Story and photography by Danno Wise

Rather than complicating lure selection this time of year, play it safe and on your next bay fishing excursion take a box of jerkbaits.

Spring is typically a time when Texas bays come alive with a myriad of life. The warming waters of the second season not only welcome these new life forms, they also encourage the older, larger predator fish to begin feeding much more actively.

The difference between having consistently good action and just catching a few fish every now and then often comes down to an angler’s ability to choose the right lure to toss. While there is a dizzying array of artificial lures that can produce during spring, one style of bait does so much more consistently than any other. So, rather than complicating your lure selection this time of year, you can play it safe and take a box of jerkbaits on your next bay fishing excursion.

Jerkbaits have long been a favorite among bass fishermen during the spring season. Versatility is a big part of the reason bass fishermen have leaned on them as the water begins to warm coming out of winter.

That same versatility holds true in saltwater. Not only do these baits imitate a wide variety of prey ranging from baitfish to sand eels, they can be worked throughout the water column. Jerkbaits can also be retrieved in a variety of ways, resulting in everything from an erratic action to a subtle glide.

Just because jerkbaits are selected doesn’t mean one type or style bait will be used. There are both hard and soft-plastic jerkbaits. That is one major difference and the first decision you will need to make with your jerkbait selection. Of course, you may decide to take a handful of each, which would allow you to cover every portion of the water column in just about any conditions.

When it comes to hard jerkbaits, they come in floating, suspending and sinking models. Regardless of buoyancy, they all have an elongated body and diving lip.

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