rod out of my hand. I would recommend them to anyone. A little expensive, but worth it in my opinion.

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I started using use the Flit 120 jerkbait around 2007 and the Flit 100 in 2009. The BONE Floating Flit 120 is made of a different BONE plastic that keeps it higher in the water column. I fish it in a either a jerk-pause retrieve or a slow methodical walking motion with the rod held upward to keep slack line off of the water. You can also fish it as a Wakebait but with this one it’s easy to get the cadence exactly right. This bad boy will really call the fish up from deep water. Just have to keep changing the colors to find the correct one that the fish want.

Micropterus Salmoides said:

I started using use the Flit 120 jerkbait around 2007 and the Flit 100 in 2009. The BONE Floating Flit 120 is made of a different BONE plastic that keeps it higher in the water column. I fish it in a either a jerk-pause retrieve or a slow methodical walking motion with the rod held upward to keep slack line off of the water. You can also fish it as a Wakebait but with this one it’s easy to get the cadence exactly right. This bad boy will really call the fish up from deep water. Just have to keep changing the colors to find the correct one that the fish want.

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I've never thought about using a jerkbait as a wakebait. That's pertty cool idea. I'll definitely have to try that. I bet that bone white would be deadly as a wakebait.

SPRO McStick...

I am pretty loyal to SPRO and I think the McStick is the best jerk bait on the market BUT-I have had days where my buddy wore me out with a Pointer and on other days the McStick has beat his. Then I will fish with some older person that pulls out a Smithwick Rouge with lead tape all over it and he will catch 95% from the back of the boat. The lure you prefer is usually the one that will get bit!
I love to just cast out a McStick and reel it medium speed through the schooling bass and stripers on Lake Lanier right now before he water temps get down below 55 Degrees.
Then it is jerk, short pause, jerk, jerk, long pause or Jerk, Jerk, long pause and on on and on....we all get the idea because the cadence of working a jerk bait always takes a little time to figure out. What cadence of retrieve the fish want seems to changes day to day, hour to hour. I used to hate jerk bait fishing because I would cast them out 10 times then put them away. Then when you finally get bit they about break your arm and then we get addicted! These ones are my favorite colors and the first 3 don't have any chrome but I know that chrome can be the killer color on certain days. Here are my colors in order of preference and in order from left to right as shown below...
1) Clear Chartreuse
2) Spooky Shad
3) Dirty Bone (these are hard to find but are awesome!
4) Chrome Shad (the spots on Lanier love these on very cold days)
Blessings, EZ

Mr. Cawley said:

I've never thought about using a jerkbait as a wakebait. That's pertty cool idea. I'll definitely have to try that. I bet that bone white would be deadly as a wakebait.

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BONE Floating Flit 120 is made of a different BONE Plastic that keeps it higher in the Water Column. This is the best choice when Wakebait fishing. You can add STORM SUSPEND DOTS Weights. Try different locations on your bait. The Variables are type/pound test of fishing lines, water tempatures, and type of water you are fishing.( example start with 1 dot, then 2 dots, 3 dots or even a 4 dots to se what the differance in the actions are.) When you want to remove them just peel them off and reuse later.

I like your Cool Ideas

Hey Micropterus Salmoides-Great post! I have enjoyed all the comments and opinions. I am a Jerk bait finaddict and the spots are eating jerkbaits like mad right now on Lanier!

I traveled and roomed with Michael Murphy on the weekend BASS series in Alabama in 2004 and learned a lot, He who was the designer for the Flit. Before starting IMA he worked with Mike McClellend on the SPRO McStick. Mike and Michael are good friends and they both have awesome ideas and are great sticks!

Some other thoughts that I have learned from both of them...

1) The Storm suspend dots and tape have been a staple for any jerk bait addicts. They both mentioned that water temperatures and air pressure can change the action of a jerk bait from day to day or even hour to hour. I am not as critical but both Mikes used Suspend tape and it was always in their tackle boxes.

2) One the best things they taught me was add another split ring or to up size or down size the existing split rings on the lures. The split rings look less intrusive then suspend dots in their opinion so they often changed out the split rings to make the lures sink, float and even effect the way a jerk bait runs nose up, level or noise down.

3) Hook size also made a significant difference to the action to make the lure run in the desired weight and action or to make them suspend,sink or even float. Changing hooks or split rings didn't effect the look of the lures.

4) Your article that was great and they touched on one thing but I had one other thought. They mentioned
using a loop knot but they didn't mention to take off the front split rings to make them higher in the water to increase the weight of the nose and increase the wake. and hold the rod tip up high and use a high weight mono line to get the lure to run high on the surface.

Good Fishing and God Bless!
Eric Aldrich

Delete

EZ Spin said:

I am pretty loyal to SPRO and I think the McStick is the best jerk bait on the market BUT-I have had days where my buddy wore me out with a Pointer and on other days the McStick has beat his. Then I will fish with some older person that pulls out a Smithwick Rouge with lead tape all over it and he will catch 95% from the back of the boat. The lure you prefer is usually the one that will get bit!
I love to just cast out a McStick and reel it medium speed through the schooling bass and stripers on Lake Lanier right now before he water temps get down below 55 Degrees.
Then it is jerk, short pause, jerk, jerk, long pause or Jerk, Jerk, long pause and on on and on....we all get the idea because the cadence of working a jerk bait always takes a little time to figure out. What cadence of retrieve the fish want seems to changes day to day, hour to hour. I used to hate jerk bait fishing because I would cast them out 10 times then put them away. Then when you finally get bit they about break your arm and then we get addicted! These ones are my favorite colors and the first 3 don't have any chrome but I know that chrome can be the killer color on certain days. Here are my colors in order of preference and in order from left to right as shown below...
1) Clear Chartreuse
2) Spooky Shad
3) Dirty Bone (these are hard to find but are awesome!
4) Chrome Shad (the spots on Lanier love these on very cold days)
Blessings, EZ

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Please delete this post. LOL

Jerkbaits on Lanier and surrounding lakes

I can only speak for my personal experiences and the most popular jerkbaits folks purchase. My personal experience is somewhat limited for fall jerkbaits but I can say what's worked for my friends and I in the past on Lanier and some surrounding lakes.

Probably the two most popular and the two that work just about the best for us on Lanier is the two five and a half inch 110 knock offs in the first two pictures. The most popular of the two has to be the blueback. We've caught some nice bass just about any time of year with that one. Without going into detail, sometimes it's just a matter of changing the retrieve to get the bait to work in different seasons. I'm not sure why the sexy shad pattern in the second pic works so well, but it works on just about any jerkbait, crankbait or swimbait on Lanier, especially in the fall.

The third picture is my absolute favorite jerkbait on any lake that has a population of shad. Just about anytime you have the presence of gizzards or threadfin shad this pattern will work. To me, it's the perfect imitation of a smaller gizzard rooting on the bottom and we've had a blast with this bait. Working this bait on the bottom across shallow points and suspending it around docks is a blast. This bait is my workhorse bait.

The last jerkbait is one that I'm trying this year for stripers and bass. We're gonna see how the fall bass and night time stripers like a bigger blueback pattern.

Great pictures and colors. Did you paint and make these Jerkbaits? Looks like the split rings may of been increased in size. Clear water lakes will really respond well to all of these colors. I believe that the third jerkbait will work in all water conditions. Just a little GOLD Color mixed in will inhance the stained to muddy water conditions. Great colors.

Micropterus Salmoides said:

Great pictures and colors. Did you paint and make these Jerkbaits? Looks like the split rings may of been increased in size. Clear water lakes will really respond well to all of these colors. I believe that the third jerkbait will work in all water conditions. Just a little GOLD Color mixed in will inhance the stained to muddy water conditions. Great colors.

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Thanks Micro. Those are some that I painted from blanks. The split rings are 30# all around. The blueback and sexy shad colors are successful colors I've used in the past on Lanier. The third is a pattern I made for a trip to Clarks Hill. It worked very well on CH and we also had great luck with it on Lanier last spring. I also use the same pattern for square bill and medium diving cranksbaits and they work great on Lanier in the late winter through the spring.