During the past few years, jerkbaits have been flexing their muscles in major tournaments more than ever before. Even so, few anglers take full advantage of what long minnow lures are capable of because they eschew floating models in favor of suspending jerkbaits. Floating long minnows were duping bass decades before suspending jerkbaits became a thing. The Rapala Original Floating Minnow created in the 1930s still deserves a place in every bass addict’s tacklebox.
Advancements in forward-facing sonar are part of the reason suspending jerkbaits are currently kicking bass in tournaments. Patrick Walters’ runaway victory in November 2020 during a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament at Lake Fork, Texas, did much to spark this trend. His suspending jerkbaits plucked more than 104 pounds of heavyweight largemouth bass that he could see suspended in standing timber with his electronics. Although suspending jerkbaits are the darlings of the long minnow brigade, there are times when less popular versions can save your tournament bacon.
