The Finest Walleye Rods of 2024, Examined 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 every thing completely. Some get near being the last word versatile walleye rod, however as we speak’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, when you’re on the lookout for the very best walleye rod to catch a trophy Walter or a restrict of eaters, listed here are my high picks. 

How We Examined the Rods

With the assistance of my fishing buddies, I fished every rod utilizing quite a lot of strategies whereas noting sensitivity, rod energy, weight, steadiness, castability (together with distance), ergonomics, and total fishability. 

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

Finest Walleye Rods: Critiques & Suggestions

Finest Price range All-Goal: Daiwa 24 TD Eye (TDEYE701MLXS)

Key Options

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

Execs

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

Cons

• Jack of all trades, grasp of none

Daiwa took all of the know-how 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 effectively for jigging, rigging, pitching, casting cranks, and may play a Swiss Military Knife for about anything within the walleye fishing playbook. 

I talked to Prime NWT, AIM, and multi-circuit walleye match 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 loads that he makes use of finances Daiwa technique-specific TD Eye rods. 

Learn Subsequent: Walleye Fishing Suggestions from the Specialists

Finest Mid-Priced All-Goal: St. Croix Legend Walleye Match “Mid Rig” (73MLXF)

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 strategies
• Delicate
• 15-year guarantee

Cons

I’ve been an enormous 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 total, 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. Should you’re on the lookout for a mid-priced, all-purpose walleye rod, that is the stick. 

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

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 break up and full-length grips
• Titanium information frames with super-thin zirconia inserts
• MSRP: $170

Execs

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

Cons

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

Be aware: 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 outdated, I bear in mind the Eighties when Fenwick made the very best walleye rods. My dad fished them, as did lots of my uncles and different anglers I knew. Often, I’d get to make use of certainly one of their rods and was at all times impressed with their mild weight and sensitivity. 

Then in some unspecified time in the future 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 value factors and lots 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. 

Should you’re on the lookout for an inexpensive, throughout rod that can accomplish numerous completely different duties, it is a champ. It labored effectively 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 detrimental factor I can say is that it feels extra like a medium-power rod than a medium mild. 

Braid slips simply by the zirconium-inserted titanium guides, which contributes to the Elite Walleye’s sensitivity. The tailor-made foregrip with decreased size and added taper make for good really feel. One other consider its capacity 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 acquired a setup that detects the slightest walleye bites. 

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

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
• Nicely balanced
• Inexpensive

Cons

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

Now, some 39 years later, the proof of their exhausting work and dedication to rod constructing excellence is clear of their manufacturers Eliot and Two Brothers (2B), which had been not too long ago bought to Acme Fishing. Guess meaning extra fishing for the brothers.

2B Fishing gives some nice rods for beneath $200. The 7-foot, medium-light energy, fast-action rod I examined had many deserves, together with its unimaginable mild weight, sensitivity, and strong building. 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. May 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 finances. Nevertheless, their Ceres line (which we didn’t take a look at) may also qualify in the identical size, energy, and motion for even much less harm on the pocketbook at a really inexpensive $129. 

Finest Price range Ahead Dealing with Sonar Rod: Rosemore Outside Whiskey Flats Jig Rod

Key Options

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

Execs

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

Cons

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

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 profitable NWT/AIM match ace, Tom Huynh, as a result of it was his forward-facing jig and dwell bait rod selection for nearly three years. It performed an enormous a part of his profitable 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 instantly over the pinnacle of sonar marks over open water. It’s a way that has develop into a staple with match 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 exhausting 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 when you’re making exact pitches to walleye marks on FFS. 

Learn Subsequent: 7 Ahead Dealing with Sonar Suggestions: Settings, Mounting, and Methods Defined

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

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 strategies

My buddies and I do numerous vertical jigging on the Mississippi River and put numerous rods by 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 every thing 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 as a result of its SCIV+ carbon fiber clean building. We additionally respect the no-frills parts which might be constructed to final. 

Farthest Casting: TRIKA 6X

Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft
• Energy and Motion Examined: Medium-light energy, quick motion
• EkkoChamber know-how
• Axial-weave carbon clean know-how
• 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 good friend was enthusiastic in regards to the rods, their casting distance, and total engineering. 

Nicely, it wasn’t hype. My pals 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 type 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 know-how for drastically decreased weight, and it additionally contributes to casting restoration. 

Though the rod excelled for vertical jigging, we discovered it particularly worthwhile 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 tough to method with a ship. That mentioned, it’s develop into a favourite rod for one explicit good friend 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 Evaluate

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

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
• Strong construct
• Sturdy
• Will work with quite a few strategies: hair jigs, glide baits, plastics, Rattlin’ Raps, and heavier jigs
• 15-year guarantee

Cons

For walleye anglers on the lookout for one rod that works nice for snap jigging hair and jigging raps, the St. Croix Legend Walleye Match 6 foot 8 inch MXF is the very best rod we examined for each strategies. 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 helpful for jigging strategies and preserving walleyes pinned. If I may solely select three walleye rods, the St. Croix Legend Walleye Match could be a kind of picks.

Finest Slip Bobber Rod: JT Outside MAG Mild

Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft 3 inches  
• Motion and Energy Examined: Mild energy, quick motion
• Proprietary Toray carbon fibers spun with zonal know-how
• 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 combos
• MSRP: $330

Execs

• Extraordinarily delicate from the tip by the butt part
• Wonderful hand-built, customized rod high quality
• Superior steadiness with reel
• Excellent for pitching small jigs or finesse pace or energy corking/slip bobber functions
• May very well be used for different walleye strategies 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 displays like energy or pace corking with forward-facing sonar. 

This JT Customs 7 foot 3 inch JTX MAG Mild has extra finesse and sensitivity than an Eyecon and likewise doubles as 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. 

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

Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft 2 inches 
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium-power, reasonable motion
• Weight-reduced linear S-glass fiberglass clean with IPC mandrel know-how
• 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)

It is a rod to contemplate when you’re long-lining cranks like Shad Raps, Flickr Shads, and stickbaits. Whereas many anglers love a baitcaster with line-counter reel, we desire the short and straightforward fishing spinning sort out offers, particularly when fishing round vegetation. 

Alongside these strains, 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 reasonable motion and talent to maintain fish buttoned on the troll, the LGS72MM has a top quality fiberglass, reasonable 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 dwell frogs throughout the fall run for walleyes from shore. It’s an awesome all-around rod with a cool, traditional look that proves we should always severely take into account fiberglass once more for some walleye strategies. 

Finest (Lindy) Rigging Rod: 2B Fishing Genesis

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
• Nicely balanced
• Inexpensive

Cons

Should you’re on the lookout for the best-buy Lindy rigging rod, take into account Gregg and Paul Thorne’s 2B Fishing Genesis, which gives mild weight, sensitivity, and strong building. The Genesis caught loads of fish for us with its unreal sensitivity for the value. 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 very well and is available in at beneath $200.

Finest Bladebait Rod: JT Outside JTX-Magazine

Key Options

• Size Examined: 6 ft 10 inches
• Energy and Motion Examined: Medium-light energy, quick motion
• Proprietary Toray carbon fibers spun with zonal know-how
• 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 combos
• MSRP: $330

Execs

• Extraordinarily delicate from the tip by the butt part
• Nicely-balanced with reel
• Wonderful hand-built, customized rod high quality
• Excellent 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 loads on the Mississippi River from October by Could yearly. 

Every 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 a substitute 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 by rod deal with building (Seaguide Alien reel seat). I feel the design is about the very best on the market when it comes to feeling each bait and fish nuance. 

I plan to purchase at the least yet another of those to verify everybody in my boat will get a rod that works nice for fishing the river October by Could. The recoil rod guides usually are not solely tough to interrupt, they’re very chilly resistant and don’t freeze up as unhealthy throughout winter open-water runs. Particularly whenever you squirt a bit little bit of PAM canola on them to fish in sub-zero temps. 

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

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

Key Options

• Size Examined: 7 ft 1 inch
• Motion and Energy Examined: Medium energy, quick motion
• SCIII+ carbon fiber clean
• Chrome 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
• Strong spine and true, quick motion 
• Enticing value

Cons

• Beefy guides for some strategies, 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 professional at utilizing that approach and prompt we do this rod. Nicely, he was proper. It turned out to be an awesome stick for Ripping and Rattle Raps, Traps, and the remainder, both for long-bombing pods of fish or ripping by or alongside cabbage edges or over rocky humps and reefs.

It additionally makes an awesome Jigging Rap or mid-to-large swimbait rod. With its large guides, I preferred it for fishing bigger, weighted slip bobbers. If I had been to advocate a Mille Lacs-specific walleye rod, I’d say it’s essential to have at the least certainly one of these in your boat. 

Finest Premium Rod: G. Loomis GLX Walleye

Key Options

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

Execs

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

Cons

Let’s discuss 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 by 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 truly like. 

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

In reality, it does every thing fairly rattling effectively — and it ought to for $500. It’s the high-end rod you’d need to carry 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? In all probability not, however it’s a cool showpiece and enjoyable to fish with. Mine is a superb companion for particular fishing journeys whenever you need to use the easiest walleye rod that cash can purchase. 

The best way to Select a Walleye Rod

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

Should you’re on the lookout for a generalist rod, a 7-foot, medium-light or medium-power rods are essentially the most versatile. The fitting mixture of size, motion, and energy for approach particular rods will differ 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. 

Should you’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 whole combo in your hand. Really feel how the reel balances the rod and if it feels proper to you. You possibly can place the tip part on a carpeted retail flooring (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 additional quick rods near the tip. 

Remaining Ideas on the Finest Walleye Rods

The entire finest walleye rods examined above proved nice at their respective strategies. 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 provide help to discover the rod that most closely fits the way you’ll fish and your finances.