Dedicated jerk bait rod needed for small/medium jerk baits?

[jamesvg]

Hi all,

Have been doing more and more lure fishing for pike over the last few years and am really enjoying lure fishing particularly.
Last year I picked up some Westin Glide baits (weighing 34g) and have done really well on these using my Drennan ESox Lureflex (12-50g rating) without any obvious issues.

I wonder what I would gain much from a dedicated jerk bait rod for this kind of size lure/if there is any real need if not using big jerks? I don't find it awkward to use and appear to be able to impart a decent action to the lures.
I am somewhat reluctant to use a dedicated jerk bait rod as the stiffness would reduce the pleasure of playing smaller fish.

Cheers,
James.

[fossil-fish]

If your Lureflex rod is anything like my old Pikeflex it will probably be underrated for its casting weight. I like to use smaller jerk baits including 10cm Salmo Sliders which weigh about 45g. I use an old Savage Gear Butch Lite, rated to 60g, which handles them no problem and is pleasant to play fish on.

I am far from an expert on lure fishing but I would be looking for a shortish baitcasting rod with a maximum rating of somewhere between 60 or 80g.

[Steve Dennington]

For the weight range you're talking about (1oz or thereabouts) it won't make much difference. You can fish glidebaits of that size effectively on a medium fixed spool set-up. Working the lure can be done off the reel if the tip is too soft and absorbing your inputs. It's the bigger stuff (say, 3oz+) that benefits most from dedicated tackle.

[jamesvg]

Thanks both for the input. Will stick with the set up I have for now.
Although I have been eyeing up a Prorex AGS 30-70g....

[Mark Phillips]

Thanks both for the input. Will stick with the set up I have for now.
Although I have been eyeing up a Prorex AGS 30-70g....

I have a couple of those, but would recommend you go for the 100 if you want to fish smaller jerk baits. The 70 rated rod is better suited to lures you'll retrieve as opposed to impart action into, if that makes sense. I wouldn't even consider 'playing' pike when choosing lure rods, no matter what the size, I want them landed super quick. The fun comes from the hit, not the fight.

[jamesvg]

Ah ok - I was thinking that with most of my lures being in the 20-40g range with a few in the 40-50g I'd be better with the 30-70g. But it makes sense that a stiffer tip would be of benefit in imparting action into lures. I agree re landing ASAP, although always favour a through action rod from this perspective as well as from a fun perspective owing to it allowing you to apply more pressure.
I'll check out the 40-100g rod and maybe the 50-120g

[MathiasJK]

I had the same ideas this fall. I went and felt on a whole range of rods but felt they were all about to stiff for the 10cm jerkbaits (35-45g) I often use. I finally went with a Berkley Zilla Pike 6'6" 30-80g jerkbait rod and it's great for both 10cm and 12cm jerkbaits. I like it so much that it has become my most used rod, and the classification of 30-80g is spot on. It was the rod with the softest tip on all of the Pure Fishing jerkbait rods I had the chance to try and that included old rods out of production too as I live 400m from ABU in Svängsta.

Will continue to use for all types of lures although I have several other pike rods, so easy to cast with and trees and bushes don't become such an irritating objects.

I have a Curado 201M on it right now. Finest reel I've had. My heavier sg2 7'3" 70-130g rod will have a Tatula 300 on it and I think that reel might fish even better although the Curado feels way pricier. Buttery smooth in every instance.

Sadly enough, I think that ABU has somewhat fallen behind the Japanese manufacturers when it comes to the feel the reel gives in ones hands.. As I have plenty of family members that has worked in ABU I would like to use only their products but I'm picky, real picky when it comes to the feel of the reel. So instead I try to use as much as possible from under the Pure Fishing umbrella and that works pretty good as they own Savage Gear now too. But reels.. for now it's Japanese designed only.

Fixed spool reels are a different story, I use a Revo 3X 4000 and it is superb. Only backside is the line intake of ~100cm, not always suitable.

[Oldskoolfool]

I have a fox warrior pike cast which is perfect for small jerks couple with a Shimano Cardiff. It was an jmpulse buy as it was cheap but rapidly became my favourite go to on local waters.

[jamesvg]

I ended up getting the Procast AGS in 8ft and the 30-80g planned. Paired with a Shimano Stradic it is a really nice set up that I'm happy with and seems to work well with the Westin Swims/Rapala Otus and alike. Have managed a few fish to 17lb so far.