good jig rod for togue?

[relentless]

im just getting into jigging and would like some advice on what size rod/reel I should get for togue.

      thanks

[gradysjeep]

A lot of it is personal preference but minimum you want something at least around 30" medium/mediumheavy action.  Light rods don't work well because its hard to get a good hookset, esp in deep water.  I like a baitcaster reel for togue but also use a spinning reel that works well too.  You want a good drag and the reel to hold at least 200-300 feet of line.  Lots of info in the trout section of this site.

[relentless]

thanks a lot I appreciate the info

[HardwaterFish]

A lot of it is personal preference but minimum you want something at least around 30" medium/mediumheavy action.  Light rods don't work well because its hard to get a good hookset, esp in deep water.  I like a baitcaster reel for togue but also use a spinning reel that works well too.  You want a good drag and the reel to hold at least 200-300 feet of line.  Lots of info in the trout section of this site.

^What he said

I run a 30" medium rod when I'm jigging for bigger fish like togue, the lightweight rods are good for jigging crappie, perch and smelt and will work on togue, but you may be all day getting one in and like gradysjeep said, you may miss some hookups. I personally have never liked anything over a medium action, the medium/heavy is a little stiff for my liking, but thats just me.

More importantly the reel. When I bought an inline reel, I never looked back. The drag is sensitive, easy to adjust when you have a fish on and never freezes. The smoothness of the free spool is what I like the most though, with the smallest sweedish pimple on, it will free spool until you stop it. I hate watching people peel 30 lb mono off an open face with their gloves on, that are soaked in gas from filling them sled up that morning creating slinkys in front of them, lighting up a flasher with their coils rope and thinking they have found a school of bait, and never get a bite. Rant over.

If you are serious about jigging, the best $21.99 you can ever spend:

[woodchip]

If money is an issue You can make a pretty nice jig rod with old aluminum arrows Make blocks out of good hardwood or poly and drill tight holes so you can slide your cross sticks 12" apart  on the main shaft. use the noc end for your tip . Its also possible to make a grip handle out of an old rod.  Then you can use a reel of choice. the cross sticks keep your rod from sliding down the hole when you turn your back.  the rod sliding on the ice gives a nice alarm of a hit.

[WhiteSquall]

I'm much LESS picky about my jig rod when it comes to togue.

The ice blue rods are great for the price. $10-$15 Medium - Heavy

I use a baitcaster mainly because I had it sitting around. It has a high line capacity too. The flipping button is great dropping a jig fast.



Honestly, get whatever you want. 

[Conley1993]

Depends on what size lures you are using too. Don't get much feel with the big lures when you're using a medium rod.

[TwoLightsKid]

Try a medium action st croix premier 28 or 32".  Looks more like a panfish rod, but it's very sensitive and has a ton of backbone.  Smaller togue are still fun, and you can certainly handle bigger fish too.  I typically match this with a 2500 size spinning reel with a good drag, 10 lb braid and 12 lb fluoro leader.  Great rod for smaller 1/4 oz jigs with thinner wire hooks.

If you're planning to fish bigger bucktail jigs that come with heavy saltwater hooks, then you'll probably want a stiffer rod for a better hook set with the big hook, requires more force to penetrate.

[kevinmaine3]

I use the reel off my salmon rod in the summer.. and the rod.. I break so many in a year I don't have a favorate..just one with most of the eye lids still straight. I like a softer rod, feel the bite better.
 

If money is an issue You can make a pretty nice jig rod with old aluminum arrows Make blocks out of good hardwood or poly and drill tight holes so you can slide your cross sticks 12" apart  on the main shaft. use the noc end for your tip . Its also possible to make a grip handle out of an old rod.  Then you can use a reel of choice. the cross sticks keep your rod from sliding down the hole when you turn your back.  the rod sliding on the ice gives a nice alarm of a hit.

I'd rather buy a 7 dollar jig rod..way too much frigging around, but if you don't fish I suppose you have plenty of time to make rods out of arrows...most of us are shooting carbon fiber arrows..

[JDK]

28 inch medium action rod and a reel with a good drag.  Dicks had Northland rods for under $20 that are great.

[MGK]

I've always been a fan of a lighter rod. Right now I'm running a 28" Medium action Northland and love it. I hate heavy rods.. it's like trying to fish with a pool cue with guides

[Epkomd]

I hate watching people peel 30 lb mono off an open face with their gloves on, that are soaked in gas from filling them sled up that morning creating slinkys in front of them, lighting up a flasher with their coils rope and thinking they have found a school of bait, and never get a bite. Rant over.

If you are serious about jigging, the best $21.99 you can ever spend:

Woah woah woah, I remember fishing a time or two with a particular guy that did just this... I thought it was "fine"   

I now have two flashers, 7 jigrods, and an endless variety of jigs.

[BrownTroutBoy]

I like a med action rod with a baitcaster, I run braided line too.

[BlackDogAlpha]

Medium 30" is the way to go. Those eagle claw reels are great except for the drag, that star drag sucks. I also find the drop drag works great right up until you get a little ice in the ferrules of your pole and then it backspools off the reel and makes an unholy mess.

[relentless]

Thanks for the info guys I appreciate it

[BrookieSlayer99]

I have a Dave Genz Power Stick and I like it for lakers. Plenty of power and it comes with a decent reel. Can get a good hookset with bucktails also.