Jerkbaits...for The Bank Fisherman? 2025

shootermcbob reply :

I fish from the bank. I have just started getting into fishing jerkbaits.

Where would you guys recommend fishing them?

I have targeted the "causeways" where water passes under the highway with some success.

Should I fish parallel to shore?

Cast out along points and work bait back to me?

try to work some of the flats?

Please share what works for you.

As always, thanks to all.

J Francho reply :

Fish them where the fish are or where the bait fish are, more specifically, so all of the above. They are a great tool for shore fishing.

MCS reply :

I like throwing the around riprap and dams/spill ways when it is cooler.

also had some sucess throwing them just on the edge of shady spots in the hotter months, give it a good rip and stop right infront or right past and they will usually be there waiting and bam.

BassinLou reply :

What you asked and everything JFrancho and MCS said.

wisconsin heat reply :

some of my best jerkbait spots are by boat landing or other steep banks. When a jerkbait bite is on, I will catch fish in areas i usually skip or get skunked at. Throw a jerkbait everywhere you can!

BassWhole! reply :

Anywhere i have 2+ feet of open water, I approach fishing from shore the same as fishing from a boat, the only difference is you can't move the boat...

PABASS reply :

As a bank fisherman myself you only have limited real-estate so fan cast and move, note when you do catch a fish what was happening to the bait and around the bait(Structure for example). Typically you caught one there is a reason for that and you have the potential to catch another, I am also thinking about what the bait is doing on every cast. For me I can catch bass on jerkbaits all year long, its just a matter of knowing where the fish are and what they want, jerkbaits I own especially floating and or suspending only go down so deep and if this fish aren't eating in that water column don't waste your time.. For me most of my fish come from parallel and tight to the shoreline.

tomustang reply :

Anywhere thats open. Just keep and eye on the actual depth you're throwing into and stay within depth range for the lure.

shootermcbob reply :

Thanks guys. I appreciate the all the help.

SirSnookalot reply :

I fan cast with the emphasis closer to shore, I prefer shallow running jerkbaits.

Kachok reply :

I have cought many a bass from the bank with a jerk bait, the silver/blue generic ratteling variety works for me as well as any. That said nowadays I mainly use weightless 6" lizards because when you only have limited area to fish might as well fish it slow and easy to get those inactive bass too. I run my jerks around all types of cover/depth, so don't be shy about where you use it.

kickerfish1 reply :

Since we are talking about hard jerkbaits I will tell you keep a few things in mind. Weedgrowth may dictate where or when you can use them. Typically early spring or late fall as most of the warm months you may encounter too many weeds depending on the waters you fish. When you purchase jerkbaits opt for the baits that wont run really deep as they will be even more prone to weeds and hangups. Most run in the 3-6 foot depth and some suspend while others float up. I have fished quite a few and if I was fishing from the bank I would use a LC pointer 78 series on 10lb line with a ML or medium rod.

Oh and the closer your bait gets to the shore start raising your rod tip if the cover starts getting more snag prone. Like others have said make casts that are at the 10:00 and 2:00 position or parallel. Make sure you fish the lure all the way in as I have seen fish strike a foot or two from shore.

Good luck and experiment a bit until you find what works best.

bowhunter63 reply :

Yea i use em alot,Around rip rap and at dams.I wade alot and always have some along.Rapla and rouges produce well.

The Young Gun reply :

I'm only 15, so bank fishing is a huge part of my bass intake. Jerkbait's are my absoulute favorite. Have to fish them with braided line then the jerk part is killer. Bass will come a long ways for a jerkbait. I will throw them in just about anyplace anywhere. Just make sure you keep a good cadence and have pauses in it. thats when the bass will inhale it like nothing.

tomustang reply :

Oh since you said you're starting to get into it, I'll mention that there's floating, suspending, and sinking jerkbaits. Most are labeled and where you use them will depend on the conditions

The Young Gun reply :

On 10/31/2012 at 9:18 AM, tomustang said:

Oh since you said you're starting to get into it, I'll mention that there's floating, suspending, and sinking jerkbaits. Most are labeled and where you use them will depend on the conditions

This will help a lot to know what you have and were you can use all of them.. 2 years later I still don't use all styles of jerkbaits to their full potential..

Line wise. Power pro 20lb test is cheap and it works.. if you wanna get fancy go suffix 832. But braid is a must for jerkbaits its way better action and sentitivity and no stretch.

J Francho reply :

Quote
But braid is a must for jerkbaits

Braid is a must not for jerkbaits. No stretch means not good with treble hooks, and it fouls up too easily on the the pause. 10-12# P-Line CXX works fine for me.

PABASS reply :

On 10/31/2012 at 9:24 AM, The Young Gun said:

This will help a lot to know what you have and were you can use all of them.. 2 years later I still don't use all styles of jerkbaits to their full potential..

Line wise. Power pro 20lb test is cheap and it works.. if you wanna get fancy go suffix 832. But braid is a must for jerkbaits its way better action and sentitivity and no stretch.

I never fished jerkbaits with braid and not sure why you would need/want the sensitivity from braid for a jerkbait? Really you need more stretch to make sure that you don’t rip the bait from the fish to early. I have always used/prefer mono [better hookups and stays near the top] I know allot of people whom like to use fluorocarbon, which has better sensitivity then mono,sinks and is harder to see, however as action is concerned I don’t see how braid would provide better action then mono or flouro. Aside from how you work the bait the action comes in part from the rod [i like to use a Moderate to slow rod 7’ in length.] and the knot, a rapala knot will yield more action then an improved clinch knot.

As another user stated it depends on the condition that dictates jerkbait lure selection, suspending I believe and what I personally use if for is for colder water and or less aggressive fish, floating is for more aggressive fish and not sure about sinking as I don’t own/use many of them.

shootermcbob reply :

Thanks for all the insight and suggestions.

guitarkid reply :

I use jerkbaits from the bank all the time,I use them more as a slow moving crankbait though. In warmer water I like to let it sink and BARELY hit the tops of weeds, then rip it up. repeat. I usually do this on flats, it covers a lot of ground while still appealing to fish who don't want something blazing past their face. By the way, as a fellow bank beater don't get into the mindset of "boat baits" and "bank baits". Use what you think is the most versatile and what they will be biting.

ps. pointers sink REALLY slow in warmer water.

-gk

kickerfish1 reply :

To the OP concerning braided lines and jerkbaits... typically manufactures suggest 8-12 # line. Most of the time mono or especially floro excel to help the bait suspend and possibly get deeper. Megasbass noted their vision 110 series fishes best on sunline sniper 10# floro or their Megabsss Dragon line.

bkohlman reply :

I too am a bank fisherman, and never have ventured into the jerkbait aisle at BPS. I hope to pick one or two up and give them a try soon.

rubba bubba reply :

In Dwight's tips in the pinned jerkbait thread he uses braid all the time. It's just a tool, use it if it works for you.

IntroC reply :

On 11/4/2012 at 11:44 AM, rubba bubba said:

In Dwight's tips in the pinned jerkbait thread he uses braid all the time. It's just a tool, use it if it works for you.

Amen to that! The sensitivity you get with braid is unparalled. Feeling the slightest ticks can be a huge advantage. In clear water tie on a three foot leader of floro. There are no end all, be alls in fishing. Use what works for YOU.

SirSnookalot reply :

I use braid with jerkbaits (use braid with everything) because I don't like stretch. Never felt sensitivity was an issue using any kind of lure with exposed an hook or hooks. Maybe fish in certain parts of the country hit a jerkbait and stop dead in their tracks, in Florida they hit it and run, lol. How is possible to not know a strike regardless of the line being used?

BradH reply :

On 11/5/2012 at 2:39 PM, SirSnookalot said:
Maybe fish in certain parts of the country hit a jerkbait and stop dead in their tracks, in Florida they hit it and run, lol. How is possible to not know a strike regardless of the line being used?

I have watched fish in clear water next to the boat on a very cold day swim up, mouth a paused jerkbait and not feel a thing. It happens more than we think it does. But yeah, usually they just wreck it.

shootermcbob reply :

As an update, I have been fishing jerkbaits a lot over the last couple weeks. I have been catching one to 4 fish every time I go...on a jerkbait. It is really odd, but I have found I have to try not only different retrieves, but different jerkbaits. Yesterday, the two fish I caught were on a XR-8 rapala x-rap..today...caught two on an Xr-6...after I had thrown the XR-8 size.

Also, even though it is getting pretty cold here in Ohio, I have had better luck, at least up to this point, with a more steady jerk, jerk, pause...for about 8 seconds or so, than I have letting the lure sit for 20-30 seconds.

Again, thanks to all for the input.

PABASS reply :

On 11/5/2012 at 8:48 AM, IntroC said:

Amen to that! The sensitivity you get with braid is unparalled. Feeling the slightest ticks can be a huge advantage. In clear water tie on a three foot leader of floro. There are no end all, be alls in fishing. Use what works for YOU.

I agree if it works, however with that being said experiment and see if anything works better, try a leader with your braid, try mono, try flouro, take advantage of the properties of said lines, learn something new and see what happens.

With that being said I feel using braid with a jerkbait works against me, that is what I have learned.

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Jerkbaits...for The Bank Fisherman? 2025

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