When is the water too warm for a jerkbait?
Roughly above 20-24 °C (68-75 °F) the suspending game fades: fish want a bait that keeps moving, and the bait itself rises on the pause. Switch to a floating shallow runner worked fast, a topwater, or a soft jerkbait. Below 4 °C (40 °F) it still works — with 20-30 s pauses.
The full story
This answer is one piece of a longer lesson — setups, diagrams and the reasoning behind it.
More questions about Jerkbaits (Suspending, Floating & Sinking)
- Why does my jerkbait sink (or float up) on the pause when the package says "suspending"?
- How long should I pause?
- Extra-fast or moderate action — which rod is right?
- How long a rod?
- Fluorocarbon or PE braid — and is nylon ever right?
- Rattling or silent?
- One-piece or jointed?
- What is "slow twitch" and when do I use it?
- Can I fish a jerkbait in grass at all?
- Do I need a loop knot?
- What size for smallmouth versus largemouth?
- Which reel speed?
- How do I get it deeper?
- I get bit but keep losing them — why?
- Colour — natural or bright?