Jig Rod Approx. 250$ budget

[Chaos10691]

In the near future I plan on upgrading my jig/T-rig rod. For T-rigs I typically throw them with a 1/4 oz weight and my jigs are either 3/8 oz or 1/2 oz plus trailer. I throw mainly Arkie and Football Jigs. Also something to consider is I fish primarily from a kayak. 

 

I was looking at either the Dobyn's Champion XP or the St Croix Avid X. I'm not sure exactly which model so hopefully you guys can help with that. I had considered the Expride but the handle is too long for me. The current rod I have has a 15" handle and even that is about as long as I'd want one. 

 

Will consider any brand of rod. The things I'm looking for mainly is sensitivity, which I know is subjective, lightweight, and not tip heavy.

 

Thanks everyone

[WRB]

Do you prefer premium cork, composite or EVA handle?

Split or full handle? 14” to front of reel seat?

Fore grip style reel locking ring or hard locking rind.

Rod weight under 4 oz?

Length between 6’10” to 7’3”?

Brand preference, only St Croix and or

Dobyns.

St Croix Victory VTC7MHF or VTC73MHXF are $190 current State if the Art weighing 3.5 oz.

Tom

[Skunkmaster-k]

I’d go with the Dobyns. Just my humble and totally correct opinion though. 

[FryDog62]

I find MH and Heavy St. Croix rods in that price range to be quite heavy and tip-weighted which I think would be cumbersome in a kayak. I have not fished the new Victory lineup and have heard they are intended to be a much needed improvement in that regard. I'd personally go Dobyns Champ or ALX Zolo for balance. I picked up an Enox in ALF's Labor Day sale for $256... wish I would have bought more, heckuva rod ?

[Russ E]

I have a couple avid x and victory rods.

In my opinion the victory rods are better balanced and more sensitive.

Plus they cost less than the avid x.

[roadwarrior]

Just received this rod:

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Okuma_Psycho_Stick_Casting_Rods/descpage-OPSCYC.html

[ThatFishingGuy]

ALX Zolo Deputy (7'1" medium/heavy) is what I use for jigs and texas rigs and I absolutely love it. Crazy sensitive, good backbone, and good balance with my shimano SLX. Customer service is on another level too, I received a hand-written letter saying thanks for my purchase. You can call them up or shoot them an email with any questions or recommendations for a rod if you tell them what you're looking for. They've got my business for sure

[dodgeguy]

Go Dobyns. They are known to be really well balanced and sensitive.

[Catt]

Daiwa Tatula TTU711MHXB 7' 1" Medium Heavy X-Fast 

 

You will throw rocks at the rest of em!

[Chaos10691]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Do you prefer premium cork, composite or EVA handle?

Split or full handle? 14” to front of reel seat?

Fore grip style reel locking ring or hard locking rind.

Rod weight under 4 oz?

Length between 6’10” to 7’3”?

Brand preference, only St Croix and or

Dobyns.

St Croix Victory VTC7MHF or VTC73MHXF are $190 current State if the Art weighing 3.5 oz.

Tom

Oh I didn't consider that stuff. I prefer cork but not adverse to EVA.

Doesn't matter to me whether full or split grip.

Yes I'd consider 4 oz the benchmark.

Length doesn't really matter but I am in a kayak so too long a rod with a short handle I suspect will start to get tip heavy.

No brand preference I have all different brand rods at the moment.

I have a question on the Victory. I notice most all of them have an EVA wrap on where your hand rests on the rod blank. Does that not dampen the sensitivity?

2 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

I find MH and Heavy St. Croix rods in that price range to be quite heavy and tip-weighted which I think would be cumbersome in a kayak. I have not fished the new Victory lineup and have heard they are intended to be a much needed improvement in that regard. I'd personally go Dobyns Champ or ALX Zolo for balance. I picked up an Enox in ALF's Labor Day sale for $256... wish I would have bought more, heckuva rod ?

Never messed with anything ALX but will check them out. I handled the full grip 734 C Dobyn's in a store and kind of worked it like I would work a jig. I compared it to the St Croix Victory and even the  split grip Dobyn's in the same rating and the full grip felt like less work than the others. I will say I didn't have any reel on it and also I don't know how they are in terms of sensitivity. That being said, it seems like they hit the 2 marks of lightweight and balanced but I guess I'm curious about how sensitive it is.

1 hour ago, Russ E said:

I have a couple avid x and victory rods.

In my opinion the victory rods are better balanced and more sensitive.

Plus they cost less than the avid x.

Ok right on I will ask you what I asked someone else. Does the EVA wrap that is on the blank where your hand rests not dampen sensitivity?

[Chaos10691]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

Daiwa Tatula TTU711MHXB 7' 1" Medium Heavy X-Fast 

 

You will throw rocks at the rest of em!

So I have actually had this rod before albeit the 7'3 MH and I didn't care for it honestly. I was sensitive and light but I felt like it was very tip heavy. I compared it side by side to my Lews TP1 Black and while the Daiwa was lighter overall it I didn't feel it balanced nearly as good. That being said I've never tried the 7'1 MH XF, but I'm hesitant to try it without being able to handle it. Unfortunately no store around me has one in that model.

2 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Just received this rod:

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Okuma_Psycho_Stick_Casting_Rods/descpage-OPSCYC.html

So I looked at it and it seems like a sweet rod, but that handle length is just more than I feel comfortable with in a kayak.

2 hours ago, ThatFishingGuy said:

ALX Zolo Deputy (7'1" medium/heavy) is what I use for jigs and texas rigs and I absolutely love it. Crazy sensitive, good backbone, and good balance with my shimano SLX. Customer service is on another level too, I received a hand-written letter saying thanks for my purchase. You can call them up or shoot them an email with any questions or recommendations for a rod if you tell them what you're looking for. They've got my business for sure

Now that's a pretty rod and definitely not something I was considering. The handle length is perfect too. The reviews all seem great the only thing I saw was that someone said the cork is a bit fat. I'll be putting a Curado MGL 150 on the rod which palms very similarly to the SLX. How do you feel it palms with your reel?

[WRB]

Alex Owner of ALX Rods made my custom jig and worm rods in 2012 before making off the shelf rods.

Everyone who has ever fished my rods think they are superior to NRX rods that was bench mark for Alex.

I like the 2 1/2” long fore grip/ reel lock ring because I am a line feeler to detect the lightest strikes. 

My rods are 6’10”  5 (MH+) and 6 (H) power, fast action weighing 3.8 oz.

Equal NRX weigh 4.4 oz. The custom rod balance is perfect. $260 in 2012.

I like Dobyns rods and know Gary. Dobyns rods are counter balanced to balance perfectly. My only issue is Gary doesn’t sell blanks or offer custom rods with a fore grip. I simply can’t effectively detect strikes palming the reel and can’t hold the rod comfortably with the short fore grip.

Tom

PS, Lamiglas suggested ALX to me when they stopped making custom rods and Alex had their 3M nano resin state if the G450NG+ blanks no longer available.

PM your email and will send a photo how I hold my rod/reel to feel line and contact the rod blank.

 

[Catt]

2 hours ago, Chaos10691 said:

I was sensitive and light but I felt like it was very tip heavy. I compared it side by side to my Lews TP1 Black and while the Daiwa was lighter overall it I didn't feel it balanced nearly as good.

 

What reel because I have both the Tatula 7'3" MH & the Lew's TP1B74H. I have a Lew's MP on the Diawia & a MB on the TP1B.

 

Hands down the Tatula!

[Chaos10691]

21 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

What reel because I have both the Tatula 7'3" MH & the Lew's TP1B74H. I have a Lew's MP on the Diawia & a MB on the TP1B.

 

Hands down the Tatula!

At the time it was a Curado 200k but I swapped around the SLX on there as well and had the same results.

50 minutes ago, WRB said:

Alex Owner of ALX Rods made my custom jig and worm rods in 2012 before making off the shelf rods.

Everyone who has ever fished my rods think they are superior to NRX rods that was bench mark for Alex.

I like the 2 1/2” long fore grip/ reel lock ring because I am a line feeler to detect the lightest strikes. 

My rods are 6’10”  5 (MH+) and 6 (H) power, fast action weighing 3.8 oz.

Equal NRX weigh 4.4 oz. The custom rod balance is perfect. $260 in 2012.

I like Dobyns rods and know Gary. Dobyns rods are counter balanced to balance perfectly. My only issue is Gary doesn’t sell blanks or offer custom rods with a fore grip. I simply can’t effectively detect strikes palming the reel and can’t hold the rod comfortably with the short fore grip.

Tom

PS, Lamiglas suggested ALX to me when they stopped making custom rods and Alex had their 3M nano resin state if the G450NG+ blanks no longer available.

PM your email and will send a photo how I hold my rod/reel to feel line and contact the rod blank.

 

Bastian10691@yahoo.com 

Another guy recommended the ALX as well. I looked into the Zolo I believe. Specifically the deputy and it seemed like a great rod. The only concern I had was one review claiming the cork seems “fat” and that made me concerned as to how well it may palm.

[WRB]

I couldn’t get premium cork at the time the were built and went with EVA. 

Never heard fat handle complaint before?

Let me know if the photos arrived.

Good luck with your rod choice.

Tom

[Boomstick]

6 hours ago, Chaos10691 said:

I was looking at either the Dobyn's Champion XP or the St Croix Avid X.

In the Dobyns Champion XP line, the "jig special" or 744C rod would be the way to go. It's a special power and action, has a bit more tip than your typical dobyns and it's between the heavy and mag heavy in power. It's not for the real thick stuff, but you can throw in some moderate cover.

 

Even better though, I would probably go with the St Croix Victory 7'3" H/XF "Full Contact Finesse" rod. It's a heavy power with a soft tip and a quick transition to the backbone, and will do anything from flipping, pitching and casting jigs well. It only costs $200 it's pretty light and honestly I think it's a bit more sensitive than the more expensive Dobyns Champion XP 744C. My kids have both rods, so I have experience with both.

[Chaos10691]

2 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

In the Dobyns Champion XP line, the "jig special" or 744C rod would be the way to go. It's a special power and action, has a bit more tip than your typical dobyns and it's between the heavy and mag heavy in power. It's not for the real thick stuff, but you can throw in some moderate cover.

 

Even better though, I would probably go with the St Croix Victory 7'3" H/XF "Full Contact Finesse" rod. It's a heavy power with a soft tip and a quick transition to the backbone, and will do anything from flipping, pitching and casting jigs well. It only costs $200 it's pretty light and honestly I think it's a bit more sensitive than the more expensive Dobyns Champion XP 744C. My kids have both rods, so I have experience with both.

Would the heavy be too much for what I’m throwing? I know the Dobyns typically run a bit lighter than what they say but I heard the St Croix Victory we’re pretty true to their rating.

[Boomstick]

4 minutes ago, Chaos10691 said:

Would the heavy be too much for what I’m throwing? I know the Dobyns typically run a bit lighter than what they say but I heard the St Croix Victory we’re pretty true to their rating.

Well as I tried to explain, the Dobyns Champion XP 744C is a special power and action. It's basically a MH-H by most standards, with an extra fast but fairly soft tip.

 

The St Croix Victory rods seem to run a little bit lighter than other St Croix rods, but still run a little heavier. Yes, this rod is a full heavy, but the tip is pretty soft so it casts very well. It's really designed for 3/8oz and 1/2oz jigs and casts them very well, but because it's a heavy you can throw it into some pretty thick cover too, as long as you don't need a heavier jig (it's rated up to 7/8oz, likely because the tip would overload casting a 3/4oz jig pretty quickly). My youngest son uses this for his football head and arky head jigs in both cover and open water alike.

[Chaos10691]

7 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

Well as I tried to explain, the Dobyns Champion XP 744C is a special power and action. It's basically a MH-H by most standards, with an extra fast but fairly soft tip.

 

The St Croix Victory rods seem to run a little bit lighter than other St Croix rods, but still run a little heavier. Yes, this rod is a full heavy, but the tip is pretty soft so it casts very well. It's really designed for 3/8oz and 1/2oz jigs and casts them very well, but because it's a heavy you can throw it into some pretty thick cover too, as long as you don't need a heavier jig (it's rated up to 7/8oz, likely because the tip would overload casting a 3/4oz jig pretty quickly). My youngest son uses this for his football head and arky head jigs in both cover and open water alike.

Ok right on I know that my local shop has this rod I may go throw my reel on it and see how it feels. Would save a good chunk of money too to maybe…… buy a bunch of jigs I don’t need lol. Let me ask you real quick, I know the Victory has an EVA type wrap on the rod blank where your hand rests. Does that impact sensitivity at all? Does it increase the girth of the handle making it palm awkwardly?

[Boomstick]

9 minutes ago, Chaos10691 said:

Ok right on I know that my local shop has this rod I may go throw my reel on it and see how it feels. Would save a good chunk of money too to maybe…… buy a bunch of jigs I don’t need lol. Let me ask you real quick, I know the Victory has an EVA type wrap on the rod blank where your hand rests. Does that impact sensitivity at all? Does it increase the girth of the handle making it palm awkwardly?

I don't think so. I have the Steez AGS 7'5' MH-H/F rod that I use for jigs in most situations, and that is super sensitive The Victory full contact finesse rod is not as sensitive, but it's not too far behind. I mean I can feel the jig scraping on rock unmistakably on both rods alike, and it only feels a little muted on the victory after fishing my Steez for a full day. Where I feel the Champion XP isn't bad either, but feels a little muted in comparison to the Victory when scraping a jig on a rock on the bottom. It's still a step above the Sierra and my Tatula (non elite) rods so it's not a bad rod by any means, it's just the Victory has sensitivity that is above its price point and that particular rod is absolute money for all around jig use

[Chaos10691]

10 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

I don't think so. I have the Steez AGS 7'5' MH-H/F rod that I use for jigs in most situations, and that is super sensitive The Victory full contact finesse rod is not as sensitive, but it's not too far behind. I mean I can feel the jig scraping on rock unmistakably on both rods alike, and it only feels a little muted on the victory after fishing my Steez for a full day. Where I feel the Champion XP isn't bad either, but feels a little muted in comparison to the Victory when scraping a jig on a rock on the bottom. It's still a step above the Sierra and my Tatula (non elite) rods so it's not a bad rod by any means, it's just the Victory has sensitivity that is above its price point and that particular rod is absolute money for all around jig use

On great I’ll definitely go check it out. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

[Chaos10691]

20 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

I don't think so. I have the Steez AGS 7'5' MH-H/F rod that I use for jigs in most situations, and that is super sensitive The Victory full contact finesse rod is not as sensitive, but it's not too far behind. I mean I can feel the jig scraping on rock unmistakably on both rods alike, and it only feels a little muted on the victory after fishing my Steez for a full day. Where I feel the Champion XP isn't bad either, but feels a little muted in comparison to the Victory when scraping a jig on a rock on the bottom. It's still a step above the Sierra and my Tatula (non elite) rods so it's not a bad rod by any means, it's just the Victory has sensitivity that is above its price point and that particular rod is absolute money for all around jig use

Well let me ask you one more question. I do occasionally throw Texas rigs with a 1/4 oz weight. Would it do good for that as well or would that be too light?

[Lead Head]

Just a thought here...

Fat cork on the handle shouldn't impact how a reel palms at all. When you palm the reel, you aren't in contact with the handle, you are holding the reel and reel seat. That's how it is for me anyway.

[Russ E]

13 hours ago, Chaos10691 said:

Oh I didn't consider that stuff. I prefer cork but not adverse to EVA.

Doesn't matter to me whether full or split grip.

Yes I'd consider 4 oz the benchmark.

Length doesn't really matter but I am in a kayak so too long a rod with a short handle I suspect will start to get tip heavy.

No brand preference I have all different brand rods at the moment.

I have a question on the Victory. I notice most all of them have an EVA wrap on where your hand rests on the rod blank. Does that not dampen the sensitivity?

Never messed with anything ALX but will check them out. I handled the full grip 734 C Dobyn's in a store and kind of worked it like I would work a jig. I compared it to the St Croix Victory and even the  split grip Dobyn's in the same rating and the full grip felt like less work than the others. I will say I didn't have any reel on it and also I don't know how they are in terms of sensitivity. That being said, it seems like they hit the 2 marks of lightweight and balanced but I guess I'm curious about how sensitive it is.

Ok right on I will ask you what I asked someone else. Does the EVA wrap that is on the blank where your hand rests not dampen sensitivity?

Mine are sensitive. Don't think a cork would make it any better

[Chaos10691]

1 hour ago, Russ E said:

Mine are sensitive. Don't think a cork would make it any better

I meant where on most rods the blank is exposed on the back of the reel seat, the Victory has an EVA thing covering it.