Best Jerkbaits for Smallmouth 2024
MnAngler21 reply :
What are some of your favorite jerkbaits for smallies.
Crestliner2008 reply :
You should carry a variety of makes/models in various colors and sizes. Let the fish tell you what they want. If you are not getting hit, switch to another model or color. To start off with, you really can't go too far wrong with a size 10 Rapala X-Rap. I would get one in a subdued color pattern and one in an audacious pattern (i.e.: Hot Head). One of those will get you bit up until the water temp gets to 60 degrees or so. Just vary the pause times between twitches (notice I didn't say jerks). In cold water, you do not need to jerk hard to get a reaction strike. As the water warms, decrease your pause time and increase your jerks. You'll get bit! 
fisherrw reply :
I really like a lucky craft stacy 90 chart shad for Smallies
WI_Angler1989 reply :
I only have experience with a few but:
-Smithwick suspending rogue, used these on a guided trip in Sturgeon bay.
-Rapala x-rap
-Rapala Husky Jerk, these are my favorite and most productive around here (central wi)
-Rapala Shadow Rap, used a lot last year with good results. They are slow sinking and I was a bit timid since I fish snaggy rivers, but overall they were great.
I've wanted to try others: slender Pointer, mcsticks, etc but the price is right on Rapala and the fish like them. Can't agree with it.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Lucky Craft Slender Pointer
Luck E Strike STX
Custom painted 110 KO's
newriverfisherman1953 reply :
Rapala husky jerk. By far my favorite
Scott F reply :
Lucky Craft Pointer size 65, 78, 100
WI_Angler1989 reply :
I wanna try Lucky craft slender Pointers but I can't afford to buy a few just to lose them in my rivers. I'd need a loan to make it through a season at 17.99 a pop!
bowhunter63 reply :
Rouge or Rapala orginal floater
TyF reply :
Pointers are worth the money in my opinion. I have tried other brands that look almost exactly like the pointer out of the box but have many problems when they are actually put in use. Almost all of the cheaper brands I have tried either don't run straight and are difficult to get down to depth or don't truly suspend like advertised on the box which is important for winter fishing. I know there are ways to make the bait suspend like adding split rings or changing hooks but in my opinion you are paying the $17 for the consistency of the bait and so you don't have to mess around with the bait and waste time on the water to get it to run the way you want. I try to buy my pointers used or when they are on sale so I don't spend all that money.
MDBowHunter reply :
LC staysee 90, LC slender pointer, MB vision 110 ITO tour premium are the three that get the most use.
ranger7717 reply :
just got a lucky craft slender on e-bay for 9 dollars( + 3 sh)....had real good time with the shadow rap last season...like 'em both
Hogsticker reply :
As much as I hate to admit it having a box full of Duo, Ima, Lucky Craft and Spro, the Rapala X Raps seem to always find fish.
SE PA Pete reply :
Last year I threw a number of different kinds on Lake Erie, but only had a lot of action on shadow rap. Only silver colors on my trip. Anything dark was not working on the bright and clear weekend we fished. Did not have much luck with shallow runners.
no39 reply :
On 2/7/2016 at 9:48 AM, WI_Angler1989 said:I only have experience with a few but:
-Smithwick suspending rogue, used these on a guided trip in Sturgeon bay.
-Rapala x-rap
-Rapala Husky Jerk, these are my favorite and most productive around here (central wi)
-Rapala Shadow Rap, used a lot last year with good results. They are slow sinking and I was a bit timid since I fish snaggy rivers, but overall they were great.
I've wanted to try others: slender Pointer, mcsticks, etc but the price is right on Rapala and the fish like them. Can't agree with it.
How deep do the shadow raps run? If you work them really slow would they fall an extra foot in a cast?
MSWV reply :
Ive played with the shadow raps some in very clear water just to watch how they suspend and Im very pleased. Yeah, they will actually sink 3" or so during a 5 sec pause but wont sink too much in a cast to give you problems.. Most jerkbaits actually rise 3" or more during a 5 second pause.. I like the sinking better.. Personally, Im not much of a jerkbait guy (I hate to fish with them) but Ive found the Shadow rap to be my favorite.
smalljaw67 reply :
On 2/9/2016 at 2:18 PM, Hogsticker said:As much as I hate to admit it having a box full of Duo, Ima, Lucky Craft and Spro, the Rapala X Raps seem to always find fish.
I have a lot of jerkbaits and I have the Megabass Vision 110 in the regular version and the Hi-Float model, along with a good bit of Pointers, flash minnows and flash pointers and on and on. As Hogsticker has said, with all the expensive jerkbaits out there, and all the ones I own, the X-Rap is still a major player!!!
Mothercanucker reply :
Xraps and Visions are great but my absolute favorite are the Jackalls. Specifically the Dowzvido for smallmouth. Smaller profile. Kind of a "finesse jerkbait" for a little deeper than just 3-5 foot flats.
gardnerjigman reply :
DocDrew custom painted in Sizzle fry, clown or french pearl.
BassManA reply :
Anyone ever use MegaBass jerkbaits on smallmouth with much luck. Just got a few and was wondering before I try them out?
no39 reply :
On 2/22/2016 at 11:25 AM, BassManA said:Anyone ever use MegaBass jerkbaits on smallmouth with much luck. Just got a few and was wondering before I try them out?
I have. They're nice and always suspend nose down. The downside is they're uber expensive and the visions had three trebles which would be a nightmare sometimes. I took out the middle treble but it wouldn't suspend right. I haven't the inclination to mess around and test different hook set ups. I can't really say if they catch more fish. For me, the x-rap is proven and cheaper but when I need slightly deep running jerkbait I go to vision 110+.
BassManA reply :
On 2/22/2016 at 11:37 AM, no39 said:I have. They're nice and always suspend nose down. The downside is they're uber expensive and the visions had three trebles which would be a nightmare sometimes. I took out the middle treble but it wouldn't suspend right. I haven't the inclination to mess around and test different hook set ups. I can't really say if they catch more fish. For me, the x-rap is proven and cheaper but when I need slightly deep running jerkbait I go to vision 110+.
Thanks for the info! Good to know, they are very expensive so If I lose these I may be turning to x-raps. Interesting that the middle hook removal messes up suspension. I may be trying It out next weekend to see how they do.
ww2farmer reply :
Same ones I use for largemouth............SK KVD 200's and the Storm Twitch Stick. The nice...and fun thing, about jerkbait fishing in the spring around here is, on any given cast you never know what is coming to the boat. I have caught largemouth, smallmouth, pike, walleye, crappie, carp, perch, rock bass, big bluegills, and old pair of underwear all from the same 50 yard by 50 yard area before.
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 2/23/2016 at 1:32 AM, ww2farmer said:Same ones I use for largemouth............SK KVD 200's and the Storm Twitch Stick. The nice...and fun thing, about jerkbait fishing in the spring around here is, on any given cast you never know what is coming to the boat. I have caught largemouth, smallmouth, pike, walleye, crappie, carp, perch, rock bass, big bluegills, and old pair of underwear all from the same 50 yard by 50 yard area before.
Were they trophy underwear?
WI_Angler1989 reply :
On 2/23/2016 at 1:34 AM, Dwight Hottle said:Were they trophy underwear?
I hate catching underwear, I've always preferred briefs.
Gundog reply :
I've got a tackle pack full of jerkbaits of all sizes and makes but I almost always go to a Rapala Husky Jerk or a Smithwick Rogue. I just have more success with those baits but maybe its just that I use them the most.
DaileyLimit reply :
I had good luck with jointed shad raps (JSR-5) in silver. In fact, that's what caught the fish in my profile pic.
byram bassturd reply :
The ones that are smaller or run deeper like the pointer 65/78 or staysee if talking about lucky craft work better for me right after ice out in colder temps. Then I upgrade size and go shallow as water warms up.
Kevin22 reply :
xrap 08 in oilve. Smallie candy
WestMichiganBass reply :
Caught my personal best on a size 10 silver xrap this winter.
Siebert Outdoors reply :
I typically use the lucky craft pointer 78dd or a 100
DubyaDee reply :
On 2/22/2016 at 11:25 AM, BassManA said:Anyone ever use MegaBass jerkbaits on smallmouth with much luck. Just got a few and was wondering before I try them out?
I am usually always throwing a perch vision 110. They are expensive and they work. X Rap 08 is a good size to get confidence in jerkbaits.
Attila reply :
I've used X-Raps exclusively over the last couple of years and done pretty well with them, especially in the olive green pattern since the main forage up here where I fish are emerald shiners. I'm expanding the collection this year to include some Shadow Raps, Lucky Craft Pointers, and some Strike King KVD Slash Baits....hoping to see if there is any one that stands out more than the rest.
strikefc34 reply :
Megabass 110, OSP asura, slender pointer 112mr, and a flit 120.
Hurricane reply :
On 2/10/2016 at 7:17 AM, SE PA Pete said:Last year I threw a number of different kinds on Lake Erie, but only had a lot of action on shadow rap. Only silver colors on my trip. Anything dark was not working on the bright and clear weekend we fished. Did not have much luck with shallow runners.
Had great luck last year with the silver shadow rap also..
patred reply :
Is there much difference in action between the X-rap and Shadow Rap? I started using Shadow Raps last year and have caught smallmouth (and walleye and catfish and failfish) with them but keep reading about recommendations for X-raps.
Pat
roadwarrior reply :
Rapala calls the X-Rap a "slash-bait". It is a VERY active lure meant to be fished fast. The Shadow Rap by contrast is more of a traditional jerkbait. When the fish are aggressive the X-Rap is hard to beat. On my very best day fishing the X-Rap several years ago I caught nine bass on ten casts!
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 3/23/2016 at 12:38 AM, patred said:Is there much difference in action between the X-rap and Shadow Rap? I started using Shadow Raps last year and have caught smallmouth (and walleye and catfish and failfish) with them but keep reading about recommendations for X-raps.
Pat
The Xrap suspends and is a very aggressive side to side slashing bait like RW said. The Shadow Rap sinks and has more a roll and slither like most other jerkbaits.
lou304 reply :
All I know is, the one time I have managed to outfish my buddy a couple years ago when we were throwing jerkbaits, he was alternating between an x-rap and an LC 100 and I was using a MB Vission 110. Up until that point I was skeptical of spending that much on a jerkbait.
Ck13fish reply :
Shadow rap shad deep
Shadow rap deep
Megabass Vision 110
ranger7717 reply :
On 3/28/2016 at 6:53 PM, lou304 said:All I know is, the one time I have managed to outfish my buddy a couple years ago when we were throwing jerkbaits, he was alternating between an x-rap and an LC 100 and I was using a MB Vission 110. Up until that point I was skeptical of spending that much on a jerkbait.
next time switch with him so you really know if it was you or the lure !!
Nate Stonefish reply :
On 2/22/2016 at 11:25 AM, BassManA said:Anyone ever use MegaBass jerkbaits on smallmouth with much luck. Just got a few and was wondering before I try them out?
Looks like it wanted it! Remember smallmouth are visual predators. They will come up or come or from a long way to eat a jerkbait.
JeziHogg reply :
110 in perch... Man I can't wait for bass season to open in June.
"hamma" reply :
I have a clear plano 3700 chock full of jerkbaits,..original floating rapalas, x-raps, shadow raps, deep divers as well,..smithwick rogues, some lucky crafts, several megabass, and a few others, and they all have their 'moments",..and one that i added a few years ago as i felt the "need" to,....
I dont just bass fish i fish other species as well, I bought a downrigger a couple years ago for lakers and salmon, and as a avid angler i had several yozuri pins minnows that i got seeing as they infamous as a salmoniod killer and really mimic a smelt rather well and theres tons of rainbow smelts in new hampshires lakes region and in Maine as well.,.. theres a pattern that i dont know the "name" of but its a cross between chrome and gold with a yellow vertical stripe on the sides that the smallies just wouldnt leave alone as i was trolling for lakers/salmon. only drawback is that its a 1/8 oz size, so to get a good casting distance and have enough backbone in a rod to hook a smallie was a difficult chore to find,... well i have a 6 1/2 ft med. light action cheapo berkley rod for trout that casts that lure just fine on 8 lb test mono.
wherever i go now that theres smelt present i have that rod set up as it just kicks bass.
fishingfan25 reply :
Vision 110 is the best jerk bait of all time
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