Let’s face it: the multitude of options on the market for jigging rods is overwhelming. Unless you already know exactly what you’re looking for, how can you tell if the jigging rod is best for slow pitch, butterfly, or speed jigging? You’ll need to understand the specs and how they correlate to each jigging technique to be confident in finding the right jigging rod for you.
This article begins by showing a table of the top jigging rods on the market, at various price points, and then gives you a brief explanation of the specs and how to make a decision about what specs you should be looking for.
| Rod | Technique | Power Range | Action | Guides | Guide Count | Max Lure Rating | Max Braid Rating | Length |
| Daiwa Saltiga | Slow Pitch | ML-XXH | M | Fuji Titanium | 10 | 200-800g | 25-65 lb | 6’1” |
| Shimano Game Type J | Slow Pitch | ML-MH | MF | Fuji SiC | Not listed | 180-300g | 30-50 lb | 6’0” |
| Daiwa Harrier Slow Pitch | Slow Pitch | M-XH | M | Fuji Fazlite K | 12 | 250-500g | 30-65 lb | 6’6” |
| Shimano Grappler Type J | Speed | ML-XXH | MF | Fuji Alconite + SiC tip | Not listed | 180-400g | 30-100 lb | 5’6”-7’0” |
| Shimano Trevala PX | Speed | L-XXH | F | SeaGuide Zirconia | Not listed | 50-350g | 20-100 lb | 5’8”-7’0” |
| Star Paraflex | Butterfly | MH-XXH | Not listed | Fuji Concept w/ alconite rings | 6-9 | 200-325g | 80-200 lb | 5’9”-6’6” |
| Shimano Trevala Butterfly | Butterfly | L-XXH | M-MF | Fuji Alconite or Fuji O | Not listed | 90-325g | 30-200 lb | 5’8”-7’0” |
You Need a Specific Jigging Rod for Different Styles of Jigging
There are a few different saltwater jigging techniques. The table identifies the jigging technique that the rod is best used for, however it does not mean that it has to be the exclusive use of that rod. Slow pitch jigging is slow and rhythmic, while speed jigging is fast and exhausting. Butterfly jigging is somewhere in the middle. Slow pitch jigging rods are made to be light and made to handle relative soft strikes. Speed and vertical jigging rods and heavier and designed to withstand strong strikes. I would caution anglers to consider this when attempting to use a slow pitch jigging rod for speed jigging.
Slow pitch jigging is a technique in which the reel is put in freespool and the jig falls to the bottom. As the jig falls, it is in a unique horizontal position and wobbles. The jig is vertical during the retrieve and typically has a darting action. It is most likely to be struck during the fall.
Speed jigging is quite the opposite. In speed jigging, or vertical jigging, a knife-style jig falls quickly to the bottom and is retrieved as fast as possible up the water column, darting erratically along the way. These jigs are imitating a fleeing baitfish and invoke a hard strike from predatory fish.
Butterfly jigging is a unique technique where the angler is doing a vertical circular motion to work the jig. The jig can yo yo, it can spin, it can flutter, wobble, or dart, depending on the jig design. My article Top 5 Butterfly Jigs goes over the action of 5 distinct jigs to use when butterfly jigging. It's a faster technique than slow pitch, but not quite as fast as speed jigging, which makes the rod specs fall in-between speed and slow pitch rod specs.
Jigging Rod Powers Range from Light to XX Heavy
The power range is directly related to the weight the rod can handle. The heavier power rods need to be paired with heavy jigs and should be used when targeting larger fish. You can find rods for all of these techniques with power ranging from light to extra extra heavy. However, not all rod models are available in the full range. You’ll need to have an idea of your target fishery, and the size jig you’ll be using most often to narrow down the rod selection.
As an example, I normally fish in depths 200 feet or less, which means I will be using around a 200g jig for most of my fishing. I was looking for a slow pitch jigging rod for a moderate price, so I went with the Daiwa Harrier Slow Pitch Jigging Rod in medium power for a reasonable $200. The rod has a maximum lure rating of 250g which should be plenty. I might use a 225g when the current is strong and I’m in 200 ft of water. To read more about how I chose my slow pitch jigging setup, read my article here.
Slow Action Rods for Slow Pitch, Fast Action for Speed Jigging
Jigging rod action varies by technique. When choosing a rod to buy, you’ll need to consider whether you want multiple setups for multiple jigging styles, or if you’re looking for to maximize versatility. Usually anglers who want to maximize versatility have limited rod storage on the boat or a limited budget. This can be a good way to spend a higher dollar amount on a versatile setup, rather than spreading your budget out and getting lower quality products for each setup.
For slow pitch jigging, a moderate to slow action is preferred. This helps give the rods a parabolic bend when working a jig or pulling up a fish. The taper gives the rod a high sensitivity so the angler can feel when the jig hits bottom and feel the softest strikes. This is key because the jig imitates a dying baitfish, which doesn’t necessitate a hard strike from a fish. The strikes are often soft and the angler needs to recognize a soft bite and immediately set the hook.
For speed jigging and butterfly jigging, the action is moderate to fast. The fast action gives the rod a sensitive tip to work the jig effectively, without sacrificing the backbone needed for hard striking fish. When you’re looking for a jigging rod that can do reasonably well with different jigging techniques, look for a moderate action.
Pay Attention to the Jigging Rod Guides
The table includes guide style. This is one of the features that drives the price of rods. The stronger and lighter the ring guide material, and the ring frame, the better the guide. The better the guides, the more expensive the rod. The strength of a titanium guide frame is unmatched. The durability of a silicon carbide (SiC) guide is beneficial when taught braid is running through your guides. Braid gets tighter as tension is put on it and it’ll cut through the guide rings on cheap guides if you aren’t careful.
You’ll also see guide counts listed as a rod spec. Rod designers know that there is an optimum guide count which distributes the stress of the line along the entire blank, but isn’t so many guides that it negatively impacts the weight. With conventional setups, the guides are on the top of the rod, and its possible under heavy load that the braid will reach the foregrip. This is one of the reasons why it’s important to stay within your rod’s lure rating and braid rating. With a spinning setup, you don’t need to worry about it hitting the foregrip because the line is on the under side of the rod. However, if a spinning setup experiences more stress than it can handle, a guide could break off.
Keep Your Jigs Within the Rod's Lure Rating
The maximum lure rating is the heaviest jig you should ever use with a particular rod. Going above the jig rating is setting your rod up to fail under the load of a fish too big for it to handle. Jigs range from under 100 grams to over 800 grams. The deeper the water is, and the stronger the current, the heavier jig you’ll need. A good estimation for jig size is 50 grams of jig per 50 ft of depth. You’ll need to increase this when the current is too strong to let your jig fall vertically.
Some rods have a minimum lure rating as well. This is helpful to know the smallest jig you can effectively work with that rod. If you use a jig that falls under the minimum rating, your rod will likely not have enough action to give you the sensitivity you need. You’ll see barely a bend in the rod, if at all. If your rod doesn’t have a minimum jig rating, you can try a few smaller sized jigs and learn the lower boundary for your rod.
Jigs typically have the weight listed on it so you can easily read the jig weight and compare it to your rod rating. It also helps to keep you jigs in smallest to largest size order in your jig bag. As you look at jigging rod specs, you’ll notice that the heavier lure ratings are usually accompanied by a heavier power rating. This makes sense because the power of a fishing rod represents how much force it takes to get to the backbone of the rod. You’ll likely be targeting and catching larger fish in deep water when using large jigs, and you’ll need a strong backbone to fight them.
Don't Exceed the Jigging Rod's Max Braid Rating
The table lists the maximum braid rating range for each rod series. You probably spotted the light line ratings for slow pitch jigging rods. It’s incredible that such light rods and light line can catch huge grouper, snapper, amber jacks, and even tuna. You can use lighter line than these max ratings on these rods, but for comparison purposes, the max ratings are listed because they’re published on these rods.
To find the right braid size for you, you’ll need to consider the size of the fish you’re targeting and the size of your reel. Your reel needs to be capable of applying drag pressure at 25-33% of the line strength.
Speed jigging and butterfly jigging are two jigging techniques that generally use heavier line. The speed at which the jig is worked, and the hard strikes the jig takes, requires heavier line to withstand the conditions.
You might also be wondering why there’s no monofilament rating. Jigging relies on sensitivity for the angler to work the jig effectively, to feel bottom, and to feel strikes. Braid is the best line to use for jigging because these characteristics are present. To read a detailed article explaining why braid is best for jigging, check out my article on the topic here.
Shorter Jigging Rods for Speed Jigging and Longer for Slow Pitch
Jigging rods are normally available in around a 6 ft -7 ft size. There are several reasons for this to be the case. One of the primary jobs of the rod is to transmit the feel of the jig behavior to the angler. This is called rod sensitivity. High rod sensitivity gives the angler maximum control over the jig while also letting the angler feel when the jig is on the bottom, or when the jig takes a soft strike. The rod must have high sensitivity and be reasonably portable, which means it should be one single section, unless you really need two sections for travel. All of these rods are one piece except for a couple models of the Shimano Trevala butterfly jigging rod.
Anything bigger than about a 7 ft rod would be very difficult to handle on a boat. When looking at the table, you’ll notice that slow pitch jigging rods are normally about 6 ft to 6 ft 6 inches. Slow pitch rods need to be a little longer than speed jigging and vertical jigging rods to help impart the rhythmic movements on the jig. It also makes for a more challenging fight than short, speed jigging rods, which is honestly half the fun of slow pitch jigging.
The shorter lengths, under 6 ft, are great for speed jigging. The angler has more leverage when fighting big fish with a short rod. This leverage advantage can make the fights shorter to keep you going longer. Speed jigging is an exhausting technique, so having a short rod to shorten the fight helps fight fatigue.
The longer length jigging rods are versatile. You can do bottom bouncing, butterfly, slow jigging, or even casting with a seven foot rod. These lengths are great if you’re looking for a rod that can throw some poppers and do some jigging with only changing your leader and lure.
I hope this article helps you find the jigging rod for you. Tight lines, y’all!
