I tested and ranked the best Spin Casting Rods in 2024

Spincasting rods are one of the most popular types of fishing rods among anglers of all skill levels. They are easy to use, versatile, and affordable. But with so many options available on the market, how do you choose the best one for your needs?

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That’s what I decided to find out in this blog post. I tested and ranked the best spin casting rods in 2024 based on several criteria, such as performance, durability, comfort, design, and price.

In this post, I will share with you my findings, opinions, and recommendations. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned angler, you will find something useful and interesting in this post.

So, let’s get started!

Best Spin Casting Rods in 2024

St. Croix Rods Premier Spinning Rod

Top-Rated: 616 ratings | 90 answered questions

Highlights: Premium Scii Carbon Construction and Premium-grade Cork Handle

Helpful Review: These are Amazing rods! St. Croix Rods slogan is “The Best Rods on Earth” and I truly believe that.

I have been bass fishing since I was very young and I have tried many different rods over the years but I only buy St. Croix Rods now. My dad is in his 60’s and he has been bass fishing since he was a teenager so he has tried numerous rods and he also only uses St. Croix rods.

The Sensitivity is amazing in these rods. you can really feel the structure on the bottom when working your lure and you can really feel it when you get a bite! The Triumph Series is also a great rod and is about $40 less than the Premier.

So if you are looking for an amazing rod under $200, go with the Triumph Series for only $80! If you have the extra cash, go ahead and get you a Premier. But either way, you will love your new St. Croix rod and never want to use another rod again.

Their Bait Caster rods are great as well. They pretty much have a rod for any style of fishing whether it is Inshore saltwater or fishing freshwater lakes and rivers, you can find a St. Croix rod for whatever fishing you do! — Austin W.

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St. Croix Rods Triumph Spinning Rod, TSR

Top-Rated: 815 ratings | 43 answered questions

Highlights: Sea Guide Atlas Performance Ss304 with Black Finish Guides

Helpful Review: I’ve been using this rod for years. I bought my first one around 2008, I went to my local fisherman’s warehouse and look through the rods and this one was the nicest one.

This rod lets you make very accurate casts, and makes it easy to detect lighter strikes. I use it for trout in small streams up to medium size rivers, perfect for anything from bluegill all the way up to good size large mouth bass, but ideal for trout and panfish.

After using this rod I would consider rods like Ugly Sticks to be complete garbage. I paired mine up with a Shimano Stradic SL 2500 with 6/200 capacity. — Brian T. Chandler

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Ugly Stik 7’ Tiger Elite Spinning Rod

Top-Rated: 437 ratings | 70 answered questions

Highlights: 14-40LB LINE RATING, HEAVY POWER

Helpful Review: The Ugly Stik Tiger Elite Spinning Fishing Rod is an outstanding product and I would give it five stars. The rod is incredibly durable, made with a combination of graphite and fiberglass which makes it both strong and lightweight.

The handle and reel seat are made with high-quality materials, which provide a comfortable and secure grip even when fighting bigger fish.

The rod is versatile and can be used for a variety of fishing techniques and species. It is rated for medium to heavy power and fast action which makes it perfect for saltwater fishing and freshwater fishing for big fish such as bass, catfish, pike, etc.

The sensitivity is also great, you can feel even the lightest of bites and it can handle a large range of line weights.

I have used this rod on several fishing trips and I have been impressed with its performance. It has held up well even in rough conditions and has helped me land some big fish.

I would highly recommend this rod to any angler looking for a durable, versatile and high-performance fishing rod. It is a great value for the price and it is a top-quality product that will last for years.— riprod

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Fenwick Eagle Spinning Fishing Rod

Top-Rated: 668 ratings | 46 answered questions

Highlights: Classic Fenwick Actions

Helpful Review: First off, if you are planning on buying this item, check with the manufacturer as the what item you are getting. The description says 6′ medium-light, the models says 5’6 MH, and the rod I received was 6′ Med.

I was thoroughly disappointed with receiving a heavier rod. However, I decided to keep it. I was very impressed with the light weight, thin and light and responsive graphite, and the quality handle and reel seat. The finish is outstanding too. This is much better than the fiberglass rods.

One thing that baffles me is the guides; they are stainless steel. I expected them to be zirconium, ceramic, or aluminum oxide. The description does say that are stainless.

I don’t know regarding the physics if they are better or worse, but I would expect these materials to be superior. It’s a difficult thing to test whether it really improves or impedes performance and friction. I can’t tell and I”m happy with it so I guess they are okay.

I have it paired with a Daiwa Revros 2500. I have been on a ten year hiatus, but I remember my Daiwa Regal-S was my favorite reel above my more expensive ones. This is the smoothest, most well built reel I have ever used.

If you are planning on using 10 or 12 pound test you may want to go to the next size. But it has a low gear ratio, high line retrieval speed, and the bail spring is super smooth, and the spool is very well built- not to mention the smooth drag. — J.Allen

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Ugly Stik 6’ Elite Spinning Rod

Top-Rated: 193 ratings | 33 answered questions

Highlights: Constructed from Graphite and Fiberglass for a Lighter Weight Rod

Helpful Review: Don’t panic and immediately request a return! If your rods blank (section) seems to be bent, if you put on line and sink and/or lure the blank will straighten out.

The blank only appears to be bent because of how thin the tip is, the rod I received had a curve in the tip to the right, but after I lined it and attached a lure the tip was normal. Long story short, don’t eye ball the rod itself without it being fully set up as they will ALL appear to be bent!

I was tempted to give this only a 4 star review due to the rod’s sensitivity, but I just can’t. I’ve landed many big fish on the 7’6″ medium fast with 15lb Power Pro and a 3000 size reel. I love this rod.

The abuse it can take is second to none. That’s Ugly’s trademark. You will not be disappointed with this. Just be sure to spray it down with freshwater after every trip.

I have landed all the fish in my photos with this very rod. In my opinion, the rod paid for itself with my very first bull red. — Justin Alderman

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Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Fishing Rod

Top-Rated: 4,433 ratings | 321 answered questions

Highlights: 6-15lb Line Rating, Medium Power, Moderate Fast Action

Helpful Review: Exactly what I wanted. I recently purchased this fishing rod to take on a canoe trip to the boundary waters/Quetico with friends. Part of this trip was flying, part driving, and part packing-in and portaging canoes and gear.

To my surprise, I managed to get this rod packed inside of my 2-man backpacking tent bag and it traveled effortlessly every step of the way. No one but me would have even known I had a fishing rod with me at any point on this trip other than while I was fishing.

When using it, I found that the 6.5 ft length with medium action on this rod was very close to my non-packable rod with the exception that the tip stiffness on this rod is a little more sensitive than my 2-piece rod of the same size and rating.

In every respect, it fished quite well and I got the best casts I’ve ever experienced in my life using this in combination with my Shimano spinning reel, and brand-new Trilene “smooth casting” line in 10lb test.

Unbelievable distance, even with light lures, and perfect placement of casts, as well. My buddies were in awe and they’re all bigger than me!

I landed a lot of good-sized smallmouth bass, a few average Northern pike, and even one 10 pound, 32 inch Northern on this trip without even a shiver, creak, or squeak out of the rod.

It felt quite capable of handling everything that came its way. I am sure I never took it anywhere near its limits of strength even though several of these fish bent it in half with the tip down into the water while they went under the canoe.

I can’t say that I am an avid fisherman but I do have many years of fishing under my belt and I can attest that this rod is excellent in every respect.

My packable rod was the only one in our group that didn’t take up any headroom in our van on the long trip to the North woods and back. It also portaged effortlessly since it was inside of my backpack in my tent bag.

All the other rods we had with us needed to be carried on portages. I only wish my buddies were as focused on the functionality of their gear as I am! Traveling would be so much easier and more comfortable for all of us.

For the others who flew in, in addition to their usual luggage, they also had to contend with carrying their rods on airplanes in carrying tubes…and risk losing them. The pack rod just makes so much more sense on every count.

For all but those who may be very hard on their gear, it is my opinion (based upon this one trip) that this rod is a winner and would be handy for anyone who fishes.

It goes together and comes apart easily, stores neatly and securely into its own carrying tube, and is a perfect solution for all portability needs.

All this with little or no noticeable sacrifice in fishing performance (with the possible exception of very hard use and/or extremely large fish). What’s not to like? I have already recommended this to several others and will continue to do so. — WBC Coach

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Berkley Lightning Rod Spinning Fishing Rod

Top-Rated: 1,151 ratings | 53 answered questions

Highlights: Berkley Lightning 6’ Spinning Rod, Moderate Fast Action

Helpful Review: This is a lightweight rod that balances perfectly with a 2500 series reel, has plenty of backbone, and fishes like a one piece rod.

My first time out, I caught 15 largemouth bass fishing plastic worms in thick weedy cover; this rod had no problem at all holding up to the fish – as I would expect – but to the extra pound or two of weeds that often came in with the fish.

And to getting them out of the thick weedy cover they burrowed into once hooked. I was using 8# line and 4″ or 5″ worms, no weight, and this rod casts very well whether close or far.

The rod is well finished, has 8 guides, comfortable rubberized cork handles, and a bit of exposed rod blank to improve sensitivity. The reel seat is well designed too;

I don’t like exposed threads on some rods that do their best to rub your hand raw by the end of the day. This one does not. My only quibble is that I wish they had put the hook keeper on the left side of the rod instead of the bottom.

I wanted a quality medium power 2-piece spinning rod for road trip use that didn’t cost a fortune, and this rod is perfect for that. I also bought a Shimano Stimula 6’6″ 2-piece rod when I bought this Lightning Rod, and the Shimano will be going back for another LR. — JP

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What a spincasting rod is and why is it a popular choice among anglers?

A spincasting rod is a type of fishing rod that is designed to work with a spincasting reel. A spincasting reel is a type of reel that has a closed face and a button that releases the line when pressed.

Spincasting rods have the reel seat pointing downwards on the rod handle, and the line guides are also located along the bottom of the rod. This means that the line comes out of the reel in a straight line and does not twist or loop around the rod. Spincasting rods are usually shorter and lighter than other types of rods, and they have a moderate to fast action.

Spincasting rods are a popular choice among anglers because they are easy to use and versatile. They are suitable for beginners who want to learn how to cast without worrying about backlash or tangles. They are also good for experienced anglers who want to fish in tight spaces or target smaller fish.

Spincasting rods can be used with a variety of baits and lures, such as worms, minnows, spinners, spoons, and jigs. They can handle light to medium line and tackle, and they can catch fish such as bass, trout, panfish, catfish, and walleye.

What is a spincasting fishing rod and how does it differ from other types of fishing rods?

A spincasting rod is a type of fishing rod that is specifically designed to be used with a spincast reel. Spincast reels are characterized by a closed-face design and a push-button mechanism that allows the angler to release line. Spincast rods have a trigger or button on the handle that corresponds with the push-button on the reel, this allows angler to release the line.

Compared to other types of fishing rods, such as baitcasting and spinning rods, spincast rods are generally shorter and have the guides placed closer to the reel. They are also typically more forgiving and easier to use, making them a great option for beginners. Spincast rods are best suited for freshwater fishing and casting light lures and lines.

Baitcasting rods, on the other hand, have a reel that sits on top of the rod and uses a thumb button to release line, and are typically used by more experienced anglers and are better for casting larger lures and heavier lines. Spinning rods use a reel that sits below the rod and are generally easier to use than baitcasting rods, but are not as easy as spincast.

How do I properly cast with a spincasting fishing rod?

Casting with a spincasting rod is relatively simple and straightforward. Here are the basic steps for properly casting with a spincasting rod:

1. Hold the rod with your dominant hand and position your thumb on top of the spool of the reel.
2. Hold the line with your other hand and pull out the amount of line you want to cast.
3. Point the rod tip towards your target and push the button on the handle to release the line from the reel.
4. As you release the button, use a smooth and fluid motion to sweep the rod back and then forward, using your wrist and arm to generate power.
5. Keep your eye on the lure or bait and release the line at the right moment.
6. As the lure or bait reaches the water, point the rod tip down to the water to help prevent the line from tangling.

A few tips:

• Keep your backcast low and close to the water, this helps prevent tangles.
• Practice your casting technique, it will get better with practice.
• Experiment with different types of lures and baits and different lengths of line to find what works best for you.
• Make sure your reel is properly adjusted, with the correct drag and tension settings.

It’s important to remember that casting is not just about power but also about timing and control, so don’t be afraid to experiment and find the method that works best for you.

Are there any specific types of fish that are best caught using a spincasting rod?

Spincasting rods are well-suited for a variety of freshwater fish species and are particularly good for smaller fish such as panfish (bluegill, crappie, perch), bass, and pike.

The short and lightweight design of spincast rods makes them easy to handle and maneuver, which is especially useful when fishing for smaller fish in tight spaces or around cover.

Additionally, spincasting rods are ideal for casting light lures and lines, which makes them well-suited for targeting small fish like panfish and bass.

They are also great for fishing in calm water, and can be used in both freshwater and saltwater. Some anglers even use spincasting rods for fly fishing.

It’s important to note that while spincasting rods are versatile and can be used to catch a variety of fish, they may not be the best option for larger or more powerful fish species, such as saltwater game fish, which may require a heavier and more specialized rod and reel setup.

When choosing a rod and reel combination, you should also consider the type of fish you’ll be catching, the size of the fish, and the type of water you’ll be fishing in.

How do I maintain and care for my spincasting fishing rod?

Proper maintenance and care of your spincasting fishing rod will help ensure that it lasts for many years and continues to perform well. Here are a few tips for maintaining and caring for your spincasting rod:

1. Clean the rod after each use: Use a soft cloth or brush to remove any dirt or debris from the rod. Rinse it off with fresh water, and dry it thoroughly before storing it.
2. Store the rod properly: Always store the rod in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and high humidity. It is also recommended to store it in a rod tube or rod sock to protect it from damage.
3. Check for damage: Inspect the rod for any signs of damage or wear, such as cracks, chips, or bent guides. If you notice any damage, have it repaired by a professional before using it again.
4. Lubricate the guides: The guides on your rod are designed to protect the line and make casting easier. To keep them in good working condition, apply a small amount of lubricant, such as a silicone spray, to the guides periodically.
5. Reel maintenance: Keep the reel clean and lubricated. Before storing it away, clean it with a damp cloth and lubricate the moving parts with a light oil to prevent rust.
6. Avoid overloading: Always use the appropriate size and strength of line for your rod and reel. Overloading the rod with too heavy of a line can cause damage to the guides or the blank, and can also make casting difficult.

By following these simple tips, you can help ensure that your spincasting rod is in good condition and ready to use whenever you need it. Remember to also check the manufacturer’s instructions for specific care recommendations.

What are some tips for beginners using a spincasting fishing rod?

Spincasting fishing rods are a great option for beginners because of their ease of use and forgiving nature. Here are a few tips for beginners using a spincasting fishing rod:

1. Practice casting: Practice casting your spincasting rod in an open area until you feel comfortable with the technique. It is important to keep the backcast low and close to the water to prevent tangles.
2. Use the right size and strength of line: Always use the appropriate size and strength of line for your rod and reel. Overloading the rod with too heavy of a line can cause damage to the guides or the blank, and can also make casting difficult.
3. Start with light lures: Start with light lures or baits to make casting and retrieving easier. Experiment with different types of lures and baits to find what works best for you.
4. Adjust the drag: Adjust the drag on your reel so that it is set correctly for the size and strength of the fish you are targeting. A properly adjusted drag will help prevent the fish from breaking your line.
5. Keep the rod tip down: When casting, keep the rod tip pointed down towards the water to help prevent the line from tangling.
6. Be patient: Fishing takes practice and patience. Don’t get discouraged if you have trouble casting at first. With time and practice, you will get better.
7. Have fun: Remember to enjoy the experience, and don’t get too hung up on catching fish. The most important thing is to have fun and be safe.

By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to becoming an expert spincaster in no time. Remember to also check the manufacturer’s instructions for specific usage recommendations.

How do I choose the right length and power for a spincasting fishing rod?

Choosing the right length and power for a spincasting fishing rod will depend on a variety of factors, including the type of fish you will be catching, the size of the fish, and the type of water you will be fishing in. Here are a few things to consider when choosing the right length and power for your spincasting fishing rod:

1. Length: Spincasting rods typically range from 4 to 7 feet in length. A shorter rod is great for fishing in tight spaces or around cover, while a longer rod is better for making longer casts. It is important to choose a rod length that you feel comfortable handling.
2. Power: Power refers to the strength of the rod and its ability to handle different types of fish. Spincasting rods typically have a light or medium-light power rating. Light power is great for catching small fish such as panfish, while medium-light is better for larger fish such as bass.
3. Action: Action refers to the flexibility of the rod and how much it bends when under load. A fast action rod is more stiff and bends only at the tip, while a slow action rod bends throughout its entire length. A fast action rod is better for making long casts, while a slow action rod is more forgiving and better for beginners.
4. Line weight: Line weight is the thickness of the fishing line and is measured in pounds. It is important to match the line weight to the power rating of the rod.
5. Lure weight: Lure weight is the weight of the lure or bait being used, It is also important to match the lure weight to the power rating of the rod.

It is important to remember that these are general guidelines, and the best way to choose the right length and power for your spincasting fishing rod is to consult the manufacturer’s recommendations, test it out and see what feels comfortable and what works best for you in the specific fishing situation.

Are spincasting fishing rods suitable for both freshwater and saltwater fishing?

What are some common mistakes to avoid when using a spincasting fishing rod?

1. Not using the correct type of lure or bait for the species you are trying to catch.
2. Overloading the rod with too much weight, which can cause it to break or damage the guides.
3. Not checking the line for frays or knots before casting, which can cause the line to break or the lure to become snagged.
4. Not using the correct casting technique, which can result in poor casting distance and accuracy.
5. Not paying attention to the wind and currents, which can affect the direction and speed of the cast.
6. Forgetting to reel in slack line before setting the hook, which can cause the fish to escape.
7. Not being patient and waiting for the fish to bite, instead of reeling in too quickly.
8. Not using the right amount of force when reeling in a fish, which can cause the fish to break the line or the rod to break.

Are there any accessories that can be added to enhance the performance of a spincasting fishing rod?

Yes, there are several accessories that can enhance the performance of a spincasting fishing rod:

1. Line guides: Ceramic or titanium line guides can increase the sensitivity and reduce friction on the line, allowing for longer casts and better fish detection.
2. Reel seat: A high-quality reel seat can provide a secure and comfortable hold on the reel, allowing for more precise casting and better control over the fish.
3. Cork or EVA handle: A cork or EVA handle can provide a comfortable and slip-resistant grip, allowing for better control and reducing hand fatigue.
4. Rod sock or tube: A rod sock or tube can protect the rod from scratches and damage during transportation and storage.
5. Lure and hook sharpener: A hook and lure sharpener can help to keep your hooks and lures sharp, increasing the chances of hooking a fish.
6. Line spooler: A line spooler can make it easier to load line onto your reel and prevent tangles.
7. Rod stand or holder: A rod stand or holder can keep your rod upright and stable while you’re baiting your hook or waiting for a fish to bite.

In end, spincasting rods are a great option for anglers of all skill levels. They offer a balance of convenience and performance, and are easy to use for beginners while still providing the sensitivity and power needed for experienced anglers.

Whether you’re fishing for bass, trout, or panfish, a spincasting rod can help you land more fish and have more fun on the water. With a wide range of options available, you’re sure to find the perfect spincasting rod to suit your needs and budget. Overall, Spincasting rod are a great choice for any angler looking for a simple, yet effective fishing tool.