I own a 10' Sam Heaton and a 10' Todd Huckabee Dipping rod, but have only handled a Crappie Maxx in the store ... so take that into consideration when I say .... between the two, I'd go with the Sam Heaton.
But, and I hope this doesn't throw a monkey wrench into the works, if I were considering a 10' rod for vertical jigging "mostly" ... I'd consider the 10' BnM Tenn Handle FnF rod. And I'll tell you why : the price is virtually the same, but the FnF rod has a Tenn style handle, which let's you position whatever reel you desire to use so that it balances the outfit. The Sam Heaton has a fixed reel seat, so you can only use a reel of a certain weight to balance it with. And the worst thing an angler can have is a outfit that's tip heavy, because it strains your wrist to compensate for the weight of the rod.
I balance my outfits to where I can lay the rod/reel on my outstretched finger, at the front end of the handle, and it will not fall off but lay perfectly straight. That degree of balance makes the outfit feel more like an extension of my arm, and there's no strain on my wrist or forearm.
Think of it like this : you can pick up 50lbs easy - OK - now you pick up a 10lb barbell with 20lbs on each end, by grabbing the bar dead center - OK - no difference. NOW ... pick up that same barbell/weights, but grab it a little off center. OK ? NO, it's not !! Now it feels like the barbell/weights weigh a whole heck of a lot more than the 50lbs it actually weighs. WHY ... because you've lost the balance point, and your wrist/arm have to compensate for the difference in weight distribution. It works the same way with a rod/reel ... even though we're talking ounces rather than pounds. It will eventually start to wear on you, and make it uncomfortable to use.
... pappy



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