jigs exclusively flipping stick length!!!

[spinnerbaitalways]

I have made up my mind this next year i am going to fish a jig exclusively in my bass club tournaments. I have carried them in my bag couple years and never fished them much if any , so now i have decided thats all im taking with me this next year. Do yall have any suggestions on wheather to fish 7 1/2' or 8 ' sticks? ( I have 2 each 7 1/2' and want a 8 ' is there that much of a differance?) And any other suggestions would be appreciated?

[Infidel.]

Depends on how thick the cover is you are working.  I had an 8' stick for a while but I ended up selling it.  I just found that in tighter spaces, the extra 6" got in the way.  But if you are trying to reach over stuff like cattails it can come in handy.  

I have a 7'6" Daiwa Cielo that is down right the best flipping stick I have ever used at any price range.

[Simp]

I have made up my mind this next year i am going to fish a jig exclusively in my bass club tournaments. I have carried them in my bag couple years and never fished them much if any , so now i have decided thats all im taking with me this next year. Do yall have any suggestions on wheather to fish 7 1/2' or 8 ' sticks? ( I have 2 each 7 1/2' and want a 8 ' is there that much of a differance?) And any other suggestions would be appreciated?

So now are you going to change your name to JigAlways? ;D

I fish a 7'8 heavy and love it but there are times the added length works against me. With that said the added length helps with picking up line on deep fish. Not to mention the power to lift a fish out of cover if you have to. Personally I find myself wanting to upgrade my 7ft rod to a higher quality one because I find myself preferring it for tubes and very light jigs. So depending on the actions 7 1/2 should be fine honestly.

[Catt]

I have two recommendations both of which are strictly my thoughts as related to your question.

#1 rod length

Rod length should not be determined by technique alone, one should also consider their own physical stature. A person of smaller stature maybe better served by a 7' rod verses a 7' 6 or 8' rod; which one is determined by you. Even a person of larger stature maybe handicapped by using a longer rod, it's all about what you are comfortable with. If you can accurately hit your target with a high degree of accuracy you will be better off in the long run.

#2 I have made up my mind this next year I am going to fish a jig exclusively in my bass club tournaments.  

While I teach my students how to fish a jig by carrying only jigs I do so when the bass are on a jig bite; the jig is not the most productive lure under every circumstance which will lead to less confidence.

[Five-Alive]

Catt - I agree. I am 6 foot tall and flip with a 7' 0" and a 7' 6" and they work fine for me. I think the 8'0" would be too long for me.

I also agree that it is good to go out and say I am going to fish a jig exclusively today or this week but make sure it is a time when the jig bite is, or should be, on.

My partner ("Hookset" on this board) and I forced ourselves to fish the jig on several trips this spring and because of that we caught fish and it did wonders for our confidence and we have both had a jig tied on for almost every trip but only use it when and where cover and conditions call for a jig.

[Bronzefly]

When I "flip" I use a 7'11"H action rod.  When I "pitch", I use anything from a 6'8" to a 7'3" rod depending on the bait and the cover.    

[SWMIBASSER]

If you haven't fished jigs much, don't assume you will be flipping. You can do a BUNCH more with a jig than flip into heavy cover from short distances.

Granted I'm up north but I do ZERO flipping. The water just isn't stained enough to get that close.

I bought a 7'6" BPS Johnny Morris elite rod for jig fishing. It is a MH however. I love the action, and power, but sometimes the 6" could go away. Other times when pitching long distances the extra 6" is nice.

I would look into this rod. $ for $ the best rod out there. Very light, extremely sensitive nice actions. I'm done buying Loomis because of these rods.

[SWMIBASSER]

One other thing. I was in the same boat as you. Didn't fish with jigs much. When I did I had little or no success. One day of fishing with a good jig fisherman, and that's all it took. Just a few key things pointed out to me, and I ran with it tweaking my own techniques and tackle along the way.

Go fishing with someone good at a technique you struggle with. You can learn a ton.