How moderate do you like your jig rod?

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

I feel like I see 2 different mindsets for jig rods. ( I’m mainly talking about arky, and flipping jigs in the 3/8-3/4oz range.)
 

The first  one is, extra fast for great sensitivity and bite detection.
 The second is moderate fast,  to keep fish hooked better so they can’t shake your jig easily. 

I experienced the difference when using a ~$90 7’ MH/F which fished much more like a moderate fast, and a very sensitive $200 MH/F.
With the more expensive rod I could feel the bottom much better, and feel fish I maybe couldn’t have on the cheap rod, but I ended up loosing many more fish when they’d head shake at the side of the boat. 
I feel like the more moderate style has definitely been pushed by Tactical Bassin, and them recommending the Megabass Orichi XX Brallist, which they say is more moderate and helps land more bass. 
What style do you use for your jig fishing? Have you jig fish with both styles? 

[WRB]

Fast action 5 to 6 power.

Get a good hook set and the bass can’t shake off, can’t remember losing a jig fish from coming unpinned and use 10# or 12# FC, no braid.

Tom

 

[LonnieP]

I use a fast action and very seldom lose any fish. 

[Team9nine]

I’m in the moderate fast camp - goes back to the days of Klein/Nixon/Stanley and those guys preferring/recommending them.

[Jigfishn10]

I feel like action of rods varies so for discussion 

fast action as illustrated is my preferred 

[Columbia Craw]

I’m in Tom’s camp.  The 5/6 powers in a fast action.  I do have a dedicated football jig rod for dragging that is a bit lighter.

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Fast action 5 to 6 power.

Get a good hook set and the bass can’t shake off, can’t remember losing a jig fish from coming unpinned and use 10# or 12# FC, no braid.

Tom

 

Why no braid? Couldn’t you just use a 4 power when you’d normally you a 5 and 5 when you’d use a 6?

[LonnieP]

30 minutes ago, August said:

Why no braid? Couldn’t you just use a 4 power when you’d normally you a 5 and 5 when you’d use a 6?

Tom might have a different reason, but I prefer FC for its slack line sensitivity. I’ve detected strikes that I know I wouldn’t have felt if I were using braid.

[A-Jay]

4 hours ago, August said:

The first  one is, extra fast for great sensitivity and bite detection.
 The second is moderate fast,  to keep fish hooked better so they can’t shake your jig easily. 
What style do you use for your jig fishing? Have you jig fish with both styles? 

For any single mostly stout gauge hook presentation such as jig, spinnerbait, Vibrating jigs and even some of the meatier single top hook swim baits,

I totally prefer a MH or even H moderate fast stick, and it's often some combination of graphite & Glass.

Especially when I'm launching casts well away from my rig.

Having the benefit of video replay allows me to see exactly what's going on with the gear I'm using.

I want my stick to look just like this on long distance hooksets and then as long as I am able to keep reasonably tight on the fish, maintain that bend to put the fish in the Frabil.

btw, I use FC 95% of the time, sensitivity has never been an issue and I get a few. 

 

A-Jay

 

[Brian11719]

I like my jig rods like I like my women...fast action with less sensitivity

 

(in all seriousness I just like a fast action medium heavy to heavy rod for throwing a standard jig)

[Catt]

Medium Heavy that leans towards Heavy, X-Fast because I want to get into the backbone asap.

 

I want to turn that head & get her coming up all in one motion.

[bottom_dollar]

I’m the MH/F or H/F camp and use Fluro for 95 % of my jig fishing (docks, brush piles, lay downs). I only like a moderate action and braid for swimming a jig. 

AJ and some other posters have a good argument for the glass/moderate rods though. 

[RichF]

I’ve used them all but ultimately have landed on heavy action moderate fast. I’m using 7’4 HMF Poison Adrenas for my 3/4 oz jigs. 50lb braid in grass, 17-20lb fluoro out of grass.  Really liking my Levante Braillist for 1/2 oz jigs, which has the softer action. 

[WRB]

My goal with hook sets is the hook goes through the mouth tissues past the barb and it’s not coming out!

Very sharp hook with forged hook bend that doesn’t flex as the hook penetrates isn’t backing out.

I use a hook set very different then most jig fisherman; a reel set with firm rod sweep never fails me.

Tom

[5by3]

Most of my rods are on the moderate side of fast. If you’ve ever used G Loomis rods before, I would compare them to the “mag bass” taper in that they are labeled as fast but are probably closer to moderate fast than they are to extra fast. 
 

I mostly fish fluorocarbon, but I do like braid for topwaters and for swim jigs. This set up has considerably increased my landing percentage. 
 

Fish what you are comfortable with and don’t forget you can always compensate a bit with the line type (braid or fluoro) and also the line diameter (strength). 

[RRocket]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

because I want to get into the backbone asap.

 

 

 This is important IMO.

 

I've seen people hookup and instead of REALLY getting into the backbone, they stay more into the tip..losing fish.

[papajoe222]

For me, it depends on the cover, or lack of, that I'm fishing. If is vegetation, I want a fast action so I can get the fish up our out of the grass quickly. Once in open water, it's a combination of how my drag is set and my ability to play the fish to then get it landed. If I'm structure fishing, I prefer a Mod.Fast action. I don't like to get a fish to the net as fast as possible and a softer action gives the fish a chance to fight back but still allows me to get it to the net without over exhausting it.  This is why I have more than one jig rod.

[GRiver]

I like MH/Fast for water more open, I use a H/Fast for the thick stuff.

[rangerjockey]

I like the slower side of fast. I fished the NRX 893 ,873 and 894 for a few years and never could warm up to them. 

I like the Falcon actions or something of that type. For smaller finesse jigs I use the Virtus Finesse jig and I love the Steeze universal light. For heavier footballs I have the ALX toadface  And Vitus Titan

I guess in a nutshell I prefer more of a moving bait action vs the ultra quick " Jig/worm actions.

 

 

[Pat Brown]

With monofilament - heavy fast - but good parabolic action to the rod.  Not a broomstick.

[newapti5]

Largemouth and smallies fight quite differently; boat fishing deep lakes and wade fishing shallow rivers/creeks will also affect where the jig hooks penetrate, upper jaws or sideways. So, for jig fishing smallies in shallow rivers/creeks, I definitely find moderate fast action more suitable. I have a few extra fast rods that are very sensitive, but they lost me some feisty big smallies.

[LrgmouthShad]

I throw pretty much all my jigs on a heavy fast rod. I use a shorter 7’ for shallower cover, a little lighter jigs, or for skipping docks. I use a longer 7’3” for deeper water or for a little heavier jigs. Generally I stay with either 20lb fluoro or 65lb braid if I am in thick grass. Why do I use 20lb fluoro? I like the way 20lb fluoro casts in my favorite lines + I like a little more resistance to abrasion and shock. I don’t do a lot of “finesse” jigs. I like full size jigs with full size trailers and I catch a pile of fish on them. If I downsize it’s usually to a bitsy flip and on rare occasion a sniper jig.

[Reel]

I don't flip for smallmouth so this will be about largemouth.  What I want from a jig rod is enough flex so I can get the distance and precision I want.  I want to hit a inch from target.  I want enough flex for the jig to fall vertically, not make an ark.  I want a rod soft enough to get a delicate jig action. I want enough rigidity to feel the fish take and also for the strike.  I want enough flex not to loose the fish but enough power to get it out of the grass.  Right now I'm using a Zodias 7' 2'' Heavy, fast, but it's not real heavy, more MH.

Complicated isn't it ? I'm using 20 lb fluoro and a 1/2 oz jig.

[Catt]

Kistler Helium 

HE7045HMH

7'0" Heavy Medium Heavy X-Fast

[DogBone_384]

I prefer fast or extra fast for tossing jigs, running a Kistler HE7045HMH (just like @Catt) and a HE704MH (7' MH/F). I have a 6'9" MH/F Kistler Magnesium TS that would be a great jig rod, but the Heliums replaced it.  I also have a 7'3" KLX that would do the job, but works better for deeper cranks and chatterbaits.

 

I'm adding two Douglas X-Matrix thanks to the Bait Monkey, ReelNorthernBass, and Douglas' Christmas sale...  

 

I'll add my opinion on them when they show up and I get a warm-ish day.