Hey,
What are you guys using for jerk baits? I want something that works well but doesn't have LC price tag...if there is such a thing? Don't get me wrong I love the Lucky Craft but last year I broke off a slender pointer and watched $20 disappear beneath the murky water. It was rather sad.
Thanks,
Cy
X Rap works well along with the Rogue. On Clair use pink and white or clown.
I like the X-Rap Glass Ghost. Smallies and Largies both seem to get on it!
Get yourself some X-raps they work great for a cheaper jerkbait.
X-raps work really well-I like glass ghost also-
What else ya got? I own a couple x-raps already and yes I agree they work well. Who else has a good jerk bait?
Let's take $$ off the table and just tell me what rocks!
I really like the Rogues. However, there are specific models/colors that work better than others. Also, I made another modification to the bait that seems to be critical in getting a lot of bites. When I don't have the modification, my bites decrease by around 75% it seems. When we go hit Muskegon, I'll show you the specifics. Funny thing is that I caught a 14" crappie on a 5" jerkbait that I modified a little. After that, I caught 7 more between 10 and 12". That was all in between the bass bites. The 14"er came from Big Whitefish. It was a little surprising to say the least!
I still use Rogues a lot. Old ones. New ones. Little ones. Big ones. Floaters. Suspenders. I also use the smaller Rapala husky jerks a lot for 'finesse' work.
I'm pretty loyal to my brands. I've always been a big fan of Rapala. Xraps, and huskys are in my bag.
bomber long As are tough to beat as well. they have a very distinct and wide walk the dog action and are very easy to work. plus, they are inexpensive and easy to find.
Cy, check out the http://www.livetargetlures.com/Smelt.html . (Live target smelt) If you watched the "Day on the Lake" with Steve Browning yesterday you saw him catching some good fish on Live Target baits. If you like what you see maybe we can do some trading for Xtreme tackle.
Strike King Wild Shiner suspending jerk baits for me. Red hooks with a feather on the tail. Nothing like casting it out get it down to 3 feet and watch a smallie come up and eat it. 2 weeks from tomorrow I will be doing that.
I like Pointers a lot too but I have and use a lot of Rogues. I don't know why but for some reason I mainly target largies with Rogues, I should try them for smallies sometime. The one I had the best success with late late year was a Down Deep Husky Jerk 4 3/4" (big one) in gold/black. It goes deep if you work it down. Aside from that one that worked very well for me is the XCalibur XS4(?) jerkbait. I think they list for $14 but I have found them many places on clearance for $8-9. And of course the XRaps and xRap Deeps.
I have some other brands too but haven't really tried them enough to say if they are good or not.
What ever jerkbaits you decide to go with I would recommend putting on a #4 gamikatsu feathered treble (if you buy the cheapos expect them to rust after the first use) on the rear of the larger sized baits and a #6 on the smaller jerks. It definitely entices more strikes in my opinion. I have had days where they were just following and I stuck the feathered treble on the same pointer and they would hit it.
I'm a firm believer in dressed tail trebles too. I tie them with various colors of Krystal Flash. Looks just like a minnow's flashing scales underwater. Tips the balance quite often between followers and biters.
Dicks sells a Storm jerkbait, itd chrome and has that sexy shad chartruce lateral line, the best I have seen from storm. Its called a "Thunderstick madflash" color#595 Go to www.stormlures.com and check it out.
Quote from: McCarter on April 09, 2010, 02:48:18 PM
bomber long As are tough to beat as well. they have a very distinct and wide walk the dog action and are very easy to work. plus, they are inexpensive and easy to find.
Long A's used to be my go to bait. I quit using them as I became more experienced! ;D I'm going to pull them out again!
Dan, wasn't it you that told me that we fisherman find a bait that works, and then we put it away and try something else?
standard Rapala gold and black floating 4" workers well for me. In early spring, It's my go to bait.
there's a spro jerkbait i like. but i won't say what it is because they are already hard to find, pretty reasonable at 6.50 a pop - beats the pants of an x-rap any day. ;D ;D
i just ordered a transducer from cabelas and saw this guy in bargain cave so i got one... sexy me thinks:
(http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/cabelas/s7_123859_009_01?$main-Medium$)
5 1/2inch Limited edition Suspending Rogue in the green perch catches big fish. Yes the tail makes a big difference.
Thanks guys! As always tons of great information!
It depends on whether you're looking at smallmouth or largemouth. The rapala's and lucky crafts really roast the smallies, but for me the largemouths like the action on those smithwicks and long A's.
My general rule is fast and eratic action for smallies and slower more methodical action for largies.
I like the xraps alot but i got mazuno jerkbaits at the outdoorama on a break from working. I have never had more sucsess with any other jerkbait. I got three for 10. when you look at them in the water they dart from side to side faster than ive ever seen and if you work it right you can get them to turn all the way around. needless to say i lost all three of them in the first two months :(
All colors are good as long as they are clown. I like the suspending signature Long A by Bomber. They don't make it anymore as it was a KVD signature bait. The Strikeking bait that KVD now endorses is good too. I also like the Rapala Husky Jerk in chrome clown. I also like the sister bait to the KVD Signature bait was the Mark Sosin Long A. It was a white bait resembling almost anything that could be a bait fish. Not as good as the clown but good enough to put bigger fish in the boat. Numbers on clown, quality on the white.
BD ;D