The Best Jigging Rods, Tested and Reviewed

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Jigs are one of the most popular and effective bass lures. The wide variety of styles—finesse jigs, football jigs, and hair jigs, to name a few—make them an extremely versatile bait. However, the techniques used for fishing jigs can vary dramatically. Whether you’re swimming a jig in a foot of water around dense vegetation or dragging a football jig across a ledge in 25 feet, there’s some sort of jig to fish in any water color, at any depth, and in any type of cover. You just need the right rod.

This summer, I called in a full lineup of casting rods to test across a number of different bass fishing techniques. At the top of the list was determining the best jigging rods. So I took a bunch of the models—some old, some new—on the water to fish a variety of jigs and techniques. By the end of the test, I walked away with three standout winners and five other rods best suited for particular styles of jigs. Here’s the recap.

• Best Overall: Fenwick World Class
• Best Value: Lew’s Custom Lite Series
• Best Budget: Ark Catalyzer
• Best for Finesse Jigs: Fitzgerald Vursa
• Best for Skipping Jigs: Fenwick Eagle
• Best for Casting Jigs: Trika 6x
• Best for Flipping Jigs: Shimano Zodias
• Best for Grass Jigs: Dobyns Fury

Best Overall: Fenwick World Class

Specs

• Length: 7’3″
• Power: Medium-heavy
• Action: Extra fast

I’ve fished with a lot of casting rods over the last few years, and few can compare with the World Class in quality, aesthetics, and feel. The 7’3″ medium heavy/extra fast version of this rod is as sensitive, lightweight, and versatile as any I’ve ever picked up for a jig. I put it through the wringer during the last two months, and thus far, it has held up perfectly.

Though Fenwick labels it as an “extra-fast” rod, it fishes more along the lines of what I would consider a fast action. Which is what I look for in a jigging rod. The action is important because you want a rod with a soft tip, but still sensitive enough to allow you to detect the bite before the fish can feel you. The World Class has great sensitivity while also having enough backbone to make long cats, set the hook, and boat flip big bass. It has quickly become my dedicated swim jig rod, and I always have it rigged and ready to go.

The only downside to this rod is its $450 price tag. Though the premium price does match the build quality and on the water performance of this rod. And if budget isn’t a concern of yours, there’s no reason the Fenwick World Class shouldn’t be your next jigging rod.

Best Value: Lew’s Custom Lite Series

Specs

• Length: 7’3″
• Power: Medium Heavy
• Action: Fast

The 7’3″ Lew’s Custom Lite medium heavy offers the most value of any rod in the test. This model is one of the two Custom Lites I’ve tested over the last few months and it’s proven to be a fantastic all-around jig rod. As the name implies, the rod is light, making it comfortable to handle and fish all day with. It’s also plenty sensitive to feel subtle bites and still has the power to handle bigger fish.

This is also my go-to for fishing football jigs in less than 15 feet of water. If you plan to fish football jigs in 20 feet or deeper, opt for the 7’6″ rod. The extra length will help you move more line easier. And at nearly $300 less than the World Class, this rod outperforms its price in almost every aspect.

Best Budget: Ark Catalyzer

Specs

• Length: 7’2″
• Power: Heavy
• Action: Fast

The Ark Catalyzer 7’2″ heavy/fast is a little shorter with a slightly heavier power than the other models in the test. This rod is great for most techniques, including flipping, pitching, swimming, and casting a jig. It even does well dragging a football jig up to 1/2 ounce in about 15 feet of water. Though not ideal for skipping jigs due to the longer length, it can get it done in a pinch.

The durability is also superb, especially considering the price. I fished with the 7’2″ version for about a year, and it survived being tossed around from boat to truck to bank without ever breaking. It also handled multiple bass in the 3- to 4-pound range throughout testing. The components are solid, the sensitivity is fair, and the rod’s weight isn’t bad at all. Its most glowing characteristic, though, is its price tag; at only $60, this is one heck of a jig rod that you can do a good bit with.

Best for Finesse Jigs: Fitzgerald Vursa

Specs

• Length: 7′
• Power: Medium-heavy
• Action: Moderate fast

A smaller rod, like the Fitzgerald Vursa, is ideal for finesse jigs. The hooks on these baits are much thinner and require less of a hookset to penetrate the fish’s mouth. It’s easy to overpower a finesse jig with a rod that’s too big and stiff. A hard hookset with a rod that’s too big will result in tearing through the fish or opening up the hook. A shorter, softer rod, like the Vursa, is better for casting light finesse jigs, which often weigh 1/4 of an ounce.

I found the Vursa to be durable, lightweight, and sensitive. It was one of the top-performing rods when fishing finesse-style baits. I didn’t find it to be super versatile, but it is a great option for anglers looking for a specialized finesse jig rod.

Best for Skipping Jigs: Fenwick Eagle

Specs

• Length: 7’1″
• Power: Medium-heavy
• Action: Extra fast

When choosing a rod to skip a jig with you should pay attention to two things: a shorter length and a softer tip. The 7’1″ Fenwick Eagle medium heavy is a great skipping rod for both those reasons. Plus, it will only run you a C-note. The soft tip allows for whipping jigs under docks, pontoons, and brush with ease. The 7-foot length also makes it easy for low sidearm casts without the rod tip hitting the water.

The butt cap came during testing and I had to glue it back on. I also noticed imperfections between the materials used to make the handle. This isn’t a deal breaker and the rod was still durable enough to wrangle in a 6-pounder during testing. Given that it only costs $100, lower-end materials are expected. It’s still a great skipping jig option for the money, and one that would double well as a finesse rod.

Best for Casting Jigs: Trika 6x

Specs

• Length: 7’3″
• Power: Medium-heavy
• Action: Fast

The Trika 6x 7’3″ medium heavy/fast has plenty of strength to wrestle fish out of brush piles and into the boat. The extra length will help with the casting distance and hooksets. Similar to how the longer football jig rod helped move excess line when fishing deep, this 7’3″ rod has enough length to ensure adequate hooksets with casting jigs. But you won’t need quite as long and strong of a rod since you won’t be throwing 3/4-ounce jigs, and you won’t typically be fishing as deep. This style of jig is meant more for fishing through brush in 7 to 15 feet of water than anything else.

I like the feel and sensitivity of the rod, which are paramount with a casting jig. You need a rod that can detect the slightest difference between a bite and a twig when pulling a jig through a brush pile. These rods are expensive ($300), but with a 365-day money-back guarantee, you have nothing to lose if you want to try one out.

Best for Flipping Jigs: Shimano Zodias

Specs

• Length: 7’3″
• Power: Heavy
• Action: Fast

When you tie on a flipping jig to pitch shallow, isolated, and sparse cover, you want a stiff rod. The 7’3″ Zodias from Shimano fits the bill. This longer rod not only gives you more leverage on fish but also allows you to pendulum your bait without it hitting the water as you flip and pitch nearby cover.

The heavy power of the rod is also beneficial when it comes to pulling fish out of and away from cover. Due to the nature of flipping and producing big bites in close quarters, the heavier and longer setup is necessary for freeing bass from vegetation up and hauling them in.

Best for Grass Jigs: Dobyns Fury

Specs

• Length: 7’6″
• Power: Medium-heavy
• Action: Fast

Though this rod is labeled as medium-heavy, it’s classified as a flipping rod. So a medium-heavy here doesn’t equate to the same power as the 7′ Vursa Series medium-heavy. But this isn’t really a heavy-action rod either. It is more of the perfect balance between the two. It still has plenty of power to pull fish out of nasty cover, but nimble enough to pitch a 3/4-ounce jig for hours on end without feeling like you’re dangling a cricket off the end of a pool cue.

The rod also loads well on the hookset, which springs the fish out of the cover without allowing too much slack in the line. Throughout my testing, the Dobyns landed multiple 3-plus-pound bass and had no issues flipping these fish into the boat. For $130, this is a great jigging rod that I especially like when fishing thick pads and reeds.

How We Tested Jigging Rods

The first step to determining the best jigging rods was to compile a wide range of rods that fit the technique. That meant having different rod lengths, powers, and actions to test. I based my selections on decades of jigging for bass and what rods, sizes, and powers served me best. We also invited brands to send their best options.

Then I narrowed down the list to seven rods and took them on the water for extensive testing over the course of a couple months. This included making thousands of casts with a variety of different jigs on each rod in different water depths, cover, and situations. Finally, I took the lineup of rods to a stocked farm pond to see how they held up to big bass.

When it was all said and done, I awarded three main winners based on these categories: Best Overall, Best Value, and Best Budget. I separated the rest of the rods by pairing them with specific jigging techniques. Two of the three main award winners also proved to be the best for swimming jigs (Fenwick World Class) and for fishing football jigs (Lew’s Custom Lite). I evaluated all of the rods on the following criteria:

• Durability
• Weight
• Versatility
• Sensitivity
• Quality of the components
• Price
• Aesthetics
• In-hand feel

What Characteristics Make for the Most Versatile Jigging Rod?

There isn’t one specific rod length, power, or action that is perfect for fishing every type of jig. However, a 7’3″ medium-heavy rod with a fast action is the most versatile option for fishing jigs. In general, it is effective for swimming a jig, casting a jig, and dragging a football jig (up to ¾-ounce in less than 15 feet of water). A 7’3″ medium heavy/fast rod is also a serviceable option for pitching and flipping in light cover. And you can even use it to skip a jig in a pinch, though a shorter rod is better for this technique.

You will need a smaller rod for fishing finesse jigs and a bigger rod for flipping heavy jigs in grass. But, with one 7’3″ medium heavy/fast casting rod, you have the most versatile jig setup at your disposal. This is also the reason that the three main award winners all land pretty close to that strike zone.

Final Thoughts

Testing and determining the best jig rods is challenging. But these eight rods proved to be worthy of throwing all types of jigs. Remember, you can do a lot with a jig and a 7’3″ medium heavy power/fast action rod. Such as swimming, casting, and even pitching and dragging jigs. Keep in mind you’ll need a rod that’s a little lighter and shorter for skipping and finesse jigs, as well as something longer and a little stronger for flipping, pitching, and dragging.

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