This is a series of bullets or FAQs on the use of Jerk Baits. For those of us that haven't used them alot its frames out a good place to start. It's by Russ from Bassdozer. He's an excellent writer and fisherman. Remember, the water doesn't have to be real cold for you to use a jerkbait, KVD won a tough classic in Pittsburgh with them in August.

"Type of gear to throw it on?
Spinning or baitcasting with 10, 15 or 20 lb braid (depending on small/light to big/heavy jerkbaits) with 5-6 foot leader of mono or fluoro (whatever test leader matches the quarry and conditions).


How deep, how fast, how to know how deep and fast?
The deepest jerkbaits only get about half as deep as the deepest crankbaits.


Most of the above run from a few to no more than 10 feet deep at most. Realistically, the ones that run only a couple feet deep have limited use in winter. The ones that get 5, 6, 7,8 feet deep are most useful in winter. Not many jerkbaits get near 10 feet down.


Preferred structure?
Think vertical, anything where the jerkbait can be in the strike zone at 5, 6, 7 feet deep and have deeper water within striking distance is ideal situation. This could be a shallow shelf, an uprising, a crack in a wall, Anywhere you get to run the jerkbait down and pause it a few times atop the shelf or hump area before it gets pulled out over the deeper water.


Do you weight it, or somehow customize yours?
As advanced as suspending jerkbaits have become, there is still a need to doctor them with different (often heavier) hooks, suspend dots, lead wire wrapped on hook shanks - depending on model.


What time of year do you use it or NOT use it?
In cold water. As a rule of thumb, if topwaters won't work, jerkbaits will. In fact, the first suspending jerkbait was conceived by Cotton Cordell who reasoned that if a topwater worked so well with pulls and pauses, then a suspending underwater lure should work that way also, resulting in the first suspending jerkbait. Just like a topwater popper, pulls and pauses are how tyo work a jerkbait. Like a popper, with more active fish, you can pop-pop-pop and work faster with shorter pauses - and with inactive fish, wait a long time between pops.


I am most afraid of not knowing (1) how deep to fish it, and (2) how deep it's actually running when I'm fishing it.
Most say on the package how deep they run, and consider that as the maximum. Realistically, they will not be as deep as the manufacturer's stated maximum most of the time - but they will be close enough.


To summarize, of you think of fishing a popper underwater, with the same gear you'd fish a popper and the same lure actions, you will be fine. As with a popper, a key is always to instantly let slack back into the line after popping.


In terms of depth, places that let you work the lure a little within cover, and then moving out into deeper water. Then reel in and cast again,


Good luck!


Regards,
Russ"

Thanks Frank for posting Russ's comments. I'm going to give this a try. What are your 1 or 2 favorites?

I like the Team Daiwa'a and the Rapala Husky Jerks.

And before anybody asks, Something subdued Like Ghost, something Flashy like silver and Clown which is a really bright mix of flashy and shiny are the colors I use. I start with the shiny, usually.

X-Raps have been my go to jerkbaits for a few years followed by Husky jerks.

Suspending jerks can be fished slowly, but floating jerks must be used much faster if you want the bait to stay down.

Now seems the time to fish them in NY.

FrankM