There’s more to fishing jerkbaits for bass than just twitch, twitch, pause. Dustin Connell tells us that even in cold water, he’ll fish a jerkbait fast and erratically to draw bass from cover. Hard jerks and consistent rhythm will often trigger a reaction bite from bass, even on days where the water temps leave bass lethargic.
Choosing the right line size is a fine line with jerkbaits and heavy cover, but with the right selection you can still run the bait correctly and pull bass away from the cover when fighting the fish. Connell fishes deeper diving jerkbaits on a longer, softer rod, and a 6:3:1 gear ratio reel is key to get a rhythm for this jerkbait tactic.
