Hey guys looking for your opinions to see if I am heading down the correct path. Rod will be used primarily with 10# to throw 110's and Rapala Shadow Raps or Jackal Rerange jerks... The more I look the more I continue to come back to drop shot blanks. Seem to like that ML or M power in those blanks with a faster recovery. Heres what i came up with, let me know about these options for this application:

REVS68M
REVS610MXF
REVIP70ML-SB
Bushido Warrior DS69/8-15
Hydra OSMB609M
Hydra BS8435F-NG

Now not all these are DS blanks, but I thought these would be solid options. Whats your opinions

Jay, IMO a drop shot blank would be a poor choice for a jerkbait rod. One needs power in the tip to work a jerkbait, and blanks designated as drop shot blanks, at least the ones I've built on, just don't have the power in the tip.

I'm not familiar with the specific blanks you listed, but I do have a rod I built on an Eternity2 ETES610MXF blank, from Rainshadow. If the REVS610MXF blank is anything like its' now discontinued Eternity2 version, (the specs for the blanks are the same) then no way do I feel it would make a good jerkbait rod. With an IP of 346 grams, the Eternity2 version is woefully under powered, with an extremely soft tip.

Of the blanks you listed, if you don't want to go a different route, I would probably look at the REVIP70, but in a medium power if the medium power means that the blank has more power in the tip. The mod fast action of a popping blank is going to help keep fish hooked on treble hooks, pinned better.

The different route I was referring to earlier would be to consider a blank with a fast action in a medium power, that is 6" to 12" longer than you want your finished rod length to be, and trim length from the butt. That's the route I went with my jerkbait/ topwater rod. I fish jerkbaits for smallmouth as well as largemouth bass, and with smallmouth there are times when you really need to rip the bait to get a reaction bite. A fast action medium power blank has the power in the tip I need to really make the bait dart erratically. Taking length from the butt slows the action of the blank and helps keep fish pinned better.

A jerkbait is a bait that is usually worked rod tip down, and because of my height and not wanting to slap the water or the gunwale of my boat, my jerkbait rod has a finished length of 6'. It's just more comfortable for me to fish a rod of that length rather than a longer rod. I built my jerkbait rod on an MHX SJ783 blank and trimmed 6" off the butt of the blank. It works very well for jerkbaits. It has the power in the tip I was looking for, and a nice bend into the midsection of the blank when under the load of a fish. If I were to build another jerkbait rod, the only thing I would do differently is that I would use a 7' blank instead of 6'6" blank, and I'd take at least 10" off of it so I'd get a bit more of a parabolic bend to the blank when under the load of a fish. Smallmouth are jumpers and that extra bend into the midsection of the blank would be more beneficial than my current jerkbait rod.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2020 05:32AM by David Baylor.

POINT blank PB691MXF,

“This rod has the perfect amount of tip for accurately casting treble hook baits around tight cover such as: Pop R’s and prop baits. Also doubles as an amazing jerkbait blank, because it loads very well, but has a faster tip to implement a very clean and erratic jerk.” – Kyle Welcher, BASS ELITE Pro

[pointblankrods.com]

I agree with Jim. I love both the PB691MLXF and the PB691MXF as jerk bait rods. However, I use them for a lot of different things. They make very versatile rods, both spinning and casting. They both extremely light a have a very fast and soft tip with a powerful midsection. They cost a little more than the blanks you have listed but they are more than worth the little extra money. In my opinion some of the best in the market.
Norm