If I can find it, Al Agnew wrote a comprehensive thread on jerkbaits on OAF.
The action of the rod for jerk baits is very individual for each person using it IMHO. I would designate one rod for jerk baits and only use this rod until you figure out a good cadence that works. If you switched to a different rod the next day, you would get a completely different action, even with the same lure. That's just how it works for me.