Whether or not you are fishing for walleye, smallmouth, or largemouth bass, the pre-spawn is all about transitions, lure choice, and approach.
And amongst your perfect choices when the water remains to be cool is a jerkbait.
Whereas Texas- and Carolina-rigged creature baits, crankbaits, and particularly spinnerbaits are standard in spring, jerkbaits do not get the love they deserve – not less than not practically usually sufficient!
I am as responsible of that as every other angler, however I do know it is a mistake.
Let’s break down why, the place, when, and the right way to fish a jerkbait, and you will see precisely what I imply.
Why fish a jerkbait in spring?
Most species of recreation fish are sluggish earlier than water temperatures rise into the mid-50s, and that is actually true of largemouth bass, as we have defined earlier than.
That makes lure choice, location, and approach essential.
And whereas smallmouth – and definitely walleye – are extra cold-water tolerant than largemouth, it is not like your native protect lake goes to get heat in a rush this spring, even for them.
Early spring, wherever you fish, signifies that sluggish fish are typically the rule, and so they’ll solely acquire vitality because the water warms significantly from winter’s ultra-low temps.
Once I’m slecting a lure, I am fascinated by a couple of issues:
- What is the predominant prey merchandise proper now?
- What is the water temperature, gentle situation, and wind?
On lakes the place shad are the dominant prey merchandise, jerkbaits are merely deadly – in the appropriate situations (I will focus on this extra under).
Among the causes are clear proper off the bat. Jerkbaits do an amazing job imitating injured or erratic shad and different bait fish, and matching that pure supply of meals together with your lure is at all times an amazing concept. The fish you are chasing are keyed-in on shad shapes, the glint of sunshine off their tiny scales, and the vortices produced by their tails as they dart round – and these are areas the place the jerkbait actually shines.
However there’s a fair higher motive to tie on a jerkbait in early spring: jerkbaits can each cowl water and keep put, relying in your approach, and that may be nothing wanting magical – if what you are doing.
The place to fish a jerkbait
If I am on a northern lake teeming with walleye, I will search for a submerged hump/island, a rock pile, or perhaps a lone boulder on the underside.
Principally, I am on the lookout for one thing that may draw prey – and in the end predators – like a magnet attracts iron filings. In the event you discover a spot like this, you’ll be able to all however assure that there are hungry walleye ready in ambush close by.
I will additionally search for reside weed beds, as they will bump up the oxygen saturation close by, present cowl for prey like shad, and provide prepared ambush factors for walleye and bass alike.
And if there is a warmth sink on the lake like a fats concrete piling, a pile of partially submerged rock, and even concrete wall of some sort, I will know that after a couple of hours within the solar, the water round it is going to be not less than a couple of levels hotter, driving close by fish into better exercise.
If I am on the lookout for largemouth, I will concentrate on transitional areas halfway between the deeper water by which they overwinter and the shallow, flat places they select for his or her spawning beds.
Whether or not that is some extent, hump, slope, or channel edge, I am on the lookout for reside weeds mid-water column, and I do know there will be hungry bass staging there.
It is essential to understand that deep diving jerkbaits, neutrally bouyant, and bouyant fashions all have a spot in your deal with field.
You could choose a jerkbait that stays on the depth you want for transitioning bass and searching walleye.
When to fish a jerkbait
We’re speaking about early sping, pre-bass spawning, however that is not all there’s to consider.
The best day for a jerkbait is a transparent sky with a light-weight breeze. You need dappled daylight creating patterns and fixed modifications to the colour and shine of your jerkbait, and these situations actually assist masks your lures till it is approach too late for the fish.
Walleye will merely hammer jerkbaits underneath these situations, whereas bass will definitely be extra torpid of their strikes.
I wish to fish jerkbaits from earlier than dawn until simply after darkish, as a result of walleye will actually be searching exhausting when the sunshine is dim, whereas bass will want time for the solar to heat the water sufficient for energetic feeding.
The way to fish a jerkbait
If you would like a refresher on jerkbait strategies, take a look at this text. It’s going to get you again on top of things shortly.
For me, two strategies actually stand out.
One is to pop or pulse my rod tip and choose up slack earlier than persevering with. I need a comparatively tight line after I transfer my rod tip, and I wish to differ the course of these pops in addition to their cadence. I will even differ how shortly I choose up that slack.
The important thing, right here, is to get that jerbait shifting erratically, darting and turning and altering depth within the water column. These erratic actions create response strikes, entice walleye in for the kill, and can help you cowl a number of water shortly, basically turning a jerkbait right into a search lure supreme.
The opposite is to pop my rod tip with a slack line. I wish to get my jerkbait chasing its tail, circling in neat 180s and gliding to a cease.
Against this, the important thing right here is to maintain your jerkbait in the identical place, working it round in small are moderately than overlaying a variety of water. I will attempt to decrease choosing up any slack; I do not wish to convey my lure again to me, however moderately preserve it proper the place it’s, within the strike zone.
I exploit this method after I establish fish on my fish finder, or wish to work a hump or rock pile totally for fish.
Greatest Jerkbaits for Northern Lakes
I’ve reviewed numerous superior jerkbaits earlier than, and in case you’re new to the sport, you may want to have a look.
My choice on protect lakes and the like is to go comparatively massive.
I want jerkbaits with three trebles for 2 causes.
First, they’re sufficiently big to entice massive fish right into a strike, even once they’re sluggish, and large walleye, untroubled by 40 diploma water, are going to be on the lookout for a giant meal.
Now’s the time to supply them one!
And second, I would like as many hooks as I can get on my lure in order that much less agressive strikes nonetheless result in lock ups.
Walleye are going to slam jerkbaits in early spring, however smallmouth and largemouth might not, water temps relying. I would like that as many sharp trebles as I can get to assist me hook ’em exhausting.
For this particular circumstance – chilly water, northern lake – my prime choose could be the Strike King KVD Deep Jerkbait.
In clear, cool water, I would like colours and patterns which are as pure as I can get, and I would like depth to hit these transitional zones. The KVD Deep delivers on each fronts, diving to roughly 11 toes. And at 4 4/3 inches and three/5 of an oz, it casts fantastically, even within the gentle breeze I want, with the scale to essentially ring the dinner bell.
13 Fishing’s Loco Particular is one other nice choice. Out there in two depths (3′ to five’ and 6′ to 9′), I might follow the depper of the 2 for this example.
It is acquired the scale and triple trebles you need, and it is motion may be very exhausting to beat on a decent or slack line.
Ultimate Ideas
Jerkbaits are sometimes assist again till fall, once they’re a unbelievable selection to focus on feeding bass and walleye earlier than winter actually units in.
However it may be magical to flip that logic on its head, tying on a jerkbait in early spring to taker benefit of a breezy day on the lake.
Give jerkbaits a do that spring – you will not be sorry!
