jigging rod for walleyes

[kaz2611]

looking at buying a new rod to use for jigging for walleyeswas wondering if any of you had some helpful input on what i should purchase and what has worked for some of you.

[walleyejon]

You'll want to look for a rod with a fast or extra fast action, and medium or medium/light power. Length is a personal preference thing with jigging rods. I use a really short rod (5'3"). The reason is when I feel a bite, I can set the hook faster and deeper than using a six foot or longer rod. If this is a rod you're going to get a lot of use out of, you may want to consider a custom made one. I can't say enough good things about mine, which I got a couple years ago from Midwest Rod and Reel in Prior Lake,MN. If you already have the reel you're going to use, you can send it to a custom rod maker, and they can get it so perfectly balanced, the rod feels like an extension of your arm, which is especially important when you're jigging. Spool up some 10lb Power Pro or other super line, with a floro carbon leader, and the slightest nibble on a good jigging rod will feel like the fish is tugging on your fingers. Good luck.

[PerchJerker]

Jigging is all about feel and what feels right / works best for you. While nothing that walleyejon said is wrong, I use a 6'6" rod for jigging and almost always use mono, almost never use a superline (it depends on the situation). It just works better for me and I hook more fish and catch more fish than when I jig with shorter rods and/or superlines.

I'm also a fan of ML power and Fast or X-tra Fast actions for jigging. There's lots of great rods out there, after you look at some of them you'll find one that feels great in your hand ---- that'd be a good one to go with.

[sweept]

I use a St. Croix Avid 5'-9" AS59mxf with a Plueger President and 8-1 Power Pro. Absolutely love this set up for vertically jigging walleyes.

[beavflick]

i use a Legend Elite 6'3" med x-fast action, and just love it, i use to use a 7' med-lite fast action and since i switch to the shorter rod i get a better hookset and feel.

[NEANGLER]

Depends on what you want to spend but the BPS Walleye jigging rods are very nice and decent price (under $100) compared to other rods out there. They were desigend by Parsons and Keith K.

[Team Otter]

I like 6 - 7' rods for this, depending on whether pitching, casting or rippin'. Pitching and rippin', I like to go longer while the casting is fine with something shorter. Also, I like cork handles, which improves the feel for me as does a large area between the reel and the rod so I can hold it like a baseball bat in most cases.

[walterking]

any g loomis srj model in the imx or glx lines i usually use a srj722 glx 6 footer with 8 pound trilene love it!

[Dragonfisherman]

Scheel's pro walleye 6'2 with a gander reel that is a knoc of the president reel, cheap and deadly.

[eyepatrol]

I'll add that I use 5'-6" and 6' medium light action rods and they're just too short and light, especially the 5'-6" rod. I'm going to keep the 5'-6" rod and convert it to a pannie rod, and then buy a good 6'-6" rod to replace it (when I get the money to).

[kaz2611]

thanks for all the replies ill be checking out some of the rods mentioned may end up going to thorne bro. and get a custom rod made the curretn set up that i use most for jigging is a simple lightning rod 6'6" medium fast action with a shimano symetre reel(rear drag) I have been using fireline 6-8 lb test and I love it have an occasional snarl but not bad. Was rewarded last august when I caught a 31" walleye with a 17" girth this one is at the taxidermist since its my biggest to date and since i dont have any previous fish mounts. I know some will say why not a replica well I just dont like replicas. As the saying goes to each their own. I release any walleye over 21" I've caught several in that 7-9 range and thought "dam" I shouldve had that mounted but after a couple minutes I start to think well maybe someday my daughter might catch that fish and it will be bigger.

[Northlander]

All the rods above are good rods. If your looking at a custom rod Midwest Rods, Thorne Brothers, Scotties are all top notch. I have 4 Thorn Brothers and several Midwest and every one of them is great and works well for what I ordered them for. I like longer jigging rods and usually like a 6'6" med or med/light with a fast to extra fast tip. Cork or tennessee handle for me.

[youngie22]

Could any one describe a tennesse handle that Northlander talks about? Wondering what else I am missing.

[walleyejon]

youngie, It's simply a straight cork handle with no reel seat. You actually tape the reel to the handle. I've personally never tried one, so I can't offer any feedback on how they feel etc.

[jigginjim]

kaz, You don't need to spend hundreds of dallars for a good walleye jigging rod and reel. A good IM-7, IM-8, med. to med.lite action, can do a great job. I have 5'9" to 7' rods,

I show guys I fish with the difference in buying different rods. Be it a $39 to $200 rod, you want to feel your jig. That is the most important thing. Lighter weight rods can really help, the use of a superbraid line (fireline-powerpro) also helps.

Pay what you find you can afford.

I have seen catch just as many walleye, fishing zebco rods as the guys next to them with $300 Legend elite.

[youngie22]

I see, says the blind man. Just like some of my ice rods then. Good to know, thanx for the reply.

[Mike Walerak]

They are nice for the fact that you are not holding the reel seat in your hand. I fish quite abit in cold weather and I use my tennesee handled rod when the temps really start to dip.

Also, they are easiest for me to make. I should really make up another one someday.

[iffwalleyes]

I personally like a shorter rod. 6' for me for jigging. I have had a 6' g loomis for years and love it. But as mentioned you don't have to spend alot of them to get a good rod. Lots of IM7 rods out there. I have a friend that runs a 6' Cabela's Tourney Trail IM7 and he loves it. The price is much better $60. When ever I do get another new jigging rod I will likely be looking at a custom rod though because they are exactly what you want.

[slipperybob]

for me it depends on what kind of waters and where I stand.

Jigging and inline spinners.

shorefishing: I used a 7' IM7 Shakespeare med light xfst action 6 lbs mono

dam rapids: I used a 7' IM7 Shakespeare med xfst action 10 lbs fireline

boat: I use a 6' St. Croix Premiere med light xfast action 10 lbs fireline

If using a crank I go up mono to 8 lbs or 14 lbs fireline. I also drop my action down on larger cranks during summer time go with 6'6" ugly sticks lite med fast action.

[Dan Brelje]

like slipperybob i like to use fire line on my jigging rods also. I use a fenwick 6' M action or a 6'6" ML, depending on the size jigs i am planning on using. Gotta love the feel of fire line!!