So it seems that a rod for throwing hard jerkbaits like a 110 is a really specific build. The retail rods that are hard jerkbait specific seem to be marketed as such and usually are priced a little higher than most in the same model lineup. I have been gifted a few but I have never fished these baits. After seeing local angler Dustin Connel kill the Redcrest on a 110 I decided to give it a go and have a few questions.

What makes a rod jerkbait specific?

Are there blanks tailored specifically as jerkbait blanks?

What modifications can be done to make say a "medium fast" (I know it is relative) into a jerkbait specific rod? I saw a post about an NFC blank with 2" removed from the tip being used for jerkbaits. Is that common practice?

Thanks,
Aaron Petersen

I don't know what others may think makes a good jerkbait rod, but I can share what I think makes one.

I work jerkbaits tip down, so to me rod length is the first thing I consider for a jerkbait rod. I want to be able to work my bait without the tip of the rod slapping the water, or the rod itself hitting the gunwale of the boat. Obviously the rod not hitting the boat while you work the bait, is more important than the tip hitting the water. Rod length has a lot to do with the users physical dimensions. Taller anglers can use longer rods. I don't want a rod so long that I have to extend my arms out in front of me, to work the bait. I've tried that, and it gets very tiring, very fast. When I fish a jerkbait, my elbows are slightly in front of me, but they're at my sides. I pretty much work it from my elbows down to my wrists and hands.

Once rod length is determined, I want a blank with a fairly stiff tip. This is where I think people make a mistake in going with a tip that is too soft. There are times, especially if you are fishing for smallmouth bass, that you really have to make the bait jump, and too soft of a tip makes that harder to do. Soft tips are fine or those times when water temps are low, and you're really not trying to make the bait do much more than twitch, but you still need some power in the tip for those long casts. Just as important as the tip is a blank that bends into the mid and lower sections of the blank when under the load of a fish. A lot of times fish will just slap at a jerkbait. Couple that with the treble hooks on the bait, and you need a rod with some forgiveness to keep fish buttoned up. You definitely want a graphite blank for its' lightness and its' sensitivity. Suspending jerkbaits are great cold water baits, and many times you'll let it sit 5 to as much and 15 seconds between twitches. Bites while the bait is paused are going to feel like a worm bite. Just a slight tick. So you need a sensitive rod to feel those ticks.

I'm a little under 5'8" so my jerkbait rod is 6' long. I built it on a standard MHX SJ783 blank that I trimmed 6" off the butt. I did this so it would take some power from the blank, and slow the action a bit. It has a stiff enough tip to really make a bait jump as well as for working deep diving jerkbaits. It has a bend into the middle of the blank under the load of a fish, and it's pretty sensitive. You mentioned someone trimming 2" off the tip of a blank for a jerkbait rod. In my thinking it means that they make have liked the action the blank they chose has, but it probably had a tip that was too soft, and they wanted to stiffen it up. I just went the other way. I went with a blank with more power than I wanted (because I wanted a stiffer tip) and I lessened the power by taking length off the butt of the blank.

I really like the rod I built, and the way I approached the matter, but to be honest, if I were to build another jerkbait rod I would go with a 7' blank of the same power, and take 8 or 9" off the butt. It would give me the ability to cast a little further, and I think it would give me a little more bend deeper into the blank.

As a side note. I built a 6' rod for throwing squarebills that I built on a medium heavy powered crankbait blank. Same approach. 6'6" blank that I took 6" off the butt. That rod works really well for baits like 110's that don't really pull a lot of water when you work them. It's just a little weak in the tip for when I really want to make the bait jump. But it sure does keep the fish buttoned up once I hook one.

Hope I helped

Try a RODgeeks B468MMF, you’ll love it. I built one for a casting reel and couldn’t be happier. I used it for jerkbaits, crankbaits, and topwater baits.

Basically, choose a short, medium/medium heavy rod with a med/med-fast action. When jerking the bait correctly it has a side-to-side action similar to a topwater walking bait. If you want to you can use the same rod for both technics. Always jerk the bait on a slack line to get maximum action out of the lure, the same as if you were walking a topwater plug. The slack line allows the lure to dart its’ furthest to either side without stopping due to tension being applied by the angler. A megabass 110 weighs in at a 1/2oz and jerkbaits are primarily open water lures so you don’t need a “beefy” rod. Choosing a med/med-fast action will help keep the small treble hooks pinned in the fishes mouth. If you plan on fishing jerkbaits around grass in the summer you may want a beefy rod but typically jerkbaits perform best in fall/winter/early spring when water temps are in the low 50’s. Not saying you can’t catch them year round but better odds in colder water.

Handle length is important if your building a casting rod, the sorter handle the better. Most big manufacturers use a 13-14” from bow to stern to meet the masses approval. I put together a short 7 1/2” rear handle for a popper rod and it’s comfortable to use all day. I also use this for smaller jerkbaits.

I plan on building another on the RODgeeks blank again, this time a spinning rod. I ruined my last one trying to change wrap color and melted the blank... now it’s a 48” rod for my kid and a lesson learned for me! After hearing several professional bass anglers talk about using light line (6 to 8lbs) when jerkbait fishing I’m going back to a spinning rod setup and designated jerkbait rod. I started out bank fishing with a spinning rod up until my late teens and I threw everything I could with it, mostly floating worms, soft jerkbaits, topwater plugs, and hard jerkbaits... anything I had to implement action with the spinning rod was the ticket.

I’m currently building a Phenix X-11 for Squarebills and this rod could would work for jerkbaits.

David and Michael thank you for your input.

I have a NMB782-MHX that I think will work nicely. I built it as a 6'6" casting rod when I was new to the hobby. I need to correct some things on it. It has a softer tip so I may take 1" off the top and try it out.

Aaron,

I grew up in Grove, Oklahoma on Grand Lake o' the Cherokees. We threw a jerkbait nearly year round, and there is some stories that the old original rogue was founded on that lake. Just look at the results of the College National Championship from there last week; all of the top-10 had a jerkbait in their hand.

What I have found to be the best jerkbait rod is a medium to medium/light rod that is 6'8". I prefer a lighter tipped rod so that I can create more action in the twitch of the bait and have better distance when casting. A jerkbait is not an easy bait to cast, and will do the helicopter effect through the air which tends to lead to the line getting wrapped up in the hooks. With a shorter, lighter rod; this will be prevented.

I recently built a jerkbait rod using the American Tackle CB68/ 6-12 blank paired up with the American Tackle 9" G2 Carbon Handle and MicroWave Guides. It came out absolutely perfect! Another advantage to a shorter rod is when your working the bait, a shorter rod will prevent you from hitting the water every time you twitch the rod. Hope this helps!!!

Rod: [www.mudhole.com]
Handle: [www.mudhole.com]
Guides: [www.mudhole.com]

Couldn't agree more with Michael on rear grip length. It's something I should have mentioned in my initial response. Like him, you don't want a long rear grip as it will interfere with working the bait. I have full length straight rear grips on my jerkbait rod and the rod I mentioned I built for casting squarebills. Both are 7" from the butt, to the back of the reel seat. It's the length that works best for me.

I’ve been eyeing that American Tackle CB68/6-12 for a few months now, thinking it would make a perfect jerkbait rod!!

First jerkbait rod I built the handle a tad too long and it would hang up on my shirt while working the lure... talk about annoying!

I have two blanks currently for jerkbaits - both have shorter handles, one being a Liberty MB 692.5XF, which is drying.... The other I have been thinking about using is an extra Immortal blank that I have down stairs the IMMC73ML.... I was considering cutting this one down to 6'9 as well, but thinking the IMMS72ML may be a better option cut down.