How To Fish Jerkbaits Catch Big Bass Everglades Bass Fishing Guides

How To Fish Jerkbaits Catch Big Bass Everglades Bass Fishing Guides - Everglades bass fishing guide John Pate is a master at catching big everglades bass with jerk bates.

Learning how to fish jerksbaits is one of the best ways to catch big bass.  Everglades bass fishing fishing guide, John Pate loves floating jerkbaits to trigger explosive strikes for big bass on the edges – like a foot or two outside the lilly pads.

Jerkbaits are a little limiting because they have exposed treble hooks – so they cannot be thrown back into to structure – like lilly pads.  Other lures – like properly rigged big worms and frogs are usually the lures of choice for that.  But when the bass are hitting on the edge of the weeds or lilly pads – or further out in open water – jerkbaits can be DEADLY.

And they are a great way to locate bass.  You can cover quite a bit of water quickly – then when you get a strike – stop and fish the area more thoroughly.

Here is a great video from Doug “Bass Professor” Hannon on how to catch big bass with  jerkbaits…

Bassdover also has some great stuff on how to fish jerkbaits…

The overlooked lure. I believe that the hard jerkbait is actually one of the hottest lures and perhaps one of the best secrets of bass pros around the world. I don’t know why, but this lure is seldom mentioned in the bass magazines. Even in Italy, in the high competitive ranks, I rarely see a jerkbait tied on a bass rod. Considering this, it’s well worth the time to gain some skill and knowledge of the lure, at least to get one more edge up on the competition!

One of the big bass lures that the “Bass Professor” Doug Hannon has relied on most often to catch monster bass in clear spring waters in Florida is the Rapala Original Floating 11 and 13 in Gold or Silver colors. Hannon states that the Rapala, with its small profile and slender shape, presents very few negative cues to the eyes of a “smart” old big mouth and, a very interesting point, it is one of the few minnow-type lures that swims perfectly horizontally, just like a real fish does. If Hannon, with his great track record of more than 500 10+ pounders caught in the last 20 years, has some Rapalas in his tackle box, it means this is a great lure. But Rapala accomplishes only one of the several tasks a hard jerkbait has to accomplish. In fact, if you go back to the paragraph above, Hannon uses the Rapala mainly in clear waters.

I rely mostly on three jerkbait brands and models, and I’ll tell you why.

1) Rapala Original Floating Model 11. At a little over 4″, the Rapala is a light lure and I fish it mostly in calm water (a smooth surface is better) and CLEAR water. It is a lure which has few attracting qualities but high triggering qualities. It produces very few vibrations or flash in the water . It is a discrete lure that works the best in clear to moderately stained waters. Silver w/black back for sunny days and Gold w/black back for cloudy days or low light conditions. Because of its very light weight, I fish it on a 6’3″ spinning outfit and 8 to 10 pound test clear mono.

2) Bomber Long A Model 14. .The second lure I love to fish is also about 4″ long but heavier than the Rapala. It works very well in moderate windy conditions and dives a little deeper than the Rapala. My favourite color is Silver foil w/orange belly which produces a huge amount of flash and more often than not, triggers vicious reaction strikes from even the most finicky bass. I use this color mostly on bright sunny days but I’ve caught bass on it even at dawn or dusk in very poor light conditions. Other good colors I rely on for the Bomber Silver flash/blue back (also for sunny days) and chartruese flash/blue back/orange belly, excellent in stained waters/cloudy days. I fish the Bombers with a 5’6″ pistol grip casting rod (with light tip but lots of backbone) and 12 lb. test mono.

3) Smithwick Rattlin’ Rogue. The third lure you’ll find in my jerkbait box is the 4-1/2″ Rattlin’ Rogue. This lure dives down to 4′. I use this lure in poor light conditions (e.g., dark water/cloudy skies) because of its bigger size and – very important – built-in loud rattlers. As Jim Porter has written in one of his articles: “I haven’t seen a fish yet  that rattles.” I agree with Jim on his statement but bass seems to love those Rattlin’ Rogues and really blast them! As for the Rogue’s colors, I use silver/black backs and gold ones, for the identical reasons that I fish the Rapalas in these colors (see above). I fish the Rogues on the same outfit that I fish the Bomber 14A.

And if you live in an part of the country that get cold – here’s some great information from basspro on fishing suspending jerkbaits that will help you catch big bass when the water drops as los as 40 degrees…

Bass, as you probably know, are cold-blooded creatures, meaning their body temperature is the same as that of their surroundings. As the water temperature drops, so does their metabolic level. The digestive process is greatly slowed; according to Doug Hannon, ESPN’s Bass Professor, it takes a bass about four hours to digest a meal in 80-degree water, four days in 50-degree water! As the water temperature plummets, the need for frequent feeding diminishes, and bass become less active. But then, if you’ve ever gone strikeless at a bass club tournament on a frigid winter or early spring day, you already knew that!

Bass pros and guides are on the water constantly, and must use creative methods for catching bass when the lake is frigid. Choosing the right lure is a huge part of this equation. If you’ve had trouble scoring strikes when the water temp drops below 50 degrees, study what follows carefully. Some of bass fishing’s top pros and guides are about to heat up your next bass outing.

Suspending Jerkbait

Seasoned bass pros like Larry Nixon swear by these minnow mimics in water as cold as 40 degrees. They work best in clear to moderately stained lakes.

“Suspending jerkbaits, unlike most other bass lures, draw strikes when they’re sitting still,” Nixon told BASS PRO ONLINE. “In fact, that’s when most of your hits will come on this bait — when it’s hanging absolutely motionless in the water column.”

Nixon was the first bass pro to realize the power of suspending jerkbaits for catching early-spring bass. “I used to drill holes in floater/diver minnows like the Rebel Spoonbill, then fill ‘em with lead shot to get ‘em to suspend, a time-consuming trial-and-error process if ever there was one,” he confessed. “Now most lure companies offer minnow baits weighted at the factory to suspend perfectly. No more drilling and filling — a lure like a Smithwick Suspending Rogue will suspend perfectly right out of the box.”

Suspending jerkbaits match the lethargic mood of cold-water bass, the pro said. “In early spring, bass in clear lakes often suspend off points, flats and other potential spawning areas, waiting for the water to warm before moving shallow. These fish won’t move far to grab a meal, but they’re suckers for a jerkbait fished at their level.” When fishing these baits, remember that less is more, Nixon added. “Most anglers fish ‘em way too hard and fast. Cast, reel the lure down to its maximum depth, give one or two quick snaps of the rod tip, then just let it sit motionless — the colder the water, the longer you should pause between jerks.”

Nixon’s bonus tip: ”Fish a suspending jerkbait on a long, light-action crankbait rod, one with plenty of give. Many bass will be foul-hooked on this lure, and the hooks may rip out when a stiff-action rod is used. Fairly light line, 10 to 12 pound, will handle a big fish in open water while allowing the lure to get down to its maximum depth.”

Basically – if you are fishing in an area with open water (especially clear water) and need to cover water to find big bass – big jerkbaits are a great lure.  Try fishing them both fast an slow – and with different pause lengths.  

There will be times when the big bass will what the jerkbait fished really fast.  This will not give them a good look at the lure – so they can be fooled into biting just on the action.

Other times – a long pause will trigger a bite.  Sometimes it is the quick twitch right after a long pause that gets them to nail it.

So, if you would like to not only go fishing in the Florida Everglades… but learn how to catch TROPHY bass on jerkbaits from one of the best everglades bass fishing guides… John Pate will be happy to take you out.  He has been an everglades bass fishing guide since 1973 and is a master at fishing jerkbaits.

His personal cell phone number is 954-325-5310.