A baitcasting rod may be a rod designed to be employed in combination with a baitcasting reel. Baitcasting rods offer the angler a lot of management on the solid and on the fight with larger fish.
The baitcasting reel is mounted to the highest of the rod and also the angler controls the road coming back off the reel with the thumb or a forefinger trigger. the road guides on a baitcasting rod face upward instead of downward just like the guides on a spinning rod.
Purchasing new fishing rods may be discouraging as a result of there are such a large amount of choices on the shelves. Baitcasting fishing rods are available in all shapes and sizes, the action on the rods varies from quick to medium and also the power jumps from light-weight to significant. whether or not you’re adept at mistreatment casting rods or trying to find your initial baitcaster ever, you would like a well-constructed rod that feels smart in your hand and offers the correct combination of power, action, length and alternative options for your fishing vogue. it’ll alter you to accurately solid heavier lures and have the backbone to tug larger, heavier fish from deep water and heavy cover.
Now I’m going to suggest a handful of top rated baitcasting rods so you can get started selecting the right one for you immediately!
For more of our suggestions on choosing to buy fishing gear, take a look at the popular links: Baitcasting Reels, Spinning Reels, Spinning Rods, Fishing Kayaks.
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Baitcasting Rods For 2023
- Ugly Stik GX2 Casting Rod
- Shimano Trevala Casting Rod
- Shakespeare Ugly Stik Tiger Casting Rod
- Abu Garcia Veritas Casting Rod
- Piscifun Torrent Baitcasting Rod
Here is an overview of the features of our top 3 choices. In addition, Our buying guide will also help you find the best choice for yourself.
Best Baitcasting Rods
| Ugly Stik GX2 Casting Rod | Shimano Trevala Casting Rod | Shakespeare Ugly Stik Tiger | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
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| Lengths: | 5'6", 6', 6'6", 7' & 7'6" | 5', 5'5", 7'25", 7'75" & 8' | 6'6" & 7' |
| Construction: | 1 & 2 piece designs with graphite and fiberglass construction | Engineered with a high carbon butt section fused together with a TC4 tip | Ugly Tech construction with a combination of Graphite and fiberglass |
| Rating: | 4,6 / 5,0 | 4,5 / 5,0 | 4,7 / 5,0 |
 | | |
Baitcasting Rod Reviews
#1 Ugly Stik GX2 Casting Rod
Highlights of Ugly Stik GX2:
- Graphite and fiberglass construction
- Tuff line guides
- Clear fiberglass tip
UglyStik is understand for sturdiness and strength. The GX2 is meant to be sturdy moreover as sensitive. The UglyStik by poet combines quality graphite and fibreglass to make a rod that’s sensitive enough to sight the littlest strike and powerful enough to induce your catch into the boat, onto the pier, or onto the bank. The GX2 is one among the most effective budget baitcasting rods on the market.
For over a hundred and fifteen years, Shakespeare has been one among the go-to brands for cheap, high-quality tackle and merchandise. For a century, Shakespeare and the UglyStik brand have had one goal in mind – creating fishing straightforward and fun. UglyStik offers gear for the complete family across all levels of expertise – from beginner fishing kits for the small ones to paraphernalia for every kind of fishing (salt-and-freshwater, tiny fish and huge fish).
Best For: Ugly Stik lovers trying to find a robust and indestructible medium rod.
#2 Shimano Trevala Casting Rod
Highlights of Shimano Trevala:
- Shimano TC4 Construction
- Fuji reel seat
- Convenient hook keeper
Add a reel and you will get the best fishing rod and reel combo. This casting rod is one of the rare models at the moment which offers prestigious quality and strength. It is far more than an ordinary version which can be used by beginners.
It is a professional and heavy-duty model which should be used only by professionals that always expects the best results. There are a lot of great features to this model and it is almost impossible to list them all here. In short, if you are interested in getting the best and the most expensive casting rod, this is the right one for you.
Superior Sensitivity:
Thanks to the use of modern and high-tech materials, such as carbon fiber, and stainless steel, this casting rod is impressive when it comes to sensitivity. Add the Shimano Butterfly Jigs and you will get a unit with superior performances.
Of course, the strength shouldn’t be taken into consideration. After all, the model is made by professionals and we believe it isn’t suitable for beginners.
Diamond Polished Guides:
In order to understand how advanced this casting rod is, we must mention this feature right here. The guides are polished to perfection with the use of artificial diamonds.
This almost eliminates friction and makes the guides truly special. In the lack of a more appropriate word, the guides are perfect and can be compared with premium models.
#3 Shakespeare Ugly Stik Tiger Casting Rod
Highlights of Shakespeare Ugly Stik Tiger:
- Ugly Tech construction
- Ugly Tuff one-piece stainless steel double-foote guides
- Diamond shrink tape over EVA handles
- Rubber gimbals
Durability is one among the foremost vital factors to think about once buying any paraphernalia, particularly with rods. Your rod is perhaps the foremost vital piece of apparatus which will break on any given outing. however anglers rarely offer a lot of thought to the current thought.
Many anglers merely decide they’ll use caution with their new gear and defend it from any attainable damage. however this ne’er lasts.
Six weeks later, they’re chucking their favorite new rod onto all-time low of the boat as they fight to change fishing poles quickly enough to solid resolute that college of feeding strippers.
Like it or not, you’re progressing to abuse your new rod thus you wish one that may take this type of wear and tear and tear, and still be able to get the work done currently and for years to come back. The Shakespeare Ugly Stik Tiger fishing rod series offers precisely this.
Shakespeare’s Ugly Stik Tiger fishing rod series makes most comparable fishing poles seem like flimsy garbage. they’re engineered to require a beating and user when user raves regarding their sturdiness.
Built from a mixture of E-glass and graphite, they’re designed to possess a quick action that is that the most well liked alternative among anglers of every kind. this offers you adequate tip to solid tiny lures a mile, nevertheless enough backbone to show a fish headed for heavy cover.
Users report that properly hand-picked Ugly Stiks stand out in virtually each fishing application – you only ought to choose the most effective length and power combination for your desires.
This is true for fishers seeking small native trout in secluded streams and off-shore anglers attempting to tug in 50-pound cobia.
#4 Abu Garcia Veritas Casting Rod
Highlights of Abu Garcia Veritas:
- Closed Cell EVA grips
- Ergonomic Abu designed reel seat
- Designed with 3M Powerlux® 100 blanks
The Abu Garcia Veritas is amazingly light and it balances perfectly when you put a reel on it. This excellent balance allows you to fish all day without fatigue or pain. The custom roll seat fits snugly in your hand and it also makes a great tug-of-war.
Veritas are fabricated using 30 ton ultra-high density graphite billets and quality Fuji stainless steel KR series guides with Alconite inserts. It also features a custom-designed roll-up seat and closed-cell EVA handles for sensitivity and weather resistance as well as abrasion resistance. Equipped with hook holder in convenient position. Abu Garcia Veritas casting rods provide unbeatable performance throughout a wide range of lengths and actions.
#5 Piscifun Torrent Baitcasting Rod
Highlights of Piscifun Torrent:
- Durable 2-piece casting rod design
- 5’ long rod crafted with a composite of graphite and fiberglass
- Medium heavy action
- Stainless steel reel seat
This is an easy, effective baitcasting rod from associate progressively standard whole. Piscifun is additional associated more legendary for transferral sensible fishing merchandise to plug at an irresistible worth. That’s to not say it’s an inexpensive toy, though.
Again we’ve a stainless steel reel seat that i prefer. Honestly tho’ I’m not altogether floored by the reel seat style on this one. it’s sort of a liability however users rate it extremely thus I’m not too disturbed regarding it once all is alleged and done. I won’t ring this rod for it.
Similar to the Ugly Stik, this rod incorporates a full length EVA foam handle. I in person like this feature as a result of it permits additional personal preference and grip distance. in contrast to the seperated handles of different rods, you’ll place your grip where you wish.
Again we’ve stainless steel line guides however this time Zirconium inserts help reinforce them. whereas it’s not prime of the road, the value tag isn’t progressing to provide you with a haemorrhage, either.
This two-piece rod is folded for transportation. attributable to the medium length it’s a flexible rod. That, combined with the medium significant power, makes it an excellent all around rod.
Best For: Beginners or those trying to find an all around rod that may match anyplace within the arsenal.
How to Choose the Best Baitcasting Rod
- Line Guides
- Reel Seats
- Rod Power
- Baitcasting Rod Action
- Baitcasting Rod Materials
- Handle/Grip
- Frame Quality
Now I’m going to guide you through the finer points of baitcasting rod selection. Let’s dive in to some criteria you can use to select your next baitcasting reel!
Line Guides
The line guides are the circular rings positioned on the length of the road facing towards the sky on a baitcaster pole. Their purpose is to manage the flow of cord as you solid and retrieve and minimize the number of friction and warmth on the road to make sure swish line flow while not tangles and enhance the sturdiness of your fishing line.
These eyelets could appear insignificant however they’re important as they have an effect on the rod’s quality, durability, sensitivity and the way swish and much out casting is. It is, therefore, necessary to look at the sort of line guides a casting rod you’re considering has. concentrate to their quality and positioning.
A quality, superior casting rod can have rigorously placed guides that line up and stay straight while not twisting or snapping once fraught. The a lot of guides the rod has, the higher its casting performance however the costlier the rod. Fuji’s Concept guides are thought-about a number of the simplest.
Most guides feature a metal frame with inserts that the cord glides on once flowing. The inserts are often product of plastic, metal or ceramics. Silicon carbide (SiC), is taken into account the simplest material and offers a super-smooth, low-friction surface. Nickel-titanium is high quality, extraordinarily corrosion resistant and once bent can spring back to position rather than breaking. Alconite is another smooth material. Ceramic guides are smart quality and intensely immune to wear and friction. Plastic inserts are inferior in quality, durability, and performance.
Reel Seats
The reel seat is wherever the baitcasting reel you select to match along with your baitcaster rod can sit and fix to the rod. On a baitcaster rod, the reel sits on the highest of the rod so casting rods are top seated.
Pay attention to the standard of the reel seats on any casting rod you’re considering. There’s heaps of pressure on this feature once throwing the significant line, bait, and lures and fighting significant fish. you would like to make sure the seat is constructed well to resist the weather, hold the reel firmly thus it doesn’t fall within the thick of a troublesome fish fight and enhance the rod’s performance.
Check that the reel seat is meant in such some way that the reel can work snugly once tightened. further screw-down choices give further security. watch out for poor quality reel seats created out of plastic or faux metal that may bend, break, or snap and cause your reel to fall off.
For supplementary sensitivity, some reel seats have a cutout on the lowest that exposes the rod’s blank so you’ll feel the blank along with your finger once holding the rod. artifact within the metal hoods is sweet because it prevents rust and stains and makes it simple to get rid of the reel. opt for a style you discover most comfy to carry.
Rod Power
The power of a casting rod refers to its strength or lifting power. There are ultra-light, light, medium light-weight, medium, medium-heavy and significant power fishing rods.
Ultra-light and light-weight powers are meant for lighter fishing lines, lures and fighting tiny fish. Medium significant, significant and additional heavy powers offer the rod enough backbone to throw heavier lines, lures and convey in massive, heavy fish.
Since a casting rod is meant to throw heavier lures and baits to catch larger fish, you may want a baitcaster pole with medium to significant powers thus it’s enough strength to solid heavy lines, lures, baits and elevate significant fish out of heavy cowl or deep waters while not breaking.
Baitcasting Rod Action
The action of a baitcasting rod describes wherever it bends once a load is placed at its tip and the way quickly it recovers when the load is removed. It determines however a baitcaster rod can perform once casting and fighting fish. There are extra fast, fast, medium, and slow action fishing rods.
Extra fast action rods are extraordinarily stiff and solely bend at the tip. Fast action rods are a bit a lot of versatile and bend within the high third of the rod from the tip. They pack heaps of power at the tip that permits them to realize superior casting distance. They’re additionally terribly sensitive and set hooks quick and onerous.
Moderate action rods are equally stiff and versatile and can bend within the high 1/2 the rod. they’re versatile and appropriate for casting middleweight baits. they’re the best for beginners to master.
Slow action rods are the foremost versatile and bend uniformly throughout the rod’s length. they’re smart for mild casts and fishing with delicate and live baits. They set hooks slower and permit fish to induce the hook any into their mouth.
Baitcasting Rod Materials
The material the casting rod’s blank is formed of can have an effect on its easy use, durability, strength, and performance once fishing.
When employing a baitcaster rod to solid significant lures and land trophy fish, the foremost necessary factor you would like is strength and sturdiness and fibreglass offers you this. it’s sturdy however significant and doesn’t have the maximum amount sensitivity as plumbago. It performs best in heavier applications that don’t need abundant sensitivity.
Graphite rods are unbeatable once it involves sensitivity and light-weight comfort. Graphite is additionally sturdy however incorporates a tendency to be brittle. it’s nice for casting, fishing for long durations, and for things that need a superior feel.
Composite construction combines both graphite and fiberglass to provide light-weight and sensitive nevertheless durable and sturdy rods.
Handle/Grip
On an honest fishing day, you may have your hand on your casting rod’s handle for hours. It ought to feel smart in your hands and supply a robust grip even once your hands are wet and slippery and regardless of however cold or hot it gets. It ought to even be ergonomically designed to make sure you don’t get back with painful wrists. this is often why the handle on a rod and also the quite grip it offers are vital issues once selecting a casting rod.
Cork and EVA foam are the highest handle materials. each are terribly light-weight, simple and cozy to grip. Eva, Hyperlon or Duralon created handles provide a solid, non-slip grip and are proof against stains, corrosion and temperature changes. they’re the foremost sturdy and cheaper than cork handles.
Cork handles provide spare grip even once it’s wet and augment the sensitivity and aesthetic charm of a rod. However, they’re expensive and not all cork handles are created equal. the standard of cork varies with the foremost expensive rods that includes the most effective cork grade.
When it involves length, longer handles facilitate with significant baits and long casts as a result of the angler you’ll be able to use 2 hands to come up with additional load and forward force. For two-handed casting, associate extended rear grip length offers additional management and leverage. for brief casts of lighter baits, short handles provide one-handed or roll casting.
Handles on a casting rod additionally are available in full grip, split grip, and pistol grip designs. Full grip handles are best for casting significant baits or for long distances victimisation 2 hands. For lighter baits or shut target casting, a split grip or pistol grip casting rod. A pistol grip is that the shortest style of grip a casting rod will have and is typically contoured to evolve to the angler’s hand. Blank-through-handle construction enhances the rod’s stability.
Frame Quality
When it involves frame quality, top-grade metal or carbon is sweet. carbon frames are light-weight and face up to shock well. metal frames are stronger, heavier and additional proof against flexing than carbon frames. carbon suits lightweight fishing tasks comparable to catching little fish whereas metal is right for heavier fishing tasks such as delivery in giant fish or water fishing.
Final Thoughts
When you’re able to get your next baitcasting reel, ensure you come back the “how to choose” section. provides it a rough browse over before creating a judgement.
Half of the vital factors of selecting the proper rod for you’re in knowing what you’ll be fishing for and the way. Target species and bait are the foremost vital factors but fishing technique for selecting the proper rod.
Once you’re positive, begin with the rods I’ve made public on our review list. Of course, there are alternative rods on the market. I’ve created positive that the baitcasting rods on our list span the vary of costs and quality therefore there’s one thing for everybody.
I hope this guide was helpful for finding the best baitcasting rod to fit your needs. If you want to comment or recommend a rod I didn’t include, please use my contact form to get in touch.
Good luck on your next fishing trip!
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