How to Fish a Jerkbait
What a jerkbait is and why it darts, the crank-and-pause retrieve Arkansas Game and Fish recommends after a cold front, how long to pause, and which fish take stick baits, following Wikipedia, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
A jerkbait is a slender hard lure shaped like a small baitfish such as a shad, with a short, steeply angled bill and usually two or three treble hooks. Wikipedia explains how it works: when you flick the rod, the sudden acceleration makes the nose of the lure roll and yaw, giving a stop-and-go, darting motion like the struggle of an injured or dying fish. This guide covers the retrieve, the pause and when to use one, following Wikipedia, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).
Why a jerkbait works in cold water
AGFC’s winter fishing advice explains the background. Fish are cold-blooded, so as water cools their metabolism and activity drop, and they look for the most energy for the least effort. Cold fronts also stun baitfish such as threadfin and gizzard shad, many of which struggle for days. Largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass feed on them, and a jerkbait looks like one of those struggling shad.
AGFC notes that on the day of the front it can be hard to get a fish to take a lure over the real thing, but after a day or so a suspending jerkbait “can be the ticket”.
The retrieve (AGFC)
- Cast out and crank the lure down a few turns of the reel handle.
- Pause and let it rest a few seconds.
- Crank a few more turns, then pause again.
You can move the lure by snapping or sweeping the rod tip and then reeling up the slack, or by cranking the handle quickly. AGFC says either approach works, and that the length of the pause can be the key to more strikes: some days a quick jerk-jerk-pause cadence works, other days you need a long pause of 10 seconds or more.
Wikipedia’s general advice for plugs applies too: vary the retrieve speed, twitch the rod tip, or stop the lure completely and then resume quickly.
Suspending, floating and sinking
Plugs can float, hover with neutral buoyancy, sink slowly or sink fast (Wikipedia). A suspending jerkbait stays at its depth during the pause, and that is the type AGFC recommends after a cold front.
Where and when
- Winter, after a cold front: AGFC’s main use, for bass feeding on stunned shad as lakes cool into the 50s °F.
- Spring walleye: MDC suggests slow-moving stick baits, shiners, or a jig and minnow in late winter and early spring, when walleye gather near tributaries and rocky points.
- Cover: Wikipedia notes plugs are often cast to land next to likely hiding spots, such as a snag pile or an overhanging tree, and worked back.
Our fall fishing guide covers the cooling-water season, and a soft jerkbait gives a similar darting action with a soft plastic.
Landing the fish
Jerkbaits carry two or three treble hooks. MDC’s fishing tips: let the fish take line on the drag, lead it into a landing net, and keep hands away from a flopping fish, using hemostats or needle-nose pliers to remove the hooks. Our guide to landing a fish covers the fight.
Sources
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Take it slow for winter fishing. Read 28 October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Plug (fishing), section on jerkbaits. Read 28 October 2026.
- Missouri Department of Conservation, Walleye and sauger: fishing tips and Fishing tips. Read 28 October 2026.
Recommended Gear on Amazon
- Suspending jerkbaits - browse current options and reviews on Amazon.
- Suspend strips for tuning baits - browse current options and reviews on Amazon.
- Fluorocarbon line - browse current options and reviews on Amazon.
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