Jerkbaits for Trout

[Devan S.]

When you throw jerkbaits are you working them like a jerkbait or are you slowly reeling them? I've tried 2 times to dedicate to just using a jerkbait and my results are very limited. I've only caught one fish. I've had a couple follows back to the boat but nothing that would commit. I'm also assuming in the deeper section of the upper lake(between 65 and fall creek) your using countdowns to get extra depth? I know with jigs you want them way down in the water column is the thought the same with jerkbaits or will the bait pull those larger trout in?

[Mitch f]

13 minutes ago, Devan S. said:

When you throw jerkbaits are you working them like a jerkbait or are you slowly reeling them? I've tried 2 times to dedicate to just using a jerkbait and my results are very limited. I've only caught one fish. I've had a couple follows back to the boat but nothing that would commit. I'm also assuming in the deeper section of the upper lake(between 65 and fall creek) your using countdowns to get extra depth? I know with jigs you want them way down in the water column is the thought the same with jerkbaits or will the bait pull those larger trout in?

When they are generating you can work them fast with hard twitches from the rod tip, with slight hesitations in between. You only turn the crank to take up slack with this method. The speed and hesitation time is determined by the fish, but when generating, it's usually fast. 

You can reel very slowly, but it's definitely not the same reaction bite. I've seen guys slowly reel with smaller countdown minnows with good success in the past years.

[Devan S.]

I tend to try it with generation when its more difficult to use a jig without up sizing. I honestly have been fishing with more pause and that may be the problem. I don't expect to have high numbers but I would have thought up to now I would have lucked into something more than 1 although it was a nice 21" rainbow. 

[Travis Swift]

Duane Doty will probably be along in a bit with a great answer. Ive always had more success throwing them on bluff banks when they are running water. Big Rapalas were always my staple but last week i threw a Megabass. Not a ton of bites but its sure worth it when they do hit it. As far as followers...thats about half the fun to me. Frustrating at times but man you can see some big ones that way! Here is a couple from last week.

[duckydoty]

I have been throwing the megabass 110+1's in Ozark shad and doing good. Best bites have been 2 or more generators on the north and south side from cable to outlet 3. Then the north side down past boat launch. Trophy run side from trophy run down through narrows. I like to almost hit the bank then 3-4 quick jerks to get it down. 50% of takes happen right there. I start alternating my retrieve from there. Sometimes they like lots of twitching, sometimes long pauses. I fight the current with the trolling motor just enough to have some swing on the retrieve. Next biggest percentage of bite happens on the swing out, wether it has been o fast retrieve or a slow one

[Flysmallie]

Duane doesn't go fishing, he goes catching. 

[Devan S.]

This is exactly the tips I am looking for. I've been worried I was doing something wrong.....appears is similar to jerkbait for bass just depends on the fish more or less but you all seem to be working it like a jerkbait not a crank bait. 

I've never ventured above fall creek but I'm basically duplicating the areas below fall creek(bluff and along the banks). Sounds like I need to suck it up and venture up on past and explore.

[Travis Swift]

Devan the bluff across from lilleys used to ne my best stretch for jerkbaits, atleast in the summer it was.  With the browns moving uo this time a year im not sure though currently.

[jdmidwest]

I catch alot of trout wherever I go on Shad Raps and Flicker Shads.  I like them better than Rapalas.