“I don’t think this is a smallie,” my son said as he called for the net. That was soon confirmed as we watched a big walleye dive under the boat. A few seconds later, a 27-inch eye was in the Frabill net and in the boat. “He took it on the pause,” was my son’s description of the walleye’s bite on his pink and white Rapala X-Rap.

We were casting a variety of jerkbaits over a shallow rock flat with some scattered weeds in late May on a large, central-Minesota lake. We had caught three nice smallmouth bass and a decent pike previous to the big walleye. As my son was releasing his beauty, my dad called out, “Got one!” and I grabbed the net to scoop his 18-inch smallie. A few minutes after releasing this fish, my son exclaimed, “Boy, everything is eating up these X-Raps!” and flipped a 10-inch perch over the side.

We never left that rock flat that morning. While we only got one pike and the one nice perch, several walleyes and bunch of smallmouth bass entered, and left, our boat. We tried a few other techniques, but the Rapala X-Rap in pink and white or Purple Ghost, fished back to the boat with subtle “pulls” and long pauses, was the ticket for getting bit that day.

The name jerkbait is generally given to long, thin minnow baits that are neutrally buoyant. That means they have a lip that brings them down to their diving depth when retrieved, but the bait hovers at that depth when left still. Different shapes and lip locations and designs create different actions when retrieved, snapped, pulled and paused.

The X-Rap we were using that late May day has a rounded shape, so it wobbles subtly when moved, and rolls side-to-side when snapped or pulled. Rapala also makes the Shadow Rap, which has flat sides, so it wobbles less but darts to one side or the other more erratically, and it can end up looking back away from the angler during the pause. The new Maverick from Rapala can be worked very fast and aggressively and suspends head-down and tail-up during the pause.

I keep a variety of jerkbait styles in my box that can all be worked extremely slowly and subtly, or faster and more aggressively. The different actions and pauses, however, can make a difference depending on species and water temperature. I worry less about color, with three to four colors of each style of bait including minnow and perch patterns, as well as some brightly colored options. As far as size goes, I typically use models that are around 4 inches long. I do have some smaller sizes of Rapala X-Raps for targeting suspended crappies or sunfish holding tight to beds, but that is another article.

I have some seasonal and species-favorite, go-to baits and colors, along with retrieves, to help you start targeting multiple species with jerkbaits all season long.

Early in the season, with cold water, or when I am targeting walleyes or smallmouth bass, the Rapala X-Rap is my favorite bait to start with. My favorite colors are the aforementioned Purple Ghost (purple and white) and Hot Pink (pink and white). This bait can be used all season by varying the force of the pull or snap, as well as the length of the pause, but it is just more subtle in nature, which is ideal for cold water and more neutral fish. I consistently catch walleyes on it when they are shallow; I can’t say that about any other jerkbait—and largemouth, smallmouth, pike, and crappies love to go after this bait as well.

In early season, or anytime I think walleyes are in the area, I reel this bait down, pause and then slowly “pull” it forward a foot or so, rather than “snapping” it aggressively, and then let is pause for several seconds. Repeating this all the way to the boat will trigger walleyes as well as bass and pike. I stick with this bait, even when the water warms, if I am targeting smallmouths, but go to more aggressive “snaps” and shorter pauses.

While I will still target bass with the X-Rap when the water warms, I start using the Shadow Rap and the Maverick more in the summer months. They run a bit shallower than the X-Rap, making them better for working over weed tops that are growing closer to the surface. Their more erratic action and flash off the flat sides, combined with the more aggressive stances during the pause, seem to infuriate warm-water bass—especially largemouths. Summertime pike will absolutely smash these baits as well. You can fish these baits slower and more subtly, but I usually start out more aggressive in warm water, “snapping” the bait once or twice between short pauses. The fish will tell you pretty quickly what type of speed and action they want; repeat what works once you figure it out.

I use both spinning and baitcasting gear for fishing jerkbaits. In either case, I like a 6’6” to 6’9,” medium-power, fast- or extra-fast-action rod. This rod is long enough to cast baits well, but short enough to point the rod down and to the side when making pulls, snaps or jerks used with jerkbaits. The fast- or extra-fast action means the rod bends only near the tip, which allows all the action from your arms to make it to the bait better than with a rod that bends more.

St Croix’s 6’9” St. Croix Eyecon spinning rod, in medium power and extra-fast action, is my go-to spinning rod. I pair it with a Pflueger President spinning reel spooled with 10-pound-test Berkley Fireline. For a baitcast combo, I use the 6’8,” St. Croix Bass X casting rod in medium power with a fast action, coupled with an Abu Garcia baitcast reel spooled, again, with 10-pound-test Berkely Fireline. The no-stretch Fireline combines with the fairly stiff rod to transfer all the action imparted with your arms to the bait.

Where to Jerk

Locations for fishing jerkbaits depend on the species targeted, time of year, water temperature and local weather conditions. Early in the season, I target shallow flats prior to the first major drop-off. The best early-season flats have a mixture of bottom content, typically with some weed growth or wood present, and have access to deeper water. Early season, these areas have a variety of species present, and a jerkbait will cover water and catch all of them. On weedy lakes, try the inside edges of weed lines during early season. This is the area where firmer bottom close to shore gets softer, and consistent weed growth starts to form the weed line.

In the warm summer months, I fish shallow-running jerkbaits over and through the tops of weeds—especially sparser weeds like cabbage or grass—early and late in the day and on cloudy or windy days. Bass and pike, lying in wait in the weeds, come up fast to hit a jerkbait darting and pausing overhead. You can catch panfish in these same areas with smaller versions of the X-Rap as well. I also work deeper-diving jerkbaits along the deep, outside edge of the weed line at midday or on calm or sunny days. You can find walleyes, pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass on these deep weed edges all summer, and you can vary the speed and action of a jerkbait to match the activity level of the fish.

Don’t be a jerk, or I guess do be a jerk, and get in on catching multiple species of fish all season long on one of the most versatile and productive baits you can use. Stock your tackle box with a few varieties, sizes, running depths and colors of jerkbaits, and tie them to a rod, reel and line designed for the technique. Match the speed and aggressiveness of your retrieve to the activity level of the fish, hang on tight and watch your line during the pauses. Pike and smallmouth bass, especially, will T-bone a jerkbait at high speed while it is paused and set the hook for you. This is an easy and exciting way to catch fish of all species; give it a try.