Advanced Jerkbait Fishing

One of the most versatile and effective lures for bass is the jerkbait. What was once thought of as an ideal prespawn and cold-water bait has become a versatile lure that works anywhere, year-round. Also, the baits have become even better and more refined, and the anglers casting them have found even more ways to use them. 

Professional anglers Brandon Palaniuk on the Bassmaster Elite Series and Drew Gill on the MLF Bass Pro Tour are both highly accomplished on their respective tours, and much of their success has come with a jerkbait. Besides being standout anglers, each is also very technical and thoughtful in their approach to fishing, and they shared insights on how they get the most out of their jerkbaits. 

Jerkbaits and Forward-Facing Sonar 

There's no denying that this technology has changed bass fishing, and while it's not required to fish a jerkbait, it's certainly changed how anglers approach using them. The biggest thing that Palaniuk and Gill have realized is how easy it is to gauge the fish and their interest in the baits. 

"It's absolutely changed jerkbait fishing permanently because these baits are one of the most nuanced lures in bass fishing, where the little details matter the most," said Gill. "Everything from the distance, cadence, and side-to-side action of the bait is what gets fish to bite, and you can see those interactions happen with fish. This lets us know when to slow down, when to speed up, and when to pause based on the behavior of the fish." 

Palaniuk shares some of the same beliefs, but also says it hasn't changed his jerkbait fishing as drastically. 

"The biggest thing that's changed my outlook on fishing a jerkbait is that you don't have to pause it as much as you think you do," he said. "There are times when pausing it for a long time gets bites in very cold water, but most of the time, they want it moving quickly more than they want it sitting still." 

Choosing the Right Jerkbait 

As jerkbait fishing has evolved, there are now countless excellent jerkbaits to choose from. They come in many sizes and options for deeper-diving baits, and each has a slightly different action. Because of this, both Gill and Palaniuk use a host of different baits. 

Palaniuk uses several Megabass jerkbaits, with sizes ranging from less than 3 inches to over 6 inches and weighing an ounce. 

"The jerkbait is so effective because it plays to the two main triggering points of bass and any predator fish as they imitate both a dying or fleeing baitfish," he began. "Using different jerkbait sizes plays into what they are eating, but it can also matter when you are fishing in different water clarities, so I use a variety of baits." 

One of his favorites and his typical starting point is the popular Megabass Vision 110. 

"I use that bait a lot and also use the +1 and +2 versions to reach deeper fish, but they are also good because you can get them down very quickly to fish you see on your screen if you are trying to lead a fish that's swimming in one direction," he said. "I'll also downsize at times to a Megabass X-80 Trick Darter, and then there are times when I'll go much bigger with baits like the Ito Shiner or Kanata, which have a much bigger profile for times when the fish are eating bigger baitfish." 

For the most part, Gill looks for a certain style of bait. 

"I like jerkbaits with very flat sides, generally speaking," he began. "Baits like that do a lot of flashing with each snap of the rod and will have a wide action, but the body rolls and flashes. This is really important when the water is warmer. When it's really cold, I want one that stays super close to its line without moving as much sideways." 

Size is also a factor, and Gill sticks with standard 110-sized baits for many situations but will go larger or smaller depending on the conditions.  

"If the fish are really pressured, I will go with a smaller bait or sometimes go the other way and go bigger," he said. "A larger bait like a Bill Lewis ScopeStik 120 will sometimes wake those fish up if a little one doesn't do it." 

One trick Gill learned and employs with all his jerkbaits is to remove the split rings and tie the treble hooks to the bait with a loop using 65 lb Seaguar TactX braid. 

"It's all about decreasing weight, so I can use larger hooks and keep the bait balanced since they are so weight sensitive," he said. "It also helps greatly with your landing percentage because a jerkbait has broken a lot of hearts over the years. Tying the hooks allows you to have more movement with the hooks when a fish is hooked, so you maximize your landing percentage and get more of those fish to the boat." 

Jerkbait Cadence and Choosing the Right Gear 

Most of the time, a simple "jerk, jerk, pause" retrieve is enough to get bass to follow and strike a jerkbait, but both Palaniuk and Gill mix in different cadences to trigger more fish.  

"I'll jerk it faster to get it down to the maximum depth and keep my line tight to keep it from going side-to-side as much," he said. "Once you get it down there, I'll work it more with snaps of the rod to get the bait to dart each way. Sometimes it's single jerks of the rod that will trigger them to bite." 

Gill is all about aggressive bait movement in most instances. 

"With cadence, I'm looking for unpredictability," he said. "I snap with slack in my line quite a bit, and it will be pretty hard, but I'm not picking up that much line. The bait will flash and roll without moving forward very much. I'd say one of the biggest things to remember is to be aggressive and quick with your movements and not just tapping it around." 

For his jerkbait gear, Gill goes with a 7-foot, 1-inch medium-light Phenix Feather rod and an 8.3:1 Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Platinum reel spooled with Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon, starting at 12 lb and adjusting from there. 

"12 lb is perfect for so much because it's still pretty resilient, but it's thin enough to cast really well and cut through the water," he said. "If I want my bait to act really wild, I'll go down to 10 or even 8 lb test and if I'm using a bigger bait and need to manhandle the fish, I'll even go up to 15 lb. Tatsu is my choice because it's very thin and you get excellent casting distance, it's an incredible mainline fluorocarbon for those reasons." 

Palaniuk fishes his jerkbaits on an Alpha Angler Slasher rod with a Steez CT SV 70 reel in an 8.1:1 gear ratio. Like Gill, Tatsu is his choice, and 12 lb is also his baseline. 

"I throw Tatsu for all of my jerkbaits, and it's usually 12 lb unless I'm using smaller stuff when I go down in size," he said. "I'll also sometimes use 15 lb for the bigger baits or when I'm trying to keep the bait up higher, like when fishing over grass." 

He likes Tatsu for its thin diameter, which Palaniuk says is crucial for jerkbaits.

"It makes a huge difference in getting your bait down to the maximum diving depth," he said. "The other thing I like is the suppleness of the line when you are working the bait; it doesn't coil as much, which can tend to pull the bait up some, just because of the angle you are fishing. It's also why I always want a fresh line when I'm on a good jerkbait bite, because even a little bite of memory will get that springing effect that can affect your bait." 

As bass fishing has evolved with technology and more advanced equipment, the jerkbait has become more popular than ever. This style of lure has been around for decades, but it is still one of the best ways to catch a bass, and the little things when fishing them can make a big difference. 

Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon mainline is available in 200- and 1,000-yard spools from 4 to 25 lb tests.