Tweaking Your Jerkbait Retrieve to Catch More Bass

The jerkbait is a bass magnet that dances and darts, tempting even the laziest lunkers. But simply casting and cranking isn't enough to unlock its full potential. 

The secret lies in the cadence, the rhythm of your retrieve making all the difference between a skunk or livewell full of feisty bass.

Go Beyond the Twitch-Twitch-Pause!

Many anglers fall into the "twitch-twitch-pause" trap and while it works sometimes, it's not the only retrieve option. 

Here are some ways to "shake" things up when fishing a jerkbait:

1. Mix Up Your Cadence:

Staccato: Short, sharp jabs with minimal pauses mimic fleeing baitfish, ideal for aggressive bass.

Slow and Steady: Longer, drawn-out pulls with extended pauses imitate injured prey, perfect for lethargic fish.

Erratic: Throw in some random pauses and changes in intensity for a confused, irresistible action.

2. Play with the Pauses:

Short Pause: Creates a quick flash of movement, perfect for active fish in clear water.

Long Pause: Lets the bait hang, mimicking a dying minnow, tempting wary bass.

Variable Pauses: Mix short and long pauses to keep the fish guessing and trigger their predatory instincts.

3. Don't Forget to Work the Rod:

Rod Tip: Jerking the rod tip up or down during pauses creates a subtle darting action, adding life and a change of depth to the bait.

Rod Bends: Varying the rod bend during jerks influences the intensity of the bait's movement.

4. Consider the Conditions:

Water Clarity: In clear water, use subtler retrieves and longer pauses. In murky water, crank up the aggression.

Water Temperature: In colder water, slow down your retrieve; in warmer water, speed it up.

Structure/Cover: Pause longer around cover, giving bass time to react.

Bass pro Dustin Connell relies heavily on using a jerkbait to put bass into the boat adding a number of tournament wins to his fishing resume. 

Take a moment and watch as DC provides an on the water clinic on how to use cadence and catch more bass on a jerkbait...

Remember to Experiment! 

The best retrieve cadence is the one that gets the fish biting. Observe what works on a particular day and adapt your retrieve accordingly. 

Do Jerkbaits Catch Bass in the Summer?

Interesting question but jerkbaits can be a great way to catch bass in the summer, especially when fish are often spread out chasing forage  and hard to target.

Here are a few tips on how to fish jerkbaits for bass in the summer:

• Choose the right jerkbait. There are many different jerkbaits on the market, so it's important to choose one that is the right size and color for the conditions. In general, a 4-6 inch jerkbait with an appropriate diving lip is a good choice for summer fishing. As for color, you can't go wrong with a natural baitfish color, such as a shad, perch or shiner.

• Fish in the right spots. Jerkbaits are most effective in areas where bass are likely to be feeding, such as around points, drop-offs, as well as shallow cover. In the summer, bass will often be found in shallow and deep water, so you may need to fish your jerkbaits over 3 to 15+ feet of water.

• Use the right retrieve. The key to fishing jerkbaits is to use a series of jerks and pauses. This will cause the bait to swim erratically, which will mimic the movements of a wounded baitfish. Start by making a long cast and working the bait to the desired depth. Then, jerk the rod tip up and down, pausing for a second or two between each jerk. The speed of your retrieve will depend on the water temperature and the mood of the fish. In general, fish jerkbaits faster in warmer water and slower in cooler water.

• Be prepared to make multiple casts to the same spot. Bass often won't hit a jerkbait on the first cast. Be patient and keep casting, and you'll eventually get a bite.

The bass fishing G.O.A.T, Kevin VanDam is no stranger to fishing jerkbaits successfully throughout all four seasons. Take a few minutes and watch as KVD explains his approach to fishing jerkbaits when chasing summertime bass…

Modifying Jerkbaits

Throughout the open water bassin' season, jerkbaits can be one of the most effective pressentations for catching bass especially when they are scattered, chasing bait or suspended.

Although most bass anglers always have a few jerkbaits in the box, what happens if the bass are triggering on baits running at specific depths; that suspend, rise or fall a certain way or suspend in a certain orientation and the baits you have don't cut it? 

Are you out of luck oon a great jerkbait bite?

Making This Same Mistake Fishing Jerkbaits?

Watching KVD demo how many anglers miss out by working jerkbaits too quickly got me thinking…

Do I do that?

Do you?

Guess I’ll have to pay closer attention next time I’m on the water and make adjustments accordingly!

Tight lines & full live-wells all 

Tips for Fishing Finesse Jerkbaits

When the water is chilled and a cold front passes, even the reliable 110 size jerkbait can stop triggering bass into striking. 

It's not that the bass won't hit a jerkbait under those conditions, it just takes a few adjustments to entice chilled bass back into the biting mood.

Take a moment and watch as the guys from W2F explain their tips when fishing jerkbaits for lethargic, post front bass...

So the next time you're faced with chilled, lethargic bass try downsizing the bait, using more natural color patterns, slow the cadence and match the rod combo to the size bait you're throwing!

Jerkbait Tweak to Catch More Bass

Suspending jerkbaits are already great baits for finicky bass since the hang in the water column when pausing the retrieve.

But did you know there is a tweak you can easily make on your bait to entice even more strikes?

Take a couple minutes to watch the following video and see what I mean!

When to Use Hard vs Soft Jerkbait

Here's an interesting question...

When you select a hard jerkbait over a soft version?

As with any opinion in fishing, there maybe different views but here is Kevin Van Dam's expert thoughts on the matter!

Using Jerkbaits for Springtime Post Front Smallmouth Bass

More often than not springtime cold fronts will send northern largemouth bass into an inactive funk.

Smallmouth bass however tend to be far less effected by post frontal conditions especially when an erratically darting jerkbait comes to an abrupt stop right n front of their face!

Take a moment and see how the folks from W2F use bright colored suspending jerkbaits to trigger post frontal smallmouth bass into attacking...

A few things to remember:

• Don't be afraid to try different color patterns (natural and bright) to see what the bass want
• Pick the right rod
• Remember to make multiple casts at different casting angles

Tips on Selecting the Right Jerkbait for Conditions

Interesting question when you consider the different styles of jerkbaits on the market today and I am not even talking about the many brands available…

As it turns out, many jerkbait manufacturers produce different jerkbait designs (shallow va deep; thin vs wide, etc.), each better to suited for different conditions we face each day we’re on the water…

Take a moment and listen to Bassmaster Elite Pro, Chris Zaldain as he explains his preferences for the different jerkbait styles available in the Megabass line-up…

Even though Chris covered the different Megabass jerkbaits, it’s easy enough use his approach when selecting the right bait manufactured by your favorite company!

Tight lines and full livewells all!

Select Jerkbait Colors to Match Water Conditions

When KVD speaks about anything to do with bass fishing, anglers stop and listen!

Especially so when the subject VanDam is talking about one of his favorite techniques like fishing jerkbaits!

In this video tutorial, KVD provides some keen insight on his process for selecting the right jerkbait color to match water conditions…

Spring Jerkbait Fishing Tips

As winter wanes and the warming rays of the spring Sun shine upon your favorite honey holes, one of the best presentations for bass anglers to use is the suspending jerkbait…

After a long winter and chilled metabolism, spring bass are eager to get their proverbial feed bag on and bulk up before it’s time to hit the spawning beds…

Jerkbaits have a number of different features making them one of the primary bass-catching tools of the spring since they mimic most common baitfish and can be fished at a variety of speeds and depths…

Take a few moments and let Bassmaster Elite Series Pro, Mark Menendez explain the ins and outs of using jerkbaits throughout the spring season…

Changing the cadence of your jerkbait retrieve is often the key that determines to your springtime jerkbait fishing success!

Jerk, jerk, jerk ... pause

Jerk, jerk ... pause

What's your favorite springtime jerkbait retrieve cadence?