FRESHWATER / SUSPENDING
Suspending jerkbaits hover at depth on the pause. That is 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.
BUYING GUIDE
A suspending jerkbait does one thing no other lure can: it stops moving and stays there. At 50°F, four to six seconds is the floor for a pause. Below 45°F, push it to ten seconds or longer. The strike comes during the pause, almost always—not on the jerk. Most anglers shorten the pause when they lose confidence, which is exactly when they should lengthen it.
The difference between these picks is in how precisely they suspend. The Megabass Vision 110 Jr. and the Jackall Rerange 110SP are balanced to near-neutral buoyancy out of the box. The Rapala Husky Jerk and Smithwick Rogue are slightly positive and may need a small split-ring weight to hang perfectly in cold water. All four are worth the adjustment.
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
Balsa that's been embarrassing bass for generations. Carry a spare. You'll lose one.
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.
WATER TEMPS
Check current lake temperaturesFIELD JOURNAL
Jerking 101, the cadence that catches fishVIEW ALL
Hard Jerks.MORE WAYS TO JERK