Hi all,
I will be heading up to Red Lake in about 10 days and will be needing a jigging rod for walleyes. I was wondering what qualities I should look for in a jigging rod (ie action, power, length…). I will be fishing in a permanent house.
EJD:
Fishing rods for me are like shoes for your wife. You’ll need lots to account for every situation, and just when you think you have enough, you’ll find a new circumstance where something else would “work” better. Not to mention, what someone else thinks “works” isn’t necessarily what would work best for you.
In a house, I favor a 32″ rod, though would like to get away with a 36″er if I could. Problem is that I’ve been in permanents where a good hookset is prevented by shelves and junk hanging from the walls, making only 28″ rods the preferred length.
As for action, I like them a bit more stiff. Not clubbish, but specific to the lure size (1/8 oz spoons, 1/4 oz. blades, etc.) I’m working, and on the heavier end of the spectrum for those specific lures. I like having more control of the bait in those situations, and esp. inside of a house, wind and other distractions won’t cause you to “miss” the bites that often.
32″ Precision rods from Tuned Up Customs and 32″ Thorne Bros. Walleye and Perch sweethearts currently are in my arsenal for that kind of fishing. The Precision rods really excel at a wider variety of baits IMO, though most of the time I’m working 1/8 oz. spoon with them.
Anything heavier, esp. blades, I’m fishing their Power Precision. Very stout backbone to handle/control the bait and jigging stroke, with a forgiving last 2″ section that aids in bite detection. Truly the perfect rod for bigger spoons/blades or jigging raps.
There’s some good stock rods out there, and when the fish are on fire, it probably doesn’t matter as much. The higher-end rods are more for this time of year when converting bites is more important as you tend to get fewer of them. Good luck in making your decision!
Joel
Thanks,
This really helps to narrow down my search. I appreciate the feedback 
As for action, I like them a bit more stiff. Not clubbish, but specific to the lure size (1/8 oz spoons, 1/4 oz. blades, etc.) I’m working, and on the heavier end of the spectrum for those specific lures. I like having more control of the bait in those situations, and esp. inside of a house, wind and other distractions won’t cause you to “miss” the bites that often.
I agree very much with Joel’s opinion on the stiffness. Sometimes its hard to explain until you have the rod in your hand and you know the “feel” your looking for. I like them to be as stiff as possible in the back bone and yet have a soft enough tip section. I don’t want the rod to ever be too stiff that I don’t feel the lure at all times. If I put on a blade or spoon, I want to see the tip dip down a bit, but not loaded up and bending over. When working a bait, you should be able to feel the vibration on a lift and the subtle loss of resistance on the drop when they suck it in on a fall.
You also want enough forgiveness or softness for those quick head shakes when they are at the hole!
Dont be afraid to check out the perch pounder and walleye stinger from DH Custom Rods as well. The perch rod is great for spoons from 1/16 up to 1/4. walleye stinger is great for 1/8 to heavier blade baits and 5/16 spoons. Ive even fished 1/2 oz spoons on them.
I like them build to 30 or 32″
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
