Curious what your current , most often used hard jerk bait set up is ?  ... I always though fishing a hard jerk bait was a deeper , offshore deal so I never paid much attention to the technique . The recent Mike McClelland hard jerk bait fishing shallow video sparked my interest .

I am using Conquest 702C with Antares DC 21(yes it is overkill but it can handle it well). I spool that with Tatsu 10lb and it cast very nice and the rod hold the fish in best way possible.

Most used is a Chronarch MGL on and Expride 6’10” medium/ fast.  Love this set up but on occasions I will use a spinning rod.

Fantasista Regista 7' Med Really Fast, Smoke S3, 20# braid, 10# YZH leader

<- Budget guy here

 

Pflueger Supreme 7.1:1, Dobyns Fury 703C, 10# YZH

6'8" Rainshadow custom/ Diawa Alpha/ #11 Sunline Armilo

 

My newest and current jerkbait setup is one I just acquired. St Croix Victory “The Jerk” 6’8” M/XF, with a Daiwa Tatula SV Limited spoiled with 10lb Tatsu. 

Any good medium spinner will handle jerkbaits fine, and for me at least, cast a lot father than baitcasters. But I do sometimes throw them on my Falcon HD Medium 6’ 8” casting rod, and the softer tip of this amazing budget rod is geat for keeping them pinned. With my Curado 70, a very light and fun setup for MG 110s, Jackall Reranges; etc. 

vision 110s and vision 110 jr+1 - dobyns 684cb, curado 70mgl, 12lb sniper

kvd deep jerkbait - falcon lowrider 6'6mh, curado 70mgl, 12lb sniper 

Casting is a 7’ medium bps crankin stick. Reel is a 6.4 Lews tournament pro lfs.

 

spinning is a 7’ medium Daiwa KAGE multi purpose. 
Reel is a Daiwa Tatula LT 3000 CHX. 

6'6"M Daiwa Tatula spinning rod/OG Ballistic 2000/8lb Sniper.   P5 110 stick with a lefty casting reel is on the purchase docket. 

Anything 3/8oz or heavier I throw on a 6'10" M/XF SLX rod paired with a SLX 151HG spooled with 30lb braid to 12-15lb mono leader. Eventually I'll swap the reel with the SLX MGL for handling lighter jerkbaits better.

Most of my JB fishing is relatively shallow. I use a 6'6" Med, fast BC with 10 or 12 lb mono, and a 6'6" Med spinning rod with 8 or 10 lb mono. For really small baits, I use one of my spinning crappie rods with either braid/leader or 6-8 lb mono.  I sometimes go heavier on the BC rod for larger deeper baits, but that's not often.

6'6 MF Fenwick SH paired with Abu Garcia Orra SX.

I consider jerkbaits to be a moving bait.  For moving baits I have 3 rigs depending on the weight of the bait and where I will be fishing it.  6'6" m/f spinning rod with a Pflueger President, 6'6" m/f bc rod with a Shimano SLX, and a 7'0" mh/f bc rod with a Tatula CT100H.

Over 5/8oz , Dobyns Champion 704CB with a Scorpion 1001XT, under 5/8oz Major Craft Nanoace 6'6 M spinning with a Vanford 2500.

I only throw jerkbaits under 1\2oz. My current setup is a Majorcraft Nanoace 6'9" medium fast with a Lews tournament MB spooled with 12lb izorline xxx copolymer.

Medium acting spinning rod works just fine, casting can struggle to throw the lighter jerks well been using 6-10lb depending on size of jerks.

4 hours ago, Aaron_H said:

Anything 3/8oz or heavier I throw on a 6'10" M/XF SLX rod paired with a SLX 151HG spooled with 30lb braid to 12-15lb mono leader. Eventually I'll swap the reel with the SLX MGL for handling lighter jerkbaits better.

I am using the same rod with the slx mgl makes a nice setup you'll like it.

Last year, a G. Loomis 783C GLX with a Shimano Antares 12.  This year, a Megabass Levante Jerkbait Special and a Lew's BB1. 

Megbass Jerkbait Special and a polished to the gills alphas SV105

I use the same rod I throw crankbaits on. A 6' medium BPS Crankin  Stick with a Lews BB1 in 5.1:1 gear ratio with 12# Sufix Siege mono.

Dobyns Champion 704CB with a Tatula Elite and 10 lb. Invizex

Dobyns Kaden 610-4CB with a Steez and 8 lb. Invizex

Megabass Triza 6'8 Medium/Mod Fast 7-12lb line
Orochi XX Whipsnake 6'11 ML/Fast 10lb-10another sitelouro

I use an slx on a 6’6 medium action lightning rod with either 8 or 10lb big game Mono. Not fancy at all but I feel I can work the bait just fine and I never break off on fish and I basically never have them come loose so it works for me.