This article may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on a link we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Best Jig Rod for Bass – [Buyer’s Guide]

best jig rod

​Choosing the best jig rod means knowing what type of jigs you will be throwing and where.

Warm water bass fishing usually means targeting bass in heavy weed cover and jigs are one of the best lures that you can throw at them.

Weedless jigs make life even easier and give you ability to work them in even the thickest cover without worrying about getting caught up.

A good jig rod needs a strong backbone and a fast enough tip to sense the subtlest of bites and get a quick hook set so you can pull ​those bass out of cover.

​A baitcasting setup is really the best option here so you can pretty much rule out spinning rods.

Graphite or a graphite blend of carbon/Kevlar is what makes the best rod blanks when choosing a rod with a fast action.

When selecting a fishing rod for jigs you need to get the power, action and length right:

  • Power – medium/heavy or heavy depending on the size of the jigs and the thickness of the cover you will be working in.
  • Action –  fast action which is crucial for quick hook sets and tip sensitivity
  • Length –  7 feet minimum preferably 7’6″ for quicker ​line pickup and better casting distance
​Power

Throwing any kind of lure into heavy weed cover means you need a rod that has enough backbone to haul bass out of deep cover.

You’ll most likely be running heavy braid as your main line so you need a jig rod that has a enough of a backbone to be able to handle pressuring a largemouth bass that is hell bent on diving to cover.

If you are throwing small jigs in more open water then a medium/heavy rod can be sufficient.

​Action

Action defines where on the rod blank the natural bend in the rod will start to form.

A moderate action will start to bend more towards the middle of the rod.

A fast action will start to bend much higher up towards the rod tip.

​Fast action rods are the best choice to use as a jigging rod for bass as you need a lot of tip sensitivity and you also need the ability to set the hook quickly.

With a slower more moderate action the hook set will be delayed as more of the energy you put into the strike gets absorbed by the rod blank.

​Length

Longer rods have several advantages when it comes to using jigs in heavy weed.

​Greater casting distances especially if you are flipping.

​Longer rods will take up more line when striking. Using most single hook lure like jigs need a quick strike to set the hook.

A shorter jig rod would be slower to take up line and would delay your strike somewhat even with a fast action.  

​Best Jig Rod

​​1. ​St Croix Mojo Bass

The Mojo series of rods from St Croix are some of the best baitcasting rods ever produced and have been a massive hit with bass anglers since they were introduced.

The 7’4″ with a heavy power rating and a fast action is the model to go for as a top notch jig rod.

​The rod blanks are built on St Croix proprietary SC-II graphite and come with a high quality black cherry finish and an outer coating of two coats of slow-cure.

You get a rod with a lot of back bone and a really crisp tip action that is perfect for jigging.

That performance is thanks in part to a manufacturing process known as Poly Curve. Poly Curve helps to eliminate the natural transition points you will find down the length of the blank allowing for a much more uniform bend.

This means better sensitivity from tip to handle and an all round stronger rod.

They come finished with a high quality split cork grip, Kigan Master 3D line guides and a Fuji ECS reel seat.

Pair this with a high quality baitcaster and you have a really versatile rod for working in and around thick weed cover.


​2. ​Dobyns Champion Extreme HP

​Dobyns have firmly established themselves as a​ maker of some of the best value rods out there.

The Fury range is probably the best value line available.

The Champion Extreme line is one of their higher end offerings and they are exceptional performers.

​They are a massive hit on the bass tournament scene and more and more recreational anglers are switching away from more traditional brands to Dobyns.

The Champion Extreme DX 734C is a 7’3″ rod with a fast action and a medium/heavy power rating. It is rated for lures in the 1/4 to 3/4 ounce range and can be used as great all round casting rod for multiple techniques.

So if you are throwing lighter jigs in more open waters or across gravel beds then the Champion DX 734C is a great alternative to some of the heavier rated rods above.

They are equipped some very high quality hardware, Kigan guides with zirconium inserts, Fuji reel seat and AAA quality cork handle.


​3.​ ​​G. Loomis IMX-PRO 853C

​G. Loomis make some of the best rods ever! They are the premium rod brand on the market and have built some of the most sensitive high performance rod blanks in history.

​If your intention is to throw lighter jigs and money is no object then the IM-Pro 853C is the best jig rod for bass available.

At 7’1″ it is shorter than most rods in this line up but that shorter length is all about added sensitivity.

From G. Loomis their ​series of rods in terms of performance goes from the E6X to IMX and then to top of the range IMX-PRO.

If you’ve ever fished a E6X rod then you’ll know just how good they feel in the hand, the IMX-PRO is like an E6X on steroids.

A super light weight high modulus tapered rod blank gives you some of the best possible feedback that any jigging rod could have.

The IMX-PRO 853C is purpose built for fishing in cover where feedback and sensitivity is required.

A fast action and well balanced rod that has lightning fast hook sets and enough back bone for trophy bass.

Rated for smaller lures in the 3/16 to 5/8 ounce range they come with a high quality cork handle and Fuji tangle-free K-frames.


​4. ​Abu Garcia Veritas

The second generation Veritas casting rods from Abu Garcia are built on 30-Ton graphite blanks that use a spiral woven technique to produce a rod that is 22% stronger than the previous model. 

A great jig rod with a backbone that can haul any bass out of the thickest of cover.

​They come with titanium line guides with SIC inserts and a micro click reel seat hood.

The reel seat is exposed and has a double anodized screw down top that allows for a lot more feel from the rod blank into your hand.

If you are looking for a rod that can take a bit more abuse than some of the more sensitive model like the G. Loomis above then a Veritas is a solid choice.


​5. ​Daiwa Tatula XT

The Daiwa Tatula XT TXT731HFB is a real work horse of a rod that can be used for several heavier bass techniques and throwing medium to large jigs into cover is where it really starts to shine.

​They are built from  HVF(High Volume Fiber) high modulus carbon graphite using an X45 bias construction technique that reduces twist down through the rod blank.

​A split grip EVA foam handle with Fuji Aluminum oxide guides and a painted Fuji ACS reel seat to finish them out.


Jig Rods for Bass

​When throwing jigs in close quarters one of the most popular techniques will be flipping.

Most flipping rods will be 7 foot minimum but 7’4″ seems to be a really sweet spot.

That extra length will really help when flippin the jig out away from you but it also plays another important function; lifting line quickly when you strike.

A longer rod undoubtedly lifts more line than a shorter one although it does take a bit more arm/wrist power to do so.

You get the added benefit of the longer rod acting like a longer lever.

When fishing in this type of cover you will most certainly be fishing with heavy braid.

Braid needs very durable line guides. The toughest being SIC, Zirconia, Alconite and then aluminum oxide being the minimum you should shoot for when selecting line guides for use with heavy braid.

Do you need a dedicated jigging rod?

You’ll see a lot of similarities between the various types of bass fishing rods with the most popular specification being a medium/heavy power rating with a fast action at roughly 7 feet in length.

If you are only throwing jigs occasionally then you may weed not need to spend the money on a high end jig rod.

  • Updated October 19, 2021
  • Tackle