Jerkbait Line choice?

[Tjames09]

Bought two dedicated jerk bait rods this year, time to put some line on them. Been reading different opinions on all the options. 

I was going to just do braid + Fluoro leader. 

 

[Lape0019]

Out of your options, braid plus Flouro. 

 

I usually just run straight braid though 

[Reef Runner]

Braid to flouro leader.  You could do straight braid but them spring time pikes love splicing braid.  Uni-to-uni knot between the two lines, rapala knot to the bait for the extra action.

 

Reef

[kickingfrog]

Spinning or casting? Braid is fine on casting but gel-spun lines on spinning outfits is my choice.

[Tjames09]

Casting setups. 

I actually intend to use it for pike in the spring. And switch it’s use to bass later. 

[dave524]

30 years ago if you said jerk bait, everyone figured you were casting Suick's etc for musky,  just exactly what constitutes a jerk bait today ? or crankbaits or swim baits for that matter. Hell, we fished dropshot rigs 50 years ago before they came up with the name. Sorry, just getting cynical in my old age, but it does seem everything needs a label nowadays.

 

[kickingfrog]

Definitely braid with floro leader for pike then on a casting outfit. The stiffer floro will also cut down on tangles, both from casting or jerking the baits on straight braid.

[msp]

I prefer braid to flouro.

For baitcasters I recommend 30-50 pound with 80-100 pound leaders for pike and 12-20 pound leaders for bass.

For spinning use 15-20 pound braid and 6-20 flouro leaders for a number of applications. could be dropshotting, walleye jigging, senkos ect....

Keep in mind that you do not always need a flouro leader.

 

[smithy97]

Good suggestions here. For pike I like braid to fluro or copoly leader, its a solid set up that will hold strong as long as your knots are good. For bass, straight 10 or 12lb copolymer is my choice. Love how supple copoly is (in that pound test range), and it has very little memory and amazing abrasion resistance. I used to use 30lb braid to a 12lb leader for jerkbaits for bass, and I found the lack of stretch cost me some big fish. I switched to straight copoly and will never look back.  

[David Chong]

15 lbs. test Daiwa J-Braid 4X with a 12-15 lbs. test Sunline Leader FC fluorocarbon leader joined with a Crazy Alberto knot for bass! For pike 15 lbs. test Daiwa J-Braid 4X to a 9" 30 lbs. test Stringease Titanium tippet, for larger jerkbaits I throw them on a baitcasting outfit with 30 lbs. test braid & tippet combination.

 

[BillM]

Braid to 20-30lb flouro leader for me.  Same setup for topwater in the summer just swap out the flouro for mono (So the leader isn't pulling down your topwater)

[kickingfrog]

Except for the most robust pike jerk baits (small musky stuff) I don't like how heavier floro (over 30lb test) deadens the action. For me, if I think 20lb floro isn't "enough" then I go with tie-able wire or titanium.

[Tjames09]

13 hours ago, dave524 said:

30 years ago if you said jerk bait, everyone figured you were casting Suick's etc for musky,  just exactly what constitutes a jerk bait today ? or crankbaits or swim baits for that matter. Hell, we fished dropshot rigs 50 years ago before they came up with the name. Sorry, just getting cynical in my old age, but it does seem everything needs a label nowadays.

 

Rapala husky jerks, megabass vision 110, lucky craft pointers. Those are pretty common jerkbaits for bass.

 

thanks for all the replies guys. 

 

I was was looking at the maxima ultragreen coply.

[adempsey]

Braid to solid wire leader.

[AKRISONER]

I actually moved over to using straight fluro on my jerkbait set up

(orochi xx jerkbait special and curado 50e)

i like the extra casting distance and that bit of stretch for when the big smallies absolutely crush the bait. I find that a lot of the time they hit on the pause and I go to do my next jerk and there’s a big old smallie sitting on the end of the line, I found that with a little more give it kept the fish pinned a bit better. Plus the feel is just hightened mainly for my own enjoyment.

[Garnet]

You forgot Copolymer .

[Rattletrap2]

On 3/21/2019 at 11:07 PM, dave524 said:

30 years ago if you said jerk bait, everyone figured you were casting Suick's etc for musky,  just exactly what constitutes a jerk bait today ? or crankbaits or swim baits for that matter. Hell, we fished dropshot rigs 50 years ago before they came up with the name. Sorry, just getting cynical in my old age, but it does seem everything needs a label nowadays.

 

Dave, labels sell more lures! Then of course, you need technique specific rods and reels to execute each of these techniques! lol Dropshot is nothing different from a standard live bait set-up from 50 years ago, but now you need special hooks, lures, weights (Tungsten, not lead) and probably a new rod/reel combo!

To me, a Jerkbait is any long slender minnow imitating bait that can be twitched or "jerked" to simulate a dying minnow! But then, what do we know? lol

[dave524]

51 minutes ago, Rattletrap2 said:

Dave, labels sell more lures! Then of course, you need technique specific rods and reels to execute each of these techniques! lol Dropshot is nothing different from a standard live bait set-up from 50 years ago, but now you need special hooks, lures, weights (Tungsten, not lead) and probably a new rod/reel combo!

To me, a Jerkbait is any long slender minnow imitating bait that can be twitched or "jerked" to simulate a dying minnow! But then, what do we know? lol

Got it, long and slender is a jerkbait and short and fat is an alphabet bait, or do they still use that label today ? 

[Rattletrap2]

23 hours ago, dave524 said:

Got it, long and slender is a jerkbait and short and fat is an alphabet bait, or do they still use that label today ? 

Naw Dave!, Them short and fat ones is your "Crankbaits"! Of course no self respecting Fisherman would be caught dead casting them on a jerkbait or dropshot rod, so we will need a new combo for them as well! See how the arsenal of rods and reels can swell to the point where you need a new and bigger boat to carry all this gear? ?

[Tjames09]

7 hours ago, Rattletrap2 said:

Naw Dave!, Them short and fat ones is your "Crankbaits"! Of course no self respecting Fisherman would be caught dead casting them on a jerkbait or dropshot rod, so we will need a new combo for them as well! See how the arsenal of rods and reels can swell to the point where you need a new and bigger boat to carry all this gear? ?

How else can I justify a new boat? step 1 is more rods. 

Ill share one of my rods with you if you'll feel better about it. Ive got some snap swivels too lol.