Do I need a rod longer than 7ft for mini jigs?

[billy b]

And is so, what would be the best thing?

[hookup]

if i were you i would go with an 8 foot. The best rod i ever had was a 8 foot daiwa spinnmatic and it only cost me fourty bucks at turners.

[bsp]

8' is the best length from shore, but very few companies make an 8' UL. Anything over 8' is unnecessary IMO. The longest length you can usually find is 7'6" and that is fine if you can't find the 8'. On a boat you can use a 7' no problem. If you want to go budget then the Daiwa Spinmatics are where it's at. The budget Kencors were nice and they had a good 7'6" model, but Kencor is out of business now so it'll be hard to find what you. Fenwick, St. Croix, and Berkley make some decent budgets too, but the Daiwas are better. There really aren't that many mid range ultra lights, but you might be able to get a deal on the Kencor Tenlew Magnaglasses that'll make it mid-range price if you can find one.

On the high end market, you either have G. Loomis or Phenix. Phenix is actually cheaper and makes an 8' rod with a good taper, so they are the best bet for a mini jig rod. You could drop the bills on the Loomis, but it's not going to do the job any better than the Phenix and it costs more.

[billy b]

I have 2 GLoom 7 footers ... and they only have a 7'6" which just came out ... and only gives me 6 inches more. Their description makes it sound like it would have better action than my 7 footers. BTW, why are they usind this new rod end? Is it called a Tennessee?

[Nessie Hunter]

why are they using this new rod end? Is it called a Tennessee?


7 ft works fine, but up to 8 ft is the best IMHO....
Spinmatic is a great Rod at any price....

The Tennessee Handle is not new at all.
It is much cheaper to make (no reel seat)..
Some prefer it, lighter, placing the reel where you want it etc???

Not my cup of tea though. I dont like taping my Reel to my rod...




.

[calico killer kevin]

Daiwa Spinmatic my friend. Cheap and pretty nice quality.

If you can, Sam Gann has a great deal on his Phenix 8.5" which would be absolutely perfect for minijigs.

[gridjockey]

shakespear agility 7' ultra light on sale at fish usa

[Ultralight]

Hmm.....this is the EXACT question I was thinking of posting - so really appreciate your post.

Conventional wisdom would say that a longer rod casts further than shorter rods due to the longer leverage and thus, tip speed.

However, here, I question conventional wisdom.

1. Those of you who propose a longer rod, have you actually compared casting distance between a shorter (7') and longer (7'6", 8" or 8'6") rod of the same blank design by the same maker?

2. I believe it is all a matter of tip speed. I built some truly ultra high performance UL rods and tested two identical rods actions in 7' and 8'. I did not find the 8' casting further. To the advantage of the 8', it had a $300 reel while the 7' had a $30 reel. But both reels were optimized with the same line for max casting distance so I don't think there's going to be much difference.

I can say more but I'm looking for others who have done similar tests and found the longer rod casting further.

Note - you MUST be testing with mini jigs which I think is between 1/64 and 1/16th ounce. Testing with bass lures changes the whole dynamics and my observation does NOT apply.

UL

[Ultralight]

As to what is 'best' as you asked, it depends on your budget.

If your budget is 'unlimited' and you want a production rod with excellent warranty, I would look at some of the Loomis GLX Trout rods. Over $400. However, at that stratospheric price, you can do better with a custom built for performance.

For more sane budgets, I've heard Daiwa Spinmatic is very high bang for the buck. It would behave quite differently from the GLX of course.

UL

[sansou]

Lot's of good recommendations given. For a cheapie but pretty good setup, I like the Daiwa Heartland 8'6 rod. It comes in 2-6lb. Cheap-n-good!

It's my observation, you're not so much worried about "length of rod" for casting, but more so for the action you need to impart. I fish my jigs by gently hopping them off the bottom, so, this means I like a soft actioned long rod.

Of course, everyone does things differently....so mileage may vary.

[Bradakas]

which shops stock the Daiwa Spinmatic series?

[Bradakas]

Went to turners to check out the spinmatic rods. Found both the slow action and fast action 7'6'' UL versions of rods. I liked the fast one. I currently have a Berkley cherrywood 7'6'' that I used this weekend to nail 2 trout.

I found the slow action version of the daiwa spinmatic comparable to berkley low budget rod. However, of course the daiwa was lighter and featured way better components, fuji guides ect.

I'll probably pick one up when they go on sale.

[GdHkSet1]

Fyi,
BPS has those Microlights too. I believe they go all the way up to 9' noodle rods. I picked up a couple when they were 29.99.. Reel seat is crappy, but i like the action and the way they cast the mini-jigs, not a bad rod for the $.

[Ultralight]

So how much are the Spinmatics at Turner?

UL

[Bradakas]

$45 plus tax for the 7'6''.

[calico killer kevin]

Spinamtics are $30-$35 on Troutlet with $6 shipping.

[Bradakas]

Spinamtics are $30-$35 on FishUSA with $6 shipping.

didn't see them listed on the site

[calico killer kevin]

didn't see them listed on the site
Whoops, I meant Troutlet.com

[Ultralight]

Thanks for the info.

UL

[Bradakas]

couldn't wait on troutlet to get it to me before the LNL opener on thurs; so I picked it today.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/Bradakas/newrod.jpg
-7'6'' spinmatic (fits perfectly in my truck bed)
-$15 abu cardinal 100 loaded with 110yrds of 2LB Floro and 90 yrds of 2LB mono backing.

[calico killer kevin]

Been tinkering with my 6'6".
http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss257/KevinPhanSK/IMG_0034.jpg

I like them so much that I think I'm gonna pick up a 7'6" soon.

[Bradakas]

whats the purpose of removing that portion of the grip?

[calico killer kevin]

Weight, sensitivity, but more than anything else, cosmetic.

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

I'm a spoon man, thinking about trying mini jigs. I use a 5'6" UL on my Symetre 1000 and 750, mostly because I fish the creeks in the Sierras. It appears the longer rods serve multiple functions? I get casting length, but how does it affect jig action? Can I still use my little Symetre's on a 7'6" rod? Seems a little odd as far as balance goes. I need to learn this mini jig stuff...everything I read says they're da bomb.

[Ultralight]

SteveinSoCal,

I too am a 'spoon' fisherman but I do find that jigs are more enjoyable - and in higher density stocked lakes, more productive. So I am learning about jigs. I carry two rods rigged with both spoons and jigs and use both. Jigs are a lot more complicated in variety and techniques compared to spoon so it is a great way to extend the learning process.

UL

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

I'll do a search on this site, maybe there's a jig tutorial somewhere.

[Poxy Boggards]

Shimano Compre in 7'6", 8' and 8'6" length UL models work well for the jigging and drop shotting.

This is a nice middle of the road rod that will cost you a bit over 100$. The nice thing about these rods is the lifetime waranty.

I have the 7'6' and 8'6" models, and I can say that the 8'6" model does cast farther than the 7'6" version using comparable shimano reels as well as the same line. When fishing jigs, it gives you more leverage to get that light jig out there a bit farther, maybe 10 feet farther, whcih can make a differnece in getting out to where the fish are feeding.

Spinmatics are also nice rods, but come with no waranty and the feel of the rod is not as nice as the Compre. The feel of the rod plays a big part in my decission process. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Ultralight]

Poxy,

That is EXCELLENT bit of information. Thanks for sharing.

What is the total weight of your jig/lure/lead being cast when you were comparing the 7'6" and 8'6"? This is an important bit of info because the heavier the weight, the more the long rod gains. 10' is quite significant in my opinion.

I'm still learning and there's much to left to learn so really appreciate your post.

Thanks,
UL

[Poxy Boggards]

I mainly use Trout Traps and Lip Ripperz in the 1/64 and 1/32 size. For me the added distance is a function of the length of the rod. I get more whip out of the longer 8'6" rod than I do from the 7'6" and they are both the same action and line class. In windy conditions, the difference is still there, but not as great as the jigs tend to get blown by the wind. That is just my experience, and may not be the same for everyone.

I really love both of my Compre's though, and they both work well for jigging. If the fish are closer to shore I tend to go with the 7'6".

I agree with Sansou, if your hopping your jig on the bottom, the longer the rod the better as you can get that little hop happening farther out in the water column.

[Fishinnut]

:Smile: I think the last gentlemen really hit the nail on the head. I've used a 7ft rod and and 8 to 9 ft rod for my jigs over the years and what it really comes down to is what your comfortable with using yourself. Sure a longer rod can help some with casting distance and presentation of a jig, but I've had on several occasion a guy with a much shorter Rod ware me out 4 to 1 because he was confident in what he had in his hand. I hope you find what your comfortable with using buddy ,and besides, the fish don't know what your using for a rod. Technique is Key and learning what pattern is hot for that particular lake.

Good fishing,

Fishinnut

[That Dang Guy]

Just curious guys.. what kind of casting distance are you guys getting with the minijigs? Let's say 1/64, 1/32 and 1/16. Building a 7 footer and curious how it stacks up with existing rods.

[Ultralight]

Thanks for the comments.

Poxy, I continue to be intrigued by your results. The longer rod being helpful for hopping makes sense as it's a bit more reach and HEIGHT, giving a better line angle for moving it.

However, for the casting distance, I'm sure you are right for your rods. If you ever fish Jess Ranch on Fridays, let me know. I'm using rods that has a very high tip speed at 7' and I did not find the longer length using jigs as light as yours. Could be that I need to do another test again to double check.

Thanks,
UL