11. Jerk Bait Plastics

Jerk bait style plastics have little action of their own, hence the 'jerk' required to get the plastic to dart around like a wounded or fleeing baitfish. Generally slender and baitfish shaped, jerk baits don't have a curl or paddle tail to create action, so the bulk of the action needs to be imparted by the angler. The softness of the ZMan plastic means that little movement is required to impart action in the plastic, so small twitches and hops will see the tail working seductively. Jerk baits also lend themselves to high speed retrieves as they track well, rather than spinning or 'blowing out', with the straight tail vibrating to attract predators. Jerk baits have also long been a go-to plastic for offshore anglers as the lack of action means a faster sink rate.