Jerk Bait Rod

[boostr]

What power and  action for a suspending Husky Jerk 10 or the like.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

The weight of a HJ 10 can be thrown on either a M or MH depending on the rods design.  In spite of them being a treble hook lure, I like a fast but, soft tip. This allows a more subtle action to be applied and I worry about keeping them hooked after getting bites. If I'm fishing more of a slash bait or ripping a lure a mod-fast works. 

[J Francho]

I use two for that type of bait: Avid, AVC62MXF, AVC68MXF.  I have a review coming soon of a Pinnacle DHC5 rod that is great for this as well, Perfecta DHC5 Micro Casting Rod 6'8" Medium.

[Dwight Hottle]

I like a MM or MHM for jerkbaits.

[boostr]

Would a M/F 6'6 be fine

'

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

That will work. If you get to a point of looking to acquire a technique specific rod consider the opinions above.

[boostr]

Definetly will, I was asking because I had that rod laying around. I was just wondering to see if it was in the ball park. I am getting to a point where I'm starting to switch over to Technique spec rods. I do have a MH/MF Crankbait rod but I think its a little to whippy to be jerking around so to speak unless thats the way it should be. Thanks for the info guys.

[roadwarrior]

The weight of a HJ 10 can be thrown on either a M or MH depending on the rods design.  In spite of them being a treble hook lure, I like a fast but, soft tip. This allows a more subtle action to be applied and I worry about keeping them hooked after getting bites. If I'm fishing more of a slash bait or ripping a lure a mod-fast works. 

 

My rod fits that description to a T...Avid AVC66MF with a soft tip.

 

 

[fishguy613]

I use a graphite medium-modfast rod for 3/8-9/16oz jerkbaits, tip is fast enough to work a jerkbait perfectly yet soft enough to keep fish pinned on size 6 trebles

[fishballer06]

I prefer a MH-F rod for jerkbaits. I guess a medium would work for smaller jerkbaits, but MH just seems to suit me again.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

A lot of rods marked MH are similar in power the the St Croix M. That's why it's important to know the rod a little and not get too hung up on the subjective labels.

[smalljaw67]

I used a 6'3" medium power, fast action rod for jerkbaits and I loved it but now I have changed up, my larger jerkbaits are now fishing on a 6'10" medium heavy power, moderate fast action, that rod has a little more flex than a fast but not whippy. I have recently  changed my mind about cranking rods for jerkbaits, I didn't  like them at all until this year when a friend encouraged me to give my 6'6" medium light power, moderate action shallow crank rod a try for small XR-08 X-Raps and Pointer 78s and the Yo-Zuri Pins minnows. After he helped me out I found I like a moderate rod on the smaller baits, the thing is you can't overwork the rod or the bait, it is a finesse way of jerkbait fishing but it works.

[iceintheveins]

The husky jerk is pretty light for a jerkbait, I throw all of them except the 12 and 14 on spinning gear. For my lighter jerkbaits I like a 7' M spinning rod, and heavier a 7 mh casting rod. With jerkbaits I prefer fairly stiff graphite to get the lure dancing really well. A crankbait rod isn't great IMO for them.

[deep]

I alternate between a jig rod/ FC and a moderate rod/ braid + leader for jerkbaits. Not sure which one I like better- both work pretty well for my tastes. I don't know what the husky jerk 10 weighs, but I like a mag-medium-ish power for 0.5 oz range treble hook baits.

[boostr]

Great responses. Well took my new HJ 10  I bought today  and tied it on the 6'6" M/F Fenwick Eagle on braid wit a FC leader, and it worked pretty well until the third cast where it got caught on some grass or weeds.  I tried to pop it free, and I had Alberto knot failure at the FC leader   (operator error) Bye bye HJ. I seem to always have bad luck with Rapala lures for some reason.

[fisherrw]

Phenix x10

[Jeff H]

I use two for that type of bait: Avid, AVC62MXF, AVC68MXF. 

I don't have the AVC68MXF (yet), but do I ever like the AVC62MXF for throwing jerkbaits! Absolute ideal jerkbait rod for me!

[rangerjockey]

If I had to pick one I'd say medium/fast but it depends a lot on the maker... I have a new IMX TWR 802 that seems like it's going to work great for vision 110's and pointers . It has a quick tip but a softer mid section and a short handle.

[David P]

Definetly will, I was asking because I had that rod laying around. I was just wondering to see if it was in the ball park. I am getting to a point where I'm starting to switch over to Technique spec rods. I do have a MH/MF Crankbait rod but I think its a little to whippy to be jerking around so to speak unless thats the way it should be. Thanks for the info guys.

Very tough for a good rip bait rod to be "too whippy". I use a Dobyns 704 CB rod, it's extremely flimsy and bends well throughout the blank and quite easily at that. Helps with the action of the jerkbait, helps from ripping the hooks out of a fish when fighting it, and it also helps when you go to jerk the rod from jerking the bait clean out of a fishes mouth that may already have the bait in it's mouth. 

[Mike L]

Phenix x10

Agree

Mike

[FishTank]

A rod for a jerkbait is a weird thing to me.  In my opinion it should be stiff at the bottom and soft at the top but not whippy or soft like a crankbait rod. I also don't want the rod to be to long because I tend to jerk down towards the water and if the rod is to long it will hit the water.  So with all that said, the one I use the most for this application is a G. Loomis 783 GLX 6'6" MH Fast.

[smalljaw67]

Very tough for a good rip bait rod to be "too whippy". I use a Dobyns 704 CB rod, it's extremely flimsy and bends well throughout the blank and quite easily at that. Helps with the action of the jerkbait, helps from ripping the hooks out of a fish when fighting it, and it also helps when you go to jerk the rod from jerking the bait clean out of a fishes mouth that may already have the bait in it's mouth. 

 

That is the funny thing about jerkbait rods, the flex need for fighting the fish is not good for working the bait and me and a few guys have done this experiment over and over for years. First of all, if you are using a 7' rod for jerkbaits, you are either 6'8" tall, hitting the water when ripping or you are using the sideways sweep which means you aren't getting the bait to work at its maximum depth. When you rip a jerkbait you want to do it on slack line, that is what gives you the most erratic action, when you do this with a cranking rod, you rip the bait, the rod flexes and since you already have slack in the line it causes the bait to move slightly forward with little sideways movement. In order to get it work more erratically, you end up pulling the bait on tighter line that when you need with the fast action rod so now you are just moving the bait forward with the nose pointing a little left and then right instead of the bait darting and diving, trust me, you can fight the fish better when hooked up but you will get less than half the strikes that you would normally get with a properly worked bait. The only time the cranking rod is the most effective is when the water temp is in the low 40s and you need long pauses with short pulls with little action, that is when the cranking rod really does a good job. In 2004 we used a few different rods for jerkbaits as there was a big discussion in our club about which kind of rod worked better so we stated an experiment between 4 guys starting in early fall with floating jerkbaits, into early winter with suspending jerkbaits, and when using the fast action rod for the floating versions there was no comparison, number of strikes and number of fish landed was better the 4 to 1 versus the cranking rod. When we hit late fall and into the suspending jerkait bite, the numbers got closer but the fast action rod was still better than 3 to 1 in strikes and 2 to 1 landed because you are going to loose more fish with the fast rod, that is the bad part. When we got into the really cold water when jerkbaits were still working, that is when the cranking rod was much better, strikes were the same but fish landed was 3 to 1 in favor of the cranking style rod and at that time of year you often get "nippers", the fish that just nip the back end of a bait and get 1 point of the rear treble in their lip, the cranking rod was good at landing those fish while the fast rod would loose all but a tiny few that were hooked like that.

[David P]

How does a 7ft rod equate to being 6'8? I'm 5'11 and I am able to work the bait rod tip down without an issue, although I do prefer to work it slightly to the right side for comfort and ease. The longer rod also also you to cast the bait further which is always an advantage. Your previous post said you've gone to favoring a 6'10 rod, that's only 2" difference. 

 

I use a 704CB Moderate fast medium power. It's rather soft. Ripping the bait with a softer rod does not by any means pull the bait forward at all.Maybe if you're simply pulling the bait on tight line and not actually ripping on slack line. I'm not sure what ripbaits you're using, but I have fished my Lucky Crafts and Vision 110's in water with 20ft clarity and have watched how erratic and darting these baits can be with the rod and it's incredible. The faster tip and overpowered rods are what can cause you to pull the bait straight forward through the water and pull hooks out.

 

  I too was stuck in a similar train of thought as yours, and thought I had it figured out until I was recommended to try the 704CB by Gary Dobyns who has a lot of experience with ripbaits to say the least, and has a version of the Lucky Craft Staysee 90 made after him. The quality and quantity of fish has increased dramatically. 

 

Whether it be hot or cold, the rod still works.  Whatever it is, gotta go with where your confidence is. All rods can work as long as the user understands what the bait is doing, and how they must work it properly with the equipment they are using. I've caught numerous 5-7lbers on it, and have buddies who have caught them up to 10lbs on it, so it certainly produces.