Help with designated jerkbait rod! Will he used for 99.9% jerkbaits

[Ksam1234]

Sooo I have pondered and looked up different rods for this application, some want shorter some Want fast or moderate fast etc.. spinning or casting. I’m wondering what the best jerkbait rod on the market would be .. budget is around 250$ .. and would you go casting or spinning? If you go spinning would you go from braid to leader Bc of the horrible line twist?? I fish from a boat and live in western New York, I fish Lake Erie from April-July usually for smallmouth spawning and then a lot of local lakes.. I wonder if spinning would be best Bc of the winds.. lots of stuff to consider. I also have never used a spinning rod except for ned rigs and dropshot type techniques.. wonder how it would feel to use it when jerkbait fishing  .. please help ! Also I prefer something in the 6 ‘ 10 “ range to 7 foot. 

[A-Jay]

I use both casting & spinning gear for jerkbaits.

I prefer to use casting gear when I can but when wind is a factor, (as you mentioned) using spinning gear can help.

Other than the casting, I see No advantage of one over the other.

They both work well for me.

My favorite casting rod is made by Alpha Rods -

It's called The Slasher and it's a  6'10" Medium Fast - Jerkbait Topwater Rod.

It's super light, sensitive with backbone, and is reasonably priced.

https://www.alphaangler.com/products/jerkbait-fishing-rod

 

My favorite spinning rod - well there's two.

Both are older models of the Fenwick EliteTech smallmouth stick.

One is a 6'10" M XF and the other is 7'4" M Fast blank that's better for casting distance. 

 

Finally, there's any number of both spinning & casting sticks that will work well for jerkbaits.

And while there really may not be ONE rods that's the right rod for everyone,

there may be ONE that's right for you.

Just have to fish a few and find out which one that is.

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

[NHBull]

I too love the alpha .

Impulse Zell Rowland Signature Series Casting Rods

Is a top water that I think I use for jerks and is awesome.

 

The jerk bait special can also be had for a similar $$$

[Ksam1234]

6 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I use both casting & spinning gear for jerkbaits.

I prefer to use casting gear when I can but when wind is a factor, (as you mentioned) using spinning gear can help.

Other than the casting, I see No advantage of one over the other.

They both work well for me.

My favorite casting rod is made by Alpha Rods -

It's called The Slasher and it's a  6'10" Medium Fast - Jerkbait Topwater Rod.

It's super light, sensitive with backbone, and is reasonably priced.

https://www.alphaangler.com/products/jerkbait-fishing-rod

 

My favorite spinning rod - well there's two.

Both are older models of the Fenwick EliteTech smallmouth stick.

One is a 6'10" M XF and the other is 7'4" M Fast blank that's better for casting distance. 

 

Finally, there's any number of both spinning & casting sticks that will work well for jerkbaits.

And while there really may not be ONE rods that's the right rod for everyone,

there may be ONE that's right for you.

Just have to fish a few and find out which one that is.

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

Yes! I remmeber you posting the alpha rods before but couldn’t find it , now my question is when your using spinning tackle , do you find it hard to keep a faster cadence because the ratio is slower? How difficult would it be for me to go from mainly casting to using spinning as far as feeling awkward ? 

[thunderblack]

Megabass orochi XX ronin, Orochi XX flatside special or jerkabit special, G. Loomis 842C or S

[Bird]

As far as line is concerned ?

 

I use 15-20# braid with short FC leader to prevent treble romance, that's what I call it. Lol

Straight braid will often wrap the front treble, more pronounced with spinning tackle. Imo

[Ksam1234]

12 minutes ago, Bird said:

As far as line is concerned ?

 

I use 15-20# braid with short FC leader to prevent treble romance, that's what I call it. Lol

Straight braid will often wrap the front treble, more pronounced with spinning tackle. Imo

Do you feel using braid with lewder ever hinders the performance ? Or maybe get less strikes ?? Than say straight fluoro 

[kayaking_kev]

The Megabass Oneten Special is on my Ultimate Collection List as the best out there, but it's more than $250.

The Megabass Orochi Jerkbait Special might be my next choice and that's closer to your range.

Gary Dobyns uses the Champion 704cb & 705cb graphite rods for jerkbaits.

I'm personally using a Fury 703c and a shorter Lew's Speed Stick.

 

I try not to use spinning gear unless I have too.

 

 

[Bird]

4 minutes ago, Ksam1234 said:

Do you feel using braid with lewder ever hinders the performance ? Or maybe get less strikes ?? Than say straight fluoro 

I work a Jerkbait quite aggressively so it doesn't sit long for examination. 

Using baitcasters, I often throw straight braid with no issues.

 

I am an advocate of braid to leader though in the clear waters I fish for many techniques but moving baits or top water baits that I want to keep nose up, prefer straight braid. 

[jbsoonerfan]

I went on the cheap end with this jerkbait rod. I am using a 6'9 M fast Shimano Intenza. I actually really like it. I prefer a fast tip and I like the way a M loads up for casting. I used it for throwing a Pop Max the other day and it worked well. I am using 12 lb Sufix Elite mono on it for now. May switch up to some braid soon, not sure.

[kayaking_kev]

You could consider getting a DC reel if you're worried about wind. I love being able to grab my DC reel on a windy day and not be forced to take a spinning rod. That's really the only thing I like about the DC reels, would much rather have a MGL.

[rosshilk]

I use an Abu Garcia Ike Delay casting rod for Jerkbait. I really enjoy it I have used a 6'4 inch version of this rod. I enjoy a shorter rod for jerkbaits. I can still cast a great enough distance with this rod. I also like the price point at $149.

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, Ksam1234 said:

Yes! I remmeber you posting the alpha rods before but couldn’t find it , now my question is when your using spinning tackle , do you find it hard to keep a faster cadence because the ratio is slower? How difficult would it be for me to go from mainly casting to using spinning as far as feeling awkward ? 

No I do Not - 

Early & late season jerkbait presentations are sort of on the 'slow' side for me.

Also I fish the bait with the rod and not the reel and there's almost always some type of pause in there somewhere too.  This allow sufficient time to take up slack with most any reel regardless of the seasonal presentation required.

I can not determine what you may or may not be able to adapt to.

I will say the that the more tools you can use effectively, perhaps the more effective you can be.

Below is a clip of the the last smb I caught last season.

Got her on a jerkbait using spinning tackle.

Water temps were in the 40's and the presentation is slow.

A-Jay

 

 

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, Ksam1234 said:

do you find it hard to keep a faster cadence because the ratio is slower?

Ratio on spinning reels is always slower than on BCs. The main thing you want is Inches Per Turn (IPT) - how much line is retrieved by each turn of the handle. Spinners are faster for the same gear-ratio than BCs mainly because of the larger diameter spools.

 

Example from my rigs

BC: Pflueger Supreme 7.1:1 - 29IPT

Spin: Pflueger Trion-35 5.2:1 - 28.5IPT

 

Almost two full turns less on the spinner, but only .5" difference in line retrieval.

[Tizi]

I went as inexpensively as possible for dedicated jerkbait set up.  I ended up with a Shimano SLX 6’10” MxF rod with SLX 7.2:1 reel.  $129.99 .  I’ve been using it for over a year now and am extremely happy with it.

[fvogel67]

5 hours ago, rosshilk said:

I use an Abu Garcia Ike Delay casting rod for Jerkbait. I really enjoy it I have used a 6'4 inch version of this rod. I enjoy a shorter rod for jerkbaits. I can still cast a great enough distance with this rod. I also like the price point at $149.

I also use the 6’4” Ike Delay.

Its an exceptional stick for jerk baits. 

[Ksam1234]

7 hours ago, kayaking_kev said:

You could consider getting a DC reel if you're worried about wind. I love being able to grab my DC reel on a windy day and not be forced to take a spinning rod. That's really the only thing I like about the DC reels, would much rather have a MGL.

Does it really work that well? I have smaller hands so I found the reels are big .. I usually use lews tournament pro reels Bc they are small and fit right into my palm.. how good are the DC and aren’t they heavy to be using jerkbaits all day?

[kayaking_kev]

That's a good point, I never used mine for the jerkbait, I use a Lew's Tournament MB. But, I've also spent almost two seasons throwing a whopper plopper for 8-10 hours multiple times a week in season on a Ugly Stik with Abu Garcia Black Max, so I could probably do it and be fine, but that's just me.

 

If it balances good with you're rod, like if you're using a MH, then the extra oz. might be that bad. The Metanium DC does weigh 6.7 oz., just a few more grams than your Lew's, but they are expensive. I have the SLX DC and it weighs 7.6. I'm 6 ft. and I do like palming the Lew's a little better though. Just another option.

 

As far as how good are DC reels, IMO if you're good with regular BC's then the only real advantage they have is being able to cast better into the wind. I don't get any better distance with my DC than I do from the SLX XT or regular SLX.

[FryDog62]

A lot of people find spinning rods easier to “work” a jerkbait but again it’s personal preference.

 

I use a baitcaster, and think a very important thing to consider is handle length.  Longer handles bang against your side or forearm when jerking and make it much more difficult to work the lure.  
 

Standard handle lengths for most baitcast rods are 14-15 inches.  The better true jerkbait rods IMO have a 13 inch handle.  More freedom of movement. That’s why I like the Dobyns 685/705.  I’m not a big fan of Lew’s but they have some jerkbait rods with handles between 10-13 inches.  Less than 12 inches is too short to me - yes the short size makes it easier to work the lure, but it leaves you with much less ability to firmly hang onto the rod and/or muscle a big fish.  You lose your leverage point, and are basically only fighting the fish with your wrist.

[Columbia Craw]

Everyone has their preference. I don't do spinning with a jerk bait.  I'm fortunate I guess (from the days of over time) that I have a Champion 704CB, 684CB and 705CB.  The 704CB gets 90% of the jerkbait use. It's great for smaller top water too.  Straight Flouro for me. 

[islandbass]

13 hours ago, Ksam1234 said:

Yes! I remmeber you posting the alpha rods before but couldn’t find it , now my question is when your using spinning tackle , do you find it hard to keep a faster cadence because the ratio is slower? How difficult would it be for me to go from mainly casting to using spinning as far as feeling awkward ? 

I don’t. Don’t be fooled making the assumption that lower gear ratios of a spinning reel means a line recovery rate lower than a high speed casting reel. It is not an apples to apples comparison. You might actually find that the 2500 5.x spinning reel might actually have a higher line recovery rate than a typical 7.x casting reel. Can’t speak for the crazy 8.x and higher reels. Compare the line recovery rates of the reel and not simply the reel’s gear ratio when comparing spinning and casting reels. 
 

A well versed angler with both should have no need to get accustomed or readjust when switching reel types. Well, at least I don’t.  I credit this to over the winter over-think. Can you tell I’m suffering from it, lol. 

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, islandbass said:

You might actually find that the 2500 5.x spinning reel might actually have a higher line recovery rate than a typical 7.x casting reel.

Look up a bit - I post the IPTs for a 7-speed BC and a 5-speed spinner...both of which are in my arsenal.

[islandbass]

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Look up a bit - I post the IPTs for a 7-speed BC and a 5-speed spinner...both of which are in my arsenal.

Sorry! I missed that part completely. ? I wouldn’t sweat over 1/2”. In this case I think close enough is good enough. ?

[Finessegenics]

I know you said you prefer a 7ft rod but I’ve seen a lot of people on similar threads recommend the st Croix avid X 6’4 M/XF. The short overall length and the shorter handle (13 inches I believe but don’t quote me) allows for those downwards twitches without having the handle hit your side or stomach, or the tip of the rod go into the water. Perfect for poppers and spooks too. I don’t use that particular model of the Avid X so my opinion doesn’t really count but I have other casting models of the Avid X and the quality is there. 15 year warranty too. Just watch out for the micro guides if that’s not your thing. That being said, I’m extremely biased.

 

I want to second what @kayaking_kevsaid about DC reels. Totally worth it for light lures on windy days. Allows you to be more versatile since you won’t need to use a spinning rod. I love my Curado DC and the fact it comes in different gear ratios is great too. You can do just about anything with them. 

[Ksam1234]

22 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

I know you said you prefer a 7ft rod but I’ve seen a lot of people on similar threads recommend the st Croix avid X 6’4 M/XF. The short overall length and the shorter handle (13 inches I believe but don’t quote me) allows for those downwards twitches without having the handle hit your side or stomach, or the tip of the rod go into the water. Perfect for poppers and spooks too. I don’t use that particular model of the Avid X so my opinion doesn’t really count but I have other casting models of the Avid X and the quality is there. 15 year warranty too. Just watch out for the micro guides if that’s not your thing. That being said, I’m extremely biased.

 

I want to second what @kayaking_kevsaid about DC reels. Totally worth it for light lures on windy days. Allows you to be more versatile since you won’t need to use a spinning rod. I love my Curado DC and the fact it comes in different gear ratios is great too. You can do just about anything with them. 

Doesn’t the DC get heavy when using jerkbaits though? Fishing 8-10 hour days over and over ? Or have trouble using them or it’s really worth it. Can you really fast it into the wind and not worry?