>>1112190I haven't had an issue with my moderate action rod. If you like a faster action I think the Lews Mach speed stick wouldn't be a bad option. I don't have one in a M, but I have the MH. The tip is on the slower side of a fast action, so I think the M would be perfect for jerkbaits. The MH isn't bad, but throwing lighter lures is a chore, and it's really easy to overwork jerkbaits with it.
And on the tiny jerkbaits, have you tried using a loop/rapala knot? It really helps with the smaller cranks I have.