Jig rod decisions.......which one??

[FoulHooked]

Looking to get a dedicated jig rod. 1/4-1/2 oz jig plus trailer. Mostly pitching lay downs and weed lines in the Alabama river. Close quarters combat rarely anything deeper than say 15ft. Believe im narrowed down to the Megabass FMJ or the Shimano Expride A 7'2" mh. Input, opinions, recommendations..........pros and cons of each. Hit me with ALL THE KNOWLEDGE lol!!!! Thanks in advance guys.

[NHBull]

I have the FMJ and really like it. It is a little heavier than others but well balanced.  I have an Alpha Hitter on the way and have high hopes.

[Largies4Life]

I have the 7'2" MH Expride and I don't have anything bad to say about the rod so far, it has lived up to the hype. I'm using it primarily for jig fishing as well.  The Expride is hard to beat at the price point!

[ResoKP]

This is tough

1/4 oz and 1/2 oz typically require two different rods

1/4 oz is NRX 893/853 territory and 1/2 oz is NRX 894/854 territory

 

If you fish somewhere in between, say 3/8 oz often, perhaps you should look into NRX 873C. 873C will handle 1/4 oz and 1/2 oz as well

 

FMJ is too stout for 1/4 oz. It's perfect for 1/2 oz but I would not go below 3/8 oz on it

[Flavio]

I recently got the Daiwa Tatula 7'1" H for jigs and small swimbaits. Lure rating from 1/4 to 1 1/2oz. Very light and beautifully finished. I love it!

I was going with the new Megabass Levante Perfect Pitch but it was a little out of my price range. Maybe next year

[mrpao]

I have both the 7'2" mh expride and FMJ.

If you fish mainly 1/4 jigs, go with the expride. If you throw a lot of 1/2 then go with the FMJ. 

They are both great rods and both pretty sensitive. The FMJ is a stouter rod and will probably be better at pulling fish from cover. But then, you could go with the 7'2" hvy expride also.

Or get both rods. ?

[fishwizzard]

I have an FMJ and while it does do a lot better with a 1/2oz jig, it casts and pitches pretty well with a 1/4oz jig as well.  The 1/4oz jigs I use come in at like 0.62-0.66oz depending on trailer.  The lightest lure I use it for is a weightless Cover Craw/Fat Ika, which with a hook both come in at like 0.45-0.55oz.  The difference in casting and pitching between them is noticeable so I think a 1/2oz really is about the lower limit for it.  

[FoulHooked]

Vary rarely use the 1/4oz but i do use it. I would say 85 to 90% is with 3/8 and 1/2oz. Mainly concerned about how well it balances (match the right reel i know) in the hand and how comfortable the reel seats are. I feel like both will be plenty sensitive and light. Length is right for what im look for on both. 7'1" fmj and 7'2" expride. Wanting on the shorter end of 7ft so the both check off that box. Even if i decided on the expride i dnt have a clue as to when I could get my hands on one. They stay sold out.

6 hours ago, mrpao said:

I have both the 7'2" mh expride and FMJ.

If you fish mainly 1/4 jigs, go with the expride. If you throw a lot of 1/2 then go with the FMJ. 

They are both great rods and both pretty sensitive. The FMJ is a stouter rod and will probably be better at pulling fish from cover. But then, you could go with the 7'2" hvy expride also.

Or get both rods. ?

If you could only keep one........which one would you keep and why? 

[mrpao]

If i could only keep one, it would probably be the expride.

I feel that it's a little more versatile. I feel like the FMJ is only a jig or worm rod due to its taper. I can use the expride for other techiques and it feels great as well. The expride is more of a all purpose rod.

Not only that but to me the expride handle is a little more comfortable. In my opinion, the FMJ trigger could be just slightly longer.

And more different reels balance better on the expride. I've had reels from the aldebaran up to a D7 on the expride and they all feel fairly balanced. The FMJ needs a reel on the "slightly heavier" side- 6.5 oz or above to balance good.

[fishwizzard]

I think the FMJ’s taper lets it work pretty well with most single hook moving lure and I have even used it for a BBZ Rat 40 to good success but it’s for sure not ideal with trebles.  

 

I do agree that it wants a heavier reel, I have a Steez SV TW on mine and while the entire combo feels very light, it is a bit tip heavy.  I am still trying to decide if I like it that way. 

[mrpao]

One thing that bothers me about the FMJ is the number of guides.

8 guides plus tip. The daemos has 9 plus tip. Not sure why they lessen the guides by one on the FMJ.

The expride has 9 plus tip. 

As a genetal rule I think all rods above 7' should have 9 plus tip or more.

Not a big deal but worth noting.

 

[ResoKP]

1 minute ago, mrpao said:

One thing that bothers me about the FMJ is the number of guides.

8 guides plus tip. The daemos has 9 plus tip. Not sure why they lessen the guides by one on the FMJ.

The expride has 9 plus tip. 

As a genetal rule I think all rods above 7' should have 9 plus tip or more.

Not a big deal but worth noting.

 

That's interesting to note regarding the guides.

Do you also have a Daemos? I've been wondering what weight reel would balance well on that rod.

[punch]

On 3/27/2019 at 9:10 AM, ResoKP said:

This is tough

1/4 oz and 1/2 oz typically require two different rods

1/4 oz is NRX 893/853 territory and 1/2 oz is NRX 894/854 territory

 

If you fish somewhere in between, say 3/8 oz often, perhaps you should look into NRX 873C. 873C will handle 1/4 oz and 1/2 oz as well

 

FMJ is too stout for 1/4 oz. It's perfect for 1/2 oz but I would not go below 3/8 oz on it

Nailed it. FMJ is really for 1/2oz and above. I have one and I think even a 3/8th might be too light for it, let alone 1/4. 

 

If you're going to fish 1/2oz and under, I'd totally go for the 7'2 MH Expride. Amazing rod.. i've been tempted to buy one on several occasions. 

[mrpao]

The daemos will balance out great with a light reel.

I tried it with a aldebaran and it felt great. Light and balanced.

I currently have a pixy spr on it. Also very balanced.

I use the daemos for light to med T-rigs. Its pretty sensitive.

[ResoKP]

9 hours ago, mrpao said:

The daemos will balance out great with a light reel.

I tried it with a aldebaran and it felt great. Light and balanced.

I currently have a pixy spr on it. Also very balanced.

I use the daemos for light to med T-rigs. Its pretty sensitive.

Thanks for the reply. If it's not too much trouble, would you be able to take a pic of the balance point on the Daemos? That rod is probably next on my list and wondering if I should sell my Steez A and get a Steez SV for it