Quote Originally Posted by G4bama View Post
I am wanting to purchase a 7ft casting rod for jig fishing. What do you guys use and which brand would you recommend?
Depends on what tip action you want the rod to have, what your budget is, whether you want a Tenn style handle or fixed reel seat handle, IM6 or IM7 graphite blank, what type guides you want on it, and so on ....

Personally speaking, I use a 6'6" ESP PowerLite rod ( Power Lite rods | Shop | ESP™ High Performance Ultra Light Rods by Norsemen Outdoors ) for my jig casting & dock shooting methods. Graphite Tenn style handle with graphite slip rings, alum oxide stripper guide & tip eye with chromium micro guides in between, very fast action tip, and the blank runs through the handle & has metallic disks around the blank that touches the inside of the handle (to transmit the lightest vibration right to your hand). Very light weight & very sensitive, with good backbone. The 6'6" & 7' models of this rod have the extended handle (as shown in the link above).

I field tested for ESP's designer & chose the 6'6" model because I already had a couple of 7' rods that I was using for jig casting. The main 7' rod was the Sam Heaton Signature Series, which I replaced with the 6'6" ESP as my primary jig casting rod. The biggest reason was the Sam Heaton has a slow action/parabolic bend that was a bit too soft action for my taste, after experiencing the ESP rod. I now use the Sam Heaton as a "tightline" rod (hook/sinker/minnow rig, fished straight down).

I believe Grizzly Jigs offers the best price, but you'd need a catalog or call them to confirm since they don't show the ESP rods in stock on their website. I don't believe there are any retail outlets in Ala. that carry the ESP line, at least not according to the Norsemen Outdoors website search feature.

The Sam Heaton 7' rod (now called the SH Super Sensitive) is a BnM product. BnM & Grizzly Jigs carry the 7' model.

... cp