01 / FRESHWATER / SUSPENDING
Suspending jerkbaits hover at depth on the pause — the moment most bass commit. These are the ones that get it right: neutral buoyancy, tight wobble on the jerk, and a dead-stop hang that makes a fish choose violence.
MEGABASS
The yen-priced cult favorite. It'll outfish your tackle box and you'll lose it before you're ready.
SMITHWICK
Cold-water religion in a long thin package. March bass tournaments have been won on this one bait.
RAPALA
$7 of balsa that's been embarrassing bass since 1936. Buy three. You'll lose two.
LUCKY CRAFT
The deep-diver in the lineup. Pulls strikes from fish that ignored everything shallower.
MEGABASS
Same body, deeper running, even more attitude. The +1 gets to the bass the Jr can't reach.
JACKALL
Tournament-grade slack-line darter. The pause is where it gets eaten.
ALL PICKS
Hard Jerks.