Category: Learning to Fish

If you’re just starting fishing, or taking kids along for your trip, I would highly encourage you to fish with nightcrawlers or other worms. Live bait, such as worms, are the best chance you have of catching a fish. While fish will certainly eat “fake” or artificial worms, there’s no substitute for the real thing. If you’re a beginner, or taking someone along who is, fishing with live worms will help you get that early bite you need to build some confidence.

Nightcrawlers and other worms are great bait because literally every species of fish will eat them. Worms will catch everything swimming in your lake. Plenty of pumpkinseed, bluegill, perch, crappie, rock bass, bullheads, catfish, bowfin, largemouth and smallmouth bass are caught every day in America on a nightcrawler. Even species you wouldn’t expect to enjoy worms, like northern pike, chain pickerel, or even trout, have no qualms about chomping down on an earthworm if they get the chance. The only issue is whether or not they’ll get that chance before something smaller darts in and steals the morsel.

Let’s dive into why fish are attracted to worms, what kinds of fish will eat them, which types of worms you should use, and if there are any alternatives to live bait that also works well.

Why are Fish Attracted to Worms?

Fish are attracted to worms because they are a legitimate meal. A nightcrawler s a wriggling, fat and juicy live target that smells and tastes great (to a fish. I’ve never tried them). Just go find a school of panfish sometime and toss one into the center. They’ll do their best piranha impression in an instant. Even the fish that have been caught and released a dozen times already in their life will still go for it. The perceived reward outweighs the risk.

What Kind of Fish Eat Nightcrawlers?

As mentioned earlier, literally every fish in the lake will eat a worm. Just think back to all the times on Facebook that you’ve seen a friend’s kid catch a good sized fish. Let’s say that friend isn’t a regular angler and they were just messing around. What exactly do you think they caught that fish on? I would wager a fair sum that it was either a nightcrawler, earthworm, red wiggler and wax worm. After all, that was the first bait most of us used to catch our first big fish.

Some people don’t think that larger fish like largemouth bass or northern pike will eat a nightcrawler. This hasn’t been my experience. I believe the reason people think this is simply a lack of opportunity. If you throw a worm out into a school of largemouth or smallmouth bass, you will catch bass. But, if you throw a worm out near a few largemouth bass and a few bluegill, you will most likely catch a bluegill before the bass has a chance to react.

Do Bass Eat Worms?

Yes, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass eat worms, assuming that they aren’t beaten to their lunch by a school of smaller fish like pumpkinseed or bluegill. However, I have noticed that you are far more likely to catch a largemouth bass on a large worm like a nightcrawler than a small one like a garden worm or red wiggler.

It’s also very important that you leave a large amount of the worms tail free and off the hook, dangling and squirming through the water. The problem with this, of course, is that bluegill will rip it to shreds long before the bass can get close, in most instances. You might go through quite a few small fish before you finally land that bass.

All in all, if I wanted to catch a lot of bass, I would bring artificial lures. They work better than nightcrawlers simply because they help you weed out all the little fish. All but the biggest sunfish aren’t going to bother with a spinnerbait, for example.

Do Crappie Eat Worms?

If you’re after a tasty meal to eat, worry not: worms will work great for catching small fish like crappie. They like other panfish can’t get enough of them if you put them where they can find them. With crappie and other smaller fish you’re sometimes better off cutting the worm up into pieces so you can fit more of them on the hook. These fish tend to peck away at them around the hook if you’re not careful, which can lead to your going through a lot of bait before you have some success.

Do Pike Eat Worms?

Northern pike, muskie, and chain pickerel will all eat worms. The bigger question is if you’ll ever land them. Most of the time when you’re fishing a nightcrawler, it’s on a pretty small hook and with no leader. These two facts don’t bode well for catching anything with teeth. While you could use a fishing leader, there are better ways to catch these fish. In much of the open water season you’re better off using something like a spinnerbait or spoon that can be worked quickly through the water. Worms are very slow and precise so unless you know exactly where one of these less common fish are lurking, nightcrawlers won’t be your best bet.

Are Worms Good Fish Bait?

Worms aren’t only good fish bait, they’re some of the best fish bait that you can find. They catch everything that can swim and are fun to find with your children. If you’re in a rush, every tackle shop and many gas stations near you carries them. You can use them everywhere, so you don’t have to worry about if it is illegal like fishing with corn is in some places.

Nightcrawler vs. Red Wigglers vs. Wax Worms

Three of the more common worms that you’ll see at your tackle shop are nightcrawlers, red wigglers, and wax worms (which are actually larvae). Of these, nightcrawlers are the only ones I bother fishing with. I know that’s a contentious statement, but I’ve yet to find a reason why I needed to use any of the others. The biggest selling point of the other worms seems to be size. Well, a pair of braided line scissors can cut a nightcrawler down to size quite easily, and you’ll get the added scent of the blood trail to boot. Nonetheless, let’s talk about the others a bit.

Red Wigglers

Red wigglers are a smaller species of worm that is very popular as a composting worm and also can be found in many bait shops as “red worms.” They are thinner than nightcrawlers and generally come in packs with more worms because they’re smaller. Some anglers love using them but in my opinion you’re better off leaving red wigglers and earthworms for garden composting. They’re small and thin which makes them difficult to spear, and, again, why not just cut the nightcrawler down to pieces?

Wax Worms

Wax worms aren’t actually “worms.” Rather, they’re the larvae of the wax moth or bee moth. A website appropriately called “thewormlady” has a good writeup on them. Apparently, wax worms make good ice fishing bait and are well liked by smaller fish like yellow perch who will eat them in droves. I will give them this: the fact that they come in a container of wood shavings as opposed to dirt is a very nice touch indeed. I can’t tell you how sick and tired I am of cleaning dirt off my boat when my kid kicks the worm container somewhere!

Will Fish Eat Dead Nightcrawlers?

I once wrote an entire article on Do Fish Eat Dead Worms. It turned out to be one of my first “hits,” go figure. While you can get the details there, the bottom line is, yes, fish will eat dead worms, but as a worm decomposes this becomes less likely. It’s difficult to keep a very dead worm on the hook, and many of the species that will jump at the chance to eat a live and spritely nightcrawler will thumb their nose at a dead one. You’re far better off doing your best to keep your worms alive, and that means keeping them in a cool dark place until you’re ready to use them.

How to Rig Nightcrawlers and Other Worms

The way you’ll rig a worm on a hook depends on what fish you’re trying to catch. If you’re going for panfish like pumpkinseed, bluegill, or rock bass, you’ll want to cut up your nightcrawler and just use a tiny little morsel on the tip of your hook. This will enhance hook up rates and prevent fish from eating your worm without being caught.

On the other hand, if you want a chance at a larger fish such as a bass, you will want to use the entire worm. A big fish like a bass isn’t going to eat a tiny worm parcel – it wants the whole thing. You are much more likely to catch a bass with a nightcrawler if you use the whole worm and have its tail dangling off into the water. This will allow the tail to squirm and wriggle which will call the fish in and tell them it’s something good to eat.

Some people spear their worms through the head and thread the hook through its body. While I do this too, I don’t like having too much of the worm impaled by the hook. Doing so means that part of the worm can’t wriggle. Instead, spear the head but then leave a good section of the worm outside of the shank. Then, spear the worm again in the middle, leaving the tail fluttering in the waves. I’ve found this is a good balance that allows the worm to wriggle yet also keeps it secure on the hook.

Rigging Options: Bare Hook, Dropshot, Bobber

Most folks use one of three rigs for fishing with nightcrawlers. A bare hook, a drop shot, or a bobber. All have their pros and cons.

Bare Hook

The easiest way to rig a worm is on a simple bare hook. All you need to do is thread it on as discussed earlier and then throw it in the water. A bare hook is relatively light weight and will allow the worm to sink slowly. This gives many fish a good chance to look at it and decide if they’ll dart up and snatch it. Just make sure that you use a hook small enough for the sort of fish you intend to catch. My big issue with many of the fishing starter kits you see out there is that they come with such large hooks that this is impossible. A size 4 or 6 Aberdeen style panfish hook is perfect.

Dropshot

My preferred way to fish worms is with a dropshot. I like it so much that I spend considerable time talking about what a great presentation it is, and how it should be the first rig you learn. I teach how to tie it in this post about the basic skills you need to go fishing. Drop shots are great because their weight allows you to make a longer cast. They also are very good for keeping worms off the bottom so they foul less with weeds. Finally, while bobbers can also keep bait at a certain depth, a drop shot keeps them at a certain depth and certain place, the wind be darned.

Bobbers

Those of you who have been following this blog for awhile know that I hate bobbers with a passion. I go against the grain and completely advocate against using bobbers when fishing with kids, and have even gone so far as to suggest that bobbers are destroying America. Nonetheless, people use them, and they can (boringly) work. My only suggestion is that if you insist on using these bore-balls, you bring a good book along. Might I suggest my own?

What is a Good Alternative to Live Bait?

If you don’t want to fish with live bait, but still want to catch a lot of fish, the best alternative I’ve found has been Berkley Gulp. I find that small minnows work extremely well for catching panfish as well as bass. When I’m fishing them, I’m usually targeting larger species so I go with the 1.5″ to 2″ size, but if you were strictly after panfish, the 1″ size would do very well. While they come up to 3″, I have found that you don’t catch near as many fish with that as you’re basically filtering out everything that isn’t a bass or larger.

Berkley Gulp comes in different colors but I prefer a gray or black – something natural. You can buy them in pouches, or in a can that is filled with liquid. I’d recommend the can as the liquid has as scent to it that disperses through the water and calls fish in. You can buy these great baits at Amazon.

Do Fish Bite Fake Worms?

Yes, fake or plastic worms are some of the best bass lures manufactured. What might surprise you, however, is that you don’t want to try to find fake worms that look exactly like the real thing. While there are some companies that offer these, they are usually outproduced by worms that look a little, well, odd. One of the best plastic worms out there barely looks like a worm at all. Gary Yamamoto’s Senko is without any doubt my favorite plastic worm and it looks more like a rubber cylinder than a true nightcrawler. Regardless, it is perfectly balanced, has a good salt scent and taste to it, and flat out catches fish.

With that said, don’t expect to catch many panfish with a Senko. These are big fish lures. Largemouth bass love them and will bite them routinely but smaller fish have a hard time getting them in their mouths deep enough to be hooked. You’ll still feel them pecking at the lure but you won’t land many. Bass, on the other hand, can be caught one after the other. Some of my most memorable fishing trips were thanks to a Senko.

Conclusions

Never be afraid to put a nightcrawler or other worm on a fish hook and to see what will eat it. Every species out there can be caught on them — I don’t care what you’ve heard. The only question is if the nightcrawler really is the best bait for the type of fish you’re trying to catch. A worm is clearly the best bait for panfish. Nightcrawlers can also be great for largemouth and smallmouth bass, assuming they get a chance to eat them before a bluegill does. Northern pike, chain pickerel, and muskie will also eat worms, but there’s a good chance they’ll cut through your entire rig in the process.

Just make sure you know what species you’re trying to catch when rigging up your worms. If you’re after smaller fish, use smaller chunks of a worm – they won’t mind any and you’ll put more on the hook. Is catching largemouth bass your goal? Then you’ll want to leave as much of that worm on as possible. If you’re going for northern pike… Maybe try a faster moving artificial lure, unless you have all day.

Armed with this knowledge, you should have a great time fishing with worms! Let me know how you did!

Thanks for reading,

John Paxton

I’ll cut right to the chase. If you’re asking me, “is fishing a sport?” the answer is yes. Emphatically yes. Fishing has all the factors of a sport. At high echelons, there’s tremendous skill involved, as well as athleticism. Like traditional sports, fishing has massive competitions with thousands of screaming fans. There are multiple governing bodies and organizations maintaining the integrity of the sport of fishing, just as you would find in football, hockey, or baseball. Finally, an ever growing number of colleges recognize fishing as a sport and even offer fishing scholarships for talented anglers to join the college’s bass fishing teams.

We’re checking all the boxes here, folks. Fishing is a sport, period.

How quaint the world would be if one meaty paragraph was all it took to convince you. I know that’s not happening, but bear with me while I make my case for why anglers are athletes.

Fishing Takes Skill

While I’m a firm believer that anyone can catch a fish, I recognize that the sport of fishing takes tremendous skill to succeed ad the highest levels. Fishing tournaments can pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, and that wouldn’t be the case if just anyone could win them.

You literally have a situation where folks will spend a huge portion of their lives perfecting this craft. Some professional fishermen are likely closing in on a million casts, and with each one they try to refine their accuracy, distance, and subtlety. Fishing isn’t simply a sport at this stage, it might as well be an art too. The ability to deftly skip lures far under a dock or to to make a long cast without a large splash are traits few perfect. Like any slapshot or spiral pass, a perfect cast is an artform only the most skilled anglers can master.

There’s also considerable preparation to fishing. Many of us spend hours poring over books or obscure family fishing blogs on the internet trying to enhance our skills. Is this really any different than the quarterback who spends his nights with his nose in the playbook? Or, how about that scene in Cool Runnings where they’re all sitting in the bathtub, pretending it is a bobsled. In my mind, map study or reading the best fishing books is no different.

If one of the criteria for, “Is something a sport,” is “does it take skill?” then fishing checks that box.

The Sport of Fishing Requires Athleticism

Anyone who thinks that fishing isn’t a sport because it isn’t “athletic” has obviously never faced off against a giant halibut, or even just spent a cold and windy day on their feet in a rocking boat. They’ve probably never repeatedly cast a 1/2 oz. lure for 10 hours in the blazing sun. I doubt they’ve endured a 90 minute white-knuckle boat ride through raging swells, either.

I’m only 37. My body already can’t take the kind of abuse I used to put it through on long fishing trips of the past. When I was younger, I’d be out there from dawn until dusk throwing spinnerbait after spinnerbait. Now, that kind of work makes my shoulder ache, sets my hands on fire, erupts my back, and pummels my feet. Now, I have my share of health issues as everyone else does, but I wouldn’t feel this way if fishing didn’t require some athleticism.

In many respects, fishing can be a more difficult sport than some of the main ones. There aren’t that many sports besides fishing and American football that can claim to play in the worst weather nature provides. While fishing tournaments will be grounded in lightning or truly dangerous wind conditions, they’re not stopping for a downpour. The cold and wet aren’t the only issues, either. There’s no hotter place nearby than on a boat in the middle of the lake on a windless day. Fishing is a sport that pushes you against the elements like few others.

It Takes Athleticism to Reel in a Sport Fish

The elements, hours, and physical exertion aren’t the only reason I’d claim fishing is a sport. There’s also the matter of having to deal with the live, ticked off animal that often outweighs you on the other end of your line. Yes, freshwater fishermen rarely tangle with such giants, but saltwater anglers are going after tuna and marlin that weigh more than several men. Deepwater fishing is basically a giant tug of war with a wild demon from the depths. Not just anyone can do it!

Sports Can Be Relaxing, You Know

Some folks claim that fishing isn’t a sport because they see folks sitting in lawn chairs, drinking beers and watching bobbers. They claim that a hobby so relaxing as fishing can’t possibly be an athletic competition. Well, have you ever gone to a company picnic and played left field in the softball game? Did you break a sweat? I’ll bet you just enjoyed yourself and had a good time. The mere fact that fishing is relaxing does not disqualify it from being a sport. It just means that it’s another sport that can be enjoyed at a relaxed pace, if you’re so inclined.

There are Several Governing Bodies that Regulate the Sport of Fishing

As with all other sports, there are numerous governing bodies that regulate the fishing. Like FIFA or the NHLPA, these organizations regulate the rules for this sport to ensure that fishing remains competitive and fair. Everything from the types of permissible equipment to angling methods are categorized and considered. If fishing really were simply a hobby and not a sport, there would be absolutely no need for any of this.

Indeed, the fact that fishing is so highly competitive is one of the main arguments for why it is a legitimate sport. That it may be more niche than some other sports should not distract from the reality that fishing tournaments are long, multi-day, grueling affairs where extremely talented competitors go head to head. Frankly, fishing dwarfs some other niche sports. It’s estimated that there are 38 million anglers across the planet while only there are only 1.5 million registered curlers.

There are Many High School and College Bass Fishing Teams

One of the most compelling arguments for why fishing is a sport is the simple fact that so many high schools and colleges say it is. For years now, a growing number of schools have fielded their own bass fishing teams, competed in collegiate bass fishing tournaments such as those run by Major League Fishing. It’s not like these are filled with unknown schools, either. Both Baylor and Texas A&M have their own college fishing teams.

Several college fishing teams were detailed in an article by Major League Fishing where they went into the top 25 bass fishing colleges. As you can see, there are some top name schools there as well: North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, Kansas State and Perdue were all listed. That your child’s love of fishing may one day lead to collegiate success is a great reason to take your kids fishing.

How to Make Fishing More Sporting for the Fish

Once in awhile you run into someone who talks about how “sporting” something is or isn’t for the fish. Usually, they’re complaining about the use of braided fishing line, a heavy rod, or the act of horsing a fish in almost instantly. “The fish never has a chance!” they complain. “Use lighter tackle so the fish have a sporting chance.”

I mean, that’s a great idea and all if we’re trying to level the playing field between man and fish. The only problem is that, to the fish, this isn’t a game. They have no idea that “sport” is what you’re fishing for. Instead, they’re fighting for their lives. A hooked fish will dive through the most jagged cover, fling itself high into the air and smash down against the surface, make long runs, and expend every last bit of energy. Imagine how hard you would fight if your life was on the line. That’s what these fish are doing.

In the process of all this, fish are exposing themselves to a great risk of injury, and a certainty of high stress. Many go into shock. Some don’t come out. Whatever the argument is for keeping things “sporting” between you and the fish, you can bet it hasn’t accounted for this. Fishing might be a sport to you, but nature is playing for keeps. You should use the equipment necessary to safely get that fish into the boat as quickly as possible with the minimum amount of stress for your competition.

There’s absolutely no sport in deliberately choosing tackle that’s more likely to send an animal to an early grave, or at least to leave a rusting hook and snapped line in its mouth as a painful memento. While fishing is a great sport, always remember that it’s pitting you and against you, first and foremost. The fish are just one of the elements you encounter.

Final Words: A Study on Whether or Not Fishing is a Sport

I get it. I’m some random blogger on the internet. If you don’t want to believe me that fishing is a sport, consider this 2012 study in the U.K. that found that not only is fishing a sport, but it offers some unique features that set it up as a better sport for many. This report had some interesting observations:

• Since the sport of fishing can take place over one’s entire lifetime, it is great for active aging.
• Given that physical activity is required, but can be measured (some fishing is harder on the body than others), there’s a niche in this sport for everyone.
• Angling’s physical activity is more sustained than other sports. Sure, sports like hockey require intense bursts of energy, but you might be out fishing all day.

It’s really quite an interesting study. Definitely click on the link and check it out when you have some time. It makes a compelling, data-driven case for why fishing is a sport.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you find your kids or spouse are spending much of their time fishing, smile. They’re participating in a great sport that will hone their abilities, give them some exercise, and could potentially pay for their college one day.

Thanks for reading!

John Paxton

When I was a little kid fishing with Dad, he used to tell me, “Keep your rod up high!” whenever I’d fight a fish. While this was pretty good advice for a kid (because otherwise, I’d probably point the rod tip straight at the fish and lose it), this is actually poor form for adults that can quickly break your fishing rod.

High sticking in fishing refers to raising the tip of the rod past 45 to 60 degrees when fighting a fish. This forces the rod to load up and bend much closer to the tip than it is designed to do. Since the tip of the rod is the most fragile part, high sticking your fishing rod can cause it to snap and break.

High sticking in fishing also occasionally refers to a technique used by fly fishermen where they raise their fly rods high in the air to minimize how much line touches the water. You’ll note that you’ll want to stop high sticking once a fish is on the hook, or you’re going to have the same issue with placing far too much pressure on the tip of your fly rod. This article focuses on the high sticking that can damage your fishing rod. Here’s another page you can visit if you’re interested in learning about how to present fishing flies with high sticking.

Drawbacks to High Sticking in Fishing

Very little good can come from high sticking in fishing. As mentioned, about the only benefit is it helps little kids remember to keep pressure on the fish and avoid allowing slack in the line. Then again, it’s extremely unlikely that children are going to hook the kind of fish who would snap a high sticked fishing pole, anyway. Here’s a few of the more likely outcomes.

Your Fishing Rod Will Snap

The most obvious issue with high sticking while fighting a fish is that your rod will snap. Most fishing rods aren’t designed to bend just at the tip. Instead they rely on the force of the fish being distributed across the entire blank evenly. If you fight a large enough fish and raise your rod tip too high, you invite catastrophe.

Consider this. If you had to catch something heavy, would rather use both hands, or one finger? It’s a very similar concept to high sticking. Keeping your rod at a bout a 45 to 60 degree angle will allow it to effectively absorb the fish’s shock and let your entire fishing rod work for you.

Your Fishing Line Might Break

If you’re lucky, your fishing line will break before your rod does when you’re high sticking. It’ll break for the same reason your rod might snap. Rather than having the entire length of the rod to work with and absorb pressure, your line will flex right at the tip. This is going to become all the more prevalent with the lighter the fishing line you use.

High Sticking Prevents the Fishing Rod From Tiring Fish Effectively

Every time your rod bends, it’s absorbing the fish’s energy and providing resistance. You want your entire rod providing this resistance so you can tire a fish effectively. High sticking your fishing pole during the fight is going to prevent it from working for you and against the fish. This in turn can lead to a longer time fighting the fish, where more things can go wrong.

The Fish Might Pull Off the Hook

If you raise your rod tip too high while fighting a fish, the rod can’t bend enough to absorb shock. That’s a big issue if you’re fishing with a lure that has thin treble hooks, like a crankbait. You really want your rod to flex and be forgiving when working with these lures because the thin metal can easily pull from a fish’s mouth. If you raise your rod tip up too high, it won’t flex enough and you might lose your fish.

High Sticking While Fighting Fish Makes Them More Likely to Jump

The last reason you don’t want to practice high sticking while fighting fish is that it makes them more likely to jump. When you raise your rod tip with a fish on the other end, you pull them closer to the surface. This can cause them to start jumping wildly to try and throw the hook. Fish have an excellent chance of breaking free when they jump, because the change in pressure can create some slack that allows a hook to fall out. The higher you keep your rod while fighting a fish, the greater the chance they’ll jump.

This is why you’ll see so many professional anglers get down low with their rod tips while fighting smallmouth and other large fish. That’s not to say that you don’t want to keep the pressure on the fish – they’ll have their rods set way back to maintain a good bend. It just means you want to avoid giving the fish any reason to jump and possibly ruin your day.

Conclusion: What’s Good Advice for Kids Isn’t Always Great for Adults

All in all, I think Dad’s advice to “keep your rod up high!” was good advice for me when I was a kid. For whatever reason, kids struggle with the concept of not pointing their rod tip right at the fish they’re trying to catch. Telling kids to use high sticking while fighting fish can help there, especially since kids also struggle with listening to that. If you tell a kid to keep their rod up high, they’re pretty likely to keep it at about the 45 to 60 degree angle you really are seeking.

With that being said, if you’re an adult, you don’t want to raise your rod tip too high. While you can “pump” a rod sometimes by bringing it up quickly, you then need to quickly drop it down while reeling the slack. You don’t want to get into a situation where you’re leaving your fishing rod tip up too high for too long. It only takes one surge from a strong fish to ruin your day.

Thanks for reading,

John Paxton

Hi there, friend. Are you stuck in some New England tax trap? Are you sitting in a state that you can’t bass fish year round? Perhaps you’re considering a move to the Lone Star state to cure your fishing woes, and refill your coffers? If you’re going to have a new stomping ground soon where you’ll need to figure out the best fishing spots. There’s few ways you can do that quicker than by joining a few online Texas fishing forums.

Why You Should Seek Out a Texas Fishing Forum

With a state as big as Texas with as many bass fishing lakes, you’re going to want to sign up for a fishing forum or two to cut your learning curve down a bit. After all, visiting a fishing forum is one of the best ways that you can improve your fishing skills in a hurry. Forums are, in my opinion, one of the best places to get honest information about what fish are biting on and where. While you’ll get plenty of folks who talk about “Lake X” you’ll get plenty more who are more than happy to tell you exactly how to catch them. The best part is the information stays there forever, date stamped and sortable so you can see if the best lures in, say, Texas in April held up year after year after year.

Another great benefit of joining a fishing forum is the community. I’ve been a member of several forums for fishing and other hobbies over the past twenty years. I have formed legitimate real life friendships as a result of these. I’ve helped people out and been helped in turn. While you always have to be careful about meeting people from the internet, chances are that many Texans on these fishing forums are going to be in local bass clubs too. You might just meet a new fishing buddy who could teach you a trick or two.

Popular Texas Fishing Forums

Regardless of if you bass fish or like to go inshore in the Gulf of Mexico, with your family or alone in a kayak, there’s a fishing forum in Texas that caters to you. Here’s a few of the best ones I could find across the internet:

Texas Fishing Forum

The largest fishing forum in Texas that I’ve found is the aptly named texasfishingforum.com. This is an impressive space. Their motto is “The best place in Texas to Talk Fishing,” and it seems that plenty of anglers agree. As of writing, there’s well over 29,000 threads for freshwater fishing with an additional 13,000 for saltwater. That would be impressive enough, but if you’re specifically looking for at Texas bass fishing forum, there’s a whopping 176,000+ threads devoted to that species.

Texas Fishing Forum has subforums dedicated to crappie, striped bass, catfish, rough fish, bluegill and sunfish, as well as an entire section just for fishing from the bank. There’s also an inshore and offshore forums for fishing in Texas. Finally, there is a section for fishing reports for all.

There are forums for kayak fishing, boating, electronics, as well as a classifieds section. If you’re not opposed to some civil debate, there is a moderated off topic section with over 3 million posts (just be nice so you don’t wind up on their Wall of Shame)!

The forums are extremely active, with almost every sub forum having activity each day and the longest delay observed as being about a week. If you’re looking for a good fishing forum in Texas, I’d start here.

2CoolFishing

Another huge fishing forum devoted to Texan anglers is 2coolfishing.com. It’s not quite as large as Texas Fishing Forum but is nothing to sniff at, either. While there is a very large freshwater fishing section (including a sub-fishing forum devoted to catching catfish in Texas), the main draw seems to be saltwater forums. There’s a general saltwater fishing discussion board with over 3/4 of a million replies, and a very large sub-forum devoted exclusively to Texas tarpon fishing.

This is actually a pretty good forum even if you don’t like fishing. There’s a lot of great information about Texas in their more general boards. They have over 20 sub-forums for different hobbies that have nothing to do with fishing but might be up your alley.

This too is a very active forum, with almost all of the subsections replied to recently. Only only a few very niche boards going for an extended period of time without a reply.

Bass Boats Central

While it’s not technically a fishing forum devoted to one state, there is a forum devoted to Texas on bbcboards.net. There are 541 pages of different threads to be found here. Most of these have relatively few replies but a few with as many as 332. If you’re specifically looking for a bass fishing forum, this is a good place for that as this entire message board is devoted to bass boats.

Fish Explorer

Fishexplorer.com has a section devoted to the Lone Star State. It’s interesting because many of the posts have a “BLOG” category associated with them. This is a little different than many forums you might be used to. Reading through a few of these, they make for some very detailed fishing reports with photos and descriptions. They don’t always have the easiest title to understand what they’ll discuss, but it might be worth spending some time reading through.

Texas Kayak Fisherman

If you want a fishing forum that focuses on kayak fishing in Texas, texaskayakfisherman.com is your new home. This is a very large forum with sections for both freshwater and saltwater fishing, as well as a subforum specifically for north Texas bass fishing. The forums are very active, with most message boards having recent posts. There’s plenty to read, with some of the boards having over 66,000 topics. It does seem that there is more of a focus on saltwater fishing, as there’s over four times as many posts there compared to freshwater. If you’re specifically looking for a Texas bass fishing forum, there is a small section on texaskayakfisherman.com, but it doesn’t seem to be the focus.

FishingTx

A smaller forum but one devoted to family fishing and with a special place for God, fishingtx.com tries to keep things friendly and civil. As their politics section has a whopping 9 threads, so this seems to be working! While there are a number of sub forums, some of the more niche haven’t seen much activity for a bit. Nonetheless, the main fishing pages as well as the chaplain’s corner are quite active.

Conclusions

I’m sure there’s more out there, but these are the more active Texas fishing forums I found. As you can see, there is a diverse line up and different groups will appeal to different anglers. If you’re new to the state, I’d definitely recommend signing up for a few and introducing yourself. I’ve been visiting various forums for years and they really produce a true sense of community. You can make some lifelong friends out there and better yet some new fishing buddies.

If you know of another Texas fishing forum that I’ve missed, post a comment about why they should be included. I’ll consider updating the post if the new group has activity and is helpful.

Thanks for reading,

John Paxton

Every spring when I head up to Lake Champlain for the first few fishing trip, I’m faced with a dilemma. I look at my tackle box and have to decide on a Jerkbait vs. Crankbait combo. No matter which I choose, I’m usually vexed wondering if the other would have been the better lure for the trip. Both are amazing lures for catching fish, especially early in the year, and are some of the best fishing lures for beginners, period. I always have a rod tied with each right on the deck to start each trip. Let’s discuss why you should too.

What Is a Jerkbait?

A jerkbait is a long and slender lure that resembles a minnow and has 2-3 treble hooks. Depending on the model, it might sink, float, or suspend, but all are intended to be retrieved horizontally through the water column. While you could simply reel a jerkbait in, or troll one behind your boat, they really shine when you start jerking and snapping them through the water as their name suggests. This erratic action makes jerkbaits look like dying, fleeing, or otherwise distressed baitfish. Bass, northern pike, chain pickerel, walleye, and even large crappie can’t resist, and almost hop into your boat!

How to Fish a Jerkbait

There are several ways to fish a jerkbait. You can reel it in, and it’ll basically act as a shallow crankbait with a tight wobble. Likewise, you can troll them behind a boat, and they’ll stay straight and true enticing fish. The preferred method, and how they got their namesake, is to snap or jerk them through the water. This creates slack in the line which should be slowly reeled in before snapping again.

The main trick to working a jerkbait is figuring out the cadence of your snaps. In warmer water, a faster cadence often produces fish. Indeed, it can provide outstanding action as fish compete with each other to attack the lure. In colder water, however, you’ll often do better by slowing down your retrieve. At ice out, I’ve had days where I will literally pause a jerkbait for 10-20 seconds before I give it oh so small of a little twitch to try and entice a bite. Sometimes that’s what it takes to get sluggish fish to commit.

Note that regardless of the time of year, you’ll need to give it at least one good snap as soon as it hits the water to get it down to depth, especially if it is a suspending or floating model. Jerkbaits have a bill on them much like a crankbait that allows them to dive, and the quickest way to get them underwater is with a pretty heavy snap at first.

Types of Jerkbaits: Floating vs. Suspending vs. Sinking

While there are dozens if not hundreds of jerkbaits out there on the market, most boil down to one of three types:

• Floating jerkbaits
• Suspending jerkbaits
• Sinking jerkbaits

As you could probably guess, they get their name from the way they act in the water. A floating jerkbait floats. A sinking model sinks. Suspending jerkbaits are neutrally buoyant, so after you jerk them down to the appropriate level, they’ll suspend or float in the water column at rest.

This allows you to tailor the action to what you need to achieve. A sinking jerkbait could patiently be used to slowly fall down to bass holding at great depths. A floating model could be worked around cover with the reasonable expectation of being retrieved when necessary. A suspending one could be placed directly in the fish’s face until it couldn’t stand it any more and bit.

Best Floating Jerkbaits

Floating jerkbaits are quite useful anytime bass are schooling on the surface. If you would have success with a topwater, you will have success with a floating jerkbait fished just below the surface. You could even use the lure as a topwater bait if you really wanted to, but you’ll probably be better off mimicking a fish the bass have trapped at the surface.

When it comes to what is the best floating jerkbait, I favor the Rapala Original Floater. It’s very hard to argue with a lure that has been in production so long. Manufacturers aren’t going to back a loser for that long, so you know this lure sells. Fishermen too won’t back a loser for more than an hour, so you know this lure catches fish!

I’ve found that floating jerkbaits aren’t the best lure for just after ice out or when the bass are really sluggish. It’s hard to keep these lures in the strike zone for a long enough pause as they start rising immediately. I’d keep them in the tackle box until the water warms a bit.

Best Suspending Jerkbaits

My favorite jerkbaits both suspend. I like suspending jerkbaits because they’ll just sit there in the water, allowing current to move them enticingly in-between my snaps and twitches. While I do need to impart a pretty good initial snap to get them to depth, once there, they stay right where I want them for the entire retrieve.

The main suspending jerkbait in my tackle box is a Rapala X-Rap. I prefer a size 10 X-Rap for bass and pike, but I do have a couple smaller ones that I tie on if I’m trying to catch larger sunfish or crappie. X-Raps cast a mile, catch every fish possible and–importantly–hold up very well. They use sturdy hooks and the worst that’s going to happen is some of the tail feathers get ripped out. You can purchase replacement feathered treble hooks, but you really won’t need to replace them that often as this is a sturdy bait. This is truly a 100-fish lure.

Best Sinking Jerkbaits

When it comes to sinking jerkbaits, I also favor Rapala. This time it’s the Rapala Shadow Rap. Let me tell you, when this lure came on the market in 2015, it set my fishing trips on fire. I couldn’t keep bass from biting it. Point in fact, the very first trip I took with one I hooked two small bass at the same time, sent my wife the picture, and said, “Yeah, we’re buying more of these.”

Rapala Shadow Raps have this subtle sinking action where they turn slightly on the pause. I’ve found this makes them absolute dynamite lures especially early in the year. My only issue with them is that there hooks are so thin that they tend to get smashed up extremely easily. They are often bent and compressed to the point where trying to restore their shape with pliers only breaks them. It’s a good problem to have, as it means a large fish bit, but you aren’t going to get near as many strikes out of one of these as an X-Rap.

While I haven’t used it, when researching this article, I stumbled across the Rapala Countdown Lure and am intrigued. Apparently, this lure sinks at a predetermined rate (I’m not sure if this is size dependent, but the one I was reading about sunk at 1′ per second). This would allow you to precisely target fish at the depth they’re holding and could be an amazing way to target some deeper midwater humps come summer.

Deep Diving Jerkbaits

Several types of jerkbaits come with larger lips that will allow them to dive deeper per jerk. This can be useful if you know a particular sunken hump is a certain depth and you want to consistently run jerkbaits by it. The natural lakes I fish don’t have too many of these so I don’t have much experience using them, but some guys swear by deep jerkbaits.

Best Jerkbait Colors

I only bother with two colors for jerkbaits and as I said, I have one tied on the entire year, catching fish. I use clown and yellow perch. Clown is a great color any time the water is murky as it provides enough flash to call fish in from far, but isn’t so gaudy that the more wary turn their noses up. Yellow perch is a good natural color that mimics typical prey in northern lakes. If you don’t have yellow perch in your clearer lakes, I’d suggest matching the hatch as best you can. Every other lure in the world works great in white and I have no doubt jerkbaits would too, but I’m really trying a more minimalist approach to fishing, so these two colors work for me.

Best Time to Use Jerkbaits

There’s this misconception out there that the only time you should use jerkbaits is during the spring. In fact, jerkbaits will work all year long. They perfectly mimic a dying and distressed baitfish that needs to be culled from the school. Fish don’t suddenly start ignoring these signals once the water heats up.

The reason why spring typically gets the nod as the best time of year to use jerkbaits is because there’s less weed cover, and most fish are shallow. Jerkbaits are difficult to use in the summer because many of the places that hold fish either have weeds or are much deeper than jerkbaits typically reach. Jerkbaits are very difficult to fish in weedy areas because of the way they are worked. Each snap of the rod more or less ensures fouling your hooks on some gunk. Likewise, while there are some “deep diving” jerkbaits, these typically top out around 10-12 feet. This isn’t much use when the fish are significantly deeper. In such cases, you’d be better off going with a crankbait vs. a jerkbait, as the crankbait can reach them.

A further reason why people tend to say early spring is the best time to use jerkbaits is because they are one of the few effective lures that time of year. Spinnerbaits don’t produce as many bites until the water warms to around 60 degrees. Jerkbaits can be used right from ice out and will produce hits. This is because jerkbaits (and especially suspending jerkbaits) can be worked extremely slow. Fish have slow metabolisms early in the year and are unlikely to chase anything down a long distance. You need to get your lure right in their face and have it sit there sometimes. Jerkbaits are outstanding for this.

Best Line for Jerkbaits

I personally fish jerkbaits on 20lb test Power Pro braided fishing line. I like the way that the lure snaps through the water when I’m jerking it through as this line doesn’t stretch. Since it has a thin diameter, it also helps get jerkbaits down a little deeper. I do set the drag on my reel a little looser to account for all of this and to prevent too many fish from pulling off.

Many anglers prefer using fluorocarbon. For example, Kevin VanDam, one of the best jerkbait fishermen to ever throw the plug, prefers flourocarbon line while fishing with jerkbaits. He uses everything from 8 – 20lb test, with lighter line being used when he wants to get the bait down deeper, and heavier to help keep it running higher.

Jerkbaits for Bass?

Largemouth and smallmouth bass love jerkbaits. They’re one of the best lures for catching these fish assuming you can work them without fouling on weeds. During the pre-spawn period, jerkbaits are some of the best lures, bar none to catch bass. I’ve found that smallmouth seem to prefer a jerkbait vs. a crankbait during pre-spawn. I judge this based on the fact that I catch far more smallies on jerkbaits than I do when I break out some crankbaits.

Best Size Jerkbait for Bass?

I’ve found that largemouth and smallmouth bass prefer a jerkbait that is about 4″ long. This represents a good-sized meal to both species and also matches the hatch well. It could represent a very large minnow, or a small enough perch to eat.

Jerkbaits for Summer Bass

Jerkbaits are productive lures year round for largemouth bass. While some anglers think you can’t throw them in the summer, this is incorrect. They’re very productive lures any time of the year given how well they mimic distressed prey. The only trick is that in the summer, many bass stage in either very deep water, or very deep cover. A jerkbait isn’t always the best lure for either situation. Crankbaits are often better for reaching deeper bass while something weedless, such as a frog, would do better if largemouth bass are in deep vegetation.

Jerkbait Leaders

When fishing for northern pike with jerkbaits, using a leader can save a lot of money. Jerkbaits aren’t exactly the cheapest lure out there, and with northern pike and muskie jerkbaits being some of the most expensive, you’re going to want to use a jerkbait leader. I would highly recommend having a leader that is at least as long as the lure if not longer. If you go with a leader that is shorter than the lure, there’s a good chance it will catch the hooks and foul the action, which will be frustrating.

Best Jerkbait Rod?

While this is a personal decision, most anglers recommend a shorter rod (6′ to 6’6″) when fishing jerkbaits. A shorter rod makes it easier to get a strong jerk/snap out of your lures with hitting the bank or gunwale on your boat.

I personally favor a spinning rod when fishing jerkbaits because the reel hangs underneath the rod. I find this helps the rod balance better. Also, most of the time I’m throwing jerkbaits, it’s early in the spring when the winds are absolutely chaotic. Using a spinning rod allows me to make long casts with a jerkbait right into the wind without worrying about backlashes. Finally, it’s much easier to use lighter line with a narrower diameter with a spinning rod than a baitcaster. For all these reasons, spinning rods are my tackle of choice when fishing jerkbaits.

I throw so many jerkbaits that I have a very nice rod dedicated to them: a 6’6″ medium power, fast action St. Croix Legend Extreme. The St. Croix Legend Elite is pricey, but it weighs so little that I can fish this intensive technique all day without issue. I literally have one of these lures tied to it the entire year and use nothing else. If you’re not willing to spend that kind of money, I used a St. Croix Avid series for years (again, 6’6″ medium power / fast action). I know some guys prefer rods with a moderate action like a crankbait rod, but this makes the jerks/snaps too sluggish for my taste.

Bear in mind that St. Croix rods very rarely go on sale at the big box stores (I’d venture to say never, but you never say that), so this is a rod you can absolutely buy on Amazon with all their convenience and no regrets that some other shop might have a better price. Check out the links above to be throwing jerkbaits two days from now!

What Is a Crankbait?

A crankbait is a short and stocky plug that usually has two treble hooks. It can have a large bill for diving deep into the water, or be “lipless” and designed to run in a straight line. The bill of a crankbait pulls it to its target running depth and the faster you reel it in at first, the faster it’ll get to that depth. Very popular with bass anglers, crankbaits are also known to catch northern pike, chain pickerel, crappie, and walleye.

How to Fish a Crankbait

Crankbaits are good fishing lures for beginners because all you need to do to use a crankbait is toss it out and work it back in. Literally, just cast the crankbait out, then reel it back to your boat or shore. Doing this alone will catch fish (assuming it doesn’t foul on some weeds or other refuse).

That’s not the only way how to work a crankbait, of course. A much better way how to to use a crankbait would be to do your best to bang it into just about everything you can on the way home. This seems very counter-intuitive (and is a great way to lose a lot of lures when fishing from shore), but each time you smack that crankbait into a rock or branch, it deflects off wildly, driving fish nuts.

Even if you’re fishing open water, you’d be well-served by creating some “deflections” of your own. While you won’t have anything to run the crankbait into, make sure you work in some pops or twitches with your rod trip as you work it back.

How To Reel a Crankbait

Crankbaits need to be reeled in rapidly at first to reach their diving depth. A faster retrieve will get them down to the correct depth quickly, from where you can slow things down and keep them in the strike zone longer. This is why you’ll find that many fishermen prefer to use a baitcasting reel with the handle on whichever side they can reel the fastest.

Do You Use a Swivel with Crankbaits?

I don’t like using snap swivels with crankbaits, but I am a big fan of using snaps. You can use a snap on your crankbaits without worrying about scaring fish, or other issues. Indeed, the snap makes fishing with crankbaits easy as you can swap them out to try different colors and running depths. Snaps also are useful with crankbaits in that they give the more wobbly ones an even wider wobble, which can be more enticing for fish.

Lipless vs. Squarebill vs. Deep Diving Crankbaits

Crankbaits tend to fall into three main categories:

• Lipless crankbaits, that have no bill to pull them under and can be retrieved horizontally.
• Squarebill crankbaits designed to deflect off of cover in shallow water.
• Deep diving crankbaits with giant bills designed to reach maximum depth where summer bass live.

All have their pros and cons and belong in your tackle box.

Best Lipless Crankbaits

Two of the more common lipless crankbaits are also the best: the Rat-L-Trap and the Red Eye Shad. Both have been around for years though the former makes the latter look like a baby. Rat-L-Traps in particular have really impressed me recently. There once was a time when you could pick up an entire bag of used Rat-L-Traps on eBay for pennies, they were so common. Now, the new ones come with some quality components such as Mustad hooks that stand up to fish after fish after fish.

The Red Eye Shad is another one of Kevin VanDam’s sponsored lures. As with all of his stuff, it works as he’s putting his name on it. You’ll also routinely find him fishing this stuff in tournaments. Now, KVD is a legendary angler and he could probably get an unpainted block of wood bit, but it’s a vote of confidence all the same.

How to Use a Crankbait in Weeds

Weeds make fishing with crankbaits difficult, because their treble hooks like to catch on each and every plant. I would suggest using a lipless crankbait when fishing in the weeds, as it doesn’t have a lip that will pull it down towards the vegetation. Instead, you can more or less control how deep it will or won’t dive by the angle of your rod tip. One of the best things you can do with a lipless crankbait is run it so it the treble hooks just tick the top of some submerged weeds as you burn it back to the boat. This causes the crankbait to pause for a moment and then snap forward with a lunge. It has the same effect as fishing in rocks with a squarebill, deflecting off every obstruction you find.

Best Squarebill Crankbaits

I’m personally a fan of the Strike King KVD 1.5 squarebill (click the photo for more of a description). There are more expensive ones out there, for sure, but these have been consistent producers for me over the years. Once upon a time you couldn’t get the rattling ones anywhere but Bass Pro Shops, but now they’re available on Amazon. While I suppose there’s a time for a silent crankbait, that time is not on the dingy waters I fish, so I almost always prefer a rattle.

Best Deep Diving Crankbaits

The best deep diving crankbait for your situation is going to depend entirely on how deep you need it to go. I’m going to assume you want a deep diving crankbait 15′ or more. That would put you in the realm of the Strike King Pro Model 5XD. I like this because it only weights 5/8 oz. yet will reach those depths. Many deep diving crankbaits are considerably larger which makes them difficult to fish on all but the stoutest tackle. This is a good compromise lure.

How to Use Deep Diving Crankbaits

As with all crankbaits, the name of the game when fishing with deep diving ones is to try and get them to deflect off cover. To do this, you need to use a crankbait that dives just a bit deeper than the cover is. While this will cause some hang ups, it will also produce a number of strikes.

Some anglers use a crankbait technique called long lining to get more depth out of their lures. Let’s say you knew there was an underwater hump at a particular point. You’d want to cast well beyond it but not engage (lock) your spool. You’d then take your trolling motor and move the boat away from your lure, without engaging the spool. Once you got a bit of a distance away, you’d reel in as fast as you can. This would allow the lure to go much deeper than you could achieve on a normal cast.

When To Use Crankbaits

Crankbaits are one of those lures that start working very well in the pre-spawn. Even though they are a bit of a “fast” lure, they aren’t burned as quickly as a spinnerbait and so you can trigger some hits from otherwise sluggish fish. Also the deflections off cover are simply too much for fish to handle. These deflections do a few things. One, they stop the crankbait for a moment, often right in front of a fish’s face. Two, this often elicits a jarring reaction strike.

Best Time to Use Crankbaits

Most people use crankbaits during the day. If they get hung up, it’s much easier to retrieve them if you can see what you’re doing. If you’re going to use crankbaits at night, I’d go with much darker colors, like black, and I’d make sure that the crankbait had some sort of rattle to help fish home in on it.

Best Line for Crankbaits

Fluorocarbon is widely considered to be the best fishing line for crankbaits. Fluorocarbon has several advantages when fishing crankbaits. First, it sinks, which is what you want with these lures. Secondly, it has less stretch than monofilament, which will allow a good hook set even if a fish bites 15′ below the surface. Finally, the abrasion resistance of the type is useful with crankbaits given that they spend so much time banging into and next to rocks.

How to Use a Crankbait for Bass

Using a crankbait for bass is no different than working a crankbait for any other fish. You cast it out, reel it in, and try to bang into any cover you can along the way. Go ahead and dig that lure into the dirt a bit – the bass will love the commotion and come nail it.

If you get into an area that holds bass, they’re going to bite a crankbait, period. The only question is whether or not you can cast and retrieve it without being hung up.

Best Size Crankbait for Bass

Using the KVD squarebills as a guide, they come in sizes ranging from 1.0 (3/8 oz.) to 8.0 (1.5 oz.). I get that people think “bigger lure, bigger fish” and I suppose sometimes that may be so, but I’ll tell you what – I’ve never had an issue catching huge largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or northern pike on a 1.5-sized crankbait (7/16 oz. to 3/8 oz.). This is a good compromised size that most fish view as a good meal. You’ll catch quantity and quality with it.

Crankbait Leaders

It’s uncommon to see people using a leader with a crankbait unless they’re specifically fishing for northern pike or muskie. With that said, crankbaits are one lure that does well enough attached to a snap, so many purpose-built leaders will work. I’d personally recommend going with fluorocarbon leaders so that you don’t scare any line-shy bass more than you have to.

Best Crankbait Rod?

Crankbaits are one technique where a fiberglass rod is really going to shine. This is for a few reasons. First, a fiberglass rod will allow you to really load up on your cast and fling that crankbait a good distance. This is important because the further your cast, the deeper the crankbait can reach on its retrieve. Fiberglass rods also work well with crankbaits because they are “mushier” and more forgiving of a strike than graphite rods. You’re less likely to rip the thin treble hooks out of a fish’s mouth if you use a fiberglass rod.

My personal favorite crankbait rod is the St. Croix Legend Glass. I picked one of these up last year and have had an absolute blast ripping Rat-L-Traps across the rocky Vermont shores of Lake Champlain. It loads up beautifully with a 1/2 oz Rat-L-Trap and had no issues fighting numerous 4lb smallies and largemouth.

Must-Have Tools When Fishing Jerkbaits or Crankbaits

There are a few tools that are going to make your life considerably easier when fishing with jerkbaits or crankbaits. These fishing tools will save you time, money, and aggravation. If you don’t already own them, I’d really consider picking them up before your next time on the water.

Lure Retriever

You’ll have noticed that I’ve spent considerable time in this article telling you to slam your crankbaits into any obstruction you can find. Well, on occasion they get stuck doing that. The technique works so well for catching fish that you can’t ignore it, but it can also get incredibly expensive in a hurry. With many crankbaits costing anywhere from $5 to $15 if not more, it can add up in a hurry. That’s why you should purchase a lure retriever today. I keep one on my boat at all times, and it only takes 4-5 retrieved lures to pay for itself.

The one I linked to extends to a length of 18′. While this may seem excessive consider that it’s not always depth that you need to worry about. You may well find that you’re running your crankbait across rocky shorelines that you aren’t crazy about bringing your boat up to. Being able to have a little extra length to reach lures horizontally also helps.

Split Ring Pliers

A good set of split ring pliers really makes your life a lot easier. Some jerkbaits and crankbaits have very thin hooks that don’t hold up well to fish. Split ring pliers are indispensable for swapping out hooks in a hurry. This set even comes with spare split rings, which is good as sometimes they break or deform when you’re trying to take them off or put them on.

Conclusion: When To Use a Jerkbait vs. a Crankbait

Jerkbaits and crankbaits are two of my favorite fishing lures. While I wouldn’t recommend either when fishing with kids, they can’t be beat when the adults are in the boat. I know many anglers think jerkbaits are only for the pre-spawn, but I’ve had success with them year round. They mimic a dying or distressed baitfish so well that there’s no logical reason why a bass wouldn’t eat them all year. The only issue is that they can be hard to fish in weeds, and in many places, bass use weeds as their primary cover come summer. Even so, if you can find little pockets and have accurate casts, jerkbaits could be very good to you.

Crankbaits are also great year round. They even come more into their own over the summer, when some larger bass go much deeper than most jerkbaits can reach. It’s challenging to think of a better lure that can reach the depths of many submerged humps and cover water as effectively and quickly as a crankbait.

I’d recommend that you keep both in your tackle box at all times. I know I have rods rigged with each throughout the year, and they tend to get a lot of action each fishing trip.

I hope this article was helpful. Thanks for reading!

John Paxton