The general characteristics for a slow pitch rod are: (1) thin, slow tapering, elastic blank; (2) high carbon content; (3) slow, even unload; (4) NOT parabolic, contrary to what people think – you do not want the blank bending into the reel seat; (5) somewhere, generally, between 6’3 and 6’10; (6) as minimal hardware as possible, including split grip, small guides and nearly no fore or rear grip.

One of the things to consider is that a lot of people in the US, especially those who are just starting, are either using improper form or haven’t quite figured out what the proper action should look like. Part of this is lack of time on the water, part of it is because a lot of Americans tend to think they “know” how to do something just because they’ve fished before, and, lastly, they tend to apply tactics they’ve used previously (or fishing styles) to this new style of fishing which are generally inapplicable.

Let’s start with form. The proper way to pitch a jig is with the rod under your forearm and not under your armpit. If the rod is under your armpit, you have a limited range of motion, cannot impart the right action on the jig, and will have a misguided opinion of the performance of a rod. Why do I say this? Properly used, a slow pitch rod uses the forearm as a fulcrum point to pitch the jig. The rod will load as the angler pushes down with the forearm on the butt end of the rod, and slightly lifts up. Contrary to what people have seen or heard, slow pitch is NOT just letting the rod do the work. It’s actually about working in conjunction with the rod, and using very slow action to pinpoint where the jig is in the water column, where it is in relation to the bottom, and really keeping in contact with everything.

When beginners tell me that higher end rods, with very slow action, aren’t right – or aren’t moving the jig correctly - I immediately question their technique. I also question when people say that a rod pitches a jig effortlessly. This tells me that the rod is likely too fast. There should be some resistance. There should be some effort exerted. SPJ, at its highest levels, is not about how easy this is. It’s about precision. It’s about the angler manipulating the jig with their efforts, not simply relying on the rod to be a magic wand.