Rod Selection - How to Choose a Jig Rod

As many of you know.  I am a custom fishing rod builder, and own a custom fishing company called P. H. Kellner – Quality Custom Fishing.  So, as you might imagine, the fishing rod is an important piece of the fishing puzzle to me. I have done more on-the-water research than you can even imagine, testing different fishing rods in different situations.  In this series of posts, I will describe how to choose the best rod for each specific fishing situation and presentation.  I will start by going through each lure category and situation and discuss the best choices for each scenario.  I will then help discuss how to choose how to whittle down your rod choices and decide what to take out on a kayak.

I know it is cliché, but the rod to an angler is like the brush to a painter.  It is a tool, maybe the most important and overlooked tool that the angler has to make decisions about.  The wrong rod can cost you fish!  And in a tournament situation, or anytime you’re out on the water, losing a fish can turn a good day bad, quickly.  Here is the how and why of choosing the correct fishing rod for you specific situation.

Jigs:

Jigs are very versatile baits that can be throw in many different situations and be offered to fish with many different presentations (I will write about that later,) which seems like it can make rod choice fairly difficult when you are looking to jig fish for bass.  But, the choice is not that tough.  Here is what I am looking for:

Length:  Typically I like a 7’ rod for almost any jig fishing situation.  Flipping, pitching, or casting, I am most comfortable and would prefer to fish a jig on a 7’ rod.  It is long enough to reach into tight areas if need be, and to get a good, quick, solid, hook set.  It is also the length that I am most accurate with, and accuracy means fish many times when I am fishing a jig.

Action: I use a fast action rod when I am jig fishing.  Again, as with the length, I find a fast action blank to be perfect for casting, flipping, or pitching a jig.  The fast tip allows for a quick and strong hook set that is needed when fishing a jig.  There are several reasons a solid hook set is a must with a Jig:

1) Many times when you are fishing a jig, you are fishing pretty slow and there is sometimes slack in the line.  You need a fast action rod to quickly pick up this slack. 

2) You are often throwing jigs into some pretty thick stuff.  You need the solid backbone of a fast action rod to pull the jig through all that junk and still penetrate the bass’s mouth. 

3) Many jigs have a weed guard that protects the jig from hanging in grass, tree, and rocks, but this weed guard can also block the hook from penetrating the mouth of a fish that hits.  Again, you need the quick and strong hook setting ability of a fast action rod to pull past the weed guard and set the hook. 

4) The hooks on most jigs are a heavier than most other lure hooks.  This thicker hook takes more effort to penetrate the bass’s mouth.  Just like one, two, and three, you again need the quick solid hook setting ability to hook your bass.

The fast action rod is also much more accurate while casting than a moderate or even a moderate fast action rod blank.  And as I mentioned earlier, the accuracy of the cast is very important to me when I am fishing a jig.  I do not usually fish an extra-fast rod for jigs because I want some action further down the rod blank to absorb some of the shock of the heavy jig being thrown around once you have a fish on.  But, it is more important to have an accurate cast to the fish and get a good hook set before you can worry about keeping the fish on.  What good is keeping a fish hooked, when you do not hook it in the first place?

Power: Unless I am throwing little finesse jigs, I am always using at least Medium-Heavy rod and more often than not, I am throwing a jig on a Heavy rod blank.  The reasons for the heavy blank are because you are fishing the jig generally in heavy cover, the jig itself is heavy, you are fishing for big bass, and again you need that solid hook set.  You need a heavy rod to pull a big bass from thick mats of grass, submerged trees, or dense shoreline reeds.  If I am throwing a very light jig on light line in open water, I will drop down to a medium action blank.

Guides: I use rods with Micro-guides.  I feel the cast further and smoother, and they are more accurate.  They are also lighter, making for a lighter rod and therefore less fatigue when fishing.  And…you can put more micro guides on the rod blank and still reduce weight.  The more guides you have, the more points of contact with the blank and therefore the more sensitivity your rod will have.  This will allow you to feel what you are fishing much better and to detect those “light” biting bass.  All of that equals more fish.  The only reason I would not use micro guides on a jig rod is if I am using a leader that will pass through my guides (but that is very very very rare for me.)

Handle and Reel Seat: For jigs, I use a full handle and a Minima reel seat.  The reason I use a Minima reel seat is because I want to touch the blank as much as possible to increase the sensitivity and to feel more bites.  A Minima reel seat allows for the most contact between your fingers and the blank.  I use a full grip handle to add just a little bit more weight to the back end (butt end) of the rod.  This helps to create a butt that is slightly heavier than the tip, making the tip feel lighter.  This is important for times when you fish with your rod tip up, like with jigs and Texas rigs.  It creates a more sensitive tip, and less fatigue for the angler.  As far as the difference between cork and foam, again this is just preference.  Some people prefer the feel of cork, while some prefer the longevity of EVA.  It is up to you.

If I were only allowed to choose one rod for all my jig fishing situations, it would be a 7’ P. H. Kellner – Quality Custom Fishing Fast Action, Heavy Power rod, with micro guides, a Minima reel seat, and a full grip handle.  I hope this helps you make the right choice in your rod for jig fishing, and ultimately leads to you catching more fish! 

More on Rod Selection:

How to Choose a Crankbait Rod 
How to Choose a Spinnerbait Rod 
How to Choose a Rod for Texas Rigged Soft Plastics 
How to Choose a Topwater Rod 
What is the "Action" of the Rod