The Versatile Jerkbait by Charles Stuart

With so many lures available on the market today, it is often a daunting task to decide what is good for a particular situation, time of day, water clarity and temperature. The jerkbait is a lure that can produce quality fish for almost all situations, in both still and moving water. What is more, the adaptability of this bait makes it a "go to" when crankbaits or spinnerbaits are not producing.

Jerkbaits (sometimes referred to as stickbaits) average 6 to 8 inches in length and are shaped like a slim cigar, sometimes straight, sometimes slightly curved or you may find them with a jointed mid-section. Not to be confused with top water lures, jerkbaits have a small lip, which assists in the diving process.

With the use of adhesive lead dots or strip weights and water fillable apertures, these lures can be adjusted to any depth, giving an "in your face" presentation, something a bass cannot resist. Several types are available on the market, however few of them offer versatility or "out of the pack" performance with (in my opinion) the exception of Norman Lures and Rapala the use of which I will detail after I have explained the tackle and types of retrieve... read more