Price & Applications: Retail on the Tuggin' is $499 which is about on par these days for something designed and built in the US on a US made blank. Given the rod's ergonomics, it is well suited for its intended purpose as a topwater or glide bait stick.
 

The rod's baitkeeper is closed loop

The overall length of the stick is great for working large topwater baits and the only caveat is the topwater baits it supports are typically the kind that are best worked with the reel, not the rod, because that rear handle, though short for a swimbait rod, can still come into contact with your body if you're not careful while trying to aggressively work a big topwater walker with the rod tip.

Retail on the Tuggin' is $499 but the toughest part of procuring one is that this collab rod is only built in small batches

While some bank anglers may find the overall rod length a bit short the lively tip helps make this a surgical bank beater. The shorter length of the rod also makes it easy to manage for co-anglers or stowed in boat lockers. Zander really liked this bait for fishing glides and plugs in tighter quarters and found the rod "special" feeling when walking rats and controlling fish post strike.

The Tuggin rod is not just for glides, it is also a great rod for fishing topwater plugs and rats

Conclusion: The Tuggin is an intriguing product in the manner for which it is presented - as a collaboration between to two companies that we wouldn't necessary see getting together. It's not as if Leviathan and Baitsanity are located on the same block, street, city or even state. What they created in their collaboration is an undersized big bait stick that performs as if it is at least six inches longer than what it measures. Cal's only complaint about the stick is that "Glide Pitching" designation as he felt the tip was too soft to be a good pitching stick with baits over two and a half to three ounces and even then, that rear handle is too long for that method of presentation. Otherwise, with a buttery smooth, glass like power curve, the Tuggin' is a serious contender for general hard bodied, big bait duties and compliments not only the Antidote TUG well, but also Baitsanity's Explorer Gill.

The Tuggin has a buttery smooth, glass-like power curve ideal for slinging big, hard bodied baits with treble hooks

This is where Zander's perspective differs. He feels the term 'Glide Pitching' is less about casting long distances, or about the weight of the bait being cast, and is more about the precision involved in casting glidebaits. In his view, the 'Glide Pitching' label suits this rod because its active tip is specifically designed for targeting fish with glidebaits like the TUG or large one-piece plugs. Zander feels these baits create significant surface commotion, and being able to position them precisely near structure or ambush points is key to triggering strikes.

One thing that both Zander and Cal can agree on is that the Tuggin rod is a fishing rod that performs well beyond it's length

One reason Zander prefers to pair the Tuggin rod with reels featuring longer handles, such as the DRT Varials, is to maximize the synergy between reel and rod. Bait manufacturers like Baitsanity and UFO are now designing lures specifically to take advantage of these extended handles, fine-tuned for longer, more deliberate reel strokes. Zander found that combining reel bumps with subtle tip twitches on the Tuggin's shorter, lively tip made working baits much easier and more dynamic. Whether you subscribe to the idea of Glide Pitching with the Tuggin rod or not, the Leviathan x Baitsanity collaboration is an exceptional swimbait rod, offering anglers a distinctive form factor and unique fishing experience. The biggest drawback of the Tuggin rod? It's likely to continue selling out quickly, as it's still handcrafted in small batches.

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