4 Best Jerkbaits for Surf Fishing: A New Winner

Surf fishing with jerkbaits is the most popular method of lure fishing from the beach. So, what is the best jerkbait for surf fishing? It might not be the one you thought. There’s a new king of jerkbaits and I’m going to tell you all about it. In this article we’ll be breaking down the 4 best jerkbaits for surf fishing and I’ll give you some tips as to how they swim, cast etc.

#4 Calissa 110mm Jerkbait

Design	Casting	Swim Action	Overall
A	B-	B	B

Lure Specs

Length	110mm
Weight	5/8 oz
Swim Depth	1-2ft
Best Feature	Price

The first lure we’ll be talking about today is the Calissa 110mm jerkbait. This is essentially a copycat Lucky Craft FM 110. Why is it number four on the list? Well, it’s good. But it’s not as good as the OG Lucky Craft jerkbait.

A while back, I wrote an in-depth article comparing the Lucky Craft FM 110 to the Calissa 110 and I broke down the pros and cons to each as well as which lure did better in each of the following categories. For more details, read the article here: “Lucky Craft vs Calissa Lure“.

Design/Looks

When comparing the Calissa to the LC FM 110, I could have easily been fooled. It makes sense why this lure is often in the mix in terms of the best jerkbaits for surf fishing. Aside from a slight difference in the eye shape and a different type of clip and hooks, the pearl white version of both of these lures are near-identical to one another.

Casting

Both the LC and the Calissa cast similar distances. It really comes down to consistency. You see, in most jerkbaits, there’s an internal weight system – usually little lead balls of sorts inside. These balls not only give the lure its weight, but also balance the lure properly for casting. When you shake the lure as it hangs from your line and let it settle, you should be able to cast your best. I found that the optimal balance was achieved more frequently in the LC than the Calissa.

Swim Action

At first, I couldn’t tell the difference. With a normal-normal/fast retrieve, the Calissa has a good wobble and it looks great in the water; similar to the LC, but not the same. After some time, I could tell there was something just slightly different.

The Lucky Craft is unique in that it has such a tight wobble; it’s almost a signature of the brand. The Calissa has a good wobble too, just not as tight a wobble. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the LC swims “better”. It’s just a different style.

Overall

The bottom line with this lure is that it produces and it’s the least expensive option when it comes to the best jerkbaits for surf fishing. It looks and feels very much like the LC but you can slightly feel the wobble is a tad weaker and the aerodynamics in casting is less consistent than the LC.

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#3 Battlestar 115mm

Design	Casting	Swim Action	Overall
A-	A+	B+	A-

Lure Specs

Length	115mm
Weight	3/4 oz
Swim Depth	3-4ft
Best Feature	Casting

Design/Looks

As mentioned, it’s eyes trip me out a bit, but fish like it, so that’s good. There’s a limited (but growing) selection of colors and patterns as well.

Casting

Casting is where this thing takes the cake. It’s not even a competition. If you’re purely looking for a jerkbait that casts far and works… look no further.

Swim Action

The swim action on this lure was again, unique. It holds a slightly wider wobble than any of the other lures, but it’s a good type of wide wobble – not weak by any means. Vince (the creator of this lure) has a very nice description and instruction for how he recommends you fish this lure. Read it in the product description.

Overall

The Battlestar 115mm broke onto the scene maybe two years ago and it’s caught on rather quickly here on the west coast. Since the Lucky Craft FM 110 has bee recognized as the best jerkbait for surf fishing for a while now, I tend to utilize that as the bench mark in comparing. It provides helpful context that most anglers can relate to.

The Battlestar 115 is a very interesting and unique jerkbait. Firstly, it’s heavier than the LC 110 (more like the LC 115), but it’s much better than the LC 115. The LC115 had all sorts of roll issues etc. in my opinion. But, this Battlestar lure casts further than any lure on this list and it’s action is great but holds a slightly “looser” wobble than the LC. As for the design, it’s a bit “big-eyed”, and it has limited color selections as of now, but it’s solid. And, at the end of the day, the thing produces.

It’s is a must try and a must have for a couple reasons. While it isn’t the “best jerkbait for surf fishing”, it’s still a great lure with great action and a rapidly growing resume. On top of that, it allows you to reach areas that you wouldn’t otherwise reach with a lure that can’t cast as far as this one.

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#2 Lucky Craft FM 110mm

Design	Casting	Swim Action	Overall
A	A-	A+	A

The Lucky Craft FM 110 was the gold standard for the longest time in terms of jerkbaits for surf fishing. To some, it still might be. It’s a high quality lure and its resume of catches is easily the best resume of any lure on this list.

Lure Specs

Length	110mm
Weight	5/8 oz
Swim Depth	1-2ft
Best Feature	Action

Design/Looks

I don’t have much to say about the design and looks of the LC FM 110 because it’s the “standard”. Its design has worked forever and you can’t really complain about it. Color options are also plentiful.

Casting

The Lucky Craft FM 110 casts fairly well. It won’t shock you and it won’t impress you too much, but it’s consistent and it casts as far as you would expect a quality jerkbait to. It’s important to take the time to shake the lure before casting it and dangle it to ensure the internal weights sink down to the back end of the lure. This will make for the most consistent and farthest casting possible from the LC.

Swim Action

Swim action on this lure is second to none… or at least it was for the longest time. It holds an extremely tight wobble, and maintains a solid wobble even throughout slow retrieves. Like any jerkbait, seaweed is a massive weakness, but it can fight through one or two pieces of grass and maintain a wobble better than it’s formerly mentioned counterparts.

Overall

Overall, it’s a very good lure that you can fish with confidence right from the get-go. In my opinion, this is the second best jerkbait for surf fishing.

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#1 Shimano WM 115mm SP

Design	Casting	Swim Action	Overall
A+	A-	A+	A+

The Shimano WM is a different beast. For this one, I actually wrote an entire article about this lure because of how much I loved it. Read more about the Shimano WM SP jerkbait here.

Lure Specs

Length	115mm
Weight	5/8 oz
Swim Depth	4-6ft
Best Feature	Flash Boost / Action

Design/Looks

The Shimano WM 115 SP’s most unique facet is it’s “Flash Boost” technology. This is essentially a small piece of aluminum implanted within a translucent-bodied lure via spring-loaded fastenings. With even the most subtle of movements, the aluminum will vibrate, thus emitting reflections through all sides of the lure, even during pauses.

Casting

Casting is where the Battlestar has everyone beat, but it’s also a tad heavier than the rest of its class. The Shimano WM 115 SP is solid in terms of casting. I would put it right in line with the LC FM 110. I did notice, however, that it’s very worth-while to give it a little shake prior to your casting in an effort to balance the weights properly to allow for optimal casting. There was a noticeable difference between when the weights were vs. weren’t balanced.

Swim Action

The swim action on this lure was what most impressed me when actually using it. I’ve praised the LC’s swim action in the past for its ability to maintain such a tight wobble even through slow retrieves. This is the one thing I believe the Battlestar lacks. I believe the WM-115 SP holds as good a wobble as (if not better than) the LC 110.

In my opinion, its action is the best I’ve ever fished. It also practically never rolls. This is an area where the LC 110 is pretty good, but the LC 115 and the Battlestar 115 lag. Overall, I was very impressed with the wobble and overall appearance of the lure when it was swimming.

Overall

The Shimano WM 115 SP is the best jerkbait for surf fishing. Between the unique and superior design, its fantastic action, and the fact that it produces like no other lure, it’s the best surf fishing jerkbait on the market.