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Best Jig Rod for Bass: 7 Top Picks (2023 Reviews)

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St. Croix Rods Mojo Bass Casting Rod is our best jig rod for bass in 2023. This jig rod is durable, lightweight, and sensitive. It has a premium-grade handle that offers a tight and comfortable grip, making it easier for you to fish for long hours. Our runner-up is the Dobyns Rods Champion XP Series jig rod which is ideal for all fishing techniques. It’s also strong, balanced, durable, and sensitive. The most lightweight jig rod for bass on our list is the G.Loomis GLX jig & Worm Casting Rod. This rod offers high performance and is ideal for medium-heavy lures.

Check out our top seven picks for the best jig rods for bass fishing if you’re in the market for a new jig rod. We’ve got something for everyone, whether you’re a beginner or a pro or you want to gift a bass fisherman in your life. Read on.

7 Top Jig Rods for Bass

1. St. Croix Rods Mojo Bass Casting Rod

Best Jigging Rod

Key Features

  • Made of premium materials and tough FRS making the rod durable and stronger
  • With a top-quality contoured handle for enhanced grip
  • With a slim profile, stunning finish
  • Gives you more value for your money with a 5-year warranty
  • Versatile rod ideal for bass jigging (makes a good bass fishing combo with the right reel)

When you’re fishing for bass, you need a rod that will stand up to the fight. The St. Croix Rods Mojo Bass casting rod is designed with premium SCIII carbon construction and a Fortified Resin System (FRS) for unparalleled strength and durability.

The Split-Grip/Premium-Grade Handle provides a comfortable contoured rear grip.

The high-quality cork handle ensures you maintain a stronghold on your jig fishing rods, while the slim-profile ferrules, Kigan Master Hand 3D guides with thin, strong aluminum-oxide rings, and black frames ensure you’re in full control.

This casting rod also has a Fuji ECS reel seat with a black hood, Kigan hook-keeper/solid hookset, and two coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish delivering the right tools for the job. All these make it a great saltwater fishing rod.


2. Dobyns Rods Champion XP Series

Most Stylish

Key Features

  • Designed by Gary Dobyns, the legendary bass fisherman
  • Offers the most accurate results, smooth and non-tiring use
  • With a Limited Lifetime Warranty – more value for your money
  • For vertical jigging, catching big bass fish because of its good jig bite
  • This is a sturdy rod for all kinds of fishing techniques with heavy power

Dobyns Rods Champion XP Series rods are sensitive, light, strong, and balanced. It’s a lightweight rod. You can choose from 63-technique-specific spinning and baitcast rods.

These are designed from the highest quality materials with a modulus graphite blank, enhanced Kevlar wrapping, and high-quality cork grips.

You’ll get the most accurate results when vertical jigging because of its balanced design. The smooth and tireless cast with a 14″ cork handle will give you the best performance and value.


3. G.Loomis GLX Jig & Worm Casting Rod

Most Lightweight

Key Features

  • Comes with updated reel seats
  • With a split-grip handle, durable guides
  • Lightweight, sensitive, and high-performance
  • This is a high-quality pole for all jigging techniques
  • Built with heavy power for medium-heavy lures and deep cover

The GLX Series casting rod is redesigned using a new proprietary seat, split-grip handle configuration, and Fuji K-frame SIC guides.

The spinning rod is lightweight, sensitive, and high-performance that is designed for medium to heavy line ratings.


4. ABU GARCIA Unisex Adult Vendetta Spinning Rod

Best Jigging Rod for Any Jigging Technique

Key Features

  • This is a lightweight jigging rod with a balanced construction
  • Made from tough EVA making, it is very durable
  • With a convenient hook holder that will work with all types of baits
  • This is a finesse jig for thick cover
  • A heavy jig, good line weight, sensitive tip, and extra length

The ABU GARCIA Unisex Adult Vendetta is designed for bass anglers who demand a light, sensitive rod with a high-performance backbone.

This is still one of the lightest, most sensitive, high-performance spinning rods made.

This premium jig rod has a high modulus and high tensile strength. It allows you to use as much as 15% less material than comparable IMX rods, dramatically reducing weight and maintaining the same power. It’s great for any jigging bass technique.


5. Elite Black Series Jig Fishing Rod

Best Value

Key Features

  • With a customized Winn grip handle for maximum control
  • Comes with a free Elite Rod Sleeve
  • Produces the fastest rod action even for thick cover/ heavy cover
  • Has is a strong rod, but the bass rarely slams, giving you the best results

When it comes to jig fishing, the Elite Black Series jigging rod excels in features and performance.

It is designed for fishing jigs, and at 7′-2″, it’s got the power and action to get your bait deep into the cover.

In addition, this pole comes with custom Winn Grips and ships with a free Elite Rod Sleeve.

To top it all off, most users say that this is one of the top rods for bass fishing available on the market.


6. OKUMA–6’6″ Cedros “A” Speed Jig Casting Rods

Best Fishing Rod with Enhanced Rod Tip

Key Features

  • With enhanced pulling power with its E-Glass blank
  • With durable zirconium inserts that reduce friction
  • With very strong anodized aluminum reel seats
  • Comes with enhanced custom EVA grips for maximum control
  • Has a quality rod, one of the best jigs for strong bass

The OKUMA Cedros “A” Speed Rod is constructed of a durable E-glass blank to help absorb shock. This lightweight jigging rod offers comfort with ribbed EVA grips and a rounded butt cap on the rod’s handle.

More so, the Zirconium inserts are corrosion-resistant and provide a smooth pass-through of both the braid and mono line.

Additionally, Its Alps Tri reel seats are ergonomically designed to add comfort and strength to the rod.

The OKUMA Cedros “A” Speed Jig Fishing Rod features an E-glass blank for incredible pulling power; Glass rod blanks offer shock reduction when using braided lines, and Zirconium guide inserts reduce friction from braided lines.

The high-rise frames keep the bar off the blank and foregrip, and the  ALPS pyramid-shaped aluminum seat offers more control.

At the same time, the ribbed EVA grip boosts grip and rod control.


7. Shimano Teramar Inshore Rods

Best Jigging Setup Rod

Key Features

  • Very durable with a Shimano TC4 construction
  • With very strong guides – Concept Fuji Hardloy / Fuji aluminum oxide
  • With the best quality cork handles and reel seats
  • Comes with a solid hookset/ hook keeper
  • With a good line weight perfect for heavy jigs

The Shimano Teramar Inshore fishing rods series was constructed with Shimano TC4 design and enhanced Fuji Hardloy guides and Fuji graphite reel seats.

The grade A cork handles, top—quality guides with Gudebrod thread wrapping make it very efficient in any water.

These amazing features are unmatched by any other dedicated jigging rod series available in the market.


best jig rod
Source: Canva Pro

Things to Consider When Buying the Best Jigging Rods

Action

Knowing where the rod bends when applying pressure or weight is key to understanding how the action works.

If it turns in the top third of the jig fishing rod, it’s considered fast action. If it turns in the top half, it’s medium or moderate action; if it starts bending in the bottom third of the rod and into the handle, that makes for slow movement in slow-action rods.

The action you need depends on the techniques you’ll be using and the fish you’re targeting. For example, if you’re using smaller lures or baits and casting to lighter targets, you’ll need a faster action rod to feel the strike and set the hook quickly.

But if you’re using larger lures or baits and targeting bigger fish, you’ll need a slower action rod to control the fish better.

Length

A long rod is an ideal choice for line retrieval, especially in deeper water. It also allows you to power fish away from cover with ease.

An extra-long rod helps with flipping jigs. The shorter rod is better for casting jigs to fish in shallower water. The best rod length depends on your fishing style and location, whether you’re using butterfly jigs, throwing jigs, or a weedless jig.

The standard lengths for jig rods are 6 to 7 feet, but you can also find some that are shorter or longer. Also, if you’re fishing in tighter spaces, you’ll need a shorter rod to cast more easily. But if you’re fishing in open water or targeting larger fish, you’ll need a long rod for more distance and power.

Weight

As an angler, you know that the weight of your lure makes a huge difference. For instance, if you have too light of a lure, the rod will not load properly, resulting in a shorter cast. If you’ve got too heavy of a weight, the rod will pack too much and have a sluggish cast.

If you’re using smaller lures, you’ll need a lighter rod to cast more easily. But if you’re using larger lures, you’ll need a heavier rod for more power.

Power

The best rods for jig fishing will be rated for heavy power and fast action tip for picking up the slack in the line.

A longer rod works well with jigs, just like casting rods at least seven feet long. The longer the rod, the more line you pick up as you raise it.

A rod with good power will hold the fish’s mouth with ease, such as a pole made from stainless steel material/stainless hoods to keep fish strong.        

Material

Graphite and carbon fiber are the two main materials producing the best quality jigging rods. However, each has its inherent properties and drawbacks.

Graphite fiber is sensitive, strong, and lightweight but is brittle and easily snaps. Carbon fiber, on the other hand, is durable, flexible, and strong but can be stiff and unresponsive.

When blended in the right configuration, graphite, and carbon fiber create the best quality jigging rods with power, strength, and faster actions while lightweight, sensitive, and flexible.

How To Choose A Combo for Jig Fishing (Rod, Reel, & Line)

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Conclusion

If you’re looking to catch largemouth bass, you need the right rod to pair with a good baitcasting reel.

Selecting the right jigging rod to add to your bass fishing gear is the first and most important decision you need to make for a successful fishing experience.

Using the wrong rod will not only affect your casting but cost you many missed fish. 

We hope our list helped you find the right rod!

Diana Nadim
Fishing Expert
Diana began fishing at the age of seven, as it has been a long-time family tradition. From catching small bullheads to catching strippers on the backwaters of Bighorn, she loves to get out in the wild and have a marvelous day on the water. Her dad was an expert angler, and he taught her fishing along with her two siblings. They used to go to the Bighorn River in Montana and Henry’s fork, Idaho. As a pragmatic person, she is obsessed with creating well-researched and practical guides and reviews of the best fishing methods and gear.
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