Strike King Tips Series: In the Prespawn, KVD Deep Jerkbait Hits Untouched Fish

Published on 01-26-2020

In the Prespawn, KVD Deep Jerkbait Hits Untouched Fish

Many anglers throw jerkbaits in the prespawn, and they’re deadly any time there’s sufficient visibility, but most of us are just scratching the surface of their potential. That’s because there are populations of bass beneath where typical rip baits can go. Missouri pro Chad Morgenthaler, who lives just a long cast from Table Rock, the epicenter of jerkbaiting innovation, said he solves that problem coast to coast by employing the Strike King KVD Deep Jerkbait.

“I’m always worried if I’m running deep enough,” he said. “A typical jerkbait only gets down 5 to 6 feet. This one easily gets down in that 8 to 10 foot range. It has a tungsten transfer system which helps with that, and also ensures that it throws well.”

It’s his key tool throughout the winter, and until fish commit to the shallows, and he particularly likes the fact that it has three trebles and comes in a wide variety of proven color patterns. A particular favorite is Pro Blue. During this recently-concluded offseason he landed an 11-08 monster at Chickamauga on a Pro Blue jerkbait, which further cemented his confidence.

He throws it on a 6’8” medium-light Team Lew’s Custom Speed Stick Lite. “That rod action allows for long casts with lighter line,” he said, and indeed he dotes on 8 to 10 pound fluorocarbon, nothing that the rod “is soft enough to handle lighter line and large fish.”

Once the prespawn commences in earnest, he’ll switch to the shallower diving KVD Jerkbait in the same color, plus Sexy Ghost, and “bring the speed a little faster with a more erratic action,” but when the fish are out deep no other jerkbait can touch this deep diver’s effectiveness.