Fishing with jerkbaits involves a number of constraints in terms of equipment, due to the volume of the lures used and the need to give them a particular animation. A suitable rod is essential for effective fishing.
Casting first
While it's possible to use a spinning outfit, casting is much more comfortable for jerkbait fishing. In fact, the rod's hold is better suited to jerking and twitching, and casting tackle is more robust for casting and animating bulky lures.
In addition, the different casting gestures make the hooks more powerful, which is essential for the penetration of large hooks over long distances.
A short rod with a stiff tip
As animation is often performed with the rod low and the tip at the water's edge, a short rod, around 1.80-2 m, is a good base. The action should be sharp and hard enough to give your lures the desired swimming action, and the butt should be shorter than your forearm.
This type of fishing doesn't require a resonant but solid rod, and the use of a SM or IM carbon is quite sufficient. There's no need to invest a lot of money in a rod designed for this type of fishing.
Finally, the power should be between 30 and 80g.
A sturdy reel and solid braid
When fishing with large lures, and especially when casting, the use of large-diameter braid is essential. Thus, 25/100 is a minimum for a resistance of around 50 lb. With a thinner model, at the slightest wig, the energy stored by your lure will be more than enough to break it clean off.
The advantage of a big braid is also that it offers great lift in the water and slows down the descent of your jerkbait.
Finally, as this is a powerful fishery, a 4-strand braid is particularly suitable.
Fluorocarbon or titanium
For the leader, 2 solutions are possible:
- The traditional fluorocarbon in 80 to 100/100 which will resist the pike's teeth, but which will also provide a certain rigidity favouring animations.
- The stiffer titanium leader will accentuate the lateral deviations of your jerkbait. Some even use piano wire for their leaders.
Lure selection
To cover all situations, your box should contain no more than ten lures.
- 2 classic jerkbaits with large beads, like Strike Pro's Buster Jerk or Bomber's Herky Jerky. One in a flashy color and the other in a natural color.
- 2 silent jerkbaits like the Salmo Sweeper or Glidin rap from Rapala.
- A floating model for fishing over weed beds or shallow areas.
- One or two smaller models like the buster jerk 2.
- 2 Shorter, stockier models with an S-shaped swim like the Salmo Slider or Strike pro's X-buster. I reserve the latter for boat or float tube fishing, as it casts particularly badly.
- Possibly a larger model around 20cm or one with a soft lure tail.
