Spring Jerkbait Primer

Practically everyone knows that a hard, suspending jerkbait is a good bait in early spring. But why, exactly? And when and where?

Sometimes those basic questions get left out. To get some answers, we asked Mike Wurm.

Works Across 20 Degrees

"In the spring, most anglers know to watch the water temperature," Wurm says. "And the one lure you should have on at all times is a suspending jerkbait -- because it works when the water is about 50 degrees all the way up to 70 degrees.

"You can also work is slowly when the water is cool, which is important, and you can catch large bass on a jerkbait. That's another reason I like to have it tied on."

Northwest Coves and Grass

The first place Wurm goes to target pre-spawn, early-spring bass is the North- Northwest side of a lake. "That side will warm up quicker than the South side," he says. "It will be a good 2-5 degrees warmer."

Then he looks for two areas: the mouths of spawning coves, and grassy areas near deep water.

Re: the former, he says, "You're trying to find the fish that are first starting to move up to spawn." Re: the latter, he says grass near deep water is a "great place to look" for early-spring bass. In particular, deep bluff banks sometimes hold "hovering" bass, "especially if there's grass around it. If you have wind blowing in on the bluff, so much the better."

Jerk, Long Pause

When you find a likely-looking spot, take out your favorite jerkbait and start fishing. "You have to work it slowly in cold water," Wurm reiterates. But all BassFans have heard that at one time or another, and "slow" can mean different things to different people.

Here's how Wurm fishes it: "Throw it out as far as you can, then jerk it down and let it sit there -- for 20 seconds or more. Then give it a couple of big, hard jerks and let it sit there again. You're mimicking a shad," he says, "and in cold water, a shad just flips, flops and stops."

Because the bass are sluggish and are after sluggish prey, don't expect a huge strike. "Most times it's not a solid bite," Wurm says. "It's just a tug on the line."

Wurm's Gear

Here's Wurm's jerkbait gear:

> Strike King Kevin VanDam's Wild Shiner (clown, white or bone colors -- available only through Bass Pro Shops)
> 10-12 pound Stren East Cast
> Quantum 600PT reel
> Quantum Tour Edition 704 rod (medium-light, 7-foot)

Locating Tool

A suspending jerkbait also can be a "great locating tool," Wurm notes, because bass often are in schools in early spring.

Once you find them with a jerkbait, "you can fish a jig on the bottom, crank a deep-running crankbait or slow-roll a spinnerbait," he says. "But there are times when that locating tool (the jerkbait) will be the only thing you can get a bite on."