# Jigging/Popping rod?



## Jungle_Jim

I am a total newby to jigging and popping. I bought a Penn BTL8000 and spooled it with 60 lb braid. I am wanting a jigging/popping rod to go with it for Gulf YF Tuna, wahoo etc... I would really appreciate any advice you can give. I dont mind spending a little more for a good product but cant spend 6 to 8 hundred on a rod.
Thanks,
Jim


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## mad marlin

Hi Jim , welcome to the craziness.
Unfortunately a jigging/popping rod is most likely impossible to find. There are two different concepts , Popping is a surface technique which required longer rods ( from 7'5 ' up to 8'2' ) in order to achieve long distance when you cast. 
The jigging rod its totally the contrary , rod are normally from 4'8' up 5'9 max as what youre doing its dropping down in the water column or bottom depending which fish are you targeting.
Now is it possible to jig with a 7' popping rod ? Yes , is it advisable no .Reason is you will be loading & putting a lot of leverage to land a fish , thus its a hurt on the angler.
Is it possible to pop with a jigging rod ? Yes, crazy but ive seen people doing it , however the fishing take a longer time than using a popper rod since you have lesser control of the fish with a shorter rod.
you will hear all kind of opinions & deference , one thing to remember is this is fishing ans not rocket science , budget & most important preferences. Its what you like , at the end of the day you're do one fishing.
HAVE FUN...but its addictive


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## Ex Boat Capt. Carp

Jigging Master and Black Hole, but for the money and warranty and close to home call Serious Tackle on 45 and Delaney in the outlet mall or go by tuesday thru sat and get a Sea Magic the new 7 footers are in and they do not have a bunch left. 190 bucks and they are a great rod and stand up to most anything in the GOM!! They are nice and light and they have a couple weights, and lengths you can choose from . FISH ON!!


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## stryper

Get on 360tuna.com and lurk and use the search feature. An educated jigger is a great asset. As jigging and popping are apples/oranges 
My 02.


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## mad marlin

stryper said:


> Get on 360tuna.com and lurk and use the search feature. An educated jigger is a great asset. As jigging and popping are apples/oranges
> My 02.


Great advice , Michael


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## Jungle_Jim

Thank you very much for the info!


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## t-astragal

You want 2 rods, and just get the credit card ready. It ain't cheap! Haha. Get a jigging rod first as in my experience this will be 90 % of the use. Short and light but strong is the key. You want the rod to bend and decrease the length of the moment arm so the fish doesn't have as much torque on you. X2 on BH and JM. But for less budget, the trevala xxh will do fine, just don't high stick it or use over 18-20 lbs of drag. Also for 70 bucks, I've seen a lot of fish caught on the ugly stick tiger lite.

Steve


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## mad marlin

360 school uh Steve ? lol


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## hog

Best jigg'n rods to have or buy are like talk'n










and, it depends on

How much you have to









and who you like to fish with or admire from their fish'n reports









or 









Heres some relatively in expensive rods that will Dang sure jig you up a fish and pull him in.

Just make sure the rod is matched for the weight of lures your gonna plan on using. Its not one of those times you buy a rod and wiggle it to see the flex. sad3sm

Buy the rod suited for the weights of jigs you will be jigg'n.
Try to remember this "in your head" conversion
2 oz = 50 grams 
(its actually 56.7 but round off)
Most of our rods and jigs seem to come from over seas. China, Japan, Tiwan etc and they write everything in metric weights, but, over here in the good ole USA, we still are using our Standardized system of Ounces, pounds, feet etc.. My generation aint into Kilometers yet.. 
Im to









If your gonna be mainly using 6-10 oz jigs, make sure the rod is rated for it. To stiff a rod, and it doesnt jig right- its more of a jerk.

Buy/use to weak a rod and when you jig, its just bends, and when you do get hooked up, you just have a limp noodle bent over in a U that will wear your butt out trying to get the fish in.
Most rods will give you a lure weight its suggested for such as 250gm-450gm or by line weight either in mono or braid. now a days, they are really putting the braid weight on alot. But, you can put 130# JB on a zebco 808 if you want to j/k

These are not in any special order, Ive used them all and caught fish with them all will work just fine.

For jigg'n rods, I actually like the shorter rods around 5-8" 6'... They just have a good balance feel to me. Speed jigg'n will wear a persons rear out if the rod is to heavy and tip heavy I guarantee ya.

Shimanno Trevalla, Not hard to find, you can find at most good fishing tackle stores. about 150ish to 220ish

Sea Majic can be bought locally near LaMarque. I have 3 of these Last time I bought one they were around 150-180 ish

Shakespeare Ugly Stick Tiger Jigging rod about 70ish and tough as nails.

You can also jig with a simple Shakespeare ugly stick or Tiger stick or Roddy Rod, all are in the same price range, all tough as nails, just a weight difference and feel. I have a shakespeare 7' spinning rod, 20-40# class that I had the first two inches cut off of and retiped that Ive used for years. I didnt go out and buy it way back when for jigg'n, I just had it in the rack and tried it when I was having another rod repaired a few years ago.

A new rod, I really like so far, I just got for fathers day. I had been look'n hard at the new Terez rods for a TranX reel my wife got me. I wasnt see'n to much love from all the thread write ups I was reading about the new rod. But, I did check them out at a couple places. they are really light and really thin.

So instead, I have a tackle shop I like to go to on vacation and order from over in Florida that has their name stamped on most of their imported tackle. I got a rod they were advertising as a jigging rod and due to its weave make up I guess, it has no predominate spine and can be used either as a spinning rod or conventional. I was skeptical, but, tried it. The books still out on it. I bought it mainly as a long distance chunk'n popping rod, but, since I havent made it out to the SPARS this year, I havent gotten to put it to the test. But, I have jigged with it and done some sure nuff long distance waxwing cast'n withit...
Im not pushing the rod, just telling you what I have, and that so far, I like it..
Stingray Jigging Rod it was around 100ish

Savage Rods in the 3-400 range. I cant remember the blank Don used to make mine, but, its about as good a custom rod a person would ever want to use.

I could go on, theres many many great other jigging rods out there. But, these are the ones I currently use. Other than the Savage Rod I have, I dont like to spend over 200 on a rod. I just dont see the point for Texas water fishing on how I fish. If I was fishing for 200+lb fish all the time, I might not do that. But, this works fine so far. Ive never had any warranty issues with the above rods and you dont have to be danty with them.

As for Popping rods, I like longer rods for distance. The 7'6" Stingray rod with that TranX can sling a 3oz weight about 75-100 yards, and is light and has a sure nuff back bone. I will probably buy me another one, when I go to their store on vacation or just order one over the phone. They have some other jigging/poppin rods for about 150 I want to look at first.

Another I have is a 7' Torque spinning rod I just got it, but, so far, so good have been the results.

Im sure others have much better choices and ideas on brands, types, styles etc., Im not to world'ly, and I dont go off to far off places, states or countries to fish. 
(I did go to costa rica once tho, the confiscated my lures with hooks at the scan line. I told them, "be sure and dont throw those away, those are some good jig's you got there )

But, when I buy something for a couple hundred dollars, I usually have to sorta plan for it first. 
I dont use the right kind of Fertilizer on my pecans I dont guess, they arent producing the right fruit 









Im sure need'n to locate some of them seed's tho.


What ever you do, and decide, I wish ya good luck in your choice.
:shamrock:
Let us know what ya get and how ya like it..

​


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## mad marlin

what did you say Hog ???


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## saltwater4life

Hog has always got some great info, here is also some really good informative info as well. Take the time and read all of it, really some great threads

http://www.360tuna.com/forum/f68/intro-jigging-gman-reference-beginers-4449/
^^^^^^^Info on jigging

http://www.360tuna.com/forum/f68/intro-popping-gman-reference-beginers-4762/
^^^^^^^Info on popping

S4L


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## hog

*PS*: 
If I had one piece of advice for new folks, it would be this. just because a reel a person owns or just bought can be cranked up to 55lbs of drag, and 100-130lb Braid line can be put on it, doesnt mean to put it to full power and for it to be a race in horsing up a fish from the bottom the fastest.

I dont care if they are 13.5XX hooks bought from Fishing Monster of the deep Tackle, Hooks bend/break, knots slip, meat/skin where the fish is hook'd tear out, and a frey in line you didnt know about comes apart when you have lots of drag being used. Let the drag and the pole work together, to tire the fish, not brute strenght of a weight lifters arms. The fight might last longer, but, the chances of the result being in the fishermans favor, sho does increase.. and you dont cuss near as much in the end... 

Heavy drag has its time and place, but, 20-25# will work for ya on most your probably gonna be fish'n for jigg'n.


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## hog

hog said:


> I have a shakespeare 7' Ugly Stick spinning rod, 20-40# class that I had the first two inches cut off of and retiped that Ive used for years. I didnt go out and buy it way back when for jigg'n, I just had it in the rack and tried it when I was having another rod repaired a few years ago.
> ​


Correction--- I had the first 6-8" cut off... it took away all flimsyness, especially in the tip area and has ONE HECK of a back bone.


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## Jungle_Jim

Thanks for the great info. I feel more lost then ever but I have some stuff to read and learn from.
Jim


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## red34

Jim, I literally just had 3 gently used 40/60 OceanXtreme rods walk into my shop to be sold on consignment. The guy is looking for $250 plus $25 for the shipping. That's the best deal you're gonna find on a purpose built popping rod ready for just about anything in the gulf. Nice match for that size reel too. 

Let me know if you want one


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