Walleye are not fighting fish, but they are still hard to catch.
Why?
It is hard to understand when walleye fish strikes the hook because of their extremely soft bites. So, for walleye fishing, you need to be experienced. Having that said, the only experience might not get you successful in walleye catching, and you need the right tools. The rod, reel, hooks, line, etc., you have to pick them wisely.
Anyways, today we have come up with a list of the 8 best walleye jigging rods on the market right now. Rod is undoubtedly one of the most important fishing tools, and anything wrong with that can cost you losing easy catches.
If you are looking forward to walleye fishing, we urge you to spend 5-minutes here. You will end up choosing the right walleye jigging rod for your next fishing trip.
Which Are the Best Walleye Jigging Rods? Our Top Picks
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8 Best Walleye Rods Reviewed
1. Okuma Cedros E-Glass walleye Jigging Rod
Starting with one of the best-selling jigging rods for walleye, the Okuma Cedros E-glass rod. Do you know what are the perks of E-glass? Let us tell you. It comes with great shock absorbing ability, talking about shock produced when a powerful fish hits the line. And another extremely satisfying benefit is, they are low priced.
Features Alps high-rise 316 guide frame which keeps the braided line high and away from the shaft. ALPS is really higher compared to others. This rod also comes with a Zirconium guide insert and that is extremely corrosion-resistant. Zirconium is a great material for saltwater.
Plus, they are super smooth, like ceramic. Due to the smoothness, the line passes very easily and smoothly, giving you a comfortable fishing experience. With this rod, you also get ALPS Tri reel seat which is known as one of the best reel seats of the market. And lastly for comfort, the rod comes with Ribbed EVA fore and rear grip.
Pros
- Highly affordable price.
- Easy to use.
- Great shock absorption.
- Smooth guide inserts.
- High raise braid line position.
- Corrosion-resistant.
Cons
- Not a very sensitive rod.
2. Tiger Elite Jig Spinning walleye Fishing Rod
This Tiger Elite Walleye jigging rod is constructed with Graphite material that makes it durable and lightweight at the same time. It also makes the rod sensitive as well. Due to the strength that Graphite has, this rod delivers great pulling power. If we talk about double footed guides, that is made of stainless steel and they are one piece that prevents insert pop-ups.
Features EVA foregrip handle, that makes holding the rod extremely comfortable and will prevent hand fatigue. Comes with a conventional reel seat, not every reel will suit here, so keep that in mind before you make the purchase. It is a heavy-action rod, and best for medium weight fishes.
Pros
- Durable construction.
- Good pulling power.
- Offers good sensitivity.
- Stainless steel guides.
- Eva handgrip.
Cons
- Not for heavy fishes.
3. Fenwicks Elite Tech Walleye Fishing Rod – Best Jigging Rod for Walleye
Fenwicks is an under-rated brand and like other companies, they don’t keep producing equipment randomly. They produce few but make sure that the quality is top-notch. That is why this brand is appreciated by some professional anglers.
However, now we have the Fenwicks Elite Tech Walleye Rod, undoubtedly one of the best rods for walleye fishing. Comfort and performance, you can expect both from this very model.
It comes with a hidden handle reel seat design which is pretty rare in markets. The hidden reel seat makes holding and casting comfortable and you won’t feel the threads like traditional ones. Features titanium frame guide, they are highly durable and lightweight.
Moreover, this rod comes with TAC and cork handle, this will provide you with adequate grip. No slipping, even when the handle is fully wet.
It is fast action and medium power rod. You will find 11-variants of this Fenwicks Elite Tech rods, ranging in different sizes. Overall, this would be a nice rod to get started with walleye fishing.
Pros
- It provides a good grip.
- Durable and lightweight rod.
- Highly comfortable.
- Durable frame guides.
- Suitable for medium-sized fish species.
Cons
- The length is slightly short.
4. Ugly Stik USCAWAL762ML/RNDCBO Round Combo – Walleye rod and reel Combo
If you want to invest in a rod that will serve you for more than 6 to 7 years, take a look at this Ugly Stik USCAWAL762ML/RNDCBO Combo. This is a combo, with the rod you get a reel as well.
The most attractive part of this very model is, the manufacturer offers a 7-year warranty for the rod. We would say, that’s great insurance. With this rod, you won’t have to worry much because the manufacturer is always there to cover for you if anything goes wrong with the rod.
Moving on, it is a light action medium power casting rod and the length is 7’6-inches. The length is pretty good and the light action medium power features make this rod suitable for hunting all kinds of small and some medium-sized fish species. It has a clear tip design and comes with stainless steel guides.
Not only the rod, but the reel is also pretty amazing too. The reel size is 20 and it features 2 bearings. You get a bait clicker as well with an on/off feature. For beginners, investing in this Ugly Stik USCAWAL762ML/RNDCBO Walleye Round Combo would be a wise decision.
Pros
- Rod and reel combo.
- Highly durable rod.
- Good length.
- Stainless steel guides.
- Good reel.
- 7-year rod warranty.
Cons
- The rod grip could have been better.
5. KastKing Perigee II Fishing Rod – Best Selling Fishing Rod
Here comes a best-selling model of the market. The reason behind the high popularity of this model is because it’s a package of two top-notch rods. Take a look at the KastKing Perigee II Fishing Rod.
One of the best jigging rods for walleye fishing. This rod is heavily constructed with Toray 24-ton carbon matrix Kastflex technology. And that is exactly why this rod is highly durable and accurate.
The manufacturer has used Fuji O-Ring line guides in this very rod, which tells us that this manufacturer doesn’t compromise anything when it comes down to the quality of their product. If you don’t know let us tell you, Fuji O-Ring is a word-class brand for line guides.
Moving on, with this rod you get graphite high-strength reel seats that look pretty ergonomic as well. Moreover, this rod features an EVA high-density grip and Saf-T-Keeper hook holder.
The grip provides excellent grip and using this rod is pretty comfortable. Not only walleye, with this very rod you can go for medium sizes catfish, bass, walleye, and trout fishing as well.
And the best part, even after being a top-notch rod, the manufacturer has kept the price pretty low so that everyone can afford it. We appreciate the manufacturer’s effort.
Pros
- Affordable rod.
- Package of two rods.
- Top-notch quality.
- Highly comfortable to use.
- Multiple uses.
Cons
- You have to be careful with the tip.
6. KastKing WideEye Walleye Fishing Rod – Medium Action Walleye Rod
If you are looking for a responsive and medium-powerful walleye fishing rod, take a look at this KastKing WideEye Walleye Fishing Rod. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best quality fishing rods out there. It weighs very low and has pretty good sensitivity as well, this will help you detect when the fish strikes.
In order to make sure you get a tangled-free fishing experience, the manufacturer has installed the Fuji Tangle-Free K-frame line guide. These line guides are known as the best.
Not only that, this very rod comes with a Fuji reel seat as well. Using this rod is highly comfortable since it weighs low, so no hand fatigue doesn’t matter how long you fish. Moreover, you get a cork handle as well which provides the needed grip.
You will find 13 different length variations of this rod model. Apart from fishing walleye, you can use this rod for other small and medium-sized fish species. Give it a shot, you will love it.
Pros
- Good sensitivity.
- Medium power rod.
- Top-notch build quality.
- Fuji line guides.
- The good reel seat.
Cons
- Inappropriate hook keeper placement.
7. GOO FISH Solid Nano Blank Slow Pitch Jigging Rod
This is another highly lightweight walleye jigging rod enabling the user to fish for long periods without having any kind of hand fatigue. It is constructed heavily which makes it durable and powerful.
There are three color variations of this jigging rod. The pink one has 15 KG dragging ability, the green one 18 KG and the blue one comes with 20 kg drag power. With a special Fluorescent coating, this rod serves the user for a very long time.
Features EVA grip handle that provides the user with the needed grip. The grip skid-resistant and swear absorbing as well. Slow jigging, saltwater jigging, solid blank jigging, etc. you can tackle all these with this single rod.
If we talk about the sensitivity of this rod, it wins here as well. It delivers high sensitivity and good durability at the same time, no more worries about rod breaking.
Pros
- Top-notch handle grip.
- Good dragging power.
- Highly durable rod.
- Versatile rod.
- Delivers good sensitivity.
Cons
- Uncomfortable trigger handle.
8. Okuma Hawaiian Custom Jigging Rod
This rod comes with E-glass blanks, not a very popular one. But there are two benefits of it which are, it comes with great shock absorbing abilities that give you high pulling power and because of this, the overall price of the rod is reduced a bit.
If we talk about the guides, it has 316 stainless steel guide frames which are known to be very durable. The guides are high-rise so the braided line will be up and far from the rod shaft.
And if we talk about guides, it features Zirconium guide inserts which are popular for reducing the braided line friction. The ALPS pyramid-shaped 2 tones anodized aluminum reel seal looks more ergonomic and the user gets good control as well. For comfortable and proper grip, there is a ribbed EVA fore grip which also allows you to have more control on the rod.
Pros
- Durable fishing rod.
- Fast action rod.
- Easy to control.
- Comfortable grip.
- Great pulling power
Cons
- Few complaints about the reel seat not being suitable for large offshore reels.
How to Choose the Right Walleye Jigging Rod?
This one is especially for beginners. There are a bunch of factors that need to be checked before buying a walleye jigging rod and most of the time newbies do purchase expensive walleye rods knowing nothing about them.
And they do suffer in the long run. If you are looking forward to purchasing a jigging rod for walleye, make sure you go through the below guide.
We have listed all the factors that you need to consider before making a purchase decision. Here you go!
Rod length
The rod length plays a good role when it comes to an effective fishing experience. Compared to longer rods, shorter rods have proven to be less effective. Most professionals prefer 6 to the 7-inch long rod but that might not be perfect for you. First, know your ability and then choose the length.
Longer walleye jigging rods are slightly hard to control but they offer a good fishing experience. Long rods are effective when it comes to trolling as well. Choose a rod that is 6 to 7-inches long, this length would be perfect.
The Rod weight
Weight is a highly important factor to be considered when you are up for buying a walleye jigging rod. There are rods of different weight ranges, but the ideal weight would be from 3 to 10 pounds.
With this weight, you would get the right action and flexibility. Having that said, if you need high power, then you have to go for a little heavier walleye rod, there is no alternative.
The lower the weight, the lower the power, remember this. So decide to think from every angle.
Rod action
There are three types of actions, low, medium, and high. For walleye fishing, you will need a high action rod. The sensitivity of the rod needs to be on point. Why you need high action and sensitivity rod for walleye fishing is, they make very softer bites that are hard to notice. A high sensitivity rod will send the vibe so that you would notice that it is time to hit.
Line guide
If you want a satisfying fishing experience, having a rod with a top-notch line guide is a must. The line guide is through which the fishing line moves. A wrong line guide can cause the line to tangle up badly, which will cost you big time sorting that off.
Having a top-notch line guide will give you a smooth trolling and casting experience. And good line guides will be durable and will last longer as well.
Rod Speed
The rod you pick for walleye fishing needs to act super fast in order to counter it and that is why the speed of the rod matters a lot. Not only the speed, but the rod also needs to have medium power as well because that will come into play once the fish is cooked properly.
Handle grip
You need to be comfortable when using the walleye rod and that’s why a proper handle grip must. There are a bunch of rods in the market which come with rubber and cork handle, both are good. But compared to cork rubber grips are better since they offer more grip than cork handles. However, both handles are slip-resistant so you will get good traction even when your hand is wet.
Rod material
Fiberglass, graphite, these are the most popular material for the fishing rod. But for walleye rod, fiberglass wouldn’t be good material, because they wouldn’t be able to transfer signals of walleyes soft bites.
Having that said, graphite materials do work great. Not only graphite but carbon fiber blank rods also good for walleye fishing. Both of these rods are sensitive enough to transmit signals from the hook.
The Price
We would suggest you have a good budget for the walleye jigging rod. Top-notch rods will cost you good money, that’s so obvious. However, having a budget of 150 dollars should be enough for a good walleye rod. You should find a good jigging rod from a top-notch brand with that budget.
Check out: Trout Fishing Lines
How to Set a Jigging Rod for Fishing?
Have a look at the below, if you don’t know how to set a jigging rod for fishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best jigging rod?
Over time the following models have proven to be the best jigging rod for walleye, take a look!
- Fenwicks Elite Tech Walleye Fishing Rod
- Ugly Stik USCAWAL762ML/RNDCBO Combo
- KastKing Perigee II Fishing Rod
- KastKing WideEye Walleye Fishing Rod
What makes a good walleye rod?
A good walleye rod will be medium to fast action with light or medium action. And have to be sensitive as well.
How long should a walleye rod be?
A walleye rod that is 6 to 9-inches long should be good enough. That being said, it depends on users.
What pound test line should you use for walleye?
That will be depending will be the technique you use to catch walleye. But for braided line 8-10 lbs, monofilament line 6-8 lbs, lead core line 12-18 lbs, and for fluorocarbon line 10-12 lbs are fine.
Can a jigging rod be used for bottom fishing?
Yes, jigging rods can be used for bottom fishing. Not only that, for trolling, bottom casting, course jigging, etc. can be done with a good jigging rod
Conclusion
Are you still here? Then you must have picked the best walleye jigging rod for yourself already. If in any case you didn’t, let us know what you are struggling with. We will try our best to help you sort your issue! And learn more about walleye fishing.
For more fishing gear reviews visit Topgearly.com.
Happy walleye fishing!
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