I’m new to the idea of using jerk / slash bait. I purchased an X-Rap 10 in silver last year and had minimal results. 99% of my fishing is from the shore at metro lakes or neighborhood ponds for LMB and pike. Keeping my lure to about 6 feet of water or less is a must. Water clarity is also around 3 – 5 feet of visibility.
Can they be used year round or just in the spring and fall when water temps are lower?
Could a brighter color like clown be more effective in darker water?
How long do you let them suspend motionless between jerks?
Is the X-Rap a good way to go or is there a better lure to use?
To answer your question, I like naturals for certain situations, and bright colors or others. With the water clarity you’re describing I’d go more bright. I would also just twitch it more as apposed to ripping it, sometimes less is more. So twitch, twitch, pause, maybe count 5 – 10 in between. Also vary it up a bit to twitch, twitch, twitch, pause ( you get the point). I really like Phantom jerk baits. They have a very nice side to side walk-the-dog gliding action ( better worked from a boat or a dock). They’re great in either highly pressured lakes, to give the fish something different that not everybody is throwing. But they work really well in cold water, or cold front situations.
Jerkbaits are kind of at the low end of triggering pike bites. Well that seems to be my experience with them. It’s better to do a steady twitch crank and keep pauses for only very short time. Like just enough to mimic a fish looking at a predator and then scurry away.
I’m new to the idea of using jerk / slash bait. I purchased an X-Rap 10 in silver last year and had minimal results. 99% of my fishing is from the shore at metro lakes or neighborhood ponds for LMB and pike. Keeping my lure to about 6 feet of water or less is a must. Water clarity is also around 3 – 5 feet of visibility.
Can they be used year round or just in the spring and fall when water temps are lower?
Could a brighter color like clown be more effective in darker water?
How long do you let them suspend motionless between jerks?
Is the X-Rap a good way to go or is there a better lure to use?
KentuckyBoy
1) They can be used all season on open water. This is how I catch 75% of my toothy critters and 1/2 my bass. In summer – fall switch to larger baits such as: #12 X-Rap, 4″ Phantoms with curly tails or 1.5 oz. Saltwater X-Rap. In spring they tend to prefer smaller baits such as: # 10 X-Rap and #14 HJ is fine.
2) Match the hatch, but also switch it up with bright colors such as Clown or Firetiger.
3) You must experiment with this. It depends heavily on the water temp and the fish’s mood. In early spring begin with a 3 to 10 second pause, in summer try a 1 second pause. These are just estimates again depends on the bite. Remember the key is not to reel in the bait while twitching. Only reel in the slack. You will get more bites fishing like this.
4) X-Raps and Husky Jerks are good twitch-jerk baits to start off with in the spring.
