Best Casting Jig Rod for Sensitivity

[shimmy]

I know this is a subjective topic, but i wanted answers from those with experience. For a casting jig rod (anywhere from a 1/4 oz jig to 3/4), what (through experience) have you found to be the MOST sensitive rod that doesn't break. I am not asking about balance and other factors, just wanted to hear some input on the matter. From the literature, it seems the NRX rods seem to mostly get the nod, even though some complain of the reel seat tightener. Any sleeper rods out there? 

[Stephen B]

My experience with the rods are:

NRX, Megabass Destroyer USA, GLX, Zbone, St Croix Legend Elite, Orochii XX, Avid X.

 

Note: I have not fished every rod in the lineups, so it will vary a bit. Also, I have heard wonderful things about the Abu Garcia Villian 2.0 for the money. Ultimately, it all depends on budget, preference (full handle versus split grip), and how much you value warranty.

[rangerjockey]

To cover 1/4 -3/4 is 2 different rods for me.. I would say the NRX and Zbone are the 2 most sensitive rods I've ever fished. The reel nut issue on the NRX goes back to when they first came out, fixed long ago.

They will all break given the right circumstance.

 For me,  I can catch just as many on a good quality rod in the $200 range.

So, I go by what I feel most comfortable with and tournament rewards programs and incentives.

But, if you've never owned a high end rod and it's in the budget, what the heck.

 

 

[NHBull]

To cover that range a GLXMBR gets the job done.

if you narrowed the weights, go glx

 

edit. I think the GLXMBR’s are some of the most versatile rods out there

 

[Catt]

Powell Inferno 7' MH Extra Fast 1/4-3/4 oz ?

[RichF]

St. Croix Legend Xtreme, Kistler Helium, and Shimano Zodias. 

[J Francho]

14 hours ago, shimmy said:

anywhere from a 1/4 oz jig to 3/4

 

For me, that would be two rods.  On for 1/2 oz. another for up to an ounce.  Anything at the $200 mark or better is going to be good.  Get into Legend Extreme or NRX territory, and it's really good.

[Siebert Outdoors]

I have switched just about all of my rods to St Croix legend extremes.  Awesome rods.  I was throwing Loomis GLX's.  Those are also a good choice but for me its the Extremes.

[fishindad]

 Most sensitive rod that doesn't break? Ugly Stik. Agree with JF that you need two (or more) rods to cover 1/4 -3/4 oz jigs. My advice would be to focus on putting your jig in the right place (work on your casting/pitching skills), use the best quality and right line for the situation (braid, fluoro, copoly), and get in tune with what the jig is doing down there.

 

But if you want my choice for jig fishing it would be Falcon's Cara Finesse jig, Head Turner, and Amistad for 1/4th, 1/2, and 3/4th oz jigs, respectively. NRX are probably more sensitive but they are also double the price of the Caras and in no way going to get me twice the number of bites, or bass.

[WRB]

I have caught hundreds of DD LMB using jigs the size the OP is asking about therefore qualified to answer this question. First there is no such thing as fishing rod sensitivity, that sense is in your finger tips. 

I have caught most of my giant bass on rods you wouldn't buy today because they are short and too heavy for today's bass anglers.Some were Eagle Claw tubular fiberglass rods and some were early Fenwick graphite and most were Lamiglas graphite rods, all with mono line. My point is strike detection is the key factor catching bass using jigs.

The rod weight and balance with the reel, proper guide train location allows line movements to be detected by the angler. If the most expensive rod in any way dampens line movement you miss detecting the pressure strike.

I use custom ALX NG+ (s/n 201202, 203 & 204) 5 and 6 power, 6'10" jig and worm rods with micro guides that weigh 3.8 oz the past 5 years. Most bass anglers wouldn't like using 5 & 6 power jig rods because they are too stiff. It's the combination of stiffness with flexibility that makes graphite rods so appealing because the angler can feel the slightest line movements. As you lower the power the rod looses it's stiffness and becomes too flexible dampening line movement and reducing your ability to set heavy wire jig hooks and control big bass.

Tom

PS, I have broken 1 bass rod in over 50 years, early Fenwick HMG and the reason I changed to Lamiglas for over 35 years.

[JustinJ]

I use a dobyns fury 704 and 735  for the jig weights you listed

[RichF]

18 hours ago, WRB said:

First there is no such thing as fishing rod sensitivity, that sense is in your finger tips.

Hmmm...then why do I feel more with certain rods over others? My finger tips don't change.  I agree that there is more to detecting a strike than just the feel you get through the rod, but I'm not so sure it's correct to say there's no such thing as rod sensitivity.

[cadman]

For all of you guys switching over to St Croix Legend Extreme, what is the handle material made of? I really like cork, however I am interested in the Extreme series rods?

[WRB]

1 hour ago, RichF said:

Hmmm...then why do I feel more with certain rods over others? My finger tips don't change.  I agree that there is more to detecting a strike than just the feel you get through the rod, but I'm not so sure it's correct to say there's no such thing as rod sensitivity.

What you feel is line movement. The rod can dampen line movement but it can't attenuate it. You are a bass rod maker and want to set your product above the competition, how do you do this in a short advertisement? Use words and terms the bass angler is looking for; light weight without listing the rods weight, sensitivity without defining what more sensitive is. You can weigh a rod so why not list it's weight if that is a selling point? You can't define sensitivity yet promote it as being more sensitive than the competition. The only rod maker who promotes balance is Dobyns and balance is important and can be listed as a suggested reel weight with a specific rod model.

The first a good custom rod maker will ask is what reel are you planning to use becuase of balance.

Tom

[MIbassin]

Dobyns champion extreme 

[Deleted account]

On 11/6/2017 at 10:37 AM, J Francho said:

For me, that would be two rods.  

x3

 

[RichF]

21 hours ago, WRB said:

What you feel is line movement. The rod can dampen line movement but it can't attenuate it. You are a bass rod maker and want to set your product above the competition, how do you do this in a short advertisement? Use words and terms the bass angler is looking for; light weight without listing the rods weight, sensitivity without defining what more sensitive is. You can weigh a rod so why not list it's weight if that is a selling point? You can't define sensitivity yet promote it as being more sensitive than the competition. The only rod maker who promotes balance is Dobyns and balance is important and can be listed as a suggested reel weight with a specific rod model.

The first a good custom rod maker will ask is what reel are you planning to use becuase of balance.

Tom

Why can't you define sensitivity? You seem to have a handle on the meanings of "weight" and "balance" as they relate to fishing rods.  All these words are part of popular nomenclature and have common, functional definitions.  A quick lookup of the word sensitivity = "the ability of an organism or part of an organism to react to stimuli." Replace the word organism with fishing rod and you get "the ability of a fishing rod or part of a fishing rod to react to stimuli" (stimuli being line vibration from a strike or some other underwater contact).  Yes, the line vibrates and transmits that vibration up to the rod, but different rods, made with different components, will receive those vibrations differently.  When those sensations are more pronounced in our hands, we say the rod is more sensitive.  I think that's more than a reasonable definition/description of the word sensitivity in the context of fishing rods.  

[J Francho]

It's just semantics.

[bigfruits]

the most sensitive rods (or the ones that dampen the feel the least ) ive fished are NRX, MB Destroyer USA and GLX. I'd love to try a Kistler.

 

[WRB]

4 hours ago, RichF said:

Why can't you define sensitivity? You seem to have a handle on the meanings of "weight" and "balance" as they relate to fishing rods.  All these words are part of popular nomenclature and have common, functional definitions.  A quick lookup of the word sensitivity = "the ability of an organism or part of an organism to react to stimuli." Replace the word organism with fishing rod and you get "the ability of a fishing rod or part of a fishing rod to react to stimuli" (stimuli being line vibration from a strike or some other underwater contact).  Yes, the line vibrates and transmits that vibration up to the rod, but different rods, made with different components, will receive those vibrations differently.  When those sensations are more pronounced in our hands, we say the rod is more sensitive.  I think that's more than a reasonable definition/description of the word sensitivity in the context of fishing rods.  

Line doesn't oscillate like a sine wave (vibrate) underwater, it moves longitudinal and that is the movement you feel. I could hit you jig underwater with a sledge hammer flattening it and you could not feel the blow unless the jig moves away or towards form you.

Organism is a living thing , you rod isn't and your finger tips are.

I can define sensitivity, rod makers can't.

Tom

[Choporoz]

I just KNEW that the tin-cans telephone from my youth was some kind of evil black magic

[Dwight Hottle]

Shimmy I have G Loomis nrx, Kistler z-bone & helium 3 & St Croix legend elite & legend extreme as my best jig rods. They are all pretty close in sensitivity, quality & warranty. I don't think you could go wrong with any of the five. From what I have heard the new Shimano conquest is better than the nrx but more expensive.  

[WRB]

32 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

I just KNEW that the tin-cans telephone from my youth was some kind of evil black magic

Perfect test, put the string underwater.

Tom

[J Francho]

Tom, all he is asking is which rods will give him the best chance of detecting the strike.  Can you answer the question, or not? Some ARE better than others.  No need to get into some debate about semantics.

[Dwight Hottle]

On 11/7/2017 at 9:37 AM, cadman said:

For all of you guys switching over to St Croix Legend Extreme, what is the handle material made of? I really like cork, however I am interested in the Extreme series rods?

The new legend elite & legend extreme are highly similar blanks though slightly different. The elite has a cork handle & the extreme has a proprietary handle cover called extreme skin. It is not slippery when wet & feels good in the hand after you get use to it