Jerkbait Rod Glass or graphite? 2025
MDbassin reply :
What do you guys prefer in a jerkbait rod glass or graphite? What power and action do you look for I was looking at Med/Mod or Med/Mod-Fast and 6'6" or shorter. As long as it has a shorter handle
Also just a question it's a little off topic but instead of starting a new post I'll ask it here.
Im looking to upgrade my current rod selections with some st.croixs. And I keep reading and hearing that they tend to be stiffer then there ratings.
How much stiffer are we talking about is it a while step up so a Med feels like a MH or is it just slightly stiffer so a Med just feels like a Med+ but not a full blown MH.
Ive never been able to really tell a difference when checking them out in store when I'm fishing I can tell a difference between a M and a MH but I just go off what the rod says. I have never been able to pick up a M power rod and say nah it feels to stiff to be a M. I just always go with what the rod says
thebillsman reply :
what are you going to be throwing.. squarebills, small or large jerkbaits, md cranks, spinners?
I'll use my M for small cranks and jerkbaits, and a MH for anything over 1/2oz or deeper than 6ft.
MDbassin reply :
Really looking to make it my twitching rod for anything that requires a twitch or jerking motion.
So I guess I'm trying to say I'm going to be using jerkbaits,spooks,poppers
BobP reply :
I think glass versus graphite is mainly player's choice. Guys say it helps keep fish buttoned but I've never had a problem in that regard with graphite and don't like the extra weight of glass, so use graphite for everything. You can find graphite rods nowadays that have similar action to glass, so that's a non issue for me. Jmho
Team9nine reply :
Graphite - Right now my two favorite jerkbait sticks are the Cabela's 6'9" Tourney ZX Topwater/jerkbait ($100), and the Megabass 6'10" Levante Spinnerbait Special ($200). Have caught A BUNCH on both. Both are labeled as Med-fast, but of the two, the Cabela's ZX is a bit stiffer/faster action while the Megabass is almost a moderate.
-T9
MDbassin reply :
I will probably just go with graphite
Bluebasser86 reply :
All my jerkbait rods are graphite.
Yudo1 reply :
Glass rods are too slow in recovery for my taste with jerk baits.
tander reply :
I have used my glass rod for jerkbaits but I really prefer my med. action graphite Falcon Lowrider rod, also for topwater.
roadwarrior reply :
St. Croix Avid AVC66MF with a soft tip.
WIGuide reply :
I like a graphite fast action rod for jerkbaits. I've tried moderate action rods for them and I feel like I have more control over the action with a fast action rod. My personal favorite jerkbait rod I own is a St. Croix Legend Xtreme 6'6" M/F
To answer your question about St. Croix powers, they run slightly heavier than average. It's not a full power jump just slight. So a medium would be slightly stiffer than the average medium but definitely isn't a medium heavy.
crypt reply :
graphite,short handle,6'6" older team daiwa Larry Nixon WORMIN/JIG rod soft tip plenty of backbone. perfect for my jerkbait fishing.
J Francho reply :
I like an extra fast taper, low mass, sensitive stick for this. Fiberglass need not apply here. Graphite. I use an Avid AVC62MXF. The very fast tip recovery offers the best bait control for jerk/rip/slash baits.
A-Jay reply :
It's graphite for me when casting jerkbaits, either casting gear and quite a bit of spinning gear as well.
I like & use composite & glass rods but not for jerkbaits as IMO the characteristics of these sticks that make them good for crankbaits - are undesirable when working a jerkbait.
A-Jay
MickD reply :
You can get any action and power in graphite, and it most likely will be significantly lighter than glass. As stated before, if you want a sharp twitch, you don't want the slow recovery of glass and you don't want a moderate action. You want a fast or extra fast. I've seen days on St Clair when we just couldn't catch a fish on a mod action, but using the X-fast action gave us the quicker acceleration on the twitch that the bass wanted.
thebillsman reply :
On 12/6/2016 at 3:09 AM, A-Jay said:It's graphite for me when casting jerkbaits, either casting gear and quite a bit of spinning gear as well.
I like & use composite & glass rods but not for jerkbaits as IMO the characteristics of these sticks that make them good for crankbaits - are undesirable when working a jerkbait.
A-Jay
My last jerkbait rod had a fast tip and when I would give it a few twitches it would move the bait way too far from the strike zone. Three quick twitches would move the lure a good 3 feet. I've noticed that with a slower tip my lure still has the same erratic action but covers far less water.
J Francho reply :
That doesn't make any sense. You move you the rod 2", the bait moves 2", no matter the taper. The deal with a faster taper is recovery, since all we're really doing "tapping the bait" on a semi slack line. You pop it, and then give it slack, allowing the bait to do it's thing, depending on which jerkbait model it is. This is where the fast recovery comes in. If you are moving your bait three feet, then you are moving your rod three feet. That's way too much for a proper jerkbait presentation. You're doing it wrong. Remember - this is a finesse style. Get a fast rod, and ease up. Twitch, not sweep.
A-Jay reply :
On 12/6/2016 at 3:25 AM, thebillsman said:My last jerkbait rod had a fast tip and when I would give it a few twitches it would move the bait way too far from the strike zone. Three quick twitches would move the lure a good 3 feet. I've noticed that with a slower tip my lure still has the same erratic action but covers far less water.
How a bait is "worked or twitched" is a product of the angler. You & I may work a bait differently despite having the same gear. Additionally, each fishing day can be different, each body of water can be different and each individual fish can be different, so using a variety of methods when working a bait can be a good thing.
Finally, your line plays a role here as well. A bait will react differently to the same action with braid than it will with nylon line.
I'll do & use whatever gets bit.
A-Jay
Attila reply :
As an avid jerkbait angler, I've always gotten the right type of action on my jerkbaits by using a7' medium action graphite rod with a fast action. I match it with a 2500 series reel and run braid to a fluro leader.
Much like A-Jay, I only use glass for crankbaits and light ones at that, weighing only 3/8oz or less.
@thebillsman; if you haven't already I'd suggest fishing jerkbaits in colder water where a more subtle presentation is needed, especially when it comes to using a jerk style retrieve. Perhaps more of a soft twitch action is what you're looking to use, especially in colder water applications. With regards to summer time fishing, I find that all fish, be they in an aggressive/neutral/negative mode, have no trouble tracking a bait and hunting it successfully regardless of the speed of retrieval. This is especially true when it comes to smallmouth bass.
Cheers, and good fishing.
thebillsman reply :
On 12/6/2016 at 4:14 AM, Attila said:As an avid jerkbait angler, I've always gotten the right type of action on my jerkbaits by using a7' medium action graphite rod with a fast action. I match it with a 2500 series reel and run braid to a fluro leader.
Much like A-Jay, I only use glass for crankbaits and light ones at that, weighing only 3/8oz or less.
@thebillsman; if you haven't already I'd suggest fishing jerkbaits in colder water where a more subtle presentation is needed, especially when it comes to using a jerk style retrieve. Perhaps more of a soft twitch action is what you're looking to use, especially in colder water applications. With regards to summer time fishing, I find that all fish, be they in an aggressive/neutral/negative mode, have no trouble tracking a bait and hunting it successfully regardless of the speed of retrieval. This is especially true when it comes to smallmouth bass.
Cheers, and good fishing.
Thanks for the advice.
Unfortunately for me, I fish a lot of stained water and it can be difficult to get the sort of results I want when using a jerkbait. Fishing in stained water I want that bait to be in the strike zone as long as possible, and with the 6'6" M/F rod I used before my twitches were closer to sweeps. With the moderate action it takes a lot more force to replicate the distance it would cover prior. I like it much better. It's similar to being able to work a walk the dog style topwater bait that can stay in one place for 5-6 twitches.
A-Jay reply :
On 12/6/2016 at 4:52 AM, thebillsman said:Thanks for the advice.
Unfortunately for me, I fish a lot of stained water and it can be difficult to get the sort of results I want when using a jerkbait. I went out yesterday to put a new Carbon Steel through its paces and it did well. Fishing in stained water I want that bait to be in the strike zone as long as possible, and with the 6'6" M/F rod I used before my twitches were closer to sweeps. With the moderate action it takes a lot more force to replicate the distance it would cover prior. I like it much better. It's similar to being able to work a walk the dog style topwater bait that can stay in one place for 5-6 twitches.
Stained water & jerkbaits can be tough sledding. To be honest, I'm usually reaching for a different presentation if it's very stained.
But if you're going to go with a jerkbait here's two bits of advice for you - sometimes keeping your bait close to or right at the bottom can help also consider your bait color. This one is a solid producer when the water gets a little turbid.
A-Jay
thebillsman reply :
I'm genuinely addicted to jerkbaits at this point, I fish them no matter what. I figure with the right noise/rattle and the right color I still have a chance. I always follow them up with a keitech crazy flapper along the bottom, they work well in tandem together.
MickD reply :
On 12/6/2016 at 3:25 AM, thebillsman said:My last jerkbait rod had a fast tip and when I would give it a few twitches it would move the bait way too far from the strike zone. Three quick twitches would move the lure a good 3 feet. I've noticed that with a slower tip my lure still has the same erratic action but covers far less water.
As long as the bass agree. Keep in mind that what the fish want will determine what is effective. I think smallmouths more often will not go for the subtle jerks that a mod action gives.
Attila reply :
On 12/6/2016 at 4:52 AM, thebillsman said:Thanks for the advice.
Unfortunately for me, I fish a lot of stained water and it can be difficult to get the sort of results I want when using a jerkbait. I went out yesterday to put a new Carbon Steel through its paces and it did well. Fishing in stained water I want that bait to be in the strike zone as long as possible, and with the 6'6" M/F rod I used before my twitches were closer to sweeps. With the moderate action it takes a lot more force to replicate the distance it would cover prior. I like it much better. It's similar to being able to work a walk the dog style topwater bait that can stay in one place for 5-6 twitches.
Glad to help, just wish I could be of more assistance with regards to your stained water situation. I've never had the chance to fish stained water up here, only some tanic water from time to time. Glad to hear you're finding success, and keep it up!
On 12/6/2016 at 5:03 AM, A-Jay said:Stained water & jerkbaits can be tough sledding. To be honest, I'm usually reaching for a different presentation if it's very stained.
But if you're going to go with a jerkbait here's two bits of advice for you - sometimes keeping your bait close to or right at the bottom can help also consider your bait color. This one is a solid producer when the water gets a little turbid.
A-Jay
@A-Jay and @thebillsman; do you include longer pauses when fishing stained water? Would imagine it helps fish zero in on the target...
A-Jay reply :
On 12/6/2016 at 5:03 AM, A-Jay said:Stained water & jerkbaits can be tough sledding. To be honest, I'm usually reaching for a different presentation if it's very stained.
But if you're going to go with a jerkbait here's two bits of advice for you - sometimes keeping your bait close to or right at the bottom can help also consider your bait color. This one is a solid producer when the water gets a little turbid.
A-Jay
On 12/6/2016 at 7:54 AM, Attila said:Glad to help, just wish I could be of more assistance with regards to your stained water situation. I've never had the chance to fish stained water up here, only some tanic water from time to time. Glad to hear you're finding success, and keep it up!
@A-Jay; do you include longer pauses when fishing stained water? Would imagine it helps fish zero in on the target...
The length of a pause for me is determined by water temp not clarity.
I need to also add that my local waters are for the most part very clear (15 plus ft vis) almost all year. So off colored water is a bit of an anomaly. But when it does happen it's usually a good thing as it often positions the fish a little closer to cover and makes them a little more "approachable".
I'll fish lower in the water column & with brighter (and rattling) jerkbaits when the visibility is something other than clear.
Something else to consider, is that if fish can not see your bait, but can hear it's rattles & feel it's vibration when moved through the water, when you pause it - all that commotion stops. So if they can't see it very well, a long pause may actually be detrimental . . . . .
However, as I mentioned, I rarely fish a jerkbait in very turbid or stained water partially for that very reason but mostly because I can usually get more bites doing something else.
A-Jay
Attila reply :
Makes sense, thanks for sharing your insights @A-Jay. Much like you the water I fish is very clear, so learning how to fish unfamiliar water conditions is something that I was looking for advice on.
Cheers, and thanks again.
related Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic
most viewed Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic
© 2025 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.