Hard baits: Jerkbait rod, reel and line formula

In Canada, anglers fish suspending and sinking jerkbaits across the full 70–130 mm (7–13 cm) spectrum. Choosing between spinning and casting tackle comes down to lure weight and diving-lip water resistance:

70–100 mm (7–10 cm): Spinning gear is strongly recommended—light baits (4–12 g) cast effortlessly into Canadian big-water winds on thin PE braid, and a forgiving ML/M spinning tip prevents tearing out small #10–#6 trebles.
110 mm (11 cm) Shallow / Standard Lip: Both Spinning and Casting excel—choose spinning for windy open-water distance, or casting with straight fluorocarbon for rapid slack-line precision.
110 mm Deep-Diving (+1 / +2 / DD) & 120–130 mm Magnums: Casting gear takes over—long diving bills and 18–26 g magnum bodies create heavy pull resistance that overloads standard spinning tips.

Complete Canadian Size & Diving-Depth Setup Formula (70–130 mm)

Lure Size & Dive Class	Recommended Platform	Rod Length, Power & Action	Reel Size & Gear Ratio	Main Line & Leader Formula
70–85 mm (7–8.5 cm) Micro / Finesse (4–8 g; dives 0.8–1.5 m)	Spinning Only (casts light baits into wind; protects #10–#8 trebles)	6'6"–6'10" (1.98–2.08 m) ML Fast or Moderate-Fast Spinning	2000–2500 Spinning · 6.0:1–6.2:1 (prevents over-pulling micro baits)	8–10 lb PE Braid (#0.6–0.8) + 1.5–2 m of 6–8 lb Fluorocarbon leader (FG/Alberto knot); or 6–7 lb straight soft fluoro
90–100 mm (9–10 cm) Compact All-Round (8–12 g; dives 1–2 m)	Spinning Strongly Recommended (or BFS/70-spool casting)	6'8"–6'10" (2.03–2.08 m) ML+ to M Fast or Moderate-Fast Spinning	2500–3000 Spinning · 6.2:1 (or 70-size Baitcaster 7.1:1)	10–15 lb 8-carrier PE Braid (#0.8–1.0) + 1.8–2.5 m of 8–10 lb Fluorocarbon leader; or 8–10 lb straight fluoro
110–115 mm (11 cm) Shallow / Standard (13–15 g; dives 1.2–2 m)	Spinning OR Casting (Both Excel): Spinning for windy big lakes; Casting for rapid slack-line precision	Spinning: 6'8"–7'0" M Fast/Mod-Fast · Casting: 6'8"–6'10" M Fast/Mod-Fast	Spinning: 2500–3000 (6.2:1) · Casting: 70/100/150 size (7.1:1–7.5:1)	Spinning: 10–15 lb PE Braid + 10–12 lb Fluoro leader · Casting: 10–12 lb straight Fluorocarbon (10 lb for max depth, 12 lb near rock)
110–115 mm (11 cm) Deep Runner (+1 / +2 / MR / DD) (14–17 g; dives 2.5–4.5 m)	Casting Recommended (long lip creates heavy drag that overloads spinning tips)	6'8"–7'0" (2.03–2.13 m) M+ or MH Moderate-Fast / Fast Casting	100–150 Baitcaster · 7.1:1–8.1:1 (fast pickup after deep pull-downs)	10 lb straight Fluorocarbon (8–10 lb slices water to run 0.5–0.8 m / 2–3 ft deeper than 12–14 lb)
120–130+ mm (12–13 cm) Magnum / Pike & Trophy Bass (18–26 g; dives 1.8–4 m)	Casting Required (heavy body + three #4 trebles require casting backbone)	6'10"–7'2" (2.08–2.18 m) MH Moderate-Fast Casting	150–200 Baitcaster · 7.1:1–8.1:1 with 6–8 kg drag	12–16 lb straight Fluorocarbon (in pike lakes, add a 20 cm 20–25 lb fluoro or thin single-strand titanium bite leader and downsize front hook 1 size)

Why Line Diameter Directly Controls Running Depth

Every +2 lb increase in fluorocarbon diameter costs ~20–30 cm (8–12 in) of diving depth on a 30 m cast due to water drag against the line belly.
8 lb Fluorocarbon: Achieves maximum diving depth and crispest action in cold, snag-free open water.
10 lb Fluorocarbon: The universal tournament benchmark for 110 mm jerkbaits—balances depth, abrasion resistance, and treble hook protection.
12–14 lb Fluorocarbon: Used when fishing shallow over boulders, zebra mussels, wood, or in summer when you intentionally want to keep a standard 110 running slightly higher (1–1.4 m / 3.5–4.5 ft).

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Hard baits

Sub-surface hard baits by what makes them move: crankbaits with a lip (squarebill, medium, deep, flat-sided), lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits (suspending, floating, deep), hard swimbaits (glide baits with one joint, multi-jointed swimbaits), spybaits, and the topwater hard baits: poppers, walking baits, prop baits, wake baits.

Hard baits