If I had to list my top five baits for bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, it would be difficult to exclude soft jerkbaits from that list. Year in and year out soft jerkbaits have produced for me in a variety of weather and water conditions. This baits strength lies in its almost innate ability to produce some seriously erratic movements.
Quick and Dirty Soft Jerkbait Rundown
Long, slender, solid, baitfish like soft plastics are part of a “fish food group” often referred to as soft stickbaits or soft jerkbaits. These baits are most noted for their unpredictable erratic action. Because of this, they have a way of enticing the most neutral fish to take a whack at them. It is also a versatile bait. I have used the soft jerkbaits to land a number of game fish such as smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, trout, rock bass, sunfish, crappie, pike, and pickerel.
A variety of companies manufacture soft jerkbaits. I’m not sure that any one design is better than the other. I’ve come to the conclusion that each design has its strengths and application. For the sake of brevity and my sanity, I’ve boiled the choice of soft jerkbaits down to three factors; profile, length, and color.
Profile
The profile of a bait determines how “easy” it is for a fish to see the bait. Thicker or bulkier baits are said to have a larger profile. In general, larger profile baits are good for fish in a more aggressive mood or when you want to cull out the little guys and focus on catching larger fish.
Larger profile baits can also be good in muddy water when visibility is low. This is probably true for two reasons. One, the bait is easier to see and track in muddy water. Two, the larger profile bait displaces more water therefore creating a disturbance which can more easily be detected by fish in muddy water.
Jerk baits with a smaller profile tend to shine in low or clear water situations or when fish are in a more neutral to negative mood. Smaller profile baits can be presented in a more subtle way. I’ve found in smaller streams or rivers that fish tend to like smaller profile jerkbaits as apposed to the bulkier baits.
Length
I’ve seen soft jerkbaits available in every imaginable size from “micro” baits that are around 1 inch to monsters that are designed for muskie and striped bass. The size you choose really depends on your targeted species and the fish’s mood.
I typically go with the “match the hatch” theory and try to match the size of the baitfish in the body of water I’m fishing. A quick scan of the shallow water can most often give you an idea of the types of baitfish that are available and the size of those baitfish.
The time of year you are fishing can also clue you in as to the possible size bait to use. Late summer through early spring baitfish tend to be larger. Spring through summer, the most abundant baitfish are typically the young of year and are smaller in size. Of course this is just a general rule of thumb based on my experience in the north east United States.
Color
In muddy water, I go with a darker color so that the bait contrasts more with the surrounding water. If there are sunny skies and fish are coming up for my bait I may use a darker color that contrast more with the bright sky.
When bass are feeding heavily on a specific species of baitfish I might use a soft jerkbait that has a similar coloration. Finding baits in the colors you need is fairly easy. Some companies like Lunker City, manufacture soft jerkbaits in an almost endless variety of colors.
All this being said, I’m going to let you in on one of my “secrets”. The vast majority of the time I fish white soft jerkbaits. I truly believe in the case of soft jerkbaits that the action of the bait is the most important factor not necessarily the color of the bait. I choose to use white most of the time because I can see the bait better in murky or deep water. Soft jerkbaits are fished on a slack line therefore being able to see the strike gives me a distinct advantage. If I see the white bait disappears from site, you can be rest assured my next step is to set the hook!
As I said earlier, there a number of manufacturers that produce soft jerkbaits. The trick is to match conditions with the appropriate bait. Here is a list of recommended baits you might want to try:
- Slug-go by Lunker City
- Fin-S Shad by Lunker City
- Houdini Shad by YUM
- Fluke by ZOOM
- Power Minnow by Berkely
Soft Jerkbaits are a “must have” if you want a bait capable of addressing a variety of fishing conditions. In part two of our series well be looking at several ways to rig the baits.
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