By: Mark Romanack
The author (right) teamed up with Travis White of Keweenaw Charter Fishing Company to tackle coho, splake, lake trout and brown trout like this one using jerkbaits to imitate injured forage fish.
As fishermen we can get pretty attached to certain presentations. In part this is because certain lures and the way they are fished put fish in boat consistently. Just as importantly, certain presentations just give us a “rush” when fish bite them.
That’s exactly why I’ve been addicted to jerkbaits most of my life. When a pike, bass, walleye or trout slams a jerkbait, the strike is not only bone crushing it’s visually appealing too. There is just something special about witnessing a big fish as it swirls on a jerk bait, moving water and hearts all in the same instant!
WHAT MAKES A GOOD JERKBAIT
Most of the jerkbaits on the market were built with bass fishing in mind. Thankfully, a lot of those same lures will also do double duty on trout, pike and even walleye.
In my mind a good jerkbait has a number of important features. First off, a jerkbait must be weighted enough that it casts like a bullet. Balsa wood baits have the right profile and even the right action, but they just don’t measure up in terms of casting value.
The further a jerkbait can be casted, the more value it has in terms of covering water efficiently. Typically this is accomplished by weighting the bait until it becomes neutrally buoyant or sinks very slowly.
A second feature I personally feel is important in a jerkbait is the amount of flash it generates. Of course, jerkbaits are available in every color scheme imaginable, but the majority in my tackle box are either metallic chrome or metallic gold as the base color. Metallic finish baits give off massive amounts of fish attracting flash. I prefer a silver bait in clear water and gold baits in stained or off color waters.
Thirdly, a jerkbait needs to be equipped with the best possible hooks. Here is where the majority of jerkbaits fall short. Manufacturers are notorious for cutting corners and putting second rate hooks on jerkbaits and other hard baits. One of the first things I do when purchasing a jerkbait is to remove the factory treble hooks and replace them with an ultra premium wide bend style treble.
The Trokar TK949 is an extra wide gap treble hook that ends up on all my favorite jerkbaits. Smaller profile baits end up with a No. 6 treble hook, while medium profile baits are typically best equipped with a No. 4 hook. Some of my favorite larger jerkbaits used for pike and musky fishing are equipped with an even larger No. 2 Trokar TK949 hook.
Jake Romanack of Fishing 411 TV knows the power of jerkbaits when it comes to catching fish. Beautiful smallmouth like this one are just one of the many species that routinely fall victim to jerkbaits.
The exceptional strength and sharpness of these hooks puts them in a class all of their own. I often joke that Trokar hooks should come with a Band-Aid in the package because just handling baits equipped with these hooks is going to lead to bloodshed!
WORKING A JERKBAIT
Most jerkbaits are capable of making the right action, but achieving that action takes an angler who understands how to get the most from these lures. The biggest mistake I see among anglers who fish jerkbaits is they pull the bait on a taunt line instead of jerking the bait abruptly on a slack line. You see, slack in the line is what makes a jerkbait dart in an unpredictable direction. This slack in the line is created by jerking the rod tip and then moving the rod back towards the bait before making another jerking motion.
The second issue I see with anglers who fish jerkbaits is they are always trying to figure out a cadence or rhythmic jerking motion. The best jerkbait action is one that is totally random and unpredictable.
Lastly, jerkbait fishermen tend to be in a hurry. Take your time, leave that bait motionless for a few seconds between jerks and you’ll be amazed how much more effective they become.
RODS/REELS/LINES
Jerkbaits can be fished on either spinning or baitcasting tackle. For smaller baits I tend to favor a seven foot medium action spinning rod with 10-15 pound test super braid line. At the terminal end I’ll add about four feet of 10-12 pound test fluorocarbon line to create an invisible lure to line connection.
The author poses with a very nice brown trout he caught casting jerkbaits in the White River a few years back. While jerkbaits are often thought of as bass lures, they can be used to catch a wide variety of species.
For bigger and especially toothy fish, a seven foot medium/heavy baitcasting rod with 40-65 pound test super braid is important. I terminate this set up with 50 to 80 pound test fluorocarbon line for pike and musky. When targeting lake trout I’ll drop down to a fluorocarbon leader in the 15 to 20 pound test range.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Jerkbaits are and will always be associated with bass fishing, but I’m here to tell you they catch a lot of other species besides bass. Some of my most memorable fishing experiences for northern pike, lake trout and even brown trout have taken place thanks to a jerkbait. Even walleye are susceptible to the darting minnow action and flash only a jerkbait can deliver.