It's August and it's hot! If you are among the group of committed anglers braving the summer heat and wakes from all the joy boats on the water, we applaud you and hope you're out there rippin' some lips.
Whether you are catchin' them or not, one way to really get the bass fired up this time of year is by using a jerkbait.
Regardless of being a soft or hard bodied jerkbait, this lure can flat out catch some bass in the summer.
Most anglers will keep a jerkbait stowed away until the fall and winter months roll around but by doing so you could be missing out on some easy bites.
Below we'll discuss a standard setup and a few areas where both soft plastic and hard bodied jerkbaits really excel in the blazing heat of summer.
Starting With Your Setup
Rod
Since jerkbait fishing is primarily performed with the rod pointing down consider using a shorter rod with an overall length of around 6'6". Anything more than 7' and you take the chance of smacking the water with every twitch of the rod.
Unlike crankbait fishing where a flexible rod can be beneficial, opt for something more on the stiffer side when throwing a jerkbait.
Your setup, especially your rod and line selection, are key components in allowing jerkbaits to be properly worked.
Opting for a stiffer rod, whether it be the rod material (graphite) or the action (fast), can make a big difference in how erratic the lure will move with every twitch of the rod.
If you're stuck on which route to take on rod selection know that lighter applications (3/8 oz. or less) generally warrant a spinning setup whereas bigger, heavier jerkbaits work best on baitcasting setups.
Reel
Don't overthink this part too much. The reel is not the make or break when fishing a jerkbait.
Find a reel with a gear ratio that you are comfortable with for retrieving excess slack line and also confident in making long casts with.
Line
Whether you're using a spinning or baitcasting setup, at least consider fluorocarbon line as your first option (8 lb. for spinning, 10-12 lb. for baitcasting).
Fluorocarbon sinks and is virtually invisible underwater but another great advantage is that it's stiffer than its stretchy cousin, monofilament, which helps provide more erratic movement of your lure with each twitch of the rod - something that is crucial to overall presentation when fishing rip baits.
The case for braid and monofilament...
Some people will choose braid or at least a braided main line to help with providing the erratic, snappy movement of the lure. Just know the downside of braid from a visibility standpoint if you choose this route.
Though it has more stretch, monofilament can be a viable choice if fluorocarbon is out of the question or if you are an angler with a tendency to really set the hook and rip lures out of a fish's mouth. Having that little extra stretch in the line may be all you need to get more quality hooksets.
Soft Plastic Jerkbait Summer Tips
Where to Fish Soft Plastic Jerkbaits
Grass, Laydowns, Brush Piles & Docks
Think cover when you've got a soft bodied jerkbait tied on in the summer.
Because of bass being cold-blooded and their body temperature being regulated by external factors, the fish this time of year have spiked metabolisms due to the heat.
To counter this, bass will typically seek cooler waters that offer shade to help regulate and slow down their feeding cycles. Not to mention, these shady areas act as great ambush points as well.
With a soft plastic jerkbait in your hand, this means looking for cover in the form of grass, laydowns, brush piles, docks or the like.
These will be high percentage spots that tend to hold fish who are looking from a break from the sun.
How to Fish Soft Plastic Jerkbaits in the Summer
The great advantage that soft plastic jerkbaits have over hard bodied ones is the ability to fish them weedless. This is what makes a soft plastic jerkbait a great choice around cover.
For this reason, choose an in-line wide gap hook (size 3/0 or 4/0) and rig them in a weightless Texas-rig fashion. The design of an in-line wide gap hook allows that bait to properly flicker and dart back and forth with each twitch of the rod.
Pay close attention to the entry and exit points of the hook when rigging. It's super important to rig the plastic as straight as possible to get the desired action.
To learn a bit more about wide gap hooks check out "Wide Gap Hooks: When To Use Them and Why".
TIP: Do you want your soft plastic jerkbait to run deeper? Consider switching out your wide gap hook for a heavy duty (2X) wide gap hook. This subtle change can double the fall rate of the lure making it much easier to fish deeper water without compromising the overall appearance of the bait.
Be confident in knowing you are fishing a weedless bait and don't be afraid to really go after the cover and make casts where you oftentimes wouldn't for other lures. The more you are able to interact with the cover, the better chances you have of getting bit.
Cadences should be similar to if you were fall or winter jerkbait fishing but with shorter pauses. Start with trying out these cadences and adapt to what cadence the fish like for that specific day:
Jerk - Jerk - Pause
Jerk - Pause - Jerk - Jerk - Pause
Jerk - Pause - Jerk - Pause - Jerk - Jerk - Pause
Our Favorite Soft Plastic Jerkbait
Zoom Super Fluke
Hard Bodied Jerkbait Summer Tips
Where to Fish Hard Bodied Jerkbaits
Around Fish Holding Structure
A suspending hard bodied jerkbait flourishes in open water situations where there is fish holding structure nearby.
When we say fish holding structure we're talking about points, flats, offshore ledges, and bluffs to name a few.
This isn't to say you can't fish these lures around heavy cover but those 2 or 3 treble hooks that hard bodied jerkbaits are equipped with may give you some trouble so be cognizant of that.
Spots Where Baitfish Are Under Attack on the Surface
Another great opportunity to catch bass on a jerkbait in the summer is when you spot fish busting a school of bait on the surface. A hard bodied jerkbait makes for an easy, shiny target to a bass in these situations.
How to Fish Hard Bodied Jerkbaits in the Summer
When the water temps are up you're going to want to fish these lures fast. Keep your pauses in between jerks at a minimum (no more than 1 second) but be sure to use the stop-and-go cadence to your advantage.
Whether the bass are feeding or not, your goal should be to create reaction bites. This is accomplished by throwing in those quick pauses throughout your retrieve.
Just like mentioned above, consider starting with a cadence similar to the ones listed. Listen to the fish though. Find a cadence that starts producing bites and stick with it!
Common cadences that produce fish:
Jerk - Jerk - Pause
Jerk - Pause - Jerk - Jerk - Pause
Jerk - Pause - Jerk - Pause - Jerk - Jerk - Pause
TIP: Bass have a tendency to suspend below their prey when feeding on baitfish. Take this into consideration when choosing your jerkbait. If bass are located in 8 feet of water, consider a jerkbait that runs around 4-6 feet deep. If bass are located deeper in 10-15 feet of water opt for a deeper diving jerkbait (6 feet +) that can get within reach but still forces the fish to naturally feed up into the water column.
Historically, the Rip Lips Tips team have found that smallmouth bass like cadences with more jerks between pauses whereas largemouth bass prefer a more balanced combination of jerks and pauses in the cadence. All fisheries are different but just something to consider depending on the species you're targeting.
Our Favorite Hard Bodied Jerkbaits
Luck E Strike Rick Clunn Jerkbait
Dive Depth: 4-6 feet
13 Fishing Whipper Snapper
Dive Depth: 6-9 feet
Time to go catch em'!
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