Why Jerkbaits Are My Favorite Lures

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Wired2fish’s Kyle Peterson chronicles an underwater bass and walleye filming mission that parlayed into an excellent late fall jerkbait bite. Peterson starts by reviewing the underwater footage, then shifts the discussion on why jerkbaits have become his favorite all-around multi-species lure for catching everything from bass to walleye and even crappies when conditions align. No matter where you live or the season, a jerkbait is among the purest artificial representations of a minnow, and minnows are always on the menu.

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Live sonar technology like Garmin’s Panoptix LiveScope or Humminbird’s MEGA Live has provided opportunities to use lures in new and innovative ways. Peterson has become an expert at using live sonar to find fish and experiment with new lure applications. Through this “sight fishing” experimentation, he’s learned that few baits trigger bites better than a minnow profile (jerkbait) fished erratically and at a custom speed and action matched to the fish’s mood.

Peterson shares the details of his favorite all-around jerkbait setup, emphasizing the importance of a forgiving rod, smooth and light long-cast reel, fluorocarbon line, and performance jerkbaits that hit critical depths while imitating forage with a high degree of realism. If you’re looking to trigger seemingly uncatchable fish, we hope this and some of the other linked videos help you unleash the power of the mighty jerkbaits. Check out our Jerkbait Fishing Channel for more informative content.

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