Perfect jigging rod?

[Dahitman44]

I put a post up on the rod building area, but I was hoping you guys could chime in on the perfect size / action/ tip jigging rod.

thanks

Hit

[Chef]

I use a 7' to 7-6" fast tip action rod, 58m Modulus, Cabela's. I can feel everything with a rod like this, I use them for livebait rigging as well.

[JohnMickish]

I put a post up in the rod building section too. Look at the rod builders online catalogs and look at what their dedicated jigging rods are. There has to be a reason that they are all pretty similar. I use a G. Loomis IMX 721 but think my next one might be a St. Croix Legend. I am really starting to like the St. Croix stuff more and more, and belive the Tourney series is about the best there is for the money.

[hhguide]

6 foot Fenwick and stiff as a board! You can feel everything when ripping it off the cabbage.

[Dahitman44]

I use a 5'8" st. croix but I want to make a longer one so I can get away from the boat a little more.

Is there any reason not to use the Xfast tip? You would think that would be a no brainer?

[walleye365]

6'3" compre med/fast this rod is great

[Jim Almquist]

My favorite jigging rod is a 6'6" St. Croix Legend. I like the longer length so that I can move the jig farther when I am back trolling and I am ripping it. A quick pull forward and a slow drop back and they will just smack it on the drop. It is my absolutely favorite way to fish.

[JohnMickish]

IMO an Xtra fast tip is the way to go on a jigging rod.

[mozy]

I use a 6'8" MXF St. Croix Legend Tournament. I love this rod. I think if I was going to get a dedicated vertical jigging rod, I may go with the 6'3" instead, but I use it for pitching jigs and some rigging so I like the extra length. I wouldn't mind a G. Loomis in IMX either, something in the 6' to 6'6" range in a 1 or 2 power.

[Dahitman44]

nice thanks.

Great info here ... whay would anyone NOT want an extra fast fish. walleyes can be pretty finicky...

[Northlander]

I like a longer rod so all my jigging rods are 6'6" to 7'6" and most are either med/lt or med with fast or extra fast tips.

[Fish Head]

I think for most vertical jigging, you'll want a 6'3" to 6'6" high quality rod with a fast or x-fast tip. If your pitching jigs, you might want slightly longer.

Take a look at the Shimano Crucial. Great rod for the money.

[JohnMickish]

Got to thinking about this a bit. There is no "one jigging rod fits all people at all times" rod out there. Let me ask a few questions.

How do you intend of fishing with it? What technics? Verticle, rip jigging, pitching?

Live bait or plastics? How big of bait?

How big of jigs do you plan on using? Rivers or lakes?

Will this be a 100% walleye rod or will bass play a part in it to?

If you are into it you can arm yourself with several specific weapons of fish warfare or you can have just a couple of broad arms.

[Dahitman44]

1000 percent walleye -- lakes live bait med. to small jigs.

[Mike Walerak]

My boat is loaded with jigging rods in the spring. Depending on what I am doing I can have close to 10 jigging rods in the boat. For vertical jigging I prefer a bit shorter rod. Around 6 foot. I carry both a Med Lite and a Medium depending on what size jigs I am using. I like the Medium a bit more for the chunky saugers. I don't do a whole lot of veritcal jigging but am always ready if there is a hot yoyo bite. I do use 6'9" Med-lites fast action for vertical jigging when running 2 rods.

For pitching lite jigs I like the 6'9" length with a fast or extra fast tip. With braid I prefer the fast tip and with mono I like the extra fast tip. There was a time this fall when I was pitching jigs with braid on the fast tipped rod and had so many shad bumping my line I was setting the hook every time I felt the line hit a shad. I switched to mono with the extra fast tip and problem solved. I only then felt the walleye bites.

If I am casting jigs above 3/8 oz I go with a 6'6" Med Fast action rod.

For draggin jigs I like to use the 8'3"s to add to the spread. They get alittle heavy to hold but they definatly puts more fish in the boat and causes far less tangles.

Most rods have pretty specif uses but I think the 6'9" rod with a fast tip is the best all around jigging rod. They also double as a great dubuque rigging rod as well.

mw

[JohnMickish]

I would get something that would match these specs. These are St. Croix models but there are many rod makers out there that have very similar rods, and some are sponsors here.

Pick a price range, pick a rod/blank manufacturer and wait for the ice to melt.

TWS63MXF / VERTICAL JIG

Our most popular jigging rod. It features a light tip with plenty of backbone for vertical jigging at various water depths.

TWS66MLF / JIG-N-RIG

Our number one multi-purpose walleye rod. This can't-miss model is great for jigs, rigs and crankbaits.

[mojogunter]

For lighter jigs i use a Loomis IMX SJR722. When I am using heavy jigs and blades in current I use a St. Croix Legend Xtreme XS68MXF 6'8" X-Fast it has more back bone for the heavier weights 5/8+

[zooks]

Loomis SJR782 GLX - worth every penny

[Dahitman44]

I love my 7 foot rod for rigging in part cuz I sit in the captain's chair while I fish. I have a long boat and wide rails ... perhaps I should go with a 7 foot xtra fast tip for jigging too, for the same season - -to get away from the boat?

Maybe that is the answer?

[Mike Walerak]

For lighter jigs i use a Loomis IMX SJR722. When I am using heavy jigs and blades in current I use a St. Croix Legend Xtreme XS68MXF 6'8" X-Fast it has more back bone for the heavier weights 5/8+

I have this same Xtreme. I find it a little too fast of an action for most purposes I use it for in the river. I generally only use this rod in heavy current when I am targeting trophy walleyes. I like the way it handles big fish in the current. This is also a great rod for casting husky jerk-baits and x-raps on weedlines though.

My go to multi purpose rod is a Limit Creek smoothie. It jigs, rigs and casts just about anything and does a great job overall.

mw

[NCLaker]

For verticle jigging, I really like my 6'3" Med w/ extra fast tip (Fenwick Walleye Elite).