When it comes to fall fishing the bass are usually looking up and chasing bait. A great way to imitate the bait fish and put more bass in the boat is to tie on a soft plastic jerkbait. A soft plastic jerkbait is great for covering a lot of water. You can work the bait really fast to make it dip and dart which is great for triggering reaction strikes. You can also slow your retrieve down if the fish are inactive. The versatility of a soft plastic jerkbait along with its amazing action make it such a fish producer.
A soft plastic jerkbait is really weedless which makes it excellent for skipping around the boat docks, bringing it through and over grass, and around laydowns and other snaggy cover. One of the only limitations you have in fishing a soft plastic jerkbait is water clarity. A soft plastic jerkbait seems to really shine when you’ve got some clarity. If your water is really muddy there is probably a better option because soft plastic jerkbaits don’t displace a as much water.
With all the trends that come and go in bass fishing a lot of people have forgotten about fishing soft plastic jerkbaits which makes them a great bait to throw because the fish don’t see them as much. One of the main issues people have with them is that they miss fish on them and it is usually because they don’t have the right set up. For soft plastic jerkbait fishing get a nice 7 foot medium heavy rod with a lot of backbone and spool up with braided line to eliminate line stretch. If your fishing your bait slower and in crystal clear water you might have to go to a fluorocarbon line. GAMMA Edge fluorocarbon line in 14lb test is great for throwing a soft jerkbait. Fluorocarbon line is also much denser and it sinks so you can get your bait down a little deeper. Make sure your reels are high speed because most of your hits happen on the pause in your retrieve and you want to be able to reel up the slack quick. Hook selection is important as well. Use at least a 4/0 hook and go with the best hooks that you can buy.
Tru-Tungsten has a newer soft plastic jerkbait out called the Depth Shad. What separates the Depth Shad from other soft plastic jerkbaits is that it is offered in a version that is impregnated with tungsten which allows you to do two things. You can work your jerkbait a lot quicker without it coming up and you can throw your bait a lot farther which can be critical when your fishing for spooky fall fish in clear water. There are a lot of soft plastic jerkbaits on the market but the Depth Shad features a lot of details that make it the real deal. The Depth Shad has Tru-Life eyes and incredible paint schemes. The Depth Shad is a hand pour so it is extra soft which also gives it a lot more action and the fish hold on forever when they bite plus you get better hookups! The Depth Shad is available in two sizes a 4 inch and a 5 inch so you can match the forage.
Bass East Editor
Spencer Clark
