Welcome to the Maximus-Rods Gravity Micro Jig Review. Those who have followed my fishing adventures will know that I have an obsession with fishing with ultra-light gear. Continually pushing the limits on finesse fishing and experimenting with new gear on the market. I recently stumbled across the Gravity Micro jigging rod by Maximus-Rods. I grabbed the MMJSG20SUL model which is a 6-foot 7-inch rod with a 1-4 kilo class rating that only weighed a staggering 85 grams. Everything about this rod screams finesse and style. Incredibly light and thin with beautiful finishings and a stylish colour scheme. You can immediately feel the careful consideration to reduce weight with a comfortable skeleton reel seat and one of the thinnest rod tips I had ever come across. Having the rod tip white and orange was also clever.
I wanted to pair this rod with a reel that would truly make it a finesse fishing dream. After much visiting online tackle stores and local tackle shops, I decided that a Shimano Vanford 1000 spin reel would be the perfect companion. Boasting a similar stylish look design, colour scheme and most importantly ultra-lightweight with the Vanford only weighing in at 155 grams. The Vanford 1000 also has an amazing drag sound making it an overall very fun ultra-light spin outfit. I spooled the Vanford with 6lb Daiwa J-Braid Grand and 1 rod length of 4lb Sunline Sniper fluorocarbon leader. Finished with a 1/20 hws jig head and Munores 2.75 inch paddle tail in the glass Monkey colour which mimics a small bait fish so well.
Wow-what a first session it was with the new outfit. One of those dream occasions catching fish after fish pretty much from the first cast of the day until the last cast. In 3 hours, I managed to land over 30 fish and 9 different species really giving me the opportunity to put this new finesse rod through its paces. The system I was fishing is a shallow inlet feeding of Port Phillip Bay and for the most part, is around 3 meters deep with little tide and swell impact. There is a small build-up of weed so picking the right gear, soft plastic and jig head weight is critical when fishing here. Casting Monroe’s 2.75-inch paddle tail and working it back slowly with lifts and pauses I managed to land 20 Pinky Snapper, 2 whiting, 4 bream, 2 salmon, 1 tailor, 1 snook, 1 flathead, 1 trevally and 1 toadfish. Not that the pesky toadfish is anything to gloat about being a local pest but still adds to the tally on the day.
Finesse fishing must be one of the most enjoyable forms of fishing. It’s important to remember that when using gear this light we are not targeting huge fish. Primarily catching fish between 30cm and 45 cms. The sensitivity of the rod was amazing feeling every single nibble and enquiry on that super-thin rod tip. Then when you land a fish the extremely thin blank loads up making every catch feel huge, then having the listening pleasure of the little Vanford 1000 screaming. You do need to be very careful with finesse rods like this. You must handle the rod tip with extreme caution. Battling most fish under 50cm was no problem at all for this rod, however, I was very cautious when putting the rod in the car and when placing the rod down on the kayak after landing a fish. To ensure the rod tip wouldn’t snap as it is extremely thin. It’s a well-built rod but that’s the trade-off when you go so light.
So, let’s break down the rod even further. The rod is advertised as an Extra fast action however in my experiences rod with rod tips this thin are generally mid to slow action. This however was a good allrounder meaning it would be quite good to use for soft plastics, lures and a range of jigging lures such as crabs and small vibes. The high modulus rod was very sensitive, well balanced and cast well. When using micro guides it’s important to use thin lines and stick to good knots such as the FG knot. In my case using 6 lb braid and 4 lb fluorocarbon, I had no issues using a double uni knot. No issues with line or knots brushing against guides or rod tip. These rods are exceptionally light well and much thought and care are taken to reduce weight everywhere possible to enhance the experience. This is done using a skeleton reel seat, micro guides, minimal EVA on the handles and the lightest graphite. The rod was very stylish, the finishings are well done. It paired perfectly with the Vanford 100 in terms of looks and balance. If you enjoy ultra-finesse fishing then this is a rod that you must have a look at.
Rod Details and Specs
GRAVITY MICRO JIG is a series of specialized microjig rods. All spinning elements are designed in such a way as to achieve maximum sensation during the animation of jig baits, effective reading of the relief and perception of bite. The spinning blank is made of high modulus HME graphite and reinforced in a special way (Xwxw technology) to increase torsional strength and resistance. Gravity is fitted with ultra-light and durable T-Zirconia Slim Ring with an ultra-thin innovative zirconium dioxide insert. The most productive modern guides in combination with the ergonomic “skeletal” TVS reel seat allow you to achieve excellent sensors and provide a comfortable and reliable grip. The spaced handle reduces the weight of the spinning rod while increasing its sensitivity and improving balance. The elastic spinning tip (SST technology) provides maximum feedback when working with lures of the entire test range, the powerful butt part allows you to confidently cope with the fishing of large fish.
Model 20SUL has a glued in monolithic top (Solid), model 22UL has a hollow top (Tubular).
BLANK
- HME high-modulus graphite
- Ex-Fast Action
- SST (Soft Sensitive Tip)
REEL SEAT
- Ergonomic design,
- Hyper Sensitive System
GUIDES
- KOREA GUIDE with a zirconium dioxide inserts
- AT-Guide shape frame for 20SUL и 22UL models
- T-ZIRCONIA SLIM RING
- Antitwisting Tip
- Tangle Free
- Mini Guide System, lightweight, single foot
- K-Guide System
HANDLE
- Ergonomic design, lightweight spaced construction
- EVA (neoprene)
You can see more about these rods by visiting Maximus Rod’s global website at https://maximus-rods.com locally Maximus-Rods are available via Rodzilla. Thank you for reading our Maximus-Rods Gravity Micro Jig Review. Feel free to read more FishingMad products and reel reviews. Then please let us know by emailing our team at enquiries@fishingmad.com.au with specific details in the email. Thank you