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The 7 Best Jerkbaits For Bass Fishing in 2023

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Are you looking to catch a big bass this year? Start by getting excellent jerk baits for bass! Jerkbait is the perfect lure for bass fishing. It uses a  sharp hook when catching fish and is very effective year-round.

More importantly, it is rigged to mimic the action of a dying fish and produce an erratic action that is irresistible to bass, ensuring that you’ll have a great catch! 

Nonetheless, if you want your fish to have a better fight and to have more control over your fishing experience, it’s time for you to choose the right jerkbait for your next trip!

So, whether you are an experienced or beginner angler, this article will walk you through the best jerkbaits for bass fishing that will help you maximize your fishing experience. Continue scrolling to know which jerkbait you’ll add to your tackle box this 2023!

7 Best Jerkbaits For Bass Fishing

1. Spro McStick 110 Jerkbait

Best Overall

Key features:

  • Has 4 sticky sharp Gamakatsu no. 5 trebles
  • Has a solid hookup
  • Available in 19 detailed colors
  • Has realistic red eyes and action

This lure has sticky sharp Gamakatsu treble hooks, which ensures solid hookups for the bass. It also has realistic red eyes and can be rigged to mimic live baits, enticing bass even more! 

Moreover, Spro McStick jerkbait is designed as suspending jerkbait, perfect for fishing at a lower temperature on early and late fishing. It also works for the warm seasons, making it perfect for tournaments all year round! 


2. Strike King KVD Jerkbait

Best Deep Diving Jerkbait

Key features:

  • Has 3 dimension eyes
  • Has chip-free paint
  • Has a sharp side-to-side wobble
  • Available in 21 colors
  • Has weight transfer system

Strike King KVD jerkbait features 3D eyes for a more realistic presentation under the water. It also has chip-free paint, so you can go fishing without worrying about its durability and natural appearance.

More importantly, it has a sharp side-to-side wobble movement, ensuring an erratic action that fools the fish until it attracts.

It is available in 21 colors for wide options and is equipped with a weight transfer system to go far the distance in deeper water. So, if you are an angler who goes crazy over catching bass with a productive lure, this jerkbait could give you a strike.


3. Yo-Zuri 3DB Jerkbait Suspending Lure

Best For Stained Water Condition

Key features: 

  • Has a 3D internal prism design
  • Has a wave-motion vibration
  • Has a suspending jerkbait action
  • Features a mylar tail

Yo- Zuri 3DB lure counts as one of those high-quality jerkbaits on the market. With its 3D internal prism design, fish is more attractive because of its unique flash. It also features a wave-motion vibration and mylar tail that provides additional attraction to the fish. 

More importantly, the erratic action of this jerkbait mimics a wounded baitfish, making hungry bass even more tempted.


4. Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait X

Best All-Around Jerkbait

Key features:

  • Has a streamlined profile
  • available in 10 colors
  • Has a suspended design
  • Has an integrated long-casting system

If you are an angler who goes for a classic lure, this x-rap jerkbait should fit you. It comes with a streamlined profile for improved stability, ensuring you hit a strike zone perfectly. 

More importantly, this bass fishing Rapala is available in 10 different colors, so anglers can have the best options to fit their needs and types. Thus, its suspended design should present you with consistent and aggressive darting action. 

Lastly, this lure runs 3 to 8 feet deep underwater, assuring that its long casting system will benefit you.


5. Z-MAN Scented Jerk ShadZ

Great Soft-Bodied Jerkbait

Key features: 

  • It is 5 inches long
  • It is available in 25 colors
  • Has a salt-impregnated soft jerkbait

Z-Man scented jerk shadz is one of the best jerkbait for you to add to your tackle box. These bass lures feature a salt-impregnated body for extra casting weight and slower sinking.

It is perfectly designed to impersonate a struggling baitfish so you can catch bass effectively and hit the strike zone smoothly.


6. Rapala Original Floating Lures

Number One “Go-to” Lure

Key features: 

  • Made up of balsa wood construction
  • Has a natural minnow profile
  • Stainless through wire construction

This go-to lure is still the best jerkbait for bass anglers. It has a natural minnow profile for real-life resemblance to baits and is irresistible to fish. 

It is also designed to have neutral buoyancy and hang in the water column at mid-depths, neither sinking nor moving floating like an injured baitfish.


7. Megabass Vision 110+1 Jr. Jerkbait

Best Jerkbait for Cold Water Fishing

Key features:

  • Made up of hand-painted artisan finish
  • Has sticky-sharp hooks
  • Has a multiway moving balancer system

Megabass Vision 110+1 Jr is hand-painted in an artisan finish and has hooks with dynamic twitching for enticing the fish. This lure is a smaller version of other jerkbaits, such as the 110+1, making it great for anglers looking for a downsized profile.

Furthermore, this smaller version of fishing jerkbaits will excite bass anglers for cold-water fishing or early spring fishing games.


best jerkbaits
Source: Canva Pro

Jerkbait Types

Bass jerkbaits come in two varieties; hard-bodied jerkbaits and soft-bodied jerkbaits. Meanwhile, the first bait comes in three subsets.

Hard Jerkbaits

Hard jerkbaits feature three treble hooks for more successful hooksets. These lures are known for their long and thin contour, making them perfect for easy casting. They are also created from wood and plastics.

Floating Jerkbait

One of the most popular types of solid jerkbait is the floating jerkbaits. These lures rest atop the water and float. Floating jerkbait begins to dip in the water when the rod is swept into motion.

Sinking Jerkbaits

This type of lure sinks in the water at a specified rate until acted upon by the angler’s rod inclination. Its sink rate can be measured by feet per second.

Suspending Jerkbaits

A suspending jerkbait is designed to stay just below the surface of the water. With this kind of lure, an angler can place the rod tip at a low angle for a profound point of the lure in the water.

Soft-Bodied Jerkbait

This type of soft bait is built from plastic and rubber composition. Most anglers use this type of bass fishing lures in a seedless area to prevent hang-ups. These lures are best for stimulating actions because of their plastic construction.

How To Fish a Jerkbait

Jerkbaits are versatile lures and handy that’s why they are so popular with anglers. When you fish jerkbaits’ style, you want to create a movement of a wounded baitfish to attract the fish.

Keep the lure based on your surroundings, and fish slower when the water is cold. Bass in this season moves slower than those of the warmer season.

In the warmer season, you need to get fast and aggressive with the fish lure.

Things to Consider When Buying Jerkbaits

Take a look at these three things to think about when purchasing jerkbaits.

Size

The size of your lure will take an important role when you’re out fishing. Most jerkbaits have the same sizes, but they have specific applications. In that case,  choosing the size of your bait will be based on what application it will be used for.

Design

Though most jerkbaits have the same sizes, they have distinctive designs, all unique to each type. Choosing the right design based on your environment is the key to abundant catch.

Color

Color comes next to design. Choosing the right color for your lure will increase the odds of catching a trophy. Jerkbaits come available in large color options so you can choose what’s suitable for your fishing environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a jerkbait?

Jerkbaits imitate a wounded baitfish and work best when you jerk your fishing rod during the retrieve. This jerking motion gives the jerkbait an eccentric action, just like that of falling prey that entices the fish.

What line is best for jerkbaits?

Your fishing line will best depend on the lure you are using, so choose a monofilament line for floating jerkbaits. However, you can opt for fluorocarbon lines if you are going for a suspending or sinking lure.

Do smallmouth like jerkbaits?

Jerkbaits are a favorite for most species, including smallmouth and largemouth bass, so using these lures will serve you with no worries.

What is the action rod best for jerkbaits?

Most anglers use short to medium rods for fishing that fall from 6-7 feet long. So, if you are out for full-size lures, baitcasting reels could work for you. While spinning reels will serve for smaller size lures.

What is the deepest diving jerkbait?

The Strike King KVD 300D Series has the perfect roll, wiggle, and flash combination and can dive up to 11 feet.

Conclusion

Since its inception, the fishing industry has been booming. The jerkbaits that anglers use today are all pretty much-proven winners.

What makes jerkbaits so popular to anglers and a favorite to bass is that this is natural to predatory fish, particularly in the springtime when baitfish are at their smallest.

So, it doesn’t matter if you are a novice or a seasoned pro. Just pick the right bait and best jerkbaits for you, and you are sure to win the trophy! 

Diana Nadim
Fishing Expert
Diana began fishing at the age of seven, as it has been a long-time family tradition. From catching small bullheads to catching strippers on the backwaters of Bighorn, she loves to get out in the wild and have a marvelous day on the water. Her dad was an expert angler, and he taught her fishing along with her two siblings. They used to go to the Bighorn River in Montana and Henry’s fork, Idaho. As a pragmatic person, she is obsessed with creating well-researched and practical guides and reviews of the best fishing methods and gear.
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