Looking to get myself a higher end ($300 give or take) jig&worm rod.

Needs to be 7' or less for primarily kayak usage.

Want a sensitive rod for these duties, but want a tip that isn't so stiff that it's hard to accurately make spot casts and skip jigs.

Mostly 3/8 jigs for moderate cover, nothing real heavy.

3/8 at the most texas rigs

So far I'm looking at the following

-jb custom 7' snake

-dobyns extreme 704

Any other suggestions?

 

Can't go wrong with the Dobyns. I have a Fury 734C for swim jigs, jigs, and worms.

That Dobyns is a good choice. The new Shimano Expride would be another good choice. And I'd say the IMX Pro is a solid choice as well.

Check out the Kistler Helium 3 in MH/XF for those 3/8 jigs and trigs. Light and super sensitive, and they come in several lengths to suit your needs/preferences. I have the 7'1" and like the rod a lot, it compares well insensitivity to my Orochi XX rods and my higher end St Croix rods.  It's more a fast then extra fast, and most importantly it has a really great tip for that casting ease and accuracy you're looking for. They come in under your budget and if you catch a sale they're a steal. They'll also work well for swim jigs, lighter crigs, and a few more things. 

 

Also in you're price range and very versatile is a Megabass Orochi Diablo Spec R, billed more as a moving bait rod for swim jigs and the like it can handle those 3/8 jigs and trigs no problem. This rod is another of my favorites. But it comes in 2" longer then your target length. It's crazy versatile so a good choice in a kayak. 

 

TackleWare*** has the previous version of the G Loomis IMX rods on sale, and if they do any kind of July 4th sale you can get them for a steal probably. Haven't used them personally but one of the MBRs should fit the bill for you and I've read that at their sale prices they're worth it. 

 

Another great choice would a St Croix Avid or Avid X in appropriate length and taper. 

 

Lots of good options ions out there and I'm sure you'll get more and more informed responses then mine. 

 

Tight lines

 

Check out the St.Croix LTB

30 minutes ago, MassBassin508 said:

Check out the St.Croix LTB

Look nice, heard good things about them. I really would consider it but have heard they can be tip heavy. 

I like your first option. If you can get a custom stick to fit your budget, why not go for it? You get exactly what you want. Want a shorter handle for yak duty? No problem. Got big hands and want a larger diameter grip? No problem. Bling? Order it as plain, or fancy, as you wish.

24 minutes ago, jtipton91 said:

Look nice, heard good things about them. I really would consider it but have heard they can be tip heavy. 

 

Just my opinion and preference. While the LTB blanks are nice, I personally hate the reel seats the put on the current models. For that reason alone I'd stick to an Avid or Avid X and the SCIII blanks really don't give up that much to the LTB series. 

a used GLX BCR 803c would be perfect

I am a huge Dobyns fan, so I would spend my money on either a Champion XP or Extreme. I fish several Sierras and Champion XPs and love them. My frog rod is a Champ XP DC 705C, For jigs my choice would be a DC704C.  I am sure the Extremes are even nicer, I just have not fished with one yet.

i'd opt for the dobyns.  i have a dx 703 hp that i've used for an all around rod, but it works pretty well for t rigs.  they're very well made and dobyns has excellent customer service.

12 minutes ago, buzzed bait said:

i'd opt for the dobyns.  i have a dx 703 hp that i've used for an all around rod, but it works pretty well for t rigs.  they're very well made and dobyns has excellent customer service.

What's ur take on the sensitivity aspect of the champ extremes? 

21 minutes ago, jtipton91 said:

What's ur take on the sensitivity aspect of the champ extremes? 

 

i would say very good.  they're not on par with the couple of NRX rods that i own and use for bottom contact, but they're also not too far behind....  i've used mine for jigs and t rigs and never once felt like it was lacking any feel.  i got mine direct, called and talked to richard and he made me a steal of a deal on one they had taken in for an exchange where the guy wanted a power heavier or lighter and so i picked up a brand new one minus the depreciation factor!

8 minutes ago, buzzed bait said:

 

i would say very good.  they're not on par with the couple of NRX rods that i own and use for bottom contact, but they're also not too far behind....  i've used mine for jigs and t rigs and never once felt like it was lacking any feel.  i got mine direct, called and talked to richard and he made me a steal of a deal on one they had taken in for an exchange where the guy wanted a power heavier or lighter and so i picked up a brand new one minus the depreciation factor!

Awesome man. Do you know if the rod still has a warranty if it's sold as a trade in or been refurbished? I saw the used rod section on dobyns website and was thinking of going with one of the used dx704c's.

If you can wait a little bit St. Croix will be unveiling their redesigned LTB coming up at Icast. You could save a few bucks and buy the older model when it goes on sale or wait and try a new one. The 6'8" MH/F in the current lineup would work well for what you want. 

4 minutes ago, jtipton91 said:

Awesome man. Do you know if the rod still has a warranty if it's sold as a trade in or been refurbished? I saw the used rod section on dobyns website and was thinking of going with one of the used dx704c's.

 

100% same coverage as a brand new one.  mine was in fact still new, had the tags on it...

Very good options mentioned above, if you can add a few more dollars to your budget, try to find a used/demo NRX 853 or 854

For that kind of use i really like my Loomis IMX 843C MBR. I use it for allmost everything, T-rigs, small jigs, topwaters, Lipless cranks etc etc... it haves a good backbone, the tip is not to stiff and it´s very sensitive, all said and done... a really nice rod!

I'd say take a look at the new St. Croix BASSX rods I picked up a couple and they are amazing and just 100 dollars!