Best/Most Sensitive Bottom Contact Rod

The question of all questions.

Lots of sticks that will knock your socks off for these duties, but for me, it will differ depending on setting/conditions being fished. These are a few of the top of my head. 

Luxxe Oltre B70H for short-medium range duties. This rod will always be one of my favorites, but the taper is VERY unique and takes a bit of getting used to. Sensitivity is so pronounced that it can actually have an adverse affect at times…it’s something that has to be felt to be understood. Incredible build quality that has stood the test of time, aesthetically one that stands out from the crowd with performance that speaks for itself. 

Designo Vantage Semi Order DV7 7’1”….top 5 for me, 3/8-1oz total…it’s insanely good and rare. 

Designo Leggera Racing DL7 611H+…I can’t remember the model number off the top of my head. yeah an inch shorter than what you’re asking for, but it’s in the top 5 as well. 

Longer range, deeper water…X7 Extreme Mission….theres a reason I own 5. Bury me with them…one of the greatest Bottom Contact sticks ever created, period. Can handle 3/8oz jig n trailer, t-rigs for days, and a great many other things up to about 5/8(maybe smidge more) total weight. Tip section is magic for rocky terrain, mild-moderate cover as well as less threatening conditions.

Evergreen Rapid Gunner RSR for the 5/8-1oz range. Stupid sensitive, very fast tip section, tons of power. Outstanding heavy T-rig and jig stick. 

Steez racing Design Hustler Technical Tune. Sexy, sensitive as all get-out, outstanding in that/up to 3/8oz+ range. 

Honorable mentions:

Unlimited Rods Punchshot HD and ST. Both are great sticks 

Evergreen Heracles HFACT 70HST

STEEZ Racing Design 7011 HRB Jigga Stick

I’m gonna list a couple of shorter sticks that need to be mentioned, as they fish like much longer sticks and easily deserve to be on this list. 

Yamaga Blanks Acroba Bottom Snipe. 6’8” of Yamaga blanks goodness. This rod has put many costing 2-4 times as much to shame. It’s that good. God, I wish they still made a bass series.

Evergreen Kaleido TKIC 610H The Gunslinger. 6’10” of incredible sensitivity that’s incredibly tough to beat. Fast taper, balance, build quality…will handle a wide range of weights. 1/2oz plus trailer 

Fragment Factory 69H….ACS seat and meaty power, but stupid sensitive and will handle heavier duties beautifully. 

That’s a quick list but I can add more as I remember them. 

I second the Oltre B70H.

It’s not 7+ feet long, but I’ll add the EG Black Raven RS. It’s a shorty (6’6”), less for dragging and more for pinpoint targeting with a 3/8 jig.

For longer range dragging, I typically like rods 7’3” to 7’6”. There just aren’t too many of those available (any?) in the JDM lineups (Greg has all the X7 EM ever made, lol)… So I’ve been using USDM rods for this, mostly (blasphemy!). NRX 873 and 894. I’m planning to toy with the Steez Bottom Contact II. In theory, the P5 FMJ, X-Bites and BMG look to fit the bill but P5 rods keep disappointing me… The specs on the last 4 mentioned rods are perfect, they just need some magical pixie dust.

Do JDM fishermen not drag jigs over long distances or in deeper water?? Or they just like shorter rods?

I’ve been yearning for a while for a killer JDM longer dragging rod.

@rise Have you tried any if the ASL 7’2” rods for bottom contact? I wonder how sensitive they are. 

Posted by: @saoulons

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I second the Oltre B70H.

It’s not 7+ feet long, but I’ll add the EG Black Raven RS. It’s a shorty (6’6”), less for dragging and more for pinpoint targeting with a 3/8 jig.

For longer range dragging, I typically like rods 7’3” to 7’6”. There just aren’t too many of those available (any?) in the JDM lineups (Greg has all the X7 EM ever made, lol)… So I’ve been using USDM rods for this, mostly (blasphemy!). NRX 873 and 894. I’m planning to toy with the Steez Bottom Contact II. In theory, the P5 FMJ, X-Bites and BMG look to fit the bill but P5 rods keep disappointing me… The specs on the last 4 mentioned rods are perfect, they just need some magical pixie dust.

Do JDM fishermen not drag jigs over long distances or in deeper water?? Or they just like shorter rods?

I’ve been yearning for a while for a killer JDM longer dragging rod.

You’re not alone…I’ve been saying it for years. The JDM market needs more long bottom contact rods, but most of their waters are small and many people over there are if the same stature…..just saying. I think that’s relevant. 

Not to mention, lots of shore banging and close quarter scenarios. I for one, have zero issues utilizing shorter sticks. In my experience…It’s more about taper and backbone when it comes to those options and that’s what I mean when I say certain rods “fish longer” than their physical being would have you believe. 

As for the ASL’s…yes…I own and have fished the 72X and it’s very good. Probably should be on the honorable mentions list, but my expectations were quite high, and I feel like it didn’t live up to the price tag in the sensitivity department, even though that’s easily offset by the aesthetics. It’s been a long time, actually…I should get it back out there and do spend more time with it. 

Great thread and I am taking notes 

i heard the jigga stick wasn’t up to the hype. I kinda what to find out. I’ve never used a designo rod and now that I have completed school and awaiting graduation I’m getting back to my passion. I have both the bottom contact 1 and 2 rods and I feel that they just do not compare to anything evergreen Japan made that I have. 

im just going to note these rod suggestions and see if I can track some of them down. I’d love to get a 6’10 bottom contact JDM rod. 

I think the JDM market concentrates so much on versatility that they loose focus on the basic technique of worming and other bottom contact techniques 

@goldrod Great, congrats on finishing school!

A lot of the sensitivity assessment comes down to your personal experience and expectations… Most high end rods will transmit hard vs soft bottom well and then there is the next level of details, for example, if it’s a scratchy rock vs not, wood, etc. I would venture to say that a lot of rods are “sensitive enough” but once you experience top notch sensitivity, anything less feels disappointing. Doesn’t mean you catch more fish, it just plays with your mind 😎

@rise I have the 7208 ASL, I’ll give it a try. I may just do a “driveway test” for sensitivity since I don’t know the next time I’ll get on the water…

@goldrod

For some reason, Steez rods have never really tickled my fancy. And it’s not just the jog rods; the OG XBD didn’t excite me one bit while it’s a lot of people’s favorite frog rod… 🤷‍♂️ Dear Steez, it’s not you, it’s me.

I had the Jigga. It was a nice stick but I just couldn’t get excited to fish with it. i guess now it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy and I’m sure the Bottom Contact II won’t make the cut 😢

Posted by: @saoulons

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@goldrod Great, congrats on finishing school!

 

A lot of the sensitivity assessment comes down to your personal experience and expectations… Most high end rods will transmit hard vs soft bottom well and then there is the next level of details, for example, if it’s a scratchy rock vs not, wood, etc. I would venture to say that a lot of rods are “sensitive enough” but once you experience top notch sensitivity, anything less feels disappointing. Doesn’t mean you catch more fish, it just plays with your mind 😎

@rise I have the 7208 ASL, I’ll give it a try. I may just do a “driveway test” for sensitivity since I don’t know the next time I’ll get on the water…

Thanks you very much. It was certainly a sacrifice of weekends and off days..

@goldrod 

I’m sure, all the more congrats! I have yet to meet someone who regretted investing in themselves… Now it’s time to invest time in your passion! 🤗

Posted by: @saoulons

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@goldrod

For some reason, Steez rods have never really tickled my fancy. And it’s not just the jog rods; the OG XBD didn’t excite me one bit while it’s a lot of people’s favorite frog rod… 🤷‍♂️ Dear Steez, it’s not you, it’s me.

 

I had the Jigga. It was a nice stick but I just couldn’t get excited to fish with it. i guess now it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy and I’m sure the Bottom Contact II won’t make the cut 😢

i've heard that a few times about the jigga stick but i have one of the racing designs that is very sensitive.. i think its the texas rig special. I have been trying to play catch up in the jdm world and get another rod. I am just glad to be back out on the water. 

@Rise  what does EG make currently that comparable to the Gunslinger?

I dont see any of shimano JDM rods on this list, anyone care to elaboate? 

@saoulons have you tried any of the shimano JDM offerings? 

@goldrod 

I have not tried any of the Shimano JDM rods, unfortunately. For a while I was buying way too much stuff and then decided to focus on certain brands. For reels I’ve always been a Daiwa over Shimano guy, so I carried that over to rods too, probably wrongly…

EG makes the synergy line (red rods) that are available on TW and other retailers in the US for ridiculous prices. You can get “like new” ones in Japan for a fraction of the US price. That line has a few models with cool specs, a 7’1” and a 7’3”. This line was designed by Morizo Shimizu, I believe. I don’t know much about them except that Morizo says “I don’t need the most sensitive rod, I need a rod that cuts out the noise”, whatever that means 🤣

In theory, the EG RS / RSR and GT / HD lines are still active, but who knows if EG will ever release another batch of Rapid Gunners…

Posted by: @goldrod

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Great thread and I am taking notes 

 

i heard the jigga stick wasn’t up to the hype. I kinda what to find out. I’ve never used a designo rod and now that I have completed school and awaiting graduation I’m getting back to my passion. I have both the bottom contact 1 and 2 rods and I feel that they just do not compare to anything evergreen Japan made that I have. 

im just going to note these rod suggestions and see if I can track some of them down. I’d love to get a 6’10 bottom contact JDM rod. 

I think the JDM market concentrates so much on versatility that they loose focus on the basic technique of worming and other bottom contact techniques 

The Jigga Stick is sensitive, but it’s more of a pitchin-medium range stick, not a long range bottom contact stick as it was marketed. It does fall short in that role, but up close, it’s outstanding and loads up beautifully despite feeling a bit like a broom stick in hand. I’ve been saying it for years and I will always urge my fellow enthusiasts to not give up on a rod if it doesn’t perform to your expectations for the suggested applications. Please run the gamut with it and even try things that are on the opposite side of the spectrum for it. This approach has led me to keep a great many Rods that did not impress me initially, but really shined for things outside of their intended purposes. Happens more often than you would think.

Posted by: @goldrod

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@Rise  what does EG make currently that comparable to the Gunslinger?

I dont see any of shimano JDM rods on this list, anyone care to elaboate? 

 

@saoulons have you tried any of the shimano JDM offerings? 

EG is not making anything similar to the gunslinger in the Kaleido/RS/RSR/GTR lineup, But I am not Fishing any of the other lines, so I can’t suggest anything else within those. 

I will add these to the list, now that I’ve had time to reflect and look over what’s in the vault…

Poison Ultima 70MH legendary stick that I need to fish more often. 

22 Poison Glorious 170H is very good and deserves an honorable mention…little slower taper than a true fast, but hasn’t let me down/has put some big fish in the boat. 

Tiemco Fenwick Super Techna 610MH…amazing rod. 

Vagabond A/CPSP 28XX Power Jig Special REALLY surprised me as well.  

And I still have rods that I haven’t fished yet…another Vagabond, Designos and ISM Infinite Blades.