What should my IPT be for Jerkbaits?

[BassBlowup354]

I have a reel that has a 28 IPT and I was wondering if that would be fine. Btw it’s a bait caster and IPT stands for inches per turn.

[mrpao]

I don't see where that's going to be an issue.

You can always speed up or slow down your retrieve speed.

Usually with jerkbaits, all they reel is doing is picking up the slack line anyway.

On my jerkbait setups, I usually run around a 7:1 or so gear ratio reel, just to pick up line alittle faster. Not sure what my IPT are though.

[MIbassyaker]

Seems OK. I suppose 28" is about the IPT I have on my jerkbait setup too.

 

The real question is, do YOU think 28"  is too short or too long?  Nobody can answer that for you: Only you can.

[smalljaw67]

5 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

Seems OK. I suppose 28" is about the IPT I have on my jerkbait setup too.

 

The real question is, do YOU think 28"  is too short or too long?  Nobody can answer that for you: Only you can.

This^^^^^!!!! If you are working the bait on slack line and feel you are struggling to catch up to fish when they strike then you need something faster. My guess is you are fine, 28" is pretty good considering I remember fishing them when 5.1:1 gear ratios were considered fast. BTW, on a 100 size casting reel, 28" per turn is probably a 7.1:1 gear ratio.

[Dens228]

I can honestly say I've never even considered IPT when making a reel choice.......

[A-Jay]

8 hours ago, BassBlowup354 said:

I have a reel that has a 28 IPT and I was wondering if that would be fine. Btw it’s a bait caster and IPT stands for inches per turn.

Unless you are 'reeling' a jerkbait in as part or all of the retrieve, the magic of this presentation is ALL done with the rod.  Additionally, the vast majority of the strikes occur on slack line,

so being able to take up that slack in advance of the hookset is usually beneficial by coming tight on the fish faster.

Accordingly, a 'faster' gear ratio reel is where I lean in all cases.

A-Jay

[Fishes in trees]

I'm old school enough that I remember when a 5-1 gear ratio was considered "high speed".   I'm ignorant enough that I've never considered inches per turn when considering which reel to use for jerk baits.  As echoed in prior posts, if it works for you do it, if it don't get a different reel.  If you're considering another reel ( and you might as well ) consider one that says Shimano on it.

 

Which begs another question, i.e. with most of the rest of the planet on the metric system, why don't we see millimeters per turn on, as a statistic, on  reels made in Asia?  or Sweden?  or Korea?  or Japan?  Perhaps this is a case where the rest of the planet is simply pandering to a portion of American anglers who think this is an important measurement of reel capability, and  (knowing their millimeter to inches conversions) they choose to  just stick with inches.

 

I think I'm mindful enough to be aware that ipt is going to be slightly different when the reel spool is half full or 3/4 full or nearly full.  (Start of retrieve, middle of retrieve, towards the end of retrieve).   I just can't get behind the notion that this matters very much.

 

While we're still on this topic, say we're fishing a deeper diving jerk bait, like a bigger billed Lucky Craft - or a Staysee - or a Rebel Spoonbill.   Wouldn't it make sense to get the bait as deep as possible, leaving as much distance as possible between where the cast started and when it reaches maximum depth?  In that case, wouldn't it make sense to have as few ipt as possible?  Just wondering. . ..

[Columbia Craw]

Good to go.

[Bluebasser86]

I overfish my jerkbaits with a higher IPT reel is what I've found. When I take up slack, I end up bumping it forward unintentionally so it doesn't sit still as long as I need it to.

[kayaking_kev]

I usually use a 7.3.1, but yesterday I tried a 6.3.1 and didn't like it for jerkbaits. It felt like it took twice as long to reel in the slack. I fished for a couple of hours and didn't catch anything, but at least I felt like I learned something about what my personal preference is. If you have different gear ratios, try them out and see which one YOU like better, it might be different than someone else's preference.

[NHBull]

I prefer high speed reels in everything except deep diving CB.  I also believe  that you can adapt to compensate for slower reels for JB.  I always move the bait with the pole.....

[Cgolf]

I am new to catching fish with jerkbaits. In the past I struggled to get a good hooking percentage. Last year I fished one on a 6’ medium ugly stick GX2 spinning rod with a Lews American hero 6:2:1 gear ratio. Couldn’t find the IPT for this reel, but another Lew’s spinning reel geared the same was 24”. 
 

Make fun of the cheap rod and reel all you want, but I went from a 10-20% hookup rate to well over 90%. Next year I will use that combo for baits up to a 1/2 ounce and my Lew’s Crush BC for heavier baits. The rod that came with the crush combo seems like a good fit for jerkbaits. Otherwise I will see if the older Cabela’s rods I have suit my style. 
 

What I am noticing is we all need different setups depending on line type, hook set style, etc. Don’t think there is a one size fits all solution for any technique. 

[5by3]

Find what works best and what is most comfortable for you and don’t think twice about it.

I personally use a 6.3:1 for almost every bait. Slowing down a bit, especially with moving baits, so that I am not overworking the bait gives me the confidence I need to get more bites.

[bogfrog]

There is no "silver bullet" for any presentation. Variables such as baits being thrown, targeted depth to run them, rod action and personal fishing styles will skew the numbers for every one of us.

This is why we all have a dozen (or more) combos, and every lure in every color. Experimentation is part of the fun. How boring would it be if there was just one best rod, reel, and bait and everyone used the same gear?

Get out there and try every possibility, then come back and tell US what works best!