Best Jerkbait Rod: 2023 Buyer’s Guide

If you like to fish for bass, you probably own a fair selection of jerkbait lures.

I know I do!

It’s one thing to own a bunch of jerkbaits – you gotta try them all to see what works! But are you using the best jerkbait rod to compliment your fancy rigs?

What sets jerkbait fishing apart from other types of lures is the retrieve.

It’s all about the retrieve.

You’ve got to work it hard. Side to side. Up and down.

Jerk it baby, jerk it out!

And if you are using a jerkbait rod for bass then you will be all too familiar with how your arm feels after you’ve been out there a few hours.

Not to sound like a little girl, but it does start to smart after a while.

You could try spending hours in the gym beefing up your arm to Schwarzenegger-like proportions.

Or..

You can try having a look at rods designed specifically for jerkbait fishing. Getting your hands on the right sized rod with the right action can really reduce the fatigue you feel after a long day on the water.

Let’s take a look at the top jerkbait rods for 2023 and see if you can’t find the right rod to make your next fishing trip a little easier on the arm.

The Top Jerkbait Rods of 2023

1. St. Croix Avid X Spinning Rod
2. St. Croix Avid X Baitcasting Rod
3. Dobyns Champion 704CB
4. Alpha Slasher Jerkbait Topwater Rod
5. Megabass OROCHI XX JERKBAIT SPECIAL

1. St. Croix Avid X Spinning Rod

The St. Croix Avid X Spinning Jerkbait Rod is a tremendous piece of kit from a manufacturer who is famous for putting out some of the best fishing rods around.

The rod is built with a sensitive tip but still comes with plenty of backbone so you can safely land what you catch. It’s a noodle with strength!

The feather light graphite blank gives the rod a smooth, sensitive action so you can feel every bite.

The micro guides keep the rod weight down so you can keep casting all day long without feeling like you’re an apprentice bricklayer

But my favorite part is that the Avid X has that classic split grip cork handle which I absolutely love. Nothing beats the feel of cork in your hand.

And don’t forget that St. Croix Avid X Spinning Rods are proudly made in the USA.

2. St. Croix Avid X Baitcasting Rod

The St. Croix Avid X Baitcasting Jerkbait Rod is the same fantastic rod as with the previous St. Croix model, except this one is designed for Baitcasting instead of Spinning.

This rod comes with St. Croix’s famously strong backbone and super sensitive tip that lets you feel every rock your lure touches along the bottom (and every fish too!)

The micro guides come wrapped with nylon thread and sealed with a double coating of flex-coat slow cure finish to ensure your line flows smoothly down onto the reel.

And you get that timeless split grip cork handle which is easy on the hands (and on the eyes).

St. Croix Avid X Baitcasting Rods continue to be proudly made in the USA.

3. Dobyns Champion 704CB

The Dobyns Champion 704CB is one awesome jerkbait rod that has the perfect tip for absolutely launching baits way out there.

I love to use this rod to throw 110s and other shallow to mid-depth jerkbaits.

What sets this Dobyns rod apart is the ‘ka-thunk’ feeling you get when you rip the bait. This is down to the high modulus graphite blanks that Dobyns use in their rods. If you’ve only ever fished fibreglass rods, you’ll really notice the difference.

This rod is so lightweight you can fish all day and hardly feel the effort.

Gary Dobyns has decades of tournament experience and he has put that to great use in making the Champion 704CB a must-have for jerkbait fishing.

4. Alpha Slasher Jerkbait Topwater Rod

The Alpha Slasher Jerkbait Topwater Rod is a must have jerkbait rod if you’re a fan of working treble-clad moving baits.

The midrange graphite blank has the power to load and launch jerkbaits while still having enough bend to let you land those bites without wasting energy and feeling fatigured.

Designed specifically for use with the Megabass 110, this rod is perfectly suited to fishing other 110s too from early season jerkbaits to mid-summer topwaters.

The Slasher Rod lets you both manipulate the bait so you can get a bite while giving you enough strength to protect the treble hooks after you’ve set them.

5. Megabass Orochi XX Jerkbait Special

The Megabass Orochi XX Jerkbait Special is designed with jerkbait fishing at heart. The fast action means that less energy is required to get your jerkbait to dart about.

The rod’s balance point is down at the reel so you can pivot the rod with little effort without fighting the weight of the blank.

The short rear grip and 6’11” rod length lets you put more energy into each cast, maximizing the distance you can throw your jerkbaits.

The proprietary “kabt” design of the Orochi XX lets you feel every little tick and movement that touches the end of your line, increasing your chances of landing your next fish whether it be a monster bass or a little fingerling (hopefully the bass!)

How to Choose the Best Jerkbait Rod

There’s a few things you’ll want to pay attention to when choosing the right jerkbait rod to take out on your next trip. These are:

• Length
• Rod Power
• Rod Action
• Materials

When heading out bass fishing on jerkbait you typically need a rod between 6’6″ and 7’0″ in length Medium-Heavy or Medium power rating and a Fast Rod action. Any kind of rod will do, spinning or baitcasting (both work well for jerkbait!) and make sure your rod is made of strong lightweight materials like carbon or graphite.

Remember, jerkbait fishing takes work and is quite an intensive way to fish. The specialty jerkbait rods being made today focus on providing lightweight but powerful action that will keep you out on the water all day without feeling like you’ve been doing curls for hours on end.

Types of Jerkbait Rods

Jerkbait can be fished with either a spinning rod or a baitcasting rod.

If you’re running smaller sized jerkbait lures then a spinning rod will do the trick. And if you are just starting out with jerkbait fishing then a spinning rod will be all you need.

If you’re more of a veteran and tend to spend full days chasing bass with jerkbait then you’ll probably want to upgrade to a baitcaster.

Yes they’re harder to use, but once you get the hang of it you are going to find you have a whole lot more energy to keep casting longer when using a bastcasting rod vs a spinning rod.

And if you’re using larger and heavier jerkbaits, then a baitcaster will be best suited for that too.

Rod Sizes

The best jerkbait rod size goes hand in hand with the power of the rod. In our experience, a rod between 6’6″ and 7’0″ in length will be perfect for the job! This length will give you the leverage you need to throw your favorite jerkbait way out there in terms of casting distance.

If you tend to fish with lighter jerkbaits then you want to be closer to the 6’6″ end of the scale. If you are fishing heavier jerkbaits or use bigger walking baits to tempt the bass then you are going to want to move up the scale towards a 7 foot rod.

Anything under 6’6″ tends to limit your ability to cast very far. Although you may find the rod easier to work, with a short rod you may not be able to land your jerkbait where you need it to be.

If you’re fishing near shore this may not be an issue for you!

Once you get up over 7 feet the rod is going to be too hard to work and too bulky for fishing jerkbait.

Any fishing rod in that 6’6″ to 7 foot range is the best rod size for jerkbait fishing!

Power

The right powered rod for fishing jerkbait is Medium (M) or Medium Heavy (MH). Either will serve you well.

More experienced anglers will change this up depending on the size of jerkbait being used. When fishing 1/2 oz jerkbaits and higher a Medium Heavy rod will be best suited. When fishing 1/4 oz jerkbaits up to 3/4 oz a Medium powered rod will do the trick.

Choose a rod depending on the size of jerkbait you use more often!

You can also use a Medium Low (ML) powered rod for jerkbait fishing but expect to run into some trouble. You will need to put a lot of power into the rod to get the lure to do anything when using an ML rod.

It will certainly give you a workout if that’s what you’re looking for.

I don’t know about you but I’m not out there fishing for the cardio benefits!

Stick to the Medium and Medium Heavy Jerkbait Rods. They are best suited for the job.

Rod Action

Having the right action is critical when fishing jerkbait. Casting out and reeling in at a steady pace is not the way to land fish on jerkbait lures. It’s all about the action!

• Jerk-Jerk-Pause
• Jerk-Jerk-Jerk-Pause
• Jerk-Jerk-Jerk

But remember, if you jerk it more than three times you’re playing with it!

To get the right movement you need out of your favorite lure you need to use a jerkbait rod with a Fast Action.

A Fast Action will let you twitch the lure while barely moving your hand. It gives you the total control you need to work the jerkbait and lets you bring that side to side movement into your game.

Materials

You need a rod that is both light and strong if you want to catch bass with jerkbait.

The rod materials need to be light enough to let you twitch the tip without being so brittle that the tip snaps when you finally land the fish.

Check your jerkbait rod and make sure it is made out of graphite or carbon. These materials give the best weight to power performance on the market today.

If you’ve got a jerkbait rod that is made out of fiberglass or bamboo, it’s probably time to think about upgrading. These materials are too heavy and you will end up getting fatigued when using rods made out of these materials.

Stick to carbon and graphite rods for the best performance.

The Last Cast

With St. Croix being famous for being one of the world’s best fishing rod brands it’s no surprise that their rods feature heavily in our jerkbait rod reviews.

Whether you prefer to use a spinning rod or a baitcasting rod, you’ll find plenty of high-end jerkbait rods available on the market today.

Remember to look for a rod that is strong and light and preferably made of graphite. Combine this with a highly sensitive rod tip and you’ll be in a much better place to be regularly catching something with your jerkbaits.

Whether it’s big enough to eat or not depends a little on lady luck!

I’ve shown you some of my favorites, but if you know a fishing rod that you think should be reviewed as the Best Jerkbait Rod then I want to hear about it!

Let me know in the contact section and I’ll try and get my hands on one and give it a go.

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