Hello, I'm Patrick from Vianen, and I'd like to share my experience as a jerkbaitbuilder with you in the form of an article. I started lurebuilding some 5 years ago. I started to build bucktailspinners, streamers and spinnerbaits. It really liked it and I caught a lot of fish with them. Before that I only fishes with spinners for years. Because I did not want to fish with the crankbaits that are sold in the shops. I always thought that it woulkd be a lot nicer to catch a pike on something that you have build yourself. At least that's my opinion!









A few months ago I read an article about building your own jerkbaits and I imediately thought; that's what I want. So I started to build 1 just for the fun of it. I went to a local wooddealer and bought me some nice meranti planks that where 17 mm thick. I took a crankbait and made a stencil of it on paper. I used the stencil to put the shape of my jerkbait on the plank. Used an electrical saw to saw it out. And then I drilled the holes for the lead.





I did the leading in a bucket of water. Put the lead in the holes and closed the holes with liquid wood. After that I gave the "jerkbait in the making" some nice roundings with a file. after some light sanding i put 2 coats of primer on it using a brush. Sanded it lightly again and then it was time to give it some colors. But what colors should I use? After a long period of thinking I decided to spray it yellow, with a red back. I also gave it a green belly and some black stripes. I finished it with 3 coats of boatlaquer.

Then it was time to "try" my baby. So I went to the nearest water and hopped it in. I tapped a little with the tip of my rod an slowly retrieved it. After some 5 minits of fishing there it was. A huge BANG! I caught a nice pike of 80 cm! This gave me the best feeling ever. Catching this fish on my own homemade lure. After releasing the pike I decided to throw it in another direction. Imediately I caught another somewhat smaller pike. My day was made! I stood there with a "big smile" on my face. My jerkbait was somewhat damaged by the attacks of the pike and it seemed to have lost one eye. So I decided to build me some more. And one of them is made out of a broomstick.

What I like the most of my jerkbaits is that they all have a different action. One slide from side to side while another just flanks a lot. I even have one that dives from the surface down and back. Nowadays I prefer fishing with jerkbaits over fishing with spinners. Because I think that you have to bring the action in the lure yourself. And therefore it is a lot more active fishing with jerkbaits. And when you manage to catch a pike with it that make the party compleet.



My first jerkbait was a few months aga now and I've caught numerous pikes on the jerkbait. Even small pikes of 30 cm. But that doesn't matter to me. I enjoy every pike, big or small. Nowadays I'm building almost every evening and I can say that I have found a new hobby. By the way, last week I caught a pike that differed from a normal pike. It had a strange jaw. It had an upright bend. And his fins on top and underneath the pike where strange. Even the tail was a bit funny. Was the fish hurt in any way? Or was it a defection by birth?

That's what I would like to know.

Greetings Patrick
patrickdebis@hotmail.com