Football Jig Rod

[dwtaylor]

Recently I have looked into getting another rod, specifically for 3/8 oz to 3/4 oz football jigs. After several outings, I have found that my current 7' mh is too short and slightly too limber. Ideally, I would want something longer and without microguides. However, I am really undecided on which brand and model. I love to fish football jigs and I am essentially looking to buy the nicest rod in my current arsenal. Thus, I am willing to spend some money for performance, quality, and customer service.

So if any of you guys are willing to suggest rods, that would be awesome. I am in no hurry to buy, as the water here has some pretty good ice on it. Thank you!

[nwmike]

I use a Powell endurance 764 for all my football jigs and love it.best football jig rod I have used

[Diggy]

I also hear great things about the Powell Max Football Jig rod. I believe its 7ft5

[flippin and pitchin]

Take a look at the Dobyns DX784C. That is my football rod and triples as a pitchin stick and Carolina Rig rod.

[Teal]

I use a Powell endurance 764 for all my football jigs and love it.best football jig rod I have used

X2...kinda

Alot of what did durring the winter this year was with a football jig. I used the Powell 714 (my usuall jig rod) and i used my Powell 765. 7'6" Heavy XF and it was awesome!! Light and balanced and more power than you need.

I liked the 765 better for fishing deep drops and ledges and such. I can cast it a mile and still has the power to set the hook from a distance. I use it for 3/4-1.25 oz jigs.

The 764 is a good choice if you plan to stay around 1/2. Powell actually makes a rod just for football jigs, it is available at TW

[BradGuenette]

+1 for the Dobyns DX784 ML. It has got to be the best deep water football jig rod I've ever used, another one to look at is the DX744 4" shorter if you prefer that, a little more versitle stick, doubles as a t-rig/ pitching jigs rod,it also has a little bit softer tip compared to the 784. Both rods would be more then enough in what your looking for

[jhoffman]

I personally like a little bit softer of a rod, it protects the line better during a last second surge.

[Arv]

Dobyns Champ Extreme

[upnorthbassin]

When you take a 3/4oz football jig that probably weights close to 1oz and then add a trailer on it....you're definitely a good bit over 1oz. Some models of my 5/8oz jigs w/trailer are easily over 1oz depending on the trailer on it. Even some 3/8ths hit that area when you add in a rattle, chunkier trailer, etc. Might be kind of heavy to throw out there using a lot of M or MH power rods depending on the company. I tried throwing the 5/8ths with a lower power rod and they were ok but the 3/4 definitely didn't handle like I would want. Maybe I'm just going overkill and I'm definitely not super experienced with jigs...but I'll most likely be using a heavy power rod for those bigger ones this year.

[iabass8]

DX 744 is my football jig rod in the weights you describe.

[roadwarrior]

G.Loomis BCR854 & MBR844C have served me well.

 

 

 

[rockchalk06]

I'm running a 7'1" H Gloomis GL2. I don't run any heavier than 1/2 oz, but it handles them with ease

[BassCats]

Jeff Kreit recomended the Mike Mclelland rod from Falcon for football jigs. He uses that rod for just about all deep water applications except crankbait and swimbait.  He says he bought 100 of them and keeps them in his house in case Falcon ever stops making them.  He gave one he had been using on the sabine river away at a class I attended.

 

 

 

 

I think buying a rod has more to do with what you want personally. I personally like having a foregrip on my rods. This means I am extremely limited to what I can buy off the shelf withoug going custom.

 

[Bluebasser86]

I use either 7' 3" or 7' 6" MH LTB with a 7.1 reel to help pick up line quickly on a long cast. I've used those fishing them 50-60 feet deep at Table Rock with no issues. 

[KYntucky Warmouth]

I use a Quantum Smoke 7'4"H and like it pretty well for football jigs.  There's a few good looking rods in the Flea Market that would be good for football jigs.  There's a Dobyns Saavy 735 that would be a good choice for $125. 

[Siebert Outdoors]

I bought a new GLX JWR854.  I like it even more then the bcr's.

[WRB]

Recently I have looked into getting another rod, specifically for 3/8 oz to 3/4 oz football jigs. After several outings, I have found that my current 7' mh is too short and slightly too limber. Ideally, I would want something longer and without microguides. However, I am really undecided on which brand and model. I love to fish football jigs and I am essentially looking to buy the nicest rod in my current arsenal. Thus, I am willing to spend some money for performance, quality, and customer service.

So if any of you guys are willing to suggest rods, that would be awesome. I am in no hurry to buy, as the water here has some pretty good ice on it. Thank you!

Why do you say too short? I understand the strength issue somewhat but withourt a brand name it's hard to evaluate.

The casting distance issue has more to do with your casting technique, reel, line and rod combined.

For example I fish with custome 6' 10" rods, for me casting jigs, longer rods are an issue with my boats deck space. I use 7'10" swimbait and crankbait rods.

Casting a jig over 40 yards is rarely needed, although on occasion I will cast 50 yards with ease using my jig rods. Most rods increase length from the reel seat backwards, not forewrd between the reel seat and rod tip.

Longer rod handles are needed for heavier lures like big swimbaits and large crankbait to leverage the cast more effectively. You can 't rod set a jig that is further away from the boat than 30 yards because very low power is transferred to the jig due to line drag, rod bending, slack in the line to bow. You can reel set very effectively at long distance; crank the line tight, then sweep the rod back firmly and keep reeling.

Tom

[livetofish28]

I use either 7' 3" or 7' 6" MH LTB with a 7.1 reel to help pick up line quickly on a long cast. I've used those fishing them 50-60 feet deep at Table Rock with no issues.

X2 on the LTB there great

[00 mod]

Mine is a bcr854 glx. But curious now to try Sieberts jwr.

Jeff

[WRB]

The GLX is very similar to the NRX about 1/2 heavier and $50 less. The NRX are lighter rod weight, but stronger blank. The new GLX isn't selling well out west, most anglers opt for the NRX BCR 854 JWR, either rod is state of the art.

Tom

[Dwight Hottle]

I picked up a 2013 legend extreme LXC74HF. It's 7'4" heavy power fast action rated 3/8 to 1.5 oz. I can compare it to my NRX 804C JWR that is 6'8"  heavy power fast action rated 5/16 to 3/4 oz. The length & lure rating differences make for an apple to orange comparison. But the sensitivity issue is very similar in my hands. The croix is more versatile  because it effectively covers a wider range of jig weights and could be used for flipping and other applications. It is my new sweet spot jig rod.   

[BassThumb]

I prefer the Dobyns DX744 with football jigs in that weight range, though it sometimes feels slightly underpowered with 3/4 oz football jigs, around rocks.

 

The Champion 735C shouldn't be overlooked either. It's a terrific, underrated "general" jigging rod. As close to flawless as you're gonna get, as far as I've seen.