Early-spring jerkbait fishing is some of the most exciting sport of the year. Though early-season bass aren't likely to chase down fast-moving baits, it's not always necessary to drag jigs slowly along the bottom to elicit strikes. Bass -- both largemouth and smallmouth -- will, in fact, move to take bait, a suspending jerkbait in particular. And the hits, well, often they defy the frigid water temperatures, as irritated bass will often slam these hovering baits with line-stretching enthusiasm. The key is having the knowledge of when and how to work hard jerkbaits.

The category of hard jerkbaits is well represented by the major lure makers, and includes Rapala's Husky Jerk and X-Rap, Bomber's Suspending Pro Long A, Smithwick's line of suspending Rogues and Lucky Craft's Pointers. Mega Bass produces a line of high-quality suspending jerkbaits. My personal favorite is XCalibur's Xs4 (clown pattern), a 4-inch stick bait that suspends perfectly and features extremely sharp hooks.

Whatever your personal choice in suspending jerkbaits, the chief factor is that it maintains its position when on the pause, neither sinking nor floating.

The longer days of early spring instigates bass to move shallow to feed. On lakes, this typically occurs over extensive flats, especially ones that are protected from harsh, water-cooling winds. At times, bass will suspend high in the water column, over deeper water, in the band of warming surface water. Though riding high, these fish still tend to relate to the bottom structure below.

The same holds true on rivers, where smallmouth bass typically are the primary black bass species. In areas where winter carries with it ice cover, bass will become more active soon after the frozen stuff makes its seasonal exit and the water temperatures rise into the 40s. Brown bass looking to feed after a period of relative inactivity will move to specific shallow areas where they are vulnerable to a suspending jerkbait. (Continued)

Unlike floating jerkbaits, a suspending jerkbait's feature of hanging in the water column provides a strong trigger for any bass to strike, particularly in cold water. Moving erratically from the force of the angler's twitch, the bait then suspends helplessly on the pause. It's a powerful blend of attraction and trigger, one that's completely under the control of the human on the other end of the line. For it's the angler who determines the strength of the jerk and the length of the pause, which in the case of early-spring outings leans strongly toward moderate twitches and lengthy pauses.

Early-spring jerkbait patterns rely on a bass's ability to see the lure; thus, fairly clear water conditions are called for. The water need not be gin clear, but if the visibility is less than 2 feet, it's best to rely on other approaches.

Here's a specific look at lake and river jerkbait fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass during the early spring.

EARLY-SPRING JERKBAIT PATTERNS IN LAKES
The first step is narrowing down the search of potential areas. Look at the lake as a whole, and ask yourself: What areas of this lake will warm up the quickest? Usually these will be protected areas along the northern portion of a lake, places that see a much more direct sun angle at this time of year. Expansive areas of shallow flats and points are important, too, as such places experience the initial spring kickoff of the awakening food chain.