Suspending Jerkbaits

[BigBassin144]

Soon it'll be time to cover the boat and start organizing (and buying) tackle for next spring (at least that'll be soon around here), which got me thinking about jerkbaits for next spring.

Going through my very limited selection of Husky Jerks, X-raps, Rouges, and a couple BPS ones, I decided I'll need some more for the spring.

I like the few I have and, but the x-raps won't do good till later spring, and the BPS ones suspend like a hunk of lead taped to a rock (I guess that's what I get for buying the $2.49 lures...

I've been looking around and really want to try some of the Spro McSticks, and XCalibur jerkbaits.

So, what are some of your favorite suspending jerkbaits? And colors

BB

Oh, and what is so great about the LC Pointers, cause almost everything I read about jerkbaits mentions them.... Is it just the name, or are they really better?

[n8sbassin]

I'm not the best with jerk baits, but I do catch my fair share in the winter and (very) early spring. Don't discount the x-rap as a spring bait only, I've caught some good ones on it in early January! Most of my jerk fish have come on a smithwick rouge, mostly clown color. Never tried the Lucky Craft jerks, but they win alot of money here in Missouri when its cold!!
I personally like the jig in winter, but I do throw jerks to mix it up a little!

[Bender]

BB, I like the Pointers a lot. They have a great internal weight transfer system so they cast a mile, great action, and tons of colors. Last fall when the McSticks came out I bought about 5 of them and it's the only Spro bait I don't like. I do like the XCaliber ones though, seem to work pretty well. Also check out the Ima Flit, it will run down to 8' on 8# line and has crazy action. I think you are not too far away from Morenci, MI. There is a pharmacy there called Mike's RX and he has a super selection of jerkbaits. I've never been to the store but I've met Mike a few times and ordered from him online before. I need to get an order in soon for some Flits and Pointer 100DDs in gold, seems to be the hot color around here.

Edit: I also like Jackall's Squad Minnow but haven't had luck on the Squirrel. Some guys are opposite of me on those baits. I'm too afraid to throw the Megabass around here, too many pike. Also Mike's has C-Flash cranks, check them out if you go there.

[BigBassin144]

Bender, we drive by Mike's on the way to Lake hudson, but it's never open when we go. I'll have to go and check it out one day during the week.

I did look at the Ima Flit, but it's mor expensive than the pointers, lol. Well some of them anyways. Maybe I'll buy a Pointer with some christmas money next spring.

Which of the two XCalibur jerkbait do you like better, the smithwick rogue style one or the one that looks like the Pointer?

BB

[rrw4258]

Jerkbaits are not one of my favorites to throw, but the ones I like include the X-Rap and X-Rap Deep, along with the smaller size XCalibur, and the Strike King Wild Shiners aren't too bad either. Haven't tried a rogue yet but plan to pick some up this winter, when there is nothing else to do except feed the bait monkey...

Ryan

[Kevin]

I rely heavily on jerkbaits in the colder months to coax fish. For me, baits that suspend perfectly or even fall extremely slow are critical. If the water temps are 50 degrees or below, I've found a floating jerkbait to be far less effective, so much of my choices are based around the suspending models.

Bender... you mentioned that you've fished the Spro McStick's (as have I)... have you noticed that their "Suspending" jerkbaits float like bobbers out of the box? I got a mass of them all at once so I wasn't sure if I just got a bad batch that float, or if they all float (and this is on fluoro!). I'd be interested to know if your McStick's floated as well. I cut a SuspenStrip to about 3/4 size and apply it slightly behind the bill to get it to suspend right.

Although my McSticks don't suspend out of the box, I really do like their action for cold water. I don't rip them, but simply drag them through the water, just enough to get a subtle wobble out of them. Their action in this kind of presentation is more subdued than most jerkbaits, which I like. Another major plus about the McStick is that the lure suspends (with a SuspenStrip, of course) with a "nose-down" profile. In other words, when still in the water, the nose of the bait is much lower than the tail. This helps promote fish coming up from underneath the bait to strike the head of the lure, and not the tail-end. This is a leading reason why I have moved to the McStick for a lot of my cold weather jerkbaiting, even though there are some other annoyances as I alluded to earlier (suspending).

Of course, Lucky Craft makes some great jerkbaits. I'm very interested in fishing their new Lucky Craft Pointer XD models, which have a deep diving bill and run to 8-10 feet, for targeting drops and ledges.

What's tough is, a lot of manufacturers are now building their jerkbaits to suspend with fluorocarbon (which is great), but many older baits were built to suspend with mono, so as consumers, it's been tough for us to know how a bait will react the first time we cast it out. I highly recommend SuspenStrips for fine tuning.

[Bender]

Kevin, Yes the McSticks I have float too when thrown on 10# fluoro. Maybe I'll try a strip to see what happens. I have had a lot of different ones float, it's probably due to the water temperature for some of them. Also I am worried about those XD Pointers, 1/3 oz. for the 78? Seems light to me but may not be bad.

I forgot about Rogues, some of my most productive days ever have come on them. I like the Limited Rogue in Hot Rod color. Then you can add a feathered tail hook, lead strip by the chin, etc. or just use them as is.

I hardly ever throw floaters but there is a little 3"? chartreuse floating Rogue made for walleye fishing that is great for active fish. Work it fast.


Edit: I forgot the best piece of advice, don't make the mistake I did. Just because Lucky Craft has 100 colors doesn't mean you need so many of them. I would stick to what works the best for you and get a few of the same. I think if you ask a lot of local anglers you will end up finding that Ghost Minnow is the top choice. I've also done well with matte female sunfish(!?). If you talk to Mike ask him what is his #1 seller and let us know.

[BeaverIslander]

I like the Husky Jerks and X-Raps the best, but other than that I've only used Smithwick Susp Rogues and some Bomber susp jerks.

I use X-Raps when I want the most action, and Husky Jerks when I want a little less.

For colors, I mainly stick to the naturals like ghost white, black/silver, blue/silver, black/gold/orange, green/silver/orange, with one exception, the color called clown, which is chartreuse back/silver sides/red head.

[zooker]

I use a lot of X-Raps. If the fish are near or on the surface I use a rouge.. X-Raps are the only jerk bait I have found that you can work extremely fast...

My colors are a bit off since I also use them in salt water for trout..



zooker

[rodnreel]

The Pointer is the best jerkbait I've used. I think Kevin touched on it with the McSticks suspending like bobbers. The LC Pointers lay almost perfectly straight in the water when stopped and stay at the depth for a long time before they start slowly sinking. Personally though, I like them because they can be used with a crankbait style retrieve as well. I really like to drag them through the water and stop when the fish are not hitting the typical hard jerk/stop retrieve. Plus, the paint is awesome and they come in a ton of different colors and sizes. Chart. Shad is my favorite color by LC and IMO, they are well worth $15.