Jigging Rod

[fishersofmen]

What size jigging rod do you guys use for Walleye? Do you use different sizes for different conditions? What about length, do you prefer your jigging rod to be longer or shorter? I have been using a 26" medium action rod. Thinking about trying a rod that is a bit shorter and maybe a bit lighter action as well. Sometimes I get the sense I am missing fish because the rod is too long and a bit to heavy. I figure with a lighter rod I could feel the bite a bit easier and with a shorter rod I would be able to connect quicker when I set the hook.......Thanks for any help.

[Northlander]

Length will have little effect on hookset. I base the length and power of the rod by the # line and size lures I will use.

My spoon rods are 32-36" in a med to med/heavy with a fast tip. My walleye bobber rods are 28" to 32" in a med/light and a mod action.

My panfish rods are mostly 26" to 34" and either are very light tipped like the Thorne Brothers Power Noodle or very sensitive graphite like a perch sweatheart. I more and more go to the Power Noodle or Jason Mitchel meatstick for real light baits and light line. Im also going to be putting a fly reel on a Power Noodle for keeping the light lines from coiling up.

Rods shouldnt be based on how big a fish but how big or small a lure and line you will use.

[slipperybob]

I prefer a slightly longer rod becuase they are more forgiving once the fish is hooked up. My rods are 32" and I will be running some 36" rods too. Medium power rod is typically where it's at, but deadsticking needs a softer tip action or switching to a light power rod. I'm planning on using that St. Croix Premier 36" L for some walleye deadsticking, although it's a panfish hole hopping rod.

[Mike Walerak]

Match your Rod to the size of jig you will be fishing. Chances are that might have a direct impact on the size of fish you catch.

I like my medium action rods to be 28". My med/heavy rods are 30-32". For fishing really light jigs I use a med/light perch rod. These generally come off the shelf at 26" so that is what I have. But I would prefer a 28".

My fishouses are pretty big so I can use longer rods easily. Smaller fishhouses require you to use shorter rods. Most flipover houses have enough room allow you to use longer rods.

mw

[Comit 2]

[JohnMickish]

I use a 6'3" for verticle jigging, a couple of baitcasting 6'6" on the river and for pitching it's a 6'8" or 7', but then again I think fishing is meant to be done on the water out of a boat, not standing on the ice.

[Jim Almquist]

My favorite walleye rods are the same ones I use for perch.Something to watch out for is light biting or finicky walleyes will come up and inhale your bait and spit it out just as quick. If you are jigging and have one right at your bait and something feels off or a little lighter you need to set the hook. You will always hook these fish right in the lips. Do not think that every walleye is going to slam the lure. If fronts start rolling through you are going to get these light biters but if you can connect with a few you will at least have a decent day of fishing vs a skunk.

[Stick in Mud]

It's AMAZING how quickly those fish can inhale and spit out a lure. I've watched it a few times fishing shallow water on mille lacs, and you'd never guess they had even touched it...can't feel it, rod tip doesn't move.

People have told me that they've seen walleyes pick up and swim off for two or three feet with a bait without actually feeling anything on the rod. I don't know....seems tough to imagine, but who knows. I'd think the rod would bend, but why would they lie about something like that?

So, about rod length, I use short ones because I fish in a see-through Clam that my dad and I have been using forever. There is definitely NOT enough room for me to use a long rod in that house. Even with short ones, I hit the wall with my hookset all the time.

[Jim Almquist]

I was in my uncles fish house on Mille Lacs when I was a young pup and could not believe how many came up to my bait before I got hit. Most would come in and then back out and come in from a different angle. They would do this 3-5 times and then they would finally swim off. I would bet at least 25 Walleyes came up before I finally caught one. At the time I did not know that a quick jig might provoke a bite.

[Stick in Mud]

Were you holding it dead still, Jim, as the walleyes looked at it? I was at a seminar a while back where the "pro" said that you should never hold a jigging spoon perfectly still. I was used to doing so since that's what I'd do when the fish moved in--as I saw it on the Vex or from sight fishing. I started just shaking the tip a bit, and I think I've done better, but who knows. I didn't keep accurate numbers of fish caught in the past, and I don't now either.

[fishersofmen]

I will use both methods. Sometimes it seems if I continue to shake it a bit it can scare them off. If I see this happening I will just hold it steady and many times this will work. I let the mood of the fish determine how aggressively I jig and if to stop or not.

[Jim Almquist]

At the time it I was just using a plain hook and a Fathead. This was years before we started jigging. When we started jigging Swedish Pimples you could still only use one line so it was a real big deal when they passed the 2 lines in the winter. Now all I want to do is jig