Early Spring Bass Fishing with a Jerk Bait

Most bass anglers foam at the mouth and wait for a top water bite. It’s also universal that slamming a hookset on a jig eater is about as good as it gets. We like it when bass are decidedly on the top or bottom of the water column. When they are in the middle, that is when it gets tricky.

Suspended bass have filled up many swear jars and contributed to laughably light bags on tournament days. If you think about bass lures, most are geared towards that ideal placement of targeting high or low.

At this point in the year, it’s not that simple. Late winter to early spring is a time of transition. It’s like the equivalent to middle school for bass. We all know that we had no idea what we wanted in middle school. To catch them now, you have to actively target the middle ground.

This is where the jerk bait shines. Suspending jerk baits dance and settle within the 4-6 foot range. It’s an easy drive for fish that have already pushed upward, but it can also create some vicious bites from fish traveling from the bottom from anywhere to 10-15 feet below the bait for an easy meal. The good news is generating bites with a jerk bait is fairly easy.

You want to throw a nice long cast in order to really work the bait to its potential. Give it a few hard cranks with the handle to gain depth. Then, it is time to make her dance. Twitch your rod downwards toward the water 1-2 times. This is where the pause comes in. We like the pause. It is our friend. It feels unnatural to bass fishermen. We want to chunk and burn. BUT. The pause is crucial to fishing a jerk bait successfully.

Sometimes, you may need to pause for up to 30 seconds between twitches. Other days, they are smashing it after 5 seconds. The main thing is to remember to include a pause while keeping a semi slack line, so you are ready to reel down and bring them home after the bite.

The iBobber Snappr is ready to bring the bite to you. The green flashing LED adds a heightened visibility and temptation to the bait. And remember what we said about the pause. Even during the pause, the Snappr is still working by utilizing its vibrations to create natural sounds that are sure to attract fish. The visual enhancements along with the sound and feel of a real bait fish combine to make the middle ground of the water column the easy ground.

So, get out there. We’ve waited through a long winter, and the time is finally here. The Snappr is ready to go fishing. Are you?