Vertical Jigging Rod

[holmsvc]

I am looking at getting a new rod specifically for vertical jigging. I mostly use 1/4 oz jigs, but do use 1/8 and 3/8 oz once in a while.

I am thinking about getting a 6'3" MLXF St Croix Eyecon, but I'd like to know what everyone else is using and likes.

[bigstick56]

I bought a shimano compre 6'3" med with X-Fast tip and I absolutly fell in love with this thing...It has a pretty cool "trigger" finger cut out on the cork so you can have dirent contact with the blank...I pair it with a super light Patriarch and you dont even know you got a rod and reel in your hand when using it...the price tag was right around the 100 mark so its not gonn aset you back that much either....Good luck

[harvey lee]

I always thought the best rod for vert jigging for me was a ML with a fast tip.

A few years ago I was in a rod building shop and asked them to build me one. He said are you sure you want the med rod and I asked why.

After he took out numerous rod blanks, he had me hold them while he tapped the end of each rod blank. Which one did I pick out as the most sensitive, the med fast rod blank. I also liked the action of the blank much better when I placed the tip on the floor and put pressure on the rod tip. The ML seemed too flimsy to me but that is my preference.

Thats what I had built.

There are many options out there for rod blank brands.

I have been very happy with the Batson rainshadow RX7 rod blank.

Last year, I built myself a few new rods using the St Croix SC1V and SCV rod blanks and I was very impressede with the sensitivity of each of these last 2 I mentioned but they do run a bit more for the rod.

I also like the med rod since there are times when I want to use a 3/8 or larger jig on the river. The ML rod to me is a bit light for the heavier jigs and the med seems to work better for the heavier jigs. I got way too much rod tip deflection with the heavier jigs and the ML action.

[Hory]

G-Loomis rods are some of the most sensitive, well built jigging rods on the market as well.

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

G loomis is obvious but very expensive... I love every St Croix Med/Heavy action i have ever purchased. I usually go 6'6 and do alot of jigging with 1/4 and 5/16 oz jigs

[A.W.Wolfram]

You’re on the right track with a 6’3” ML XF

The blank can be shorter than your typical spinning rod because you’re not casting, this allows for less combo weight and less fatigue while fishing. I would have to say that 6’3” to 6’4” are the most popular lengths you find for VJ rods.

ML coupled with a XF tip gives you great bait control and contact with the ability to vary your action.

As far as what manufacture and series you choose comes down to personal preference.

Finding the options you like in handle and guides should not be too difficult.

With quality comes cost and putting a price on what you would like to spend before shopping is a good idea.

A person can get into a good custom rod when you start getting close to the $200 mark.

The new Batson Walleye line of blanks is my go to now. XSW62MX is a M-XF rated for 3/16 to 5/8oz

[fishdale]

I like 6'3" or 6'6" M-XF. I am not that picky on the brand. Lots of quality rods out there in the $100 - $200 range. Less if you watch for sales.

More inportant then the brand name I think is the feel. Go to the store and try them out. How does the handle feel to you. Do you want a split grip or full grip. Grip material. Eyelet type etc.

[Whisker Warrior]

Limit Creek "Smoothie"! Best walleye rod i've owned and at a fraction of the price that the Croix's and Loomis rods run...those Baston's sound sweet! Andy i may have to commision a new custom jiggin rod this year if the wallet allows it.

[Brain_Melt]

I just bought a St. Croix Eyecon 7' ML rod and like the feel of it alot. It was right in my price range but if I had my ultimate choice it would prolly be St. Croix Tournament legend or a GL.

[trolloni]

Everything mentioned is spot on ,it just comes down to personal preferance and budget,lotsa great products !so far my favorite has been a st croix legend elite 6foot 3 inch medium light wow downright fun to fish with!riggin and jiggin!

[IceEyes]

GLX 721, haven't tried the new NRX yet.

[OnAFly]

My dad's got a Fenwick Elite Tech 6'3" Med. It's a very nice paired with a Pflueger Pres. I've got a Fenwick HMG 6'6" Med that I love. The next jiggin rod I buy will probably be one of the Elite Techs unless I can find a really good deal on a G Loomis I like.

[PerchJerker]

I'd rather use a 7' rod or even a 6'6" rod than a shorter one, but it really comes down to personal preference. I know lots of guys vertical jig with shorter rods but it doesn't feel right to me.

I agree with the Med or Med Lite power and the Fast or X-tra Fast action.

I haven't used an Eyecon myself, but have fished with a couple guys who have them. My impression is that they are a very soft rod for the power stated, ie. you get a lot of bend with them, and when you get a lot of bend you do not get a lot of hook-setting power. Again, it's a personal preference, but after seeing one guy miss hookset after hookset with his new Eyecon, neither of us was all that impressed with it. Based on that, you may want to consider Med instead of ML if that's the rod you're looking at.

[Dark Cloud]

A balanced rig is real important but I also gotta agree with the 7 footers...

All my rods are 7-9ft, even panfish rods. Anything less, feels like I should be icefishing. Hooksets just seem so much easier and productive with longer rods. This fall winter I used a 7ft6in med-lite baitcaster quite a bit for verticle jiggin river eyes and really enjoyed it...

[BartmanMN]

My dad's got a Fenwick Elite Tech 6'3" Med. It's a very nice paired with a Pflueger Pres. I've got a Fenwick HMG 6'6" Med that I love. The next jiggin rod I buy will probably be one of the Elite Techs unless I can find a really good deal on a G Loomis I like.

I picked up the 6'6" Fenwick Elite Tech this year for my Jigging rod and it will be paired with the new style pflueger president. I love the feel of it and got a nice price from PoorFish on it.

[MattL]

Here's another vote for the Fenwick Elite Tech. I just picked one up a few weeks ago. I prefer longer rods so I went with a 6'-9" MLF. So far I have only pitched 1/8 oz jigs and blades, but I am really looking forward to doing some vertical jigging with it. It has a good combination of sensitivity and hook setting power.

Paired up with a Pflueger President will set you back over $200, but in my opinion it is money well spent compared to the cheaper rods I have been using.

[outdoorsmin]

Limit Creek "Smoothie"! Best walleye rod i've owned and at a fraction of the price that the Croix's and Loomis rods run...those Baston's sound sweet! Andy i may have to commision a new custom jiggin rod this year if the wallet allows it.

I was going to pick one of these up for jigging. But wouldn't Limit Creeks 6'6" medium power be better for jigging rather than the medium light? Although the extra 3 inches of the "Smothie" might come in handy. Thanks, Troy

[Northlander]

Both are great rods. I really like the Limit Creek smoothie for my lighter jigs. Its a great rod in that price range. The medium will also be good but I like it for the 3/8 oz. and up.

[outdoorsmin]

Both are great rods. I really like the Limit Creek smoothie for my lighter jigs. Its a great rod in that price range. The medium will also be good but I like it for the 3/8 oz. and up.

The Smothie would also work with 3/8 correct? Was going to head up to the Rainy River here soon but I do not realy feel like buying the 6'6 medium for one trip. Or is it worth it? Thanks for all your help.

[jparrucci]

Most of my vertical jigging is done on lake vermilion. I am rarely over 33 ft deep of water. Vermilion is a rocky lake and having super sensitive rods makes a world of difference between being snagged, hoping the bottom, and nowhere near the bottom. I use a st croix premier, but will upgrade someday. I can say with the setup I have I feel more than any of the other fifteen guys I fish with. I use 6 lb fireline tied to a snap swivel and 6 lb mono. The rod is light action fast tip. It is beyond drastic the difference between light, ml, and m. My brother uses a m power fast action expensive fenwick, and when I borrowed his with mono on accident, I turned around a drove 3 miles back to the cabin to get my rod cause I couldn't feel anything. I feel far too many fisherman are using too heavy equipment. Depending on the lake structure, depth, and conditions, I could rarely see a time I would need even a mh rod and 8 lb line. I have NEVER broken fireline. As far as holding up for bigger fish, I have caught a muskie, plenty of 10-15 pound pike, and a dozen walleye over 26 inches every year. I fish crowded spots on vermilion opener and always watch the other boats catch a fish occasionally, while I limit out. I keep my jig within inches of the bottom at all times, while they are always between snags and 3 feet off the bottom. I can feel each rock and tell when a walleye in a negative or neutural mode sucks in the jig but doesn't even move. Unless you need to use 3/8 jigs a lot, or fish in current, go small.

[Northlander]

Yes it would work fine on a 3/8th oz jig.

[Boar]

Gota st.croix med witha fast tip in 7 ft. best jiggng rod Ive had

[NCLaker]

Another vote for Fenwick Walleye Elite Tech's. I use both a 6'3" Med X-fast, and 6'6" ML fast. Great rods for the money imo. Paired mine wit Pflueger Supreme sz 30's. Balance is great with that reel, and very light weight, and look SWEET paired together.

Fenwick HMG's are a nice cheaper alternative. I started out with these and was very happy. Also had some Compre's but, I don't think I like the new design that came out this year.

Added bonus is that these are all life time warrentied, and Fenwick has a promotion, get a free Fenwick sweatshirt with rod purchase

Definitely don’t buy anything until you’ve held a few different options in your hand and mount the reel you plan to use to see how well it balances out.

[JohnMickish]

For verticle jigging I use one of two rods, depending on jig size. A G. Loomis IMX 721 extended to 6'3" or a St. Croix Avid 6'6" MF. Both are sweet at what they do, but the MF isn't so good at 1/8 oz jigs and the 721 is a little over powered by 3/8 oz jigs.

IMO one rod dosen't fit all, and if I had to just chose one, I'd go with the 6'6" MF.

[elusivecrappiecatcher]

I had a St. Croix Legend Extreme 6'6 Medium X-Fast. 3.2oz on the rod and a Magnesium model Shimano Stradic reel. Hands down the best vertical jigging rod I have ever gotten to use. Then broke the tip.....twice......in a year! then St. Croix wouldn't replace it. Total weight for the rod and reel was like 10. something oz. Lightest rod and reel I have ever held, perfectly balanced with no lead to even it out and ultra sensative.

I returned that thing and looked for something else and wouldn't buy a croix again after getting denied a fix.

After testing a bunch of different rods I know use a Gander Mountain GSX Titanium 6'6 medium fast action with that magnesium stradic. Not as good but it's just as nice.

Not to mention I haven't busted it yet. The legend extreme St. Croix is a sick rod but the tips were so stinking brittle I didn't want to deal with it ever again.

Don't overlook the GM Guide Series Rods is all I am saying. Good price and some of the blanks they use ARE from G Loomis and or St. Croix..