Suspended Jerkbait Fishing

The water is in the low 40′s. The extreme cold is gone (hopefully), and they days are getting longer. These conditions are perfect for suspending jerkbait fishing on your favorite lake or reservoir.

Smithwick Rogue Suspending Jerkbait

March is a great month to be on the water. Fish are filling up with eggs which means the chances of catching a lunker are greater now that at any other time of year. The way I like to chase these lunkers is with a suspending jerkbait.

When the water is cold, bass do not want to expend a lot of energy catching their dinner. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are effective search baits in warmer water, but in the cold water, bass will often wait for an easier feast.

A jerkbait can be fished many ways. Finding the cadence of jerks and pauses is simply a matter of trial and error. When the water is colder, I like to let the bait rest for at least 15 to 20 seconds between jerks. As the water temperature rises, I quicken the pace.

Don’t be afraid to try different retrieves: jerk-jerk-pause; jerk-pause-jerk; jerk-jerk-jerk-pause; Let the fish tell you how they want it. Once they tell you, you can stick with that pattern for the rest of the day.

The most important aspect of jerkbait fishing is to make sure the bait is neutrally buoyant or rising VERY slowly. Above all, you do not want your bait to sink.

If your bait does not suspend correctly, you can add weight to it several ways. The first way is to add larger hooks. If the bait raises with #6 hooks, switch one or all of the hooks to #4 hooks. A second way to weight the bait is to add additional O-rings to the hooks. This should be done only when the bait is slightly too lite. The third way is to add lead strips or dots to the bait.

Storm Suspend Dots are great tools for fine-tuning your suspending jerkbait.

These strips or dots can be purchased at your local tackle shop and are placed on the front or middle of the lure so that it rests horizontally or with its head down.

There are many brands of suspending jerkbaits on the market today. Perhaps the best-known is the Smithwick Rogue. The Rogue comes in many different colors and sizes. I primarily fish clear water reservoirs, so I like to fish natural shad colors. Darker water calls for brighter colors like chartreuse and orange.

Whatever brand and color you choose, a suspending jerkbait is an extremely effective way to put fish in the boat during early spring. Contact me via the comments section if you are interested in custom-painted jerkbaits.