Square bill vs jerk bait

What conditions are you looking for when you would choose one over the other in the fall. I’ve been losing confidence in throwing my 1.5 sexy shad square bill and tied on a sexy shad jerk bait on a windy main lake point and caught my best fish in a couple trips out. Was the first fish I’d caught on the jerk bait so trying to widen my repertoire.

Always have both tied on and on the deck this time of year. Some days they eat both, others they will want one or none. Might try a little deeper diver in the same general locations 6-8ft aswell.

If you can't make contact with the bottom then, I would opt for the jerkbait over the squarebill. If there's a lot of shallow cover like rocks/ laydowns I would fish the squarebill over the jerk bait

I mostly use jerk baits when the water is colder, closer to 50 degrees, but that's just me. Im sure they work in warmer water but I don't throw them that much so I wait for winter. I have a lot of other baits that I use in warmer water.

Whatever you have more confidence in:

Factors that would tend to have me throwing the square bill over the jerkbait
--heavily stained water
--high winds
--aggressively feeding bass that are chasing bait
--fish relating more to the bottom in 3-6 fow
--able to tick the top of grass and occasionally pause the sq bill in the grass and reel it free
--any time of year, but especially post spawn, night time/early morning in summer, fall

Factors that would have me throwing the jerkbait
--clear water
--light breeze
--fish suspended
--able to suspend the jerkbait just over the grass on long pauses
--can work any time of year but especially pre spawn, spawn, summer mid depths during the day, late fall, winter
--cold front/post front/heavily pressured water
--small mouth and spotted bass in the mix

Factors where I'd likely be throwing both
--just lightly stained water
--10mph or so wind
--rock
--timber
--there are some sq bills that suspend more than others that you can fish like a jerkbait on pauses

I like a jerkbait when I'm fishing over secondary points and for suspended fish, especially in clear water. I also like a jerkbait when there's grass present. But if I'm fishing in 5' or less and there's a lot of cover, I'll opt for the squarebill.

Jerkbait- clear water is a must I prefer water in the mid 40's because it kills the shad.
Squarebill everyday everywhere

I like that, "Squarebill everyday everywhere". Haha

I love a crankbait any depth, any time of year- but they may not want it sometimes. This past April I was on a three week epic jerkbait bite that I was sorry to see go. Water wasn't gin clear, water temp was in the 70s, fish were actively feeding and the bigger fish would only bite that jerkbait. There were grass pockets around and it was just on a hunch that I started throwing it. I almost always give a good area a few passes with one now. You just never know.

I know on Rayburn & TB they use jerkbaits during the shad spawn. I know they work more than clear cold water. I've just found my best success was then. Under other conditions I've found a chatterbait, trap, crankbait or spinnerbait to out produce it. Especially when you consider the landing ratio with 3 little treble hooks is lower.

I keep both tied on year round,some days they want one and other days they want the other. It's like a spinnerbait and a chatterbait.