rod sensitivity/design for jig fishing

[sgsmooth]

so here's my big question...  opinions (and articles etc.) seem to vary about whether an extra fast rod/tip is more sensitive than a fast tip, a rod with a slight taper and a little more tip flex.  ignoring the "power" of the blank...what do you guys think? 

I especially got a little confused the other day when a friend borrowed my tackle for a few casts and commented that he would have preferred a faster rod/tip for his jigs.  I was running a heavy power, fast action BPS Extreme 7' casting (the new ones with blank through handle) with a Revo 3S with a powerful drag.  the tip on the rod does have a bit more flex than a few other rods I own, but I would still say it's fast and I thought the flexible tip might help with casting and also fighting fish, or maybe even with sensitivity for light bites compared to a rod that has little to no flex even in the top section (extra fast). 

main problem is that jigs aren't my forte' anyway and I don't have much success on them.  some of that is my lack of confidence in them and using other baits instead, but I got to wondering if I wasn't missing really subtle bites on my jig rod.

any opinions there?  what do you guys prefer for jig fishing?  guess it all just comes down to personal preference?

[duke13372]

I personally don't like the XF rods.  I compare them to a bamboo stick with a twelve inch twig on the end.  A few years ago (probably a decade now) they started the XF craze.  I did not find that they cast any better than my fast action and they certainly didn't have any give in fighting a fish.  Perhaps some thought that they could set the hook better.  I don't know.  Honestly I think that some companies just couldn't design the rod properly with the materials they were using.  I see many companies now that have some strange ratings on their rods.  I would rate them entirely different than they do.  Again a rod is a compromise and it's entirely the preference of the fisherman.  Same as using a fast action as opposed to a mod action with cranks.  I'm not saying you can't use a fast action but for me, my preference is the mod action. 

[Pferox]

Best jigging rod I had was a piece of rebar, you could feel everything, and the jig lifted the minute you moved the rod, didn't catch many fish though because you would rip the hook out of their mouths on the hook set.

Simple analogy, tip speed on a jigging rod effects the lifting of the jig basically, after you know how much effort you need to move your jig how far, the flex in the tip becomes a moot point in my opinion, until you cast it, or fight a fish that you hooked, and I like a small amount of give that a fast to moderate gives over an X-fast especially when using braids. I personally don't feel that little difference in tip movement effects sensitivity much, but it might be the way I fish, trying to be in contact with the line all the time.

I see jigging rods on the coast here, that are floppy coach whip looking things, but many times they are jigging with treble hooks attached, that presentation demands lots of flexibility in a rod.

[sgsmooth]

right right.  yeah I'm leaning towards it being a compromise and preference thing.  awkward thing for me is that I'm still getting finesse fishing down so I don't have a good comparison and want to make sure I'm not using the wrong tool for the job. 

nearly bought a 7' Veritas instead (I have a 6'6" spinning version I really like and I use for shaky heads - and it's super sensitive and I might rate it as "extra fast") but I wondered about casting the heavier jigs on a rod like that even when scaled up, or keeping a big fish buttoned on when the rod had so little flex.  plus like I said I heard conflicting things about what was more sensitive -a super fast action or something that had a little more flex and was just "fast."  so I went with the Extreme 7' heavy and saved a few bucks at the time but am still debating. 

really don't know the answer and like you guys said it probably depends more on preference, overall rod construction and materials (modulus) anyway.  thanks!   

[earldogg]

I prefer xf. I don't believe their more sensitive, just casts with pinpoint accuracy, and better, powerful hook sets. I mostly use flourocarbon, if I am using braid I like fast.

[sgsmooth]

thanks, makes sense.  I'm gonna keep grinding it out right now then maybe consider a switch next year depending on how it goes.