The Best Walleye Rods of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Walleye rods are like golf golf equipment. Typically you want a driver, and different occasions, a 5 iron, a sand wedge, or a putter — and all of the golf equipment in between. Like golf golf equipment, there’s actually nobody finest walleye rod that does all the things completely. Some get near being the final word versatile walleye rod, however right this moment’s walleye fishing could be very approach particular. 

I’ve spent the final 12 months testing all kinds of walleye rods on waters starting from the Mississippi River, St. Croix River, Mille Lacs Lake, and different notable walleye lakes all through Minnesota. So, if you happen to’re in search of one of the best walleye rod to catch a trophy Walter or a restrict of eaters, listed below are my high picks. 

How We Examined the Rods

With the assistance of my fishing buddies, I fished every rod utilizing a wide range of methods whereas noting sensitivity, rod energy, weight, stability, castability (together with distance), ergonomics, and general fishability. 

The methods included vertical jigging, pitching, rigging, slip-bobbering (aka energy/pace corking), casting, trolling crankbaits, pitching blade baits, drop shotting, and nearly all the things else you possibly can think about. The purpose of this on-the-water testing was to seek out the approach every rod excelled at one of the best.

Greatest Walleye Rods: Critiques & Suggestions

Greatest Price range All-Function: Daiwa 24 TD Eye (TDEYE701MLXS)

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft 1 inch 
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium-light energy, extra-fast motion
• Gentle and Sturdy Cork Grip
• Fuji guides
• Fuji reel seat
• HVF (Excessive Quantity Fiber) carbon development
• X45 carbon weave
• MSRP: $130

Execs

• Light-weight
• Delicate clean, deal with, and tip
• Reasonably priced
• Carbon weave will increase energy, sturdiness, and rod twist prevention

Cons

• Jack of all trades, grasp of none

Daiwa took all of the expertise from their premium rods and put them into this price-point walleye rod. I discovered the 24 TD EYE to be as mild, delicate, and well-designed as Daiwa’s Kage rods, which price $100 extra. 

And it’s not simply me. My buddies had been impressed, too — particularly with the sensitivity. We used a TD Eye on Mille Lacs and the Mississippi River to energy cork and pitch walleyes. The rod allowed us to really feel delicate bites and simply forged our mild jigs. It really works properly for jigging, rigging, pitching, casting cranks, and might play a Swiss Military Knife for about anything within the walleye fishing playbook. 

I talked to High NWT, AIM, and multi-circuit walleye event phenom, Tom Huynh, who has been extensively fishing the 24 TD Eye rods this 12 months. He’s been evangelizing their advantages, particularly for pitching tremendous mild jigs with forward-facing sonar to hook large, conditioned walleyes. “I can actually see and really feel the chew on a slack line once I’m sniping large walleyes out in open water with FF sonar,” says Huynh. Given Huynh may use any rod in the marketplace, it says rather a lot that he makes use of price range Daiwa technique-specific TD Eye rods. 

Learn Subsequent: Walleye Fishing Tips from the Experts

Greatest Mid-Priced All-Function: St. Croix Legend Walleye Tournament “Mid Rig” (73MLXF)

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft 3 inches
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium-light energy, extra-fast motion
• SCIV+ carbon fiber clean
• Alconite and stainless-steel guides
• Nylon, aluminum, and stainless-steel reel seat
• Tremendous grade cork and composite cork deal with materials
• IPC, ART, TET, and FRS proprietary applied sciences
• MSRP: $280

Execs

• Size permits for quite a few walleye methods
• Delicate
• 15-year guarantee

Cons

I’ve been a giant fan of St. Croix Legend Match rods since they had been first launched, and the final redesign hasn’t modified that enthusiasm. The second-generation Legend Walleye Match rod household is lighter and extra delicate general, thanks primarily to utilizing SCIV+ carbon fiber clean materials. 

This rod proved nice for rigging (because the title implies), pitching, casting swimbaits and small- to mid-sized crankbaits, hair jigs, slip bobbering, trolling #5 Shad Raps, and drop-shotting. It’s a bit lengthy for vertical jigging, however that’s its solely limitation. If you happen to’re in search of a mid-priced, all-purpose walleye rod, that is the stick. 

Greatest Price range Pitching Rod: Fenwick Elite Walleye (ELTW70ML-FS)

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft 
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium-light energy, quick motion
• 36/30 ton Powerlux 200 graphite mix with proprietary reinforcing resin
• Tailor-made foregrip
• Multi-material cut up and full-length grips
• Titanium information frames with super-thin zirconia inserts
• MSRP: $170

Execs

• Restricted lifetime guarantee
• Sturdiness
• Unbelievable guides
• Affordability
• Ergonomic deal with

Cons

• Quick motion is a bit slower flexing than rival fast-action rods

Observe: I examined the 2023 model of this rod, which has been redesigned barely for 2024.

First, a bit about Fenwick. Given I’m practically 50 years previous, I bear in mind the Nineteen Eighties when Fenwick made one of the best walleye rods. My dad fished them, as did lots of my uncles and different anglers I knew. Sometimes, I’d get to make use of certainly one of their rods and was all the time impressed with their mild weight and sensitivity. 

Then sooner or later Fenwick was outmoded in title and gross sales by different manufacturers. Whereas there are nonetheless numerous walleye anglers on the market fishing Fenwicks from the previous, it’s taken some work to get the title again on the market once more. However they now provide walleye anglers a number of technique-specific rods at varied worth factors and plenty of high professionals like John Hoyer and Mark Courts fish Fenwick rods.

I fished the 7-foot Fenwick Elite in a medium-light energy, quick motion, which I feel is an efficient deal at $170. These specs make it an all-purpose rod and it fished like one. 

If you happen to’re in search of an reasonably priced, throughout rod that can accomplish numerous completely different duties, it is a champ. It labored properly for jigging, pitching swimbaits/cranks, working glide baits, rigging, drop-shotting, slip bobbers, and even long-lining crankbaits behind the boat on the troll. The one adverse factor I can say is that it feels extra like a medium-power rod than a medium mild. 

Braid slips simply via the zirconium-inserted titanium guides, which contributes to the Elite Walleye’s sensitivity. The tailor-made foregrip with lowered size and added taper make for good really feel. One other think about its skill to really feel mild faucets is the clean’s direct contact with the reel seat, which I personally actually like for jigging and rigging functions. Mixed with braid and one thing like a tungsten jig head, you’ve bought a setup that detects the slightest walleye bites. 

Greatest Price range Jigging/Rigging Rod: 2B Fishing Genesis (7’ ML Quick)

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft 
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium-light, quick motion
• Precision-engineered graphite clean
• Ergonomic, blank-through Military cork deal with
• Hand-wrapped PVD coated stainless-steel guides
• MSRP: $189

Execs

• Designed by Gregg and Paul Thorne
• Delicate and light-weight
• Effectively balanced
• Reasonably priced

Cons

After I was 10 years previous I constructed a customized fishing rod within the previous Thorne Bros. customized rod store in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota. The house owners, Gregg and Paul Thorne, held my hand via the method.  

Now, some 39 years later, the proof of their onerous work and dedication to rod constructing excellence is clear of their manufacturers Eliot and Two Brothers (2B), which had been recently sold to Acme Fishing. Guess which means extra fishing for the brothers.

2B Fishing presents some nice rods for below $200. The 7-foot, medium-light energy, fast-action rod I examined had many deserves, together with its unimaginable mild weight, sensitivity, and stable development. Speced as an all-purpose 7 footer in medium-light energy, quick motion, the performance-to-value ratio proved particularly excessive. Used as a jigging rod, the clean was very delicate and felt feathery within the hand with little fatigue. 

I additionally used the rod for casting small- to medium-size swimbaits, #5 crankbaits, and different minnow crankbaits. Might you drift or slow-troll a rig or spinner with it? Completely. Or fish a slip bobber? Yep.

So far as our year-long testing goes, that is our suggestion for finest jigging/rigging rod on a price range. Nevertheless, their Ceres line (which we didn’t check) may also qualify in the identical size, energy, and motion for even much less injury on the pocketbook at a really reasonably priced $129. 

Greatest Price range Ahead Going through Sonar Rod: Rosemore Outdoors Whiskey Flats Jig Rod

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 6 ft
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium-light energy, extra-fast motion 
• Graphite development
• Cork deal with
• Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Value: $130

Execs

• Straightforward to pitch baits nearer to the boat with accuracy
• Extraordinarily light-weight
• Further-fast motion and brief size make for fast hooksets
• Tremendous reasonably priced

Cons

• Quick motion nearing moderate-fast motion
• A bit mild for lots of walleye methods

At a mere $130 the Rosemore Outside Whiskey Flats 6-foot, medium-light energy, extra-fast motion rod severely outperforms its price ticket. Examined on the suggestion of successful NWT/AIM event ace, Tom Huynh, as a result of it was his forward-facing jig and stay bait rod selection for nearly three years. It performed a giant a part of his successful program and he caught fish as much as 30 inches with it. 

I examined this rod by making exact pitches to FFS-located walleyes at 40- to 50-feet from the boat. Though utilizing a brief rod appears counter-intuitive, it permits the angler to place small baits immediately over the top of sonar marks over open water. It’s a way that has develop into a staple with event anglers and is one thing to attempt. This rod has a pleasant, fast tip bend, giving it an extra-fast motion. When it’s paired with a slow-retrieve-ratio 1000-size reel, the motion prevents the angler from enjoying large walleyes too onerous and quick. 

That’s fairly cool contemplating that it feels ultralight within the hand, weighing solely 2.9 ounces. And it’s delicate, too. Whiskey Flats Jig Rod is value having within the arsenal if you happen to’re making exact pitches to walleye marks on FFS. 

Learn Subsequent: 7 Forward Facing Sonar Tips: Settings, Mounting, and Techniques Explained

Greatest Vertical Jigging Rod: St. Croix Walleye Legend Tournament “Jig & Rig” (LWTS66MLF)

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 6 ft 6 inches
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium-light energy, quick motion
• SCIV+ carbon fiber clean
• Alconite and stainless-steel guides
• Nylon, aluminum, and stainless-steel reel seat
• Tremendous grade cork and composite cork deal with materials
• IPC, ART, TET, and FRS proprietary applied sciences
• 15-year guarantee
• MSRP: $280

Execs

• Extraordinarily delicate for vertical jigging
• Nice cork deal with really feel
• Mid-price level

Cons

• A bit brief and light-weight for some walleye methods

My buddies and I do numerous vertical jigging on the Mississippi River and put numerous rods via the paces. Our findings? The St. Croix Walleye Legend Match “Jig & Rig” LWTS66MLF is the stand-out champion for this sort of fishing. Fished with all the things as much as 3/8-ounce jigs and paired with 8-pound hi-visibility monofilament for jig loft and chew detection, the rod merely kicks butt.

This rod is a pure workhorse, but feathery and very delicate because of its SCIV+ carbon fiber clean development. We additionally recognize the no-frills parts which might be constructed to final. 

Farthest Casting: TRIKA 6X

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft
• Energy and Motion Examined: Medium-light energy, quick motion
• EkkoChamber expertise
• Axial-weave carbon clean expertise
• MSRP: $280

Execs

• Clean-through reel seat makes it extraordinarily delicate
• Farther casting in comparison with different rods
• Light-weight at 3.8 ounces
• Nice pitching and casting rod
• One 12 months money-back assure

Cons

• Direct-to-consumer gross sales solely

Two winters in the past I ran right into a buddy on the St. Paul Ice Present who had retired from St. Croix Rod however went again to work for this firm, TRIKA, which he insisted was “doing revolutionary issues” with rod design. My buddy was enthusiastic concerning the rods, their casting distance, and general engineering. 

Effectively, it wasn’t hype. My mates and I examined the $280, medium-light energy, quick motion, 7-foot TRIKA 6X alongside different 7-foot sticks in the identical powers and actions. The rod did forged noticeably farther. Why? TRIKA explains that it has to do with the “restoration” of their proprietary carbon-weave clean design which returns to kind sooner after the forged. The reel seat additionally has a extremely delicate titanium body, and the carbon weave clean options one thing referred to as EkkoChamber and Axial Weave expertise for tremendously lowered weight, and it additionally contributes to casting restoration. 

Though the rod excelled for vertical jigging, we discovered it particularly precious for pitching and far-casting jigs, plastics, or meat. It launched small jerkbaits and crankbaits too, which is essential when fishing walleyes on ultra-clear waters the place fish might be spooky and troublesome to strategy with a ship. That mentioned, it’s develop into a favourite rod for one explicit buddy of mine who fishes walleyes from shore all 12 months lengthy. He nonetheless marvels at his casting distance, even with baits as small as 1/8-ounce. And the sensitivity is fairly unreal. 

Learn Subsequent: Trika 6X Rods Review

Greatest for Snap Jigging: St. Croix Legend Walleye Tournament (6’8″ MXF)

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 6 ft 8 inches
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium-power, extra-fast motion
• SCIV+ carbon fiber clean
• Alconite and stainless-steel guides
• Nylon, aluminum, and stainless-steel reel seat
• Tremendous grade cork and composite cork deal with materials
• IPC, ART, TET, & FRS proprietary applied sciences
• MSRP: $280

Execs

• Wonderful quick-bending extra-fast tip for fast hooksets
• Stable construct
• Sturdy
• Will work with quite a few methods: hair jigs, glide baits, plastics, Rattlin’ Raps, and heavier jigs
• 15-year guarantee

Cons

For walleye anglers in search of one rod that works nice for snap jigging hair and jigging raps, the St. Croix Legend Walleye Match 6 foot 8 inch MXF is one of the best rod we examined for each methods. Though there are different rods that most likely make a greater devoted Jiggin’ Rap Rod, this rod does double obligation with glide baits and hair jigs, making it tremendous helpful. The medium energy is ideal for Jigging Raps as much as dimension 9 or hair jigs to a half ounce. The additional-fast tip is beneficial for jigging methods and preserving walleyes pinned. If I may solely select three walleye rods, the St. Croix Legend Walleye Match can be a type of picks.

Greatest Slip Bobber Rod: JT Outdoors MAG Light

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft 3 inches  
• Motion and Energy Examined: Gentle energy, quick motion
• Proprietary Toray carbon fibers spun with zonal expertise
• SeaGuide Hero excessive grade with silicon nitride insert and recoil guides
• Clean-through SeaGuide Alien reel seat deal with or Positive-Grip Tennessee deal with choice
• Accessible in 4 completely different colour mixtures
• MSRP: $330

Execs

• Extraordinarily delicate from the tip via the butt part
• Wonderful hand-built, customized rod high quality
• Superior stability with reel
• Good for pitching small jigs or finesse pace or energy corking/slip bobber functions
• Could possibly be used for different walleye methods like drop-shotting

Cons

For years, my buddies and I didn’t suppose there was a slip bobber rod that beat the performance-to-price ratio of a 7 foot 6 inch, or 8-foot St. Croix Eyecon — till now. Particularly for extra refined casting and smaller, finesse shows like energy or pace corking with forward-facing sonar. 

This JT Customs 7 foot 3 inch JTX MAG Gentle has extra finesse and sensitivity than an Eyecon and in addition doubles as a superb stick for lengthy casting small jigs to suspended fish in ultra-clear waters. It triples as a lethal drop-shot rod, in addition to a smallmouth bass marabou jig fluff-chucker. 

Greatest Spinning Rod for Lengthy-Lining Crankbaits: St. Croix Legend Glass (LGS72MM)

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft 2 inches 
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium-power, average motion
• Weight-reduced linear S-glass fiberglass clean with IPC mandrel expertise
• MSRP: $275

Execs

• Average motion for long-line trolling crankbaits; casting cranks; or fishing medium- to bigger glide baits

Cons

• Takes a bit to get used to after fishing graphite fast-action rods
• Perhaps a bit overpriced (however value it)

This can be a rod to contemplate if you happen to’re long-lining cranks like Shad Raps, Flickr Shads, and stickbaits. Whereas many anglers love a baitcaster with line-counter reel, we favor the short and straightforward fishing spinning deal with gives, particularly when fishing round vegetation. 

Alongside these traces, the St. Croix Legend Glass LGS72MM medium-power, moderate-action spinning rod is a superb rod. We discovered it particularly excelled when sizing as much as deeper-diving crankbaits like #7s. We fished it with 2500 and 3000 Daiwa Tatulas and 10-pound Trilene XT or 10-pound braid with a 10-pound fluorocarbon chief. In the identical vein as utilizing an Ugly Stix for its average motion and talent to maintain fish buttoned on the troll, the LGS72MM has a top quality fiberglass, average motion which makes it nice for preserving trebles pinned. 

The rod additionally works nice for fishing large creek chubs on snells in mid-summer/fall, in addition to a big glide bait rod, rattle-bait rod in a pinch, or heavier slip bobber walleye rig. I additionally plan to make use of it for fishing stay frogs through the fall run for walleyes from shore. It’s an amazing all-around rod with a cool, traditional look that proves we should always severely take into account fiberglass once more for some walleye methods. 

Greatest (Lindy) Rigging Rod: 2B Fishing Genesis

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft 
• Medium-light, quick motion
• Precision-engineered graphite clean
• Ergonomic, blank-through Military cork deal with
• Hand-wrapped PVD-coated stainless-steel guides

Execs

• Designed by Gregg & Paul Thorne
• Delicate
• Effectively balanced
• Reasonably priced

Cons

If you happen to’re in search of the best-buy Lindy rigging rod, take into account Gregg and Paul Thorne’s 2B Fishing Genesis, which presents mild weight, sensitivity, and stable development. The Genesis caught loads of fish for us with its unreal sensitivity for the worth. Whereas fishing a Lindy rig with a finger on the road and the bail open, we had no hassle feeling that delicate Morse code walleye faucet.

Will it do different issues? Completely. It covers all of the bases rather well and is available in at below $200.

Greatest Bladebait Rod: JT Outdoors JTX-Mag

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 6 ft 10 inches
• Energy and Motion Examined: Medium-light energy, quick motion
• Proprietary Toray carbon fibers spun with zonal expertise
• SeaGuide Hero excessive grade with silicon nitride insert and recoil guides
• Clean-through SeaGuide Alien reel seat deal with or Positive-Grip Tennessee deal with choice
• Accessible in 4 completely different colour mixtures
• MSRP: $330

Execs

• Extraordinarily delicate from the tip via the butt part
• Effectively-balanced with reel
• Wonderful hand-built, customized rod high quality
• Good for working bladebaits, jigs/swimbaits, or small spoons/glidebaits

Cons

Of all of the rods my buddies and I examined over the previous 12 months, that is my favourite. I take advantage of it for vertical jigging, pitching, and fishing bladebaits in chilly water, one thing I do rather a lot on the Mississippi River from October via Might yearly. 

Every little thing about it simply looks like an extension of my arm, and it’s light-weight and delicate. I like the flexibility of the 6-foot 10-inch mannequin, which might vertical jig a minnow, hair jig, or fish bladebaits vertically as an alternative of pitching them. 

The carbon fiber clean could be very delicate, telegraphing when my bladebait picks up a small piece of vegetation or zebra mussel and isn’t operating straight. A part of that’s due not solely to the distinctive clean however the distinctive clean via rod deal with development (Seaguide Alien reel seat). I feel the design is about one of the best on the market when it comes to feeling each bait and fish nuance. 

I plan to purchase no less than another of those to verify everybody in my boat will get a rod that works nice for fishing the river October via Might. The recoil rod guides are usually not solely troublesome to interrupt, they’re very chilly resistant and don’t freeze up as dangerous throughout winter open-water runs. Particularly once you squirt a bit little bit of PAM canola on them to fish in sub-zero temps. 

There’s simply one thing concerning the medium-light motion of this rod that catches extra fish with the identical bait fished the identical manner when standing subsequent to a different angler.

Greatest Rattlebait Rod: St. Croix AVID Walleye (ASWS71MF)

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft 1 inch
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium energy, quick motion
• SCIII+ carbon fiber clean
• Stainless-steel guides
• Nylon/EVA reel seat and nut supplies
• Tremendous grade cork deal with
• IPC, ART, FRS, TET St. Croix construct applied sciences
• MSRP: $220

Execs

• A beefy rod constructed for casting bigger rattlebaits, even glidebaits and bigger swimbaits
• Stable spine and true, quick motion 
• Engaging worth

Cons

• Beefy guides for some methods, however excellent for rattlebaits and bigger baits on braid

I’ve to confess, my buddies and I are comparatively new to fishing rattlebaits for walleyes within the aggressive method of Mille Lacs Lake information Tony Roach. He’s an knowledgeable at utilizing that approach and recommended we do this rod. Effectively, he was proper. It turned out to be an amazing stick for Ripping and Rattle Raps, Traps, and the remaining, both for long-bombing pods of fish or ripping via or alongside cabbage edges or over rocky humps and reefs.

It additionally makes an amazing Jigging Rap or mid-to-large swimbait rod. With its large guides, I appreciated it for fishing bigger, weighted slip bobbers. If I had been to suggest a Mille Lacs-specific walleye rod, I’d say it’s essential to have no less than certainly one of these in your boat. 

Greatest Premium Rod: G. Loomis GLX Walleye

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Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 foot 
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium energy, quick motion
• Excessive-modulus graphite development
• Multi-taper design reinforces potential stress factors
• Full-cork deal with
• REC guides

Execs

• Sturdy, but extraordinarily delicate
• Nice stability
• True, quick motion
• Wonderful craftsmanship
• Lends itself to quite a few walleye methods

Cons

Let’s speak high-end rods, a topic I’m a bit opinionated about. I’ve owned a pair St. Croix Legend Elite rods, they usually’re magic within the palm. And I nonetheless personal a 7-foot, medium energy, quick motion Legend Xtreme that was given to me years in the past as a present, a rod that I reserve for fishing equally costly Megabass stickbaits or Husky Jerks for each smallmouth bass and walleyes. 

That is the primary Loomis I’ve ever owned, and I put it via the paces. It’s extremely delicate, however a bit heavier and stiffer than the imilarly priced St. Croix Legend Elite, which I didn’t anticipate, however really like. 

Did it work as a jig rod? I caught fish with it, seldom lacking a chew, which it telegraphed electrically via their high-end clean, guides, and deal with. Did it forged rubber properly? Positive. Did it carry out as a rigging and drop-shot rod? You betcha. 

In truth, it does all the things fairly rattling properly — and it ought to for $500. It’s the high-end rod you’d need to convey to Canada with out having to pad it in a case or deal with gently. If all I needed to do was jig, I’d select the Legend Elite, however for all-around walleye fishing, this Loomis rod is the juice. 

Do you want one? Most likely not, however it’s a cool showpiece and enjoyable to fish with. Mine is a superb companion for particular fishing journeys once you need to use the perfect walleye rod that cash should buy. 

Find out how to Select a Walleye Rod

It’s essential first decide whether or not you want a selected approach walleye rod to spherical out your arsenal or a rod that does-it-all. 

If you happen to’re in search of a generalist rod, a 7-foot, medium-light or medium-power rods are essentially the most versatile. The appropriate mixture of size, motion, and energy for approach particular rods will fluctuate by the meant approach and even the physique of water. Speaking to your buddies or a trusted retailer about rods that work for them is an efficient place to start out. 

If you happen to’re purchasing in individual, take the reel you’re going to make use of and check out it on quite a few completely different rods and maintain the complete combo in your hand. Really feel how the reel balances the rod and if it feels proper to you. You’ll be able to place the tip part on a carpeted retail ground (eyelets up) to get a really feel for the place the clean begins to bend, which reveals its motion. Most quick motion rods ought to begin to bend about 4 eyelets or so again, with further quick rods near the tip. 

Last Ideas on the Greatest Walleye Rods

The entire finest walleye rods examined above proved nice at their respective methods. Some had been even spectacular Jack of all trades that can fish absolutely anything you need to current to walleyes. Whereas there are rods that exceed $500, there are many nice choices that present numerous worth. This information ought to make it easier to discover the rod that most closely fits the way you’ll fish and your price range.