The emergence of custom rods initially began in the ice fishing industry multiple years ago, in recent years this trend has grown into the open water fishing industry as well. For anglers looking to take their fishing to the next level, custom rods have become a critical component of their presentation. For Lip Ripper Fishing and Propst Professional Anglers, the choice is JB Designs Custom Rods.
Fish It Like Nick
“My favorite rod for pitching jigs for walleye for seven years had been the Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye rod,” says Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “In October 2021, Josh Bible, Mason Propst, Bob Propst Jr, and I went out to try a variety of rods Josh had built. I never looked at my Elite Tech the same again.”
Custom rods give anglers the ability to select the exact specifics of every element of the rod they desire. This includes the blank, length, eyelets, and handle.
“The Fenwick Elite Tech is an excellent rod, I caught a ton of fish on it, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a high-quality factory rod,” continues Harrington. “When you’re ready to take that step into customs though, there’s no going back.”
There are many aspects that take custom rods to a level of their own, but in the case of JB Designs Custom Rods, the biggest element is weight.
“Josh is extremely cognizant of weight and builds extremely light weight rods, which in turn leads to increased sensitivity,” elaborates Harrington. “The second you put the rod in your hand you can feel the difference, and this is even more evident when it comes to feeling a bite.”
All components of the rod-the blank, handle, eyelets, and wraps or designs can attribute to total weight, which makes attention to detail critical.
“Josh is one of, if not the most, detail-oriented people I have ever met,” states Harrington. “Josh doesn’t build great rods; he builds literally the best rods. That’s how focused on every little detail he is, and it’s reflected in every rod he builds.”
The original JB Designs Custom Rods were focused on pitching jigs for walleye. Now, JB Designs offers an option for pitching jigs, bottom bouncing, trolling, panfish and more.
“I love the pitching rods, I literally had to relearn how to jig because I realized how many bites I wasn’t feeling,” admits Harrington. “I also was fortunate to try a couple of the ultralight panfish prototypes out in Custer State Park on some really nice rainbow trout and had an absolute ton of fun with them.”
Field tests from anglers are a critical component of every rod, and a major component of what makes these rods so versatile for each individual angler’s goals.
“My favorite thing is Josh asks for, and more importantly listens, to feedback from fellow anglers,” explains Harrington. “I’ve been fortunate to test the pitching rods, trolling rods, panfish rods, and every rod I’ve tried has been fantastic.”
Individuals interested in purchasing their own rod can contact Josh Bible directly to go over their specific goals and fishing style.
“I’ve really learned a lot about rods working with Josh and it’s made me a much better angler as well,” continued Harrington. “The rods are extremely sensitive, have excellent backbones, and are in my opinion one of the biggest steps an angler can take when taking their fishing to the next level.”
Building Your Own Rod
“Personally, I favor a 6’9-7’0 length rod overall,” details Harrington. “When pitching jigs I favor an extra-fast tip and a medium or medium-light blank.”
Rods are categorized from ultralight to extra heavy, with medium and medium-light falling in the most common walleye varieties, particularly when it comes to pitching jigs. Extra-fast is preferred for jigging, whereas a fast is more for bottom bouncing or casting crankbaits.
“What I love about the extra-fast tip is you feel that bite, then it drops back into a solid backbone,” continues Harrington. “I also loved fishing the extra-fast ultralight for trout and that’d make a perfect panfish rod, it really just depends on your style of fishing.”
Labeling can vary by rod supplier companies, which is what makes working with a specific rod builder important.
“Working with Josh I’ve realized what may be labeled a light acts more like a medium or vis versa, which is why talking through what I want, holding the rods, and testing them has helped me learn a lot more about rods and get exactly what I’ve wanted,” concluded Harrington. “I would recommend to any angler, if you are looking to take your fishing to the next level you need to contact Josh Bible with JB Designs Custom Rods.”
Nick’s Rod Recommendations
Factory Options:
- Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye 6’9” X-Fast Medium Light (Pitching Jigs)
- Fenwick HMG 7’0 Fast Medium-Heavy (Bottom Bouncing)
Custom Rods:
- JB Designs Oahe Platinum 6’10” X-Fast Medium (Pitching Jigs)
- JB Designs Live Bait Series (Bottom Bouncing)
Get Geared Up to Catch More Walleye
Want to learn more about the gear we use when targeting walleye? Whether it’s on the Missouri River, Glacial Lakes region of South Dakota, western Nebraska reservoirs, or anywhere else across the Midwest we share our favorite baits and how we fish them on our Getting Geared Up page!
