Here’s a list of the best walleye rods available, covering a range of preferences and budgets.
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St Croix Legend Tournament Walleye Spinning
The St Croix Legend Tournament Walleye Spinning rod is designed specifically for walleye fishing. Constructed with high-modulus SCIV graphite, it offers excellent sensitivity and strength. The rod features Fuji K-Series guides and a split-grip handle for better control and reduced weight. This premium rod is perfect for anglers seeking top-of-the-line performance.
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Ugly Stik Elite Spincast
The Ugly Stik Elite Spincast rod is known for its durability and reliability. Made with a combination of graphite and fiberglass, it offers a strong yet sensitive blank. The Ugly Tuff stainless steel guides ensure smooth line movement. This affordable rod is suitable for both beginners and experienced anglers who value a solid all-around performance.
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Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Spinning
The Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Spinning rod is designed to provide optimal sensitivity and control. It features a high-modulus graphite blank with a unique ergonomic grip that enhances comfort and reduces fatigue. The titanium frame guides with zirconium inserts ensure smooth line flow. This well-balanced rod is an excellent choice for anglers targeting walleye in various conditions.
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St Croix Eyecon Spinning
The St Croix Eyecon Spinning rod is another excellent option for walleye fishing. It features a high-quality SCII graphite blank, providing a good balance of sensitivity and strength. The rod has stainless steel guides and aluminum oxide inserts for smooth casting. The Eyecon series offers various lengths and power options, allowing anglers to choose the perfect rod for their needs.
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Tica WMVA Casting
The Tica WMVA Casting rod is a versatile option for walleye fishing, offering a strong and lightweight blank made from high-modulus graphite. The rod features FUJI guides and a comfortable cork handle. With a moderate-fast action, this rod is suitable for various techniques, including jigging, trolling, and live bait presentations.
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KastKing WideEye Walleye
The KastKing WideEye Walleye rod is designed specifically for walleye fishing enthusiasts. It features a lightweight, sensitive Toray IM9 graphite blank with a fast action, ensuring quick hooksets. The rod is equipped with high-quality Fuji guides and a comfortable EVA handle. With multiple length and power options, this rod caters to a variety of fishing situations.
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Cadence CR5 Spinning
The Cadence CR5 Spinning rod is an affordable option for walleye fishing. It features a 30-ton carbon matrix graphite blank, offering excellent sensitivity and durability. The rod is equipped with stainless steel guides with SiC inserts for smooth casting. Available in various lengths and power options, the CR5 is a versatile choice for anglers targeting walleye.
In conclusion, these seven walleye rods provide excellent options for different angling preferences and budgets. Each rod offers a unique combination of sensitivity, strength, and durability, making them suitable choices for walleye fishing.
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Okuma Dead Eye Pro Spinning
The Okuma Dead Eye Pro Spinning rod is specifically tailored for walleye fishing techniques. The rod features a responsive and durable 24-ton carbon blank, offering great sensitivity and power. It comes with quality stainless steel guides with zirconium inserts, which ensure smooth line flow and increased casting distance. The Dead Eye Pro series offers multiple length and power options, allowing anglers to select the ideal rod for their preferred fishing method.
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G. Loomis E6X Walleye Spinning
The G. Loomis E6X Walleye Spinning rod is a high-end option for serious walleye anglers. It features a lightweight and sensitive E6X graphite blank, which offers exceptional performance and durability. The rod is equipped with Fuji aluminum oxide guides and a comfortable cork handle. With various lengths and power options available, the E6X Walleye series is an excellent choice for anglers seeking a premium rod to enhance their walleye fishing experience.
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Lew’s Custom Speed Stick Walleye Spinning
The Lew’s Custom Speed Stick Walleye Spinning rod offers a blend of performance and value for walleye anglers. The rod features a multilayered, high-modulus graphite blank, which provides a strong yet sensitive platform for detecting subtle bites. It comes with American Tackle’s Microwave Guide system, ensuring smooth line flow and increased casting accuracy. The comfortable Winn Dri-Tac grip adds to the overall user experience, making this rod an appealing choice for anglers of all skill levels.
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Abu Garcia Veritas Spinning
The Abu Garcia Veritas Spinning rod is a versatile and lightweight option for walleye fishing. It features a 30-ton graphite blank with the Sublayer Armor technology, which provides a balance of sensitivity, strength, and durability. The rod has stainless steel guides and zirconium inserts for smooth line movement. The high-density EVA handle offers comfort and control during extended fishing sessions. The Veritas series caters to various fishing scenarios with multiple length and power options.
Different Types Of Walleye Rods
Walleye fishing requires specific gear and techniques to maximize success. Several types of rods are used for walleye fishing, each designed for a different technique or situation. Three of the most common walleye rods are spinning, jigging, and trolling rods.
Spinning Rods:
Spinning rods are versatile and suitable for many types of fishing, including walleye fishing. These rods are designed for use with spinning reels mounted on the bottom of the rod. They usually have a moderate to fast action, which is a balance between sensitivity and power. Spinning rods are ideal for casting lightweight lures or live bait rigs, as they provide accurate casting and good sensitivity to detect subtle bites. Anglers often use spinning rods for finesse presentations, slip bobber setups, and casting soft plastics or crankbaits.
Jigging Rods:
Jigging rods are designed specifically for vertical jigging techniques, a highly effective method for catching walleye. These rods are usually shorter and have a fast to extra-fast action, meaning they are highly sensitive and provide quick hooksets. The shorter length and fast action make it easier to maintain control of the jig and detect even the lightest bites. Jigging rods are commonly used for fishing with live bait or soft plastic lures on a jig head. They are ideal for situations where walleye are held near structures or in deep water.
Trolling Rods:
Trolling rods are designed for anglers who prefer to cover a large area of water by pulling lures or bait behind a moving boat. These rods are typically longer and have moderate to slow action, allowing them to absorb the force of a fighting fish while reducing the chances of the fish pulling the hooks free. Trolling rods often have a parabolic bend, which helps to keep consistent pressure on the fish and minimize fatigue for the angler. Trolling is an effective technique for targeting suspended or scattered walleye, and is often used in combination with planer boards, downriggers, or diving planers to control the depth and spread of the lures.
Materials For Walleye Rods
Graphite (AKA Carbon Fiber):
Graphite, also known as carbon fiber, is a popular material for walleye rods due to its high strength-to-weight ratio. Graphite rods are lightweight, sensitive, and provide excellent responsiveness, making them perfect for detecting subtle walleye bites. However, they can be more brittle and prone to breakage compared to other materials, so it is essential to handle them with care.
Fiberglass:
Fiberglass rods are another common material used in walleye rods. They are known for their durability, as they can withstand impacts and stress better than graphite rods. Fiberglass rods have a slower action, making them more forgiving and suitable for beginners. However, they are generally heavier and less sensitive than graphite rods, which may make them less suitable for detecting light bites or finesse presentations.
Composite:
Composite rods are a blend of graphite and fiberglass materials. They combine the best features of both materials, offering sensitivity and lightweight construction from the graphite, and durability and flexibility from the fiberglass. Composite rods provide a balanced performance, making them a popular choice for walleye fishing in various situations.
How To Choose The Right Walleye Rod
Length:
The length of a walleye rod plays a crucial role in casting distance and leverage when fighting fish. Longer rods (7-9 feet) are better suited for trolling and long casting applications, while shorter rods (6-7 feet) are ideal for vertical jigging or casting in tight quarters. Consider the techniques you plan to use and choose a rod length that matches those applications.
Power:
Power refers to the rod’s resistance to bending under pressure. Walleye rods come in various power ratings, from ultralight to heavy. Light to medium power rods is most common for walleye fishing, as they provide a good balance of sensitivity and strength for handling typical walleye sizes. Choose a rod power based on the size of the fish you expect to catch and the weight of the lures you will be using.
Action:
Action describes the point at which a rod bends when pressure is applied. Fast action rods bend near the tip, while slow action rods bend throughout the entire length. Moderate action rods fall in between, bending in the upper half. A moderate to fast action rod is usually recommended for walleye fishing, as it offers the right balance of sensitivity and power. Fast action rods are ideal for jigging and finesse presentations, while moderate action rods are better suited for trolling and casting crankbaits.
In summary, these additional four walleye rods and the previous seven offer a wide range of options to cater to various angling preferences, techniques, and budgets. Each rod features unique attributes in terms of sensitivity, power, and construction, ensuring that you’ll find the perfect match for your walleye fishing adventures.