Last updated on February 17th, 2023 at 01:20 pm
Many people are often confused between spinning rods or bait casting rods especially when they are new to fishing game. Although, professional anglers are very well introduced to different types of rods, as experiences taught a lot! But for novice anglers, selecting the best baitcasting rod out of a huge collection with different qualities, power, prices, warranties, and brands is quite a headache.
These baitcasting rods are also known as “Casting rods”. The reel is totally opposite to spinning reels i.e. “Baitcasting reels” are paired with these rods. They are faster and offer more casting accuracy and power than spinning reels. The reel is fixed upward position to a rod. However, a bit of practice and technique is required to a use baitcasting setup as you have to control the line speed.
The following list is mentioning the best baitcasting rods shortlisted based on their performance. So pick anyone from the list and enjoy the best time on the water and end your day with a trout, bass, or even Muskie.
if you are in hurry and searching for some budget friendly options you can check the “Best Baitcasting rods under $100” If you are confused between spinning or baitcasting rods you can check this guide on different types of fishing rods for a better understanding.
Top 3 picks for best Baitcasing rods 2023
- Graphite blank
- Fuji reel seat
- Kevlar Wrapping
- Heavy style
- HSG blank construction
- Fuji reel seats
- Updated cosmetics
- EVA grips
- Classic Fenwick actions
- Stainless steel guides
- Minimal reel seats
- 2 piece rod
List of Best Baitcasting Rods
best baitcasting rod for saltwater
FEATURES
Dobyn rods have been serving for 14 years and their rods are very famous among anglers and game fishers due to their vast collection of rods of every range and have marked its position.
Dobyn rod fury series comes with graphite rod construction. Its cork split handles make it comfortable and smooth to cast. The rod’s tip is sensitive enough that you can feel each bump and wiggle coming back to you through the water. Moreover, its balancing power makes it deliver unparalleled accuracy.
Four highlighting qualities will be enough to prove that Dobyns rods Fury series can be anyone’s best choice. These rods are light, well balanced, sensitive, and yet strong enough for bass fishing. This series contains 17 technique-specific rods including crankbait, flipping, swimbait, and casting models.
The rod’s quality performance proves that it is designed by a professional who knows the weak points to overcome and to present the rods that fulfills the requirements of different skill-level anglers.
I used a ½ lb. lure and was successful in landing some skittish trout so it has the capability to exceed its limit. It is powerful enough to cast with heavy lures and heavy lines and target multiple species, so it is a worth buying rod to upgrade your baitcasting rods collection.
- Light and sensitive
- Plenty of backbone
- Reel seat threads are short
- Rod butt is short
best rod for baitcasting
FEATURES
This baitcasting fishing rod comes with high strain glass construction with 36-ton graphite which is preferred by many anglers for crankbaits and other big fish.
The rod is designed according to Mike laconelli’s fishing style. These rods are with updated handle style i.e. EVA grips with fingers groove making it comfortable on the cast and the reel.
The updated cosmetics give it a very attractive look. The anglers fan of shiny and fancy gear especially the young ones, it’s a good choice for them. The rod is the perfect balance of performance and looks.
Moreover it is available in multiple varieties from 6’4” medium to 7’10” medium-heavy, pick the best suitable to your type of fishing.
The only drawback we found is that it’s a one piece rod so it is difficult to carry it to my favorite fishing spots. Overall, it’s unmatched with its performance.
Abu Garcia IKE series is divided into three levels starting from kids’ level to professional anglers’ level. So if you want to teach your young ones to use baitcasting setup Abu Garcia IKE is a good rod to start with.
- Flexible tip
- Not sensitive enough
best 2 piece baitcasting rod
FEATURES
Fenwick Eagle rods are best known for their rods’ style, balancing both traditional and modern power and action. Fenwick Eagle claims that they have built all their rods after proper research and testing and yet they have been proving their selves for many years.
Their Salmon/Steelhead casting rod is popular due to its many satisfied users. According to them, the rod is sensitive enough to feel any slightest nibble by the fish even in rocky areas.
Through its comfortable cork handle and TAC grips it is comfortable to hold and tackle an aggressive catch giving a tough fight even in heavy waves.
This medium-action 2-piece rod along with 24 T graphite rod construction is recommended for all level skills. Its graphite composition give it a lightweight and stiffer structure.
The rod’s stainless steel guides with aluminum oxide inserts great with all lines are perfectly strong and also corrosion-resistant. These guides are durable enough to bear saltwater and braided line abuse. Confidently use where ever you want to use this rod.
It is recommended as the perfect rod for drop shot rig and even for crankbaits. So whatever, the action you are looking for, you can find a variety of collections in the Fenwick Eagle rod series.
It’s a worth buying rod with 5 years of warranty. Summing all this, Fenwick Eagle is a versatile casting rod.
- A variety of reels can be combined with this rod
- Price is quite high than other rods
best baitcasting rod for bass
FEATURES
Are you into some serious fishing? Looking for a casting rod that maintains high performance and casting accuracy to catch some exciting bass!!!
St. Croix Mojo Bass Casting rods as the name suggests are perfectly designed for type of fishing mainly targeting bass.
Talking about rod construction its advanced SCII Graphite construction which is high-quality premium graphite with integrated poly curve tooling technology makes this rod sensitive, and lightweight with increased durability.
The small sturdy Kigan 3D guides with aluminum-oxide rings can hold 12-20 lbs. line weight and 3/8-3/4 oz. lure weight. These guides are durable enough and wouldn’t bend under heavy load.
For delivering a perfect balanced rod and to make sure the rod doesn’t slips from the angler’s hand when it’s a fight against an aggressive bass, the rod features premium quality cork handles that offer firm grip even with wet hands.
There are almost 15-16 models in Mojo bass casting rods as technique-specific rods. No doubt, these rods are quite expensive ones, but once you bought them they will never disappoint you as their smooth long-lasting performance is the trademark for raising votes.
- Solid rods
- Sensitive
- Comfortable handle
- Expensive rod
- May require extra guides
best baitcasting rod for the money
FEATURES
Ugly Stik is a well-known brand in the market for its variety of affordable and quality rods. They claim to produce the indestructible rods and to prove this Ugly Stik produce one of the durable rods available in the rod market.
This Ugly Stik GX2 casting rod is built with a combination of two construction materials i.e. graphite and fiberglass thus making the rod strong yet sensitive along with making it feel lightweight. These rods features the graphite stiffness and the fiberglass flexibility.
Its clear tip design increases its sensitivity hence you can feel the lightest strike underwater and set quick hooks. Moreover the EVA grip handles make it easy to hold, thee handles retains their shape even placed in the rod holders.
These casting rods are available from 5’6” medium action rods to 7 ft. medium heavy rods. By going through ugly stik’s reviews one of its users claimed that, even with a 6 ft. medium rod, you can catch a bull shark of 5ft. isn’t that incredible!!
As a result with 20 to 25 lb. line weight and ¼ to 5/8 oz. lure, you can go even for a big fish game or inshore saltwater kayak fishing. Overall, the rod has enough backbone even to perform exceeding it weight limits.
You can pair it with a KastKing Royale legend or go wit the Ugly Stik GX2 rod and reel combo which is better choice as you don’t have to search the best compatible baitcasting reel for this.
The combo is also budget-friendly as it costs less than buying the rod and reel individually.
- Affordable
- Sensitive
- Good for saltwater fishing
- Length may not be suitable for some fishers
best baitcasting rod for bass
FEATURES
Lews’s Custom lite HM85 casting rods come along with great features and advanced technology. The best thing about this rod is its rod construction with a top grade 85 million modulus graphite which not only makes it stiffer but the rod also results as more sensitive and light in weight.
Durability and the rod’s performance are also polished by its multilayer construction.
Its titanium oxide guides make the casting experience smooth for anglers and are durable enough to bear any fishing line abuse plus protection against saltwater rust.
The rod is good with the sensitivity, its tip pick the slightest strike by the fish and transfer vibrations directly to the angler’s hand.
The balance of the rod is maintained by soft-touch skeletal reel seats makes it possible that you feel every slightest vibration hence increasing the chances of a good catch.
Its advanced polymer Winn split-grip makes it handy and comfortable for anglers even with wet hands hence proving a strong grip.
The rod is famous among many tournament anglers due to its quality performance.
- Sensitive rod
- Durable
- Expensive rod
best baitcasting rod under $50
FEATURES
Berkley Cherrywood Casting rod users are satisfied with the performance of the rod because the rod is light in weight and affordable in price.
You can trust Berkley whether it is its spinning rod, ice fishing rod, or the brand’s combos. The rods are the perfect balance of performance and budget.
If you are also searching for a multipurpose rod and tight on budget, Berkley casting rods are something you should consider before any other cheap rods.
Its hybrid construction adds sensitivity to the rod when casting for big fish. This rod casts smoothly and is also recommended for small panfish or bass fishing.
Berkley SS304 fishing rod guides are 20 times tougher and about half a times lighter than old typical aluminum oxide guides. It clear indication that you can use braided fishing line with this rod. The guides are strong enough to bear braided line abuse and wouldn’t bend easily.
Its cork handles adds a strong grip and easy to hold zone for anglers. So it’s never a chance that you miss a catch just because the rod slipped from wet hands.
- Inexpensive
- Sensitive
- Expensive rod
best baitcasting rod under 200
FEATURES
These rods are super lightweight and come along at a different range of prices. This fact action medium to heavy action rods is available in different handle styles from short handles to regular handles. Each individual angler can pick any type of rod according to his/her zone of comfort.
This one comes withaJapanese 36 Ton PVG36T Blank Construction as a result the rod becomes super lightweight and yet sensitive to feel the slightest touch.
Fate V3 bait casting fishing rod is a sturdy one and can handle heavy work. You can pair it with Piscifun Alloy M for a better experience.
The rod can come along on boating, camping, and fishing Moreover, people of all skill levels can use this rod.
Beside its performance, the rod is attractive by its cosmetics. It white-colored blank structure with a combination of black outlines gives a charming look.
Moreover, to make sure the hook doesn’t disturb its appearance and produce scratches the rod also comprises a hook keeper for bait storage.
For hassle-free fishing with reduced chances of line tangles, it features stainless steel guides with Zirconia inserts for smooth and accurate casts.
- Sturdy
- Lightweight
- Good for heavy fishing
- no specific issues found
How to Choose Baitcasting Rods
For a clearer view, first, you should know the difference between a spinning rod and a baitcasting rod then you pick the best baitcasting rod from other rods.
- Requires baitcasting reel
- Reel lies above the rod
- High casting accuracy
- Best for bass anglers
- For serious fishing, heavyweight conditions
- Perfect for casting heavy lines and lures
- Have guides smaller in size
- Requires spinning reel
- The reel is fixed below side the rod
- Best for beginners
- Not suitable for heavyweight activities
- Easy to learn
- Perfect for casting light lines and lures
- Have guides larger in size
When it comes to buying a bait casting rod it has many factors to consider before buying although personal preferences do matter but everyone should consider at least these points and basic guidelines as every rod has its own profile varying in length, action, power, etc.
1-Rod Length
The length of the rod does have an influence, as the material of the rod has.
Generally, bait casting rods are longer than regular spinning rods. The rods’ range from 7 to 8 ft perfectly casts longer with accuracy and suitable for crankbaits. Longer rods allows you to use different bass lures and apply different fishing techniques so you will have enough margin. However, the rods longer than 8 ft are a bit tough to handle especially for beginners and not suitable for whole day fishing.
2-Rod Power
Before explaining the different rod powers you must be aware of what actually rod power is. The amount of force that a rod can handle i.e. how much line size and lure weight can be applied to a rod.
The rod power also have variations regarding different lines sizes and weights
Heavy Power
Heavy power rods are specially designed to cast heavy lures and to handle heavy lines. So recommended when out for a heavy specie catch when you requires extra pulling power.
Typically with heavy power you can cast lures like crankbaits, hollow frogs and lines like fluorocarbon fishing line.
Medium Power
As per the name suggests the medium heavy and medium power rods both are most commonly used rods designed to handle medium size lures and lighter lines. I will recommend to always go for a medium power rod, you can adopt heavy power later as an expert angler.
Medium power rods give you enough margin to use different lures and different lines along with adopting different fishing techniques. It works well for black bass, walleye, and Catfish.
Moreover, it is easy to buy a medium power rod as plenty of variety is available in market at an affordable range.
Light Power
The light power rods supports lighter baits as using too much light bait with a heavy rod isn’t a good combo and affects the casting accuracy of the rod.
For baitcasting, it is recommended to use lures having a weight of more than 1\8 ounces as a lure’s weight lesser than this, may cause distance and accuracy issues.
3-Rod Action
The fishing rod’s action indicates how much a rod can bend it is usually measured from the rod tip when applied pressure. It is further categorized into three
Fast Action
This rod only bends from the tip. The best thing about fast action rods is their casting accuracy and sensitivity. They are highly sensitive and let the angler feel the slightest fish touch. You can use crankbaits and spinnerbaits with these fast-action rods.
Moderate Action
Although moderate action rods lack sensitivity but they do come with casting accuracy. These rods also bend like the previous one but from tip to rod’s middle section. Like medium power rods, medium action rods also gives enough margin to use different lures, lines, and technique.
Slow Action
A slow-action rod bends as a whole from rod tip to rod butt. These rods are more flexible than the other two and good for casting light lures. Although they aren’t sensitive as fast action rods but being flexible it is able to cast lures much farther and can handle big lures and strong lines.
These rods work best for casting multi hooks lure sets.
4-Rod Material
Fishing rods also have variety in their construction material. The rods are usually made from graphite and fiberglass. For baitcasting, I will recommend using a graphite rod due to its sensitivity and being stronger than fiberglass rods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
Baitcasting rods supports professional fishing, longer casts, fast hook set with enough backbone. Although it takes time to learn casting rods, once you are trained you will find that these rods are best for heavy water conditions and big fish games. Wrapping up, you must have the best baitcasting rod in your rod collection to experience something you have never before.
So if you have time, money, and experience you can go for a casting fishing rod. Hope you find this helpful.
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