Football Jig Users : What Makes a Good Jig Rod ? 2025
ChrisD46 reply :
What attributes do you believe make for a good football jig rod ? ... Length , action , bend profile , grip style ?
Anything else you would like to add would be helpful ...
iabass8 reply :
Typically a longer ride in the medium heavy range. With my jig rides I typically always go lean on the heavier side power wise because I would rather have the power then not have it when needed… Except for football Jigs. I don't use bone jarring and swing for the fence hook sets on football Jigs. I let the fish load up and real set them so I go down a power generally in the rod
bigfruits reply :
I like a stiff tip for dragging football jigs. you cannot tell this by a rod's ratings.
I'd recommend a rod that is 7' or longer, MH or H, F or XF.
Im thinking of picking up the NRX 873 CRR before spring and i hear its a great football jig rod.
BrianinMD reply :
Personally i like a longer rod with jigs, for ones above 3/8oz a heavy power. Below that a Medium Heavy. With a fast or x-fast tip.
My current jig rod is a Dobyns Champion Extreme 745 paired with a Chronarch 200e7. Its spooled with 20lb Abrazx.
gulfcaptain reply :
I like a softer rod, but one with enough tip to drag the bait and a lot has to do with how heavy a jig I'm using. For footbaill jigs around 3/8oz I tend to fish on a 7' or 7'2" med-fast action rod. If I'm fishing heavier then 1/2oz jig I'll step up and use a 7'3" to 7'6"MH fast action rod which will have a bit more stiffness to them but not be too stiff.
deep reply :
Length: I like 7'6"
Action: Fast.
Bend profile: What's this?
Grip: ~11" from trigger to end of the butt (depending on power). Has to have a foregrip.
Grantman83 reply :
Best football jig rod I've used was the DX Mike long jig rod. Longer heavier power but with a fast almost moderate fast action.
UKCATSBASSER reply :
Second the nrx 873 CRR for a football jig rod. I use the 873 for jigs and plastics 3/8 and up.
ChrisD46 reply :
On 12/28/2015 at 9:06 PM, deep said:Length: I like 7'6"
Action: Fast.
Bend profile: What's this?
Grip: ~11" from trigger to end of the butt (depending on power). Has to have a foregrip.
Bend Profile = % tip vs. % backbone ...
deep reply :
On 12/29/2015 at 8:44 AM, ChrisD46 said:Bend Profile = % tip vs. % backbone ...
Then, what's action?
Mosster47 reply :
I use a Lamiglas Pro-X 735 for football heads and I love it. The tip has a lot of flex for casting and keep the fish pinned while having plenty of backbone to pull them up.
If I were placed in the "you can only have one rod" scenario that's the one I would pick.
Bass_Fanatic reply :
This is a subject I'm well versed in. I've went through at least 10 rods looking for the perfect fb jig rod. I throw a jewel 3/4oz jig 90% of the time. So far I've used a Powell endurance 714, Powell max3d 775, Dobyns champion 735, Megabass destroyer x7 "extreme mission", gloomis mossyback 874, Phenix recon 764, st croix ltb 7'1" mh/Xf, and a few other cheaper rods. Out of all of those, the Dobyns champion 735 was my favorite. The Powell 714 was great, but I wanted a few more inches. The Megabass is a little too weak for my taste as is the Phenix. The gloomis is nice, but just average in my hands, and the croix was my least favorite. I'm still searching for the right rod. I just ordered a Dobyns dx 784 ML jig rod. Hope jig this rod is all its made out to be.
Mike L reply :
On 12/28/2015 at 7:14 PM, iabass8 said:Typically a longer ride in the medium heavy range. With my jig rides I typically always go lean on the heavier side power wise because I would rather have the power then not have it when needed… Except for football Jigs. I don't use bone jarring and swing for the fence hook sets on football Jigs. I let the fish load up and real set them so I go down a power generally in the rod
Question...Why do feel the need to use a lower power rod and a different hook set when throwing a football jig?
I hardly ever use a football jig as 90% of the waters I fish are mostly vegetation filled as opposed to rock.
Just wondering, Thanks
Mike
Mosster47 reply :
Football jigs have a much lighter wire hook than a pitching or casting jig. You don't need as much power to bury the hook.
ABW reply :
With a football jig, especially the heavy ones, there's a lot of lead in the head. When you try to set the hook as hard as you can, you may blow the fish's mouth open.
Catt reply :
I've field testing iRod's Air IRA754C designed by Fred Roumbanis, it's matched with a Lew's Team Lite Speed Spool.
The rod is 7' 5" Heavy Fast
I've casted, flipped, & pitched 3/8-1 oz jigs
If y'all ain't put your hands on these rods y'all need to!
iabass8 reply :
On 12/29/2015 at 12:31 PM, Mike L said:Question...Why do feel the need to use a lower power rod and a different hook set when throwing a football jig?
I hardly ever use a football jig as 90% of the waters I fish are mostly vegetation filled as opposed to rock.
Just wondering, Thanks
Mike
A football jig typically has a lighter wire hook then your every day casting and flipping Jigs to go along with a larger head design. A rod that is typically one power down then what I use allows me to not overwork the bait along with letting a fish load up easier in deeper water. i'm also not fishing in cover and almost always fishing boulders or wing dams with a football jig so pulling a fish out of cover is in a necessity it's more so keeping smallmouth and in current . I've tried both the DX 745 and nrx894(my jig rod) and jigs with heavier wire hooks. I did not have the same success
deep reply :
On 12/29/2015 at 12:31 PM, Mike L said:Question...Why do feel the need to use a lower power rod and a different hook set when throwing a football jig?
I hardly ever use a football jig as 90% of the waters I fish are mostly vegetation filled as opposed to rock.
Just wondering, Thanks
Mike
Reel set vs snap set. When casting jigs, you have way more line out.
No idea about lower power rods! I don't fish a lot of vegetation, but I use the same gear whether I'm pitching 30 feet or casting 30 yards..
EDIT:
Let's learn from Tom, shall we? (in-fisherman article)
roadwarrior reply :
No light wire hooks for me: http://www.siebertoutdoors.com/Big-O-Football-Mata-Jig-440.htm?productId=47
My rods of choice are the G.Loomis GLX MBR844C and BCR854.
iabass8 reply :
When I say "lighter" rod, this is what I'm referring to. I use the same rod. I use th 894 for pitching/flipping jigs. 893 for dragging
roadwarrior reply :
GREAT video!
Mike L reply :
Thank You all for the replies, the article and video.
I didn't even own any until our Roadtrip to Wilson Lake last year. I was paired with Brian Needham and we started to fish ledges. Talk about being out of my element!!
I remember him saying he was useing a Siebert footbal jig and was catching fish while I was dragging a T Rig and doing nothing. He was kind enough to give me one and that did it! I didn't change my set up or hookset. I was useing an MH/F Allstar ASR jig rod. That's why I asked.
Thanks again
Mike
WRB reply :
If casting a football jig over 75' or more is how you fish this jig, then your rod needs to be able do this without a lot of effort, be able to give you the feedback needed to detect a strike and then get a good hook set. The reel and line you use play a big roll in both casting and strike detection so it's a combination of the jig weight, the jig trailer and your rod/reel/line that determines a good "football jig rod".
The old school rod construction tried to determine power and action with how the rod bends with line pull at about a 90 degree force using dead weight in pounds for maximum lift, medium heavy being somewhere between 3 to 4 lbs dead weight lift = power and if the rod bent 1/3 rod down from the tip = moderate, 1/4 ='fast and 1/8 = extra fast with less than a 1 pound line pull force.
Todays state of the art rod blanks like NRX bend nearly parabolic with maximum dead weight and nearly parabolic action with less than 1 lb line force. Action today is how the rod tip performs with the lure weight, ounces of line force. Comparing different rod blank designs is like comparing apples to oranges.
Most football jigs don't have a fiber weed guard, may have a wire weed guard or none. The is usually a medium wire about .050D longer shank with standard or flat eye design. Hook sets require getting the hook point embedded into mouth flesh before the bass rejects the jig. The jig head shape doesn't open the basses mouth, the bass does that. It's the anglers task to feel the strike and get the hook point into tissue before the bass opens it's mouth.
I see Catt is liking Irods, good quality light weight rods for under $150 price point. ALX rods are now available at TW, however the over the counter rods do not have a fore grip, excellent rod blanks and quality for the price points, MH+ is a good choice for casting jigs like football heads.
Tom
PS, Deep thanks for posting the article, hope it helps, the article was published in 1995, long before Zona's video!
Justin Donaldson reply :
I throw football jigs every time I go fishing, usually 1/2 oz, and the rod I love the most is a 7'3" duckett in MH... It has a parabolic bend, which is great for casting a jig a long ways, and for keeping the fish buttoned up... I fish a jig fairly fast, and a lot of my football jig strikes come when I'm moving the bait, reaction strikes, so the soft tip allows the fish to eat the jig better, and not feel me too soon as well... But this rod is very light and sensitive, as well...
SMITTY0045 reply :
I would recommend a rod somewhere in the range of 7'3-6". Typically football jigs are fished deep so you need a longer rod to have better feel and to be able to set the hook. I would probably recommend a MH but if you can find a heavy rod that is not too stout or rigid, that would be good too. Your hook set on one of these jigs does not have to be near as hard as on a casting or flipping jig, so you really do not need a higher power rod. Also I would advise a rod with a softer tip
DesertBass reply :
My next jig rod is going to be a Poison Ultima 7'2 H.
clh121787 reply :
On 12/29/2015 at 4:09 AM, UKCATSBASSER said:Second the nrx 873 CRR for a football jig rod. I use the 873 for jigs and plastics 3/8 and up.
X3 ...it's tip heavy if you're really getting critical. Sensitivity is off the charts.fast enough tip to whip super long cast. Strong enough back bone to stroke a 3/4 oz in 25 foot of water.
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