One of the Top 5 Deadliest lures for Bass.

One of the all time great lures in bass fishing is a jerk bait. So called because of the manner in which it is most often fished, small jerks. It is second to none in cold water springtime fishing. Smallmouth and largemouth alike will "eat it up", when the water temperature is in the 45 to 55 degree range, where nothing else will buy a bite. Jerkbaits probably account for about 15% of the major tournament victories around the national tours in the spring time. It can be fished slow, fast, deep, shallow, or just let it set  and it will catch fish. 

Cold water is SLOW presentation time for the jerk bait and they must go fairly deep. They will pull big fish from a good distance when they are feeding on winter kill shad  the first thing in the spring. As the water warms they become very effective when fished over beds in an almost motionless presentation. After the hatch they will draw strikes from the male bass as they defend the fry that have just started to move off the bed.

Come fall and lowering water temperatures the jerkbait again comes into play when the fish go on a feeding frenzy before wintertime slows things down for a few months. In the fall a faster type retrieve, especially on smallmouth really seems to work best. The shad are still active and moving about so the fish expect the forage to try using fast maneuvering to get away from them. In the fall try secondary points in major creeks where there are shad in abundance. If the wind is blowing it is a big plus in finding active fish.

My new found favorite jerkbait is one called the Minnow 45 made by Spro ( a division of Gamakatsu ). It compares with some of the most expensive Japanese lures on the market in quality of action and finish, but with better hooks the, EWG ( Gamakatsu ) and at a much better price. They are available, but not everywhere yet, as they are brand new. I predict a year from now that Spro will be a household word among fishermen. Take a look below at the features offered in the Minnow 45 by Spro. You can also stop by their booth at the Bassmaster Classic in July to see them first hand. Grab you one of these neat lures and catch fish all year long with it.

Walt Reynolds, Touring Pro

The Floating Minnow 45 is the result of combining the proven success of the shallow-diving "injured minnow" design with the new, natural shapes developed by SPRO in the Prime Series lures. The Floating Minnow 45 offers advantages especially evident when fishing waters that see high amounts of fishing pressure. Fish this lure with a series of intermittent "jerks" and "stops". Each "jerk" will produce an erratic motion that large game fish find irresistible. While the Minnow 45 is at rest, it will slowly rise to the surface, further enticing even the stingiest fish.