Fishing Rods – Review 2023
In this report, we review fishing rods as we update your tackle opportunities in getting ready for the 2023 season. Our first report targets walleye fishing and the second report on northern pike. Our special thanks to Reuben Lim for his contribution.
7 Best Walleye Rods Reviewed
Different Types of Walleye Rods
You can jig, troll, or let your bait sit when you’re targeting walleyes. These different fishing techniques give rise to different types of walleye rods.
Spinning
The first type is spinning rods.
Spinning rods are the easiest to use. When using spinning rods, all you have to do is let your bait sit once you’ve cast it. As such, it’s the simplest fishing style.
Note that jigging rods are also spinning rods. I separated them because this is a different fishing style.
Jigging
The second type is jigging rods.
A walleye jigging rod is, as the name suggests, meant for jigging.
When you’re jigging, you’ll want snappy, clean, and crisp movements. This means your walleye fishing rod needs to have faster action – no less than moderate fast.
Since you’ll be jigging your rod, it also needs to be light enough that your arm doesn’t get tired quickly.
There’s also no need for a particularly long rod, so jigging rods tend to be shorter too.
If your arm starts to feel tired, you can stop jigging and let the bait rest. In other words, your jigging rod can double as a spinning rod too.
Trolling
The third and last type is trolling rods. Obviously trolling rods are meant for trolling.
You’ll be dragging heavier baits and lures behind your boat, so there’ll be water resistance acting on your line too. This means your walleye fishing rod needs to be stronger.
It’s no secret that walleyes have one of the softest bites, yet can grow up to 20 pounds. Your walleye rod has got to be not only sensitive but also strong enough to handle the biggest walleyes. On top of that, unless you want to tire yourself out after a few casts, it has to be light too. With all these in mind, I found these 7 rods to be the best for walleyes.
When it comes to walleyes, some people like jigging walleye, while others like trolling. If you’re looking to do both jigging and trolling, you’re in luck. Whatever your fishing style, the St Croix Legend Tournament Walleye can handle it.
Otherwise, if you’re only looking for a jigging or trolling rod, which would be less expensive, jump right in!
Our Top 7 Picks
- St Croix Legend Tournament Walleye Spinning (Best Overall)
- Ugly Stik Elite Spincast (Best For Trolling)
- Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Spinning (Best Legend Alternative)
- St Croix Eyecon Spinning (Best For Jigging)
- Tica WMVA Casting (Best Ugly Stik Elite Alternative)
- KastKing WideEye Walleye (Best Eyecon Alternative)
- Cadence CR5 Spinning (Best Budget)
Top Fishing Rods for Pike: A Quick Comparison Chart
| Pike Fishing Rod | Brief Description | |
| St. Croix Triumph Fishing Rod (9.4 Rating) | Excellent combination of quality construction, design, and price from a rod designed for the big fish.
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| Piscifun Serpent Baitcasting Rod (9.4 Rating) | Incredible baitcasting rod that has the lowest rate of failure or lowest bad reviews of about any rod you can find – for baitcasters. | |
| Shimano Curado Casting Rod (9.2 Rating) | One of the best premium pike fishing rods out there. Next level in construction and design, a bit pricy for many anglers. | |
| Ugly Stik GX2 Casting Fishing Rod (8.8 Rating) | The classic Ugly Stik rod just keeps producing solid inexpensive fishing rods – tied with Berkley for best budget pike fishing rod. | |
| Berkley Big Game Casting Fishing Rod (8.8 Rating) |
Berkley is a well known name and their Big Game casting rod is tied as the best budget option that still delivers a solid pike rod. | |
| Fenwick Eagle Spinning Fishing Rod (8.9 Rating) | Fenwick makes two excellent pike fishing rods but the Eagle is really next level. | |
| KastKing Perigee II Fishing Rods (8.5 Rating) | KastKing is a huge name in the fishing world and the Perigee II is the “big boy” KastKing rod you’re looking for. | |
| Ugly Stik Elite Spinning Rod (8.4 Rating) | Proven budget rod that gives great quality for the money spent. | |
| Lew’s Custom Lite HM85 Casting Rod (8.0 Rating) | Heavy duty premium fishing rod that is very well built, mostly dinged for very high premium price. | |
| Fenwick HMG Spinning Fishing Rod (7.8 Rating) | Solid pike rod that hits a nice balance between budget and premium rod benefits, priced around the middle. |
By Reuben Lim
Reuben went on his first fishing trip when he was 9. That’s when he fell in love with fishing. When he’s not fishing, he’s searching for new gear and ways to fish better.
* If you purchase through the links in this post, Reuben may receive a small affiliate commission, at no extra cost to you.
