masterS series
highlights
I ’ ve won three national bass tournaments on the St . Lawrence River , and jerkbaits played a key role in two of those wins . But when I think of my personal highlights of jerkbait fishing for smallmouths , I remembers lots and lots of really big fish — over 6 pounds — that I ’ ve caught on these lures . I love smallmouth bass , and when conditions are right , there ’ s no better way to catch them than on a jerkbait . In fact , conditions are usually good for a jerkbait bite on most smallmouth waters .
WHEN
There ’ s really no “ best time ” for jerkbait fishing when you ’ re targeting smallmouths . I start fishing jerkbaits in the early spring , after the water has warmed into the low 40s , and I keep fishing them until it cools below that level in the fall . As long as you have good water clarity , the jerkbait is a strong choice , and it can be effective when bass are up near the surface all the way down to 20 feet or even more . It has that kind of “ pull .”
Smallmouths will come a long way to eat a jerkbait , especially when the water ’ s warm in the summer to mid-fall when they ’ re most active .
where
A jerkbait is best near some kind of edge . My favorite cover for jerkbait fishing is scattered rock or grass . Transition areas are great , too . Where you find a boulder in the middle of smaller rock is almost a sure thing . The very best situation is probably when you find scattered grass and rock together . Some of my very best days of smallmouth fishing with jerkbaits came from those kinds of places .
tackle
My go-to jerkbait combo starts with 12- pound-test Bass Pros XPS 100 % Fluorocarbon line spooled onto a Lew ’ s KVD LFS casting reel with a 7.5:1 gear ratio on a medium-heavy 6-foot-10 Lew ’ s KVD GC2 casting rod . It ’ s a setup I designed and one that ’ s perfectly adapted for the way I fish a jerkbait .
I ’ m pretty tall , so I like the 6-foot-10 rod , but Lew ’ s also makes a 6-foot-8 version that ’ s just right for shorter anglers or anyone who ’ s more comfortable with a little bit shorter rod . The reel is fast , but not too fast . I move the jerkbait with the rod tip and only use the reel to take up slack . If I use a faster reel , I tend to pull the bait with the reel . It ’ s a personal thing , and the 7.5:1 gear ratio allows me to fish a jerkbait at a comfortable cadence .
I worked really hard with Strike King to develop a lineup of jerkbaits that covers all the bases . It ’ s called the KVD Jerkbait , and it comes in four models .
I do most of my jerkbait fishing with 12-pound line . If I want to go a little shallower , I ’ ll switch to 14 pound , and if I want a little more depth , I can drop to 10 or even 8 . But 12 is a good starting point for most of my jerkbait fishing . It allows me to make a long cast , and it has the strength and responsiveness to deal with most cover situations .
64 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | JUNE-JULY 2021