best high end jig rod

[dr14]

$600 rod that you have to add weight to the butt to stop it from being tip heavy. "Best there is." Wow.

If you're gonna drop that kind of money on a rod, have one custom built. Anyone who's half way competent can build you something that beats the pants off any production rod for half the cost.


7'10" heavy flipping rod I've got probably $120 in materials into (without professional rod builder wholesale discounts), carbon fiber grips (which are lighter and therefore add less butt weight to balance a tip heavy stick), and balances a inch forward of the reel seat with a Tatula Type-R, something like 15" from the butt. Same blank as the Z-bone....the same blank is on sale for $110 right now, I was able to grab this one for $87 last Black Friday.

Nice, what blank is that.

[UkCatsBasser]

NRX 873

[ifishinxs]

NRX 873

Another great choice.

Custom rods are fantastic. Only problem is you can’t buy a loomis or st Croix blank any more. North fork is as close as you can get. Rain shadow, etc aren’t even in the same league. The blank is the most important component. Great grips and guides don’t make a great rod. I can make a broom stick balance and it’s still only good for sweeping a floor.

[Turtleiron]

Ask me again in mid-December

Oh yeah! Looking forward to next month....

[DrewFlu33]

Nice, what blank is that.

NFC X-Ray MB7108-1: https://northforkcomposites.com/x-ray-rod-blanks/

It's the same series that Kistler builds their 2019 Z-Bone series on (and presumably 2020)

Another great choice.

Custom rods are fantastic. Only problem is you can’t buy a loomis or st Croix blank any more. North fork is as close as you can get. Rain shadow, etc aren’t even in the same league. The blank is the most important component. Great grips and guides don’t make a great rod. I can make a broom stick balance and it’s still only good for sweeping a floor.

St Croix blanks are available from Rod Geeks. They don't say "St Croix" on them, but they're the same blanks. Loomis isn't even Loomis anymore, and the NRX series is 10 years old at this point. If you really think there aren't any companies out there that are making blanks that are as good as St Croix or Loomis, you haven't looked in a while. It's not like Loomis and St Croix have magic factories or magic materials to produce something better than anyone else. In any case, give a competent rod builder a blank that is half way decent and they will make something better than any mass produced rod out there, every single time.

[evilcatfish]

$600 rod that you have to add weight to the butt to stop it from being tip heavy. "Best there is." Wow.

If you're gonna drop that kind of money on a rod, have one custom built. Anyone who's half way competent can build you something that beats the pants off any production rod for half the cost.


7'10" heavy flipping rod I've got probably $120 in materials into (without professional rod builder wholesale discounts), carbon fiber grips (which are lighter and therefore add less butt weight to balance a tip heavy stick), and balances a inch forward of the reel seat with a Tatula Type-R, something like 15" from the butt. Same blank as the Z-bone....the same blank is on sale for $110 right now, I was able to grab this one for $87 last Black Friday.

Thats some good looking work

[SamMule]

Check out JT outdoors Black reign series. I'd put them right up there with NRX rods at half of the price.

[ifishinxs]

NFC X-Ray MB7108-1: https://northforkcomposites.com/x-ray-rod-blanks/

It's the same series that Kistler builds their 2019 Z-Bone series on (and presumably 2020)



St Croix blanks are available from Rod Geeks. They don't say "St Croix" on them, but they're the same blanks. Loomis isn't even Loomis anymore, and the NRX series is 10 years old at this point. If you really think there aren't any companies out there that are making blanks that are as good as St Croix or Loomis, you haven't looked in a while. It's not like Loomis and St Croix have magic factories or magic materials to produce something better than anyone else. In any case, give a competent rod builder a blank that is half way decent and they will make something better than any mass produced rod out there, every single time.

A rod builder can do nothing to improve a blank. A thread wrapped over some guides and epoxy on some grips and a reel seat is not magic. I built custom rods for over 20 yrs. The blank is everything. Sure I could make them look pretty and wrap your name in thread. I can adjust the reel seat forward or back and make it all in your favorite colors. Put some high dollar guides on it and as a fisherman your in love! as long as you think its the best thing since sliced bread then it is..Iv'e had families pass down the rods to the next generation because the rods became personal. You cant get that in a store bought rod. So I would agree that a custom rod may be built better, balance better and look way better but it will never have the action or sensitivity of an NRX. The employees who developed Loomis rods are all still there and now with Shimano money and engineers the rods are better than ever. Not the same blanks from years ago. If a guy could buy Conquest or NRX blanks. OMG the rods that could be built would knock your socks off. Heck, I would dust off my machine.

[DrewFlu33]

A rod builder can do nothing to improve a blank. A thread wrapped over some guides and epoxy on some grips and a reel seat is not magic. I built custom rods for over 20 yrs. The blank is everything. Sure I could make them look pretty and wrap your name in thread. I can adjust the reel seat forward or back and make it all in your favorite colors. Put some high dollar guides on it and as a fisherman your in love! as long as you think its the best thing since sliced bread then it is..Iv'e had families pass down the rods to the next generation because the rods became personal. You cant get that in a store bought rod. So I would agree that a custom rod may be built better, balance better and look way better but it will never have the action or sensitivity of an NRX. The employees who developed Loomis rods are all still there and now with Shimano money and engineers the rods are better than ever. Not the same blanks from years ago. If a guy could buy Conquest or NRX blanks. OMG the rods that could be built would knock your socks off. Heck, I would dust off my machine.

Has the blank used on the blue thread NRX really changed? So one you buy today uses a different blank than the one they were using in 2012 or whenever it was that the blue NRX came out? I'm pretty sure they changed blanks when they changed thread colors, but I suspect we'd have heard about it if they changed the blank in the "current" series and I've never heard anything of the sort.

Clearly I'm not going to change your mind if you think that only production blanks have improved in the last decade while those available to rod builders are inferior. That said, you're quoting a link to a blank used in a production rod that people on this board talk about being more sensitive than an NRX. I think you should dust off your machine.

[denraytay]

A rod builder can do nothing to improve a blank. A thread wrapped over some guides and epoxy on some grips and a reel seat is not magic. I built custom rods for over 20 yrs. The blank is everything. Sure I could make them look pretty and wrap your name in thread. I can adjust the reel seat forward or back and make it all in your favorite colors. Put some high dollar guides on it and as a fisherman your in love! as long as you think its the best thing since sliced bread then it is..Iv'e had families pass down the rods to the next generation because the rods became personal. You cant get that in a store bought rod. So I would agree that a custom rod may be built better, balance better and look way better but it will never have the action or sensitivity of an NRX. The employees who developed Loomis rods are all still there and now with Shimano money and engineers the rods are better than ever. Not the same blanks from years ago. If a guy could buy Conquest or NRX blanks. OMG the rods that could be built would knock your socks off. Heck, I would dust off my machine.

I own every model NRX makes in casting rods. I also have started building my own with North Fork xRay blanks. My personal opinion is the North Fork are more sensitive than any of the NRX rods. I am in the process of building enough North Fork to replace my NRX and will be selling the NRX rods.

Will also say as far as production rods the Megabass Destroyer FMJ is my favorite 1/2oz jig rod.

[slipknobber bot]

A rod builder can do nothing to improve a blank. A thread wrapped over some guides and epoxy on some grips and a reel seat is not magic. I built custom rods for over 20 yrs. The blank is everything. Sure I could make them look pretty and wrap your name in thread. I can adjust the reel seat forward or back and make it all in your favorite colors. Put some high dollar guides on it and as a fisherman your in love! as long as you think its the best thing since sliced bread then it is..Iv'e had families pass down the rods to the next generation because the rods became personal. You cant get that in a store bought rod. So I would agree that a custom rod may be built better, balance better and look way better but it will never have the action or sensitivity of an NRX. The employees who developed Loomis rods are all still there and now with Shimano money and engineers the rods are better than ever. Not the same blanks from years ago. If a guy could buy Conquest or NRX blanks. OMG the rods that could be built would knock your socks off. Heck, I would dust off my machine.

Your right, the action, sensitivity will never be that of an nrx, it'll be improved. Gotta agree with drew, dust off that machine...

[collins4]

I like the Nrx 893 for 1/2oz jigs and the 894 for 3/4oz.

[Chevy II]

The NRX 894 is very sensitive but the thing that I like about it is the tip action paired with the power. I fished A rigs , swim baits swim jigs, tubes light and heavy. Most will say its the best in the NRX line up also.

[bronzebacks]

Nrx 873 and 894 are the best I've used.I don't go over 3/8oz plus trailer very often so the 873 is the one i prefer. I have a glx 893 i love for 1/4 oz jigs I have a conquest 903 but don't love it for jigs

[davidsa]

The NRX 894 is very sensitive but the thing that I like about it is the tip action paired with the power. I fished A rigs , swim baits swim jigs, tubes light and heavy. Most will say its the best in the NRX line up also.

to me Chevy nails it here. To me it is the combination of the sensitivity but balanced with the tip and power. I have a 17 model zbone and I think the blank is indeed more sensitive then my NRX but it is stupid fast and I like fast rods. Recently I picked up a 19 zbone with the xray blank in a flipping stick and it is much more to my liking and more similar to the NRX 894 in action. I get to fish it next week on Okeechobee. I won't be able to claim the xray more sensitive then the NRX until I fish it for a week but I will say it is very good in my limited time with it. If you can make custom rods out of it, I'm sure they would be great.

[jbabin76]

tRecently I picked up a 19 zbone with the xray blank in a flipping stick and it is much more to my liking and more similar to the NRX 894 in action.

Which power and length did you pick up?

[davidsa]

i got the 7'10 5 power flipping stick.

[jbabin76]

i got the 7'10 5 power flipping stick.

Really curious how the action of this rod compares with the H3 H MOD 7'-11"... I wanted the Z-bone 5 power, but didn't want a moderate action rod if that's what is is.

[davidsa]

Your concern was mine when I ordered. After I fish it this coming week and hopefully land some +5lb fish I will send you a PM. I've fished it enough to say that I don't notice any difference action wise from the zbone and my NRX894; both great. Again, hope to land a bunch of fish this week and that will be the real test.

[jbabin76]

Your concern was mine when I ordered. After I fish it this coming week and hopefully land some +5lb fish I will send you a PM. I've fished it enough to say that I don't notice any difference action wise from the zbone and my NRX894; both great. Again, hope to land a bunch of fish this week and that will be the real test.

Great to hear... really looking forward to your review. I have the H3 MOD and I don't want that action.