When fishing with jigs, having the best jigging rod is very important. It is the most important component of a jigging setup responsible for imparting the jerky up and down motions to give the jig proper action and lure fish while transmitting any bite to the angler’s hand. Once the lure is successful and a fish is hooked, the rod takes a fish fighting role and hauls fish from bottom depth or heavy cover.
A good jigging rod has to satisfy a contrasting set of requirements. It should be lightweight so it is comfortable to pull up and down for hours without fatigue, flexible enough to bend completely when fighting fish yet tough and strong enough to take the vertical jerking motion of heavy jigs and with a lot of backbone to handle large and strong game fish such as halibut, grouper, snapper, amberjack, redfish, and snook.
It takes superior craftsmanship to build such delicate yet heavy duty fishing rods. Here, we’re making it easy to find the best rod for jig fishing that meets the above requirements with our reviews and buying guide. We looked at different casting and spinning rods and picked the ones that are good quality, comfortable to use, and with proven performance in jig fishing. Check out our top 10 picks below.
Ready to get started? Let’s go.
Best Saltwater Jigging Rods
SHIMANO TREVALA Graphite
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- Extremely lightweight and EVA handle comfort
- Enhanced sensitivity for successful hookups
- Top notch Shimano quality and service
- Completely parabolic for ease of fighting fish
- Tough and strong for handling big fish and durability
- A versatile fishing rod
Best Jigging Rod For Large Fish
Okuma Cedros
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- Incredibly powerful with the pulling power for large fish
- Ergonomic reel seat and grip for comfort
- The strength and durability of fiberglass
- Hard to beat balance of quality and affordability
- Backed by a limited lifetime warranty
Best Saltwater Jigging Rod
Fiblink Saltwater 1-Piece
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- Optimal features for jig fishing
- Stiff and strong with incredible pulling power
- Well made with quality components and durable
- Rugged yet lightweight
- Equipped with a multi-purpose hook keeper
- Look nice with the blue accents
- Accessible pricing
- Covered by a one year warranty
Best Boat Jigging Rod
Penn Rampage Casting Fishing
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- Versatile and suits bottom fishing and casting
- Sensitive tip section for responsiveness
- Amazing strength and stiffness
- Good backbone and strength
- Soft yet durable rubber gimbal
- Quality build and durability with affordability
Best Bottom Fishing Jigging Rod
UglyStik Tiger Elite Spinning
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- Optimized for bottom jigging but versatile
- Lightweight with comfortable EVA grip
- Enhanced sensitivity
- UglyStiks quality and durability
- Virtually indestructible build with anti-corrosive guides
- 1-piece guides mean no annoying insert pop-outs
Best Lightweight Jigging Rod
Penn Carnage II
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- Balances strength, power, and lightweight comfort
- Well built with an attractive finish
- Comfortable to use and feels balanced
- Penn quality and performance
Best Offshore Jigging Rod
Fiblink Saltwater 1-Piece Heavy
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- Optimized for vertical jigging but versatile
- Solid, strong and powerful construction
- High-quality and durable with quality components
- Tough with the backbone for heavy species
- Lightweight feel with EVA handles for comfort
- Comes with a protective bag
- Backed by a one year guarantee
Best Slow Jigging Rod
RoseWood 1.95m Slow
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- Very light and flexible
- Amazing sensitivity and responsiveness
- Well made and looks great
- Long length and sensitivity makes it versatile
- Offers 2-piece portability
- Good price and amazing value
Best Versatile Jigging Rod
Tsunami Trophy Slow Pitch Conventional 7′
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- Versatile and suitable for other fishing applications
- Lightweight and comfortable to use
- Strong with the power to handle heavy jigs and big fish
- Good quality with nice components
- Sensitive and flexible for hookup success
Best Beginner Jigging Rod
EAT MY TACKLE Amberjack King
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- A ready to jig outfit that's already well balanced
- Easily switchable double reel speeds
- Strong yet lightweight composite rod
- Tough and durable build to withstand saltwater damage
- Strong drag system for handling big game fish
- Comes with a Neoprene reel bag
- Full 2-year warranty for reel and 5-year warranty for rod
How To Choose The Best Jigging Rod – Buying Guide
When choosing a jigging rod that suits how you will be throwing jigs, below are the features to pay attention to so as to pick one that will deliver the best jigging performance depending on the depth of water, jigging technique, and target species.
Action
The action of the rod tip is the first thing to consider as it determines how well the rod will be able to impart the correct action into the jig to attract fish. It is like the steering wheel of the rod.
Too stiff a tip will make it hard to achieve and maintain a good jigging rhythm and will not work the jig correctly. Too soft a tip won’t recover on the upwards motions which will make the jig ineffective and the rod non-responsive. A moderate fast to fast action makes it easy to impart the correct lure action.
Jig fishing successfully requires paying a keen attention to detail. It is important to be in tune with the jig and be aware of where it is and what it is doing. For this reason, sensitivity is very important in a jigging rod and a fast action is required. A jig bite is usually very light and a fast action offers the sensitivity to detect strikes more easily while still offering enough flex for throwing the jig. A fast action tip also ensures that the hook sets properly in the fish’s mouth.
Modern jigging rods are designed to work differently from the traditional ones that were super-stiff with extra-fast actions. The new rods are designed to be completely parabolic and can achieve a u-shaped bend without snapping. This high level of flexibility enables them to absorb the blows when fighting fish taking the strain off anglers.
This is why most jigging rods blanks have a composite construction composed of both graphite and fiberglass. Glass is extremely strong but is heavy and slow in action with a poor feel. Graphite or carbon fiber has good action, high flexibility, and sensitivity, and is also very strong. However, it is brittle and snaps easily. Blending the two materials in the right configuration creates the best jigging rods with power, strength and faster actions while being lightweight, sensitive, and flexible.
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Power
When jig fishing, you will be targeting big fish such as grouper, amberjack, snapper, redfish, halibut, snook by throwing heavy jigs and working them using your rod to make vertical jerky motions. A heavy or extra heavy power rod is what you need to handle this. Such a rod will have the backbone to work heavy jigs for prolonged durations and handle big fish without breaking.
Most fish targeted using jigs will be around heavy cover, making heavy cover areas excellent places to toss jigs. A heavy or extra-heavy rod will have the strength and endurance to pull fish out of heavy cover and deep waters. In addition to the power rating, a rod with a tough build is essential so it handles this heavy-duty style of fishing.
Length
Jigging rods are usually short; 5’, 5’6”, and 6′ are the typical lengths. This makes them easy to handle when working jigs. The best jigging rods pack a lot of power in a short package making them incredibly strong and capable of handling the job.
Some modern styles of jigging rods are longer with super strength, lightness, and flexibility. These are versatile and can be used for other fishing techniques<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> in addition to jigging. An example is the Shimano Trevala jigging rods.
Weight
There are two weight considerations to make when selecting a jigging rod. First of all, the weight of the rod. Like the dance, jigging is a workout and can be very demanding physically. The weight of the rod determines whether you become exhausted after a couple of jigs or can fish jigs the whole day without wrist and shoulder fatigue. A good jigging rod is lightweight, balanced, and comfortable enough to pull up and down for hours at a time.
This is why most jigging rods are short, thin and incredibly lightweight. On the first impression, it can be hard to believe they can handle the job. The best jigging rods are super light but packed with a lot of power. Composite blanks make them both lightweight and strong. Watch them in action and you will be amazed by their pulling power.
The second weight consideration to make is the rod’s weight rating. Jigging rods are designed to handle a specific range of fishing line test ratings and jig weights with the rod being angled at 45 degrees and with its tip pointed vertically towards the water. The rod specs details and a label on the rod will usually state this range.
Be sure to choose a jigging rod that’s rated to handle the line weight class and jig weights you will be using so that you can have a jig fishing outfit that works together effectively.
FAQs
Q: What Is A Jigging Rod?
A jigging rod is a specialized fishing rod designed for jig fishing, a fishing technique that involves throwing metal lures known as jigs and working them to create the jerky, up and down motions.
They are relatively short, lightweight and comfortable enough to pull up and down for hours at a time but built tough and equipped with a lot of backbone to handle the vertical jerking motions of a heavy jig for long periods of time and handle the large fish species that are targeted with jigs.
To withstand the rigors of jigging, they feature sturdy yet lightweight graphite and glass composite blanks and top quality components such as super-hard line guide inserts, tough, securely locking reel seats and comfortable EVA split grips.
Q: Why Do I Need A Special Jigging Rod?
Jigging is a specialized fishing technique that calls for a specialist fishing rod to get the best results. Only a jigging rod can give you the short length and lightweight comfort, required to work jigs for prolonged duration, the sensitivity to be in touch with what is happening to your lure even in deep cover, and the power, strength, and flexibility required to handle the vertical jerking motion of heavy jigs, bring in large and strong species from the bottom and heavy cover.
You can get all these qualities in the best jigging rods. No other fishing rods meet the contrasting requirements a good rod for jigging should have. The best thing about a good jigging rod is that its versatility makes it a multi-purpose fishing pole.
Globo Surf Overview
A jigging rod is the main component of a jig fishing outfit and is involved in everything from tossing jigs, controlling their actions to lure fish, feeling what is happening to the jigs in the water, setting hooks successfully, to fighting fish. The quality of a jigging rod can have a major effect on how enjoyable and successful jig fishing excursions are. Having the best rod for jigging fishing is critical.
We hope the best jigging rod reviews above and the buying guide helps you find the best jigging rod for your style of fishing. The best thing is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get the best rod for jigging. Our list includes good quality, top rated rods for jig fishing with proven performance under all price ranges whether you’re looking for a bargain or ready to invest in a premium rod.
Successful jigging also requires having a balanced outfit made up of the right jigging rod and reel combo, line and jig, all well-matched and optimized to work together flawlessly. Pair your jigging rod with a compact reel with a high drag capacity and fast retrieval rate, no-stretch braided line, and an effective jig of the correct weight. This setup combined with the right jigging techniques will enable you to work your lure correctly, catch more fish, and have more fun.
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Which jigging rod sounds like the perfect match for you? Have you used any of the poles in our list to throw jigs? What kind of experience did you have? Let us know in the comment box below.