What Do You Prefer For A Jerkbait Rod?

[MichiganFishing1997]

I have heard two different things when it comes to fishing jerkbaits. Some like a Mf action, and some like a fast action, which do you prefer and why?

[J Francho]

I prefer medium power and x-fast tip. Tip recovery is important to me for subtle twitches. The medium power flexes under a full fish load and protects the hooks from tearing.

[BASSclary]

I prefer medium power and x-fast tip. Tip recovery is important to me for subtle twitches. The medium power flexes under a full fish load and protects the hooks from tearing.

J hit the nail on the head

[MichiganFishing1997]

So medium xf is what you guys like best? would M/F work too?

[iabass8]

i personally like a 6'8MXF but i'm almost 6'3. lots of people prefer 6'6 but 7' would work .XF helps when working baits and i personally felt i got better hooks up bouncing between a f vs XF tip. A m/f tip would work fine too. I like XF because i like to "feel" the fish for a split second before i set the hook. Sometimes if you don't do this with an XF tip your bait will be behind you or stuck on the deck of your boat before the fish is even fully submerged back in the water. Using mono over braid (as some do with top water) will increase hook ups /w an XF tip if you "jump the gun" a lot due to the stretch and give in mono.

[OkobojiEagle]

So medium xf is what you guys like best? would M/F work too?

yes

oe

[MichiganFishing1997]

Good to know, now is there any way i could dual purpose this rod? If so what else could be done pretty well with it other than jerk baits? What reel ratio would you choose?

[iabass8]

a MXF rod can serve as double duty for open water soft plastics and lighter jigs very easily and comfortably. I would not (basing this on your other thread) use it as a crank bait rod. a MF or M M/F would be more suitable for that (i still wouldn't want to but i had to choose this would be it). Perhaps you should look at the Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth rod in i think 6'10 MH MF. would probably be a good multi purpose rod for you and it can be found in your price range. Lots of rave reviews for it on this site.

as for a reel I like to use around a 6:4:1 /w 26-28 IPT depending on what i fish for. I like a faster reel when fishing for smallmouth because when they take a bait and run at the boat/shore, you have to be able to pick up line quick so they don't throw the hooks

[buzzfrog]

I double mine as top water, I change my reels though. I use 7:3.1 top. People say reel slow, but it is easy to reel slow though it is too easier to accidentally reel to fast IMO

So I always go down to a 6 gear for jerks

[J Francho]

Good to know, now is there any way i could dual purpose this rod? If so what else could be done pretty well with it other than jerk baits? What reel ratio would you choose?

Sniper style spinnerbaits, walking top waters, light jig/worm. I use an Alphas which is 5.8:1.

[MichiganFishing1997]

iabass8, probably one of the most helpful people i have talked too, and thanks for all the helpful info, that goes for everyone:) Dad had to go to the hospital to get his appendix taken out, i had planned on ordering everything today, but it looks like thats not gonna happen, il get it soon though.

[iabass8]

no problem sir. good luck to you.

[smalljaw67]

I've used a medium power, fast action rod for jerkbaits a long time, I have tried crankbait style rods and I can't work a jerkbait with them, I find that I have to hesitate working the bait waiting for the tip to recover and on bigger jerkbait I have no control of the bait as the rod has too much flex. I use to use a 6'3" G.Loomis Jerkbait Series rod, a JBR 752 to be specific but I now use my Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth 6'10" MH/MF casting rod for jerkbaits. It only took a day of fishing it to get use to the added length but now that I am it is awesome for jerkbaits! It is a moderate fast action but it is more on the fast side, in fact it acts like a fast action rod, the tip isn't soft so I can really work the bait, I can be aggressive or subtl but which ever way I'm working the bait I never have to hesitate for tip recovery. The best part is when you hook a fish, it has the added flex that lets you fight the fish without pulling the hooks out, it is sort of the best of both worlds giving me the fast action to work the bait and a moderate side to fight the fish, and it is super light!!

[Bluebasser86]

I also use a M/XF 6' 2" St. Croix Avid with a Curado 50E. It's a great jerkbait, popper and small walking topwater rod, or light spinnerbaits. I can really make my jerkbait come to life and make my poppers walk and move like I can't with other rods.

[MichiganFishing1997]

So you want soft tip?

[BradH]

Good to know, now is there any way i could dual purpose this rod? If so what else could be done pretty well with it other than jerk baits? What reel ratio would you choose?

I use a Team Daiwa S 6'3" topwater/twitchin' rod. They call it a MH, I'd call it halfway between M and MH. It has a Curado 200E7 and 30 pound braid on it, I can take up the slack between pulls with the fast 7:1 ratio. I use it for HJ12 & HJ14 sized jerkbaits. I'm strange, I like to fish rattle traps on a jerkbait rod. I can rip the rattle baits from grass quick with the jerkbait rod and I more or less retrieve them like a high speed jerkbait. The lipless baits are fine with the fast reel as there isn't much of a diving lip.

[Bass_Fanatic]

I use a 7' M/XF Shimano Crucial (old style). It works great. Gives plenty of action to the bait and flexes enough to protect the hooks.