Can't decide on a jerkbait rod

[BOQFishing]

There is so much variation to both the power and action recommended and what is available online from medium to medium heavy power and moderate to x-fast action for the rod tip. Just wanted to get some opinions on the best power and action for a jerkbait rod from more experienced anglers on here. 

[JN94]

A faster tip will make it easier to impart action on the lure but you're more susceptible to losing fish with trebles + fast action. A more moderate tip will make it more difficult to impart action but will be easier to keep fish pinned once they're on. Pick your poison 🤣

 

Everyone kind of has different opinions on what is best, hence why manufacturers make "jerkbait rods" with all sorts of different powers and actions. If you want to play it safe and just split it down the middle, grab something with a mod fast action

[Dwight Hottle]

This might help you.

 

[Deephaven]

6'8" St Croix MXF

Easy to impart action and although it has a super fast tip it is floppy enough power wise to keep them pegged.  My favorite technique and by far my favorite stick.

[OHBuckets]

I recently got a 6'9" Cashion Element jerkbait/topwater rod - I'm enjoying it as a budget rod. Found myself one day throwing a Mavrik, X-Nanahan, Giant Dog X and IMA Skimmer with it. Quite like how it worked - good length for me at least (opposite of tall).

[Robin]

Line type also plays into the equation. I see a lot of recommendations for 10lb fluoro as the best line to use. Using this line would make you trend more toward a fast action rod. I personally prefer 20lb braid when fishing jerkbaits so a moderate fast rod works fine. I have tried fluoro off and on and braid just seems to give me more control/action on any given lure. I have also used braid with fast action rods-just loosen up the drag a bit. It works fine.

[JediAmoeba]

My favorite jerkbait rods I have ever landed on are the Daiwa 6'9" Seth Feider rods. They are pretty amazing for anything from a megabass vision 110 Jr or a Lucky Craft Pointer 78 up to Megabass vision 110 +1's. My jerkbait rods get used hard and these have been up to the task.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

A JDM P5 Destroyer 110 Stick is the best jerkbait rod I've found.  It's a very unique rod so it's not for everyone.  It's 6'5 so very short, for me this is a huge selling point.   

 

You want a fast tip, but right after that you want to get more and more parabolic as you get deeper into the blank.

 

The reason why the 110 Stick is so sublime imho is the fact that it's got a perfect two actions in one rod.    The tip section has the ability to perfectly work a jerkbait, but the moment you hookup the rod loads up into the secondary action which is critical for keeping jerkbait fish pinned on finesse trebles.    

[DogBone_384]

I have two dedicated JB rods, a 6'9" Kistler KLX (M/MF) and Tactical Bassin's favorite 6'10" Shimano Expride A (M/F).  I prefer the Kistler because its tip is fast enough to 'flick' the jerkbait and bends a little deeper down the blank than the Expride once a fish is on.

 

They've both caught fish for me.  I like the KLX's grip more than the Shimano, it feels better in my hand.  It's also made in Texas and can be more than $100 less expensive than the Expride if you catch it on sale.

[WRB]

Take a look at ALX  Zolo Jerkbait rod, 6’9”  Medium+fast.

Tom 

[Bass Rutten]

Vote #2 for the daiwa feider jerk/topwater rod. It's a medium-light mod-fast but works great for lures up to 1/2oz. It's probably a bit softer than most people typically like for jerkbaits, but I use it with braid to up it's power and responsiveness. It's also an amazing small popper/walker rod.

[rangerjockey]

The Falcon weightless worm rod is probably the best stickbait rod I've ever fished. The rod they label as a Jerkait rod is ok but the weightless worm has kinda a cult following around here. It's the right length and has the right tip with good power.

If not that I would second the St. Croix. 

 

[Lasher]

13 hours ago, Bass Rutten said:

Vote #2 for the daiwa feider jerk/topwater rod. It's a medium-light mod-fast but works great for lures up to 1/2oz. It's probably a bit softer than most people typically like for jerkbaits, but I use it with braid to up it's power and responsiveness. It's also an amazing small popper/walker rod.

What reel to do you pair this with?

[gim]

15 hours ago, Robin said:

Line type also plays into the equation.

 

Great point.  I know some people prefer braid, some prefer fluoro, and some use mono.  I am a monofilament guy when it comes to jerk baits because I use a stiffer rod.  Mono has some stretch so that's where the "give" comes into play when I hook a fish and then snap it back.  Braid and a stiff rod would not be a good combination here.  Most trebles are not heavy gauge either; they are lighter wire ones, just very sharp.  If I was to use braided line, I'd go with a rod that had more give to it.

[Lasher]

15 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

My favorite jerkbait rods I have ever landed on are the Daiwa 6'9" Seth Feider rods. They are pretty amazing for anything from a megabass vision 110 Jr or a Lucky Craft Pointer 78 up to Megabass vision 110 +1's. My jerkbait rods get used hard and these have been up to the task.

 

14 hours ago, Bass Rutten said:

Vote #2 for the daiwa feider jerk/topwater rod. It's a medium-light mod-fast but works great for lures up to 1/2oz. It's probably a bit softer than most people typically like for jerkbaits, but I use it with braid to up it's power and responsiveness. It's also an amazing small popper/walker rod.

What reel do you use?

[JediAmoeba]

4 minutes ago, Lasher said:

 

What reel do you use?

I use a 21 zillion and a Salamandura 70 (just an Asian market Tatula SV 70). 

 

On Ali Express you can get the Salamandura 70 for cheaper than a Tatula 100 in the states...

[Team9nine]

16 hours ago, BOQFishing said:

There is so much variation to both the power and action recommended and what is available online from medium to medium heavy power and moderate to x-fast action for the rod tip. Just wanted to get some opinions on the best power and action for a jerkbait rod from more experienced anglers on here. 

And, as you can probably tell from the replies, that wide variation can be seen here, too - lol - because it’s a technique that can truly be done effectively with a pretty wide range of options as mentioned by the reply below:

 

15 hours ago, JN94 said:

A faster tip will make it easier to impart action on the lure but you're more susceptible to losing fish with trebles + fast action. A more moderate tip will make it more difficult to impart action but will be easier to keep fish pinned once they're on. Pick your poison 🤣

 

Everyone kind of has different opinions on what is best, hence why manufacturers make "jerkbait rods" with all sorts of different powers and actions. If you want to play it safe and just split it down the middle, grab something with a mod fast action

So I’d base the decision on your budget, your level of commitment to the technique, and your favorite line type. Responses in this thread so far to fit about any price point and personality. I’ve personally used several of the variations mentioned and still haven’t settled on just ONE absolute favorite setup.

[Bass Rutten]

3 hours ago, Lasher said:

What reel do you use?

I got it setup with an alphas 800hl fitted with a kkr bfs spool and loaded with 15lb yozuri braid. The lightweight spool lets me effectively cast 3/16oz lures on it too which would make for difficult casting with a typical medium power jerk rod. Also small cranks are a blast on it. If you stay mostly in the 1/4-3/8oz lure range you can't go wrong with the feider rod, if you exclusively throw jerks right around 1/2oz you're probably better off with a medium power rod.

[DaveT63]

I'll  go a slightly different route here.  I LOVE my GLX MBR 782C for jerkbaits.  TDZ 103ML with Sunline mono.  Never lost a fish on it yet.

[Glenn]

You may want to consider the St. Croix Trigon Mojo JOC72MHMF. It works a jerk bait well in cold water when faster rods are too much, as well as oversized spy baits, plus it's the perfect Rapala DT rod for anglers struggling to throw light-statured 4’s, 6’s, and 8’s from that series

[Columbia Craw]

I’m still running my 12 plus year old Dobyns Champion 704CB.  You can also drop to a Kaden 610-4 CB.  I like cork and full handles for a JB rod.

[FishTank]

I've tried multiple rods for jerkbaits and like each for different reasons. To me, it has to have a soft tip that rebounds quickly, a stiff middle,  and a powerful butt section. Here's what I use.....

 

Megabass P5 Six Eleven - smaller BFS baits

MB Levante Jerkbait Special  - 110's and up

G Loomis 783 GLX MBR - Oldest rod used for everything

MB P5 Z-Crank - 110jr's and 110's. Perfect rod for me. Snaps back quickly, great sensitivity,  and powerful enough to keep fish pinned. 

St. Croix 6'8'' M Fast Legend Elite - great all around rod. Probably my second favorite for jerkbaits. 

[mcipinkie]

You notice how no one ever uses an inexpensive rod.  Rich guys, I guess.

 

Right now, I would buy a BPS Crankin' Stick 6'-6 ML or M, what ever feels better.  $70 in the BPS sale flyer.  I use the Crankin' Stick in various lengths and action for all my movement baits - jerks, cranks, lipless, bladed jigs, spinner baits, buzz baits, etc. 

 

My favorite is a Garcia Ike Series Delay rod.  6-'6 MH.  It's 10 - 15 years old, but still the best JB rod I have ever used, even better than my old Loomis CBR.

 

Ever $ you don't spend on a rod, or reel, you can spend on jerk baits.  At last count, (last week), I had 112 in the Skeeter and bought 2 more today at the BPS sale.  My crack cocaine.

[rangerjockey]

8 hours ago, mcipinkie said:

You notice how no one ever uses an inexpensive rod.  Rich guys, I guess.

 

Right now, I would buy a BPS Crankin' Stick 6'-6 ML or M, what ever feels better.  $70 in the BPS sale flyer.  I use the Crankin' Stick in various lengths and action for all my movement baits - jerks, cranks, lipless, bladed jigs, spinner baits, buzz baits, etc. 

 

My favorite is a Garcia Ike Series Delay rod.  6-'6 MH.  It's 10 - 15 years old, but still the best JB rod I have ever used, even better than my old Loomis CBR.

 

Ever $ you don't spend on a rod, or reel, you can spend on jerk baits.  At last count, (last week), I had 112 in the Skeeter and bought 2 more today at the BPS sale.  My crack cocaine.

100%.. Its the Indian not the arrow. No rod. reel or line will make up for poor technique.

The guy who was accepted by many as being the best stickbait fisherman on Bull Shoals and Table Rock passed away last year. He used an old 5 1/2 foot pistol grip and mono. 

I was fortunate enough to talk with him last summer and tried to buy one of his home modified stickbaits. He told me he couldn't make a bait as good as the 110 JR + 1.  But he did sell me one. It will probably never get wet now.

[Big Hands]

A rod, reel, line and bait are all integral parts of a 'system'. The angler operating the equipment is also part of that system. Duh, I know. We also do not all fish the same water or the same way. There's also likely to be more than a single path up the same mountain.

 

The way I fish jerkbaits (something like a Vision 110 or similar size), and I do not claim to be a wizard, is that I use a 6'10 M/XF casting rod, with a 7 to 1, or 8 to 1 gear ratio, 8-10 lb line.

 

I like the combination of a

• 6'10" length
• medium power with
• an extra fast tip.

 

My reasoning is that:

• 6'10" length: Makes it easier to fish with the tip down.
• medium power: This helps to counteract the negative characteristics of an extra fast action when fishing a bait with smallish treble hooks like those found on a jerkbait.
• An extra fast tip: This allows me to kill the forward progress of the jerkbait with a minimum of back sweep at the end of each 'jerk'. Seems to work well as I have observed when the water is clear enough.
• The higher gear ratios make it easier for me to keep sufficiently tension as I am working the bait back to me.
• 8 to 10 lbs line seems to be the sweet spot for good lure action and strong enough to land fairly big fish in the waters I fish.

I have acquired some larger jerkbaits recently, such as the Megabass Kanata (which weighs 1 oz.). I can't say that I have a combo that seems as dialed as I do for the Vision 110 size jerkbaits for the Kanata. But I am working on it and I am excited to fish this bait more as the action of this bait looks like it will be a killer once I get it dialed in.