Fishing is a great hobby for people to get involved in. Whether it is for a few hours or an entire day, fishing is a great way to unwind and spend some time with friends and family. People who want to fish more frequently may want to invest in a good baitcasting rod. However, most people aren’t familiar with what makes a high-quality baitcasting rod, which is why we have compiled this list of the top ten best baitcasting rods in 2022!
With so many options on the market, choosing the right one can be difficult – especially when there’s no real way of knowing what you’re getting into. We’ve done all the research that you don’t have time for, as well as provided personal reviews for each product to help you make the best decision possible for your needs.
Our top pick would be the KastKing Perigee II because it’s perfect for anglers who want to be able to fish in just about any situation. With a lightweight design and sensitive construction, this fishing rod will provide all of the accuracy that you need while keeping things comfortable and cozy.
If you still want to learn more about our original 10 choices then feel free to read further!
Top 10 Baitcasting Rod Reviews
- KastKing Perigee II Fishing Rods
- Piscifun Torrent Baitcasting Rod
- Berkley Cherrywood HD Casting Fishing Rods
- 13 FISHING Fate Black 2 Freshwater Casting Fishing Rod
- Favorite White Bird Casting Rod
- Lew’s Custom Lite HM85 Casting Rod
- Dobyns Rods Fury Series Casting Fishing Rod
- St. Croix Rods Legend Tournament Bass Casting Rod
- Abu Garcia IKE Signature Power Casting Fishing Rod
- Fenwick Eagle Salmon/Steelhead Casting Fishing Rod
1. KastKing Perigee II Fishing Rods
The KastKing Perigee II is our best baitcasting rod overall. We feel this way because of the overall high quality and attention to detail that KastKing put into this product. The original Perigee was incredibly popular because of its mid-level price tag but excellent quality. As expected, KastKing has improved upon an already great product with this version.
For starters, the handle of the Perigee II has been sidemounted very close to your hand which allows you to more easily adjust how tightly or loosely you want your reel set up through its anti-reverse capabilities. This also means that there are no issues with line tangles seeing as there are no longer handles sticking out past your hand.
For a rod to be labeled as a ‘baitcasting’ rod, it has to have the capability of anti-reverse. The ability for a spinning rod to perform an anti-reverse is an amazing feature that allows you to not only hold the line without having the spool reverse unexpectedly from time to time, but it also makes lowering your setup easier ensuring you don’t lose your bait or lure too quickly. The Perigee II comes with an upgraded drag system made from graphite so even though this bait caster fishing pole isn’t super heavy duty by any means, it does have enough strength and durability for most users.
The tip of this pole is sensitive enough that even iron jigs can be cast with it without issue.
The fact that the line spools off of your reel perfectly, thanks to the weight-saving aspect of its high-quality graphite construction makes this bait caster rod one of our favorites.
2. Piscifun Torrent Baitcasting Rod
Piscifun Torrent might be your best option if you’re looking for a durable baitcasting rod that’s also sensitive and light. Its one-piece blank is constructed with IM6 carbon for maximum reliability.
It has wrapped guides at four different angles. This ensures the quality of performance, especially with the X-shaped high-temperature molding resin.
The 8+1 strategically placed guides ensure smooth and constant power transition. And, the brand’s Pure Power Transition Technology allows better control when it comes to fighting big fish.
Piscifun Torrent baitcasting rod comes in many sizes and action options. It has high-density EVA grips, an “S” style hook keeper, and a high-strength graphite reel seat.
What makes it stand out is that it’s purposefully designed to fit both experts and beginners.
3. Berkley Cherrywood HD Casting Fishing Rods
Berkley Cherrywood casting rod is among the most popular due to its versatility. It catches anything from pike and bass to catfish and bluegill.
It’s an excellent value for money, especially once you consider its durability and quality. This one is light and sensitive, so you’ll feel every bite with no mistake.
Its hybrid construction enables this unmatched sensitivity. Plus, everything is secured even more with the cork handles that go up the rod blank.
Berkley Cherrywood features stainless steel guides and inserts. This enables the line to run smoothly as long as you match its power with the rod.
It comes in several sizes and has medium-light to medium-heavy power.
4. 13 FISHING Fate Black 2 Freshwater Casting Fishing Rod
The 13 Fishing Fate Black 2 Freshwater Casting Fishing Rod is meant for all kinds of fishing techniques. It’s great if you’re often looking for new situations and challenging conditions.
The first thing you probably notice is the sleek green blank. It has a matte finish which is also something we don’t see as often.
The rod blank is made from Japanese 30-ton HTC3 carbon fiber. It’s durable and resistant, but also lightweight and sensitive. This makes it fit many fishing techniques.
It comes with a seamless Evolve reel seat and Zirconia insert guides. On top of that, it also has a 3A Portuguese cork for added comfort and ease of use.
This one is worth your attention if you want medium to heavy power with fast action.
5. Favorite White Bird Casting Rod
The White Bird is among the most unique-looking baitcasting rods. It has a premium IM24 to blank and a multi-layer structure for most durability and longevity.
The multi-layer structure has carbon fibers going in different directions. This helps to provide unmatched strength.
It’s a perfect fit for throwing accurate casts, mainly thanks to its SiC guides. These allow an efficient and smooth transition of energy.
Another thing worth noting is the split cork handle. It’s firm and durable, but still comfortable for you to hold for hours at a time.
This is a medium-heavy bait casting rod with fast action. The suggested line you should go for is the 10-17 lb test. It fits a wide range of baits, so you can pretty much use anything you like.
6. Lew’s Custom Lite HM85 Casting Rod
Lew’s Custom Lite is available in specific actions and techniques. It has a fierce design with a progressively soft tip for maximum sensitivity.
It allows you to feel the subtle bites so that you don’t lose any potential catch. The graphite 85-million modulus blanks are responsive, lightweight, and easy to use.
But there’s more. The multi-layer construction gives it durability, so it’s virtually impossible to break. This means you can fight most fish and come out as a winner.
It comes with titanium oxide guides to allow the line to run smoothly. The SoftTouch skeletal reel seats have a reliable connection with the blank. This adds even more to the sensitivity transfer.
Plus, all its hardware is corrosion-resistant and able to withstand different fishing conditions.
7. Dobyns Rods Fury Series Casting Fishing Rod
The Dobyns Rods Fury is among the most popular options. It’s meant for jigs, Texas-rigs, spinnerbaits, flukes, and senkos.
We had great expectations since it was created by bass fishing expert Gary Dobyns. And, it didn’t disappoint.
It’s a sensitive one, with a great ratio of balance and strength to allow maximum performance. It has a modulus graphite blank with Kevlar wrapping, a 14” Portuguese cork grip, and a Fuji reel seat.
The sensitivity goes from line to hand smoothly, delivering accuracy when you need it. Plus, it’s affordable, so you won’t break the bank.
It comes with a limited lifetime warranty on workmanship and materials.
8. St. Croix Rods Legend Tournament Bass Casting Rod
St. Croix Legend is designed with quality and experience. It’s made from carbon fiber material for strength with no increase in blank weight or diameter.
It’s a lightweight casting rod, so you won’t feel tired or fatigued even after hours of bass fishing. Plus, the ergonomically designed handle enhances comfort even more.
Another thing we should mention is the IPC (Integrated Poly Curve) tooling that increases its strength. The ART (Advanced Reinforcing Technology) helps to add more durability, which always comes in handy when fighting heavy fish.
St. Croix Legend also has a slow-cured double Flex Coat finish, which protects it from corrosion. Its Fuji K-Series guides have Alconite inserts and CC matte finish. This makes them durable and corrosion-resistant.
9. Abu Garcia IKE Signature Power Casting Fishing Rod
We find the Abu Garcia IKE easy to use in a range of fishing situations. It’s a one-piece with unique action and different lengths to pick from.
The graphite blank is streamlined for maximum comfort and performance. It has several guides and a sensitive tip to pick up on all vibrations nearby.
As it’s the case with other IKE Power Series casting rods, Abu Garcia has that high-quality look and feel. It comes with stainless steel guides and zirconium inserts, which add to its performance.
We should also mention the new reel seat with a trigger lock. It also has a rubber grip handle for better handling in wet conditions.
The EVA grip handles are comfortable and resistant. They can handle quite a beating which is important for avid anglers.
10. Fenwick Eagle Salmon/Steelhead Casting Fishing Rod
The Fenwick Eagle Salmon/Steelhead Rod has always been known for its tradition and high performance. Its grips are what it stands out for the most as they provide unparalleled comfort and ease of use.
The grips are made from TAC and premium cork to give you comfort, control, and sensitivity. It’s built to allow all vibrations to transfer from the rod tip down to your hand holding the handle.
On top of that, this one comes with stainless steel guides with aluminum oxide inserts. This enables the line to run in both directions.
Its sensitive tip makes it easy to feel even the slightest bites all across the rod length. This makes it easy to catch everything from trophy fish to small species.
And, the best of all is that it’s not expensive. It’s a mid-priced baitcasting rod worth the attention for its durability and performance.
Buying Advice for Baitcasting Rods
Before buying a baitcasting rod, we’ve got a few tips you should know. We will cover the following factors on what makes the best baitcasting rod: action, rod power, rod length, line and lure weights, rod materials, grip, reel mount, guides.
Rod Action
The recommended rod action for having the best baitcasting rod is moderate. These casting rods are known for their versatile nature which allows them to be used in a variety of fishing applications and with multiple fishing techniques like jigging, jerk baits, and spinnerbaits.
Rod action is the measure of stiffness in a fishing rod. They are broken down to fast, medium-fast, moderate-fast, medium, moderate, and slow.
Action Types
Fast Action – best suited for light lures such as crankbaits, jerk baits, and topwater baits. These casting rods can also be effective on soft plastics and spinnerbaits. They have lots of backbone to stop a fish or get it away from structure quickly.
Medium-fast Action – great for moderate speed jigging, swimbaits, and chatterbaits; they can handle most bass fishing techniques excluding heavy cover where a fast action would be needed. A medium-fast rod is versatile but lacks power compared to other actions.
Medium Action – this is a good all-around rod and the most popular choice for bass fishing. It’s well suited for Texas rigs, drop shot rigs, Carolina rigging, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swim jigs, and more; great for anglers of all skill levels. You get enough backbone to stop big fish or get them away from structure but you also get enough bend in the rod to feel light bites and give you accurate presentations.
Moderate Action – these are slow-action rods sometimes referred to as parabolic rods. They’re great when bottom-bouncing worms or wacky rig worms with a heavy cover like docks or laydowns; can also be used for pitching jigs into heavy cover. A moderate-fast rod has a lot of bends when you load it but not much power at the end because it’s flexing all the way to the cork.
Medium-slow Action – best suited for flippin’ and pitching jigs into heavy cover, these casting rods have lots of backbone to get big fish out of cover and plenty of bends to impart subtle taps and bumps that trigger strikes. They’re also good for drop-shotting plastics through heavy grass. Slow-action baitcasting rods are slow at loading so less sensitive than fast rods; they lack hook setting power because there isn’t enough stiffness in the tip so anglers must rely on precise casting techniques such as shooting line, using their thumb to stop the line from sliding off the tip during the cast or using their index finger to stop the line. Slow-action rods are also less suitable for top water applications because the soft tip doesn’t transmit bites as well as a stiffer rod.
Rod Power
We prefer medium heavy because we prefer a bait casting rod that is not too stiff and one which has a medium fast action. Additionally, we noticed that most of the best casting rods that are medium heavy work best with the intended weight of the lures we use most.
There are rod powers and they are the following:
- Ultra Light
- Light
- Medium-Light
- Medium (Medium Heavy)
- Heavy (Heavy Action, Extra Heavy)
- Extra heavy
Ultralight (UL): Ultralight rods are made with lures of up to 1/32 ounces. Their line rating is ultra light usually between 0.4 lbs and 0.5lbs
Light (L): For light baits, the weight can go up to 3/16 ounces with a line rating that is at least half a pound more than the lure weight. The rod also has an average action.
Medium-Light (ML): This is the most popular type among all baitcasting rod power types because it has an action between fast and medium fast which allows for optimum control of bigger lures or heavier weights without compromising accuracy or distance. However, lures bigger than 1/4 ounce might be too heavy this type of rod – approximately, the weight of the lure should not be more than 1/2 ounce.
Medium (MH): Medium heavy rods are for fishing lures weighing between 3/8 ounce and 1/2 ounces and with a line rating between 8 lbs to 12 lbs. While it’s an excellent choice, fishing lures heavier or lighter than what you intend may work or not well at all.
Heavy (H): Heavy-action baitcasting rods are usually used with 2/0 to 4/0 sizes for big baits like live eels, baby tarpon, large trout, grouper etc. These can also be used for trolling but you need to apply more power to keep your target in one place. This type has a fast action.
Extra Heavy (XH): These rods are for very heavy baits like large tuna, yellowfin or bigeye etc. Their line rating can go as high as 80 lbs and the rod has a fast-extra fast action. The best extra heavy baitcasting rod is one with a sensitive tip which you need to detect the light bites of your intended target.
Rod Length
Baitcasting rods come in different length options. Again, you should think about your needs and preferences. Rod length plays a significant role for each species you’re trying to land.
You should also think about the terrain you’re casting from. Some people benefit from a longer rod, but as a buying advice, try to stay between 5’6” and 8’6”.
Line and Lure Weights
The optimum line and lure weight for a baitcaster are as follows:
A lighter line and lure weight (higher) allows for more sensitivity, which can help determine subtle strikes avoiding false triggers. A lighter line and lure weight also load the rod closer to the butt where the power is emitted from by creating higher stress thus creating more responsiveness. This response gives you a longer casting range and better control over what your lure is doing at any given time.
Having a heavier line and/or lure weight (lower) means that it will be easier to perform long casts with less effort. This does not necessarily mean that you’ll have greater control over your fishing tool due to less sensitivity in your grip. However, this will allow you to pull off bigger stunts such as pulling up water from a lower level or reeling in a fish from greater distances. Once again this is achieved by having the line and/or lure weight sit further down on the rod where it is not as easily affected by any changes to water pressure, which would affect your grip instead. As such you will have to use more power from your arms to get yourself into that position.
In addition, due to the fact that you are using less power from your arms because of the increased distance from you and the hook at which all of the working power is generated and distributed, small or subtle strikes may go unnoticed when fishing with a heavy line and/or lure weight (lower).
Suggested Line Weights:*
-Finesse Fishing: 1-6 lbs
-Light Spinning: 8-12 lbs
-Medium Spinning: 15-20 lbs
-Heavy Spinning: 25+ lbs
Suggested Lure Weights:*
1/32 oz – 1/8 oz (2 lb)
3/16 oz – 1/4 oz (5 lb)
Rod Materials
Graphite is most commonly used with baitcasting rods because it’s strong and durable. It comes in many variations with different patterns and designs.
Fiberglass is another option if you’re after a lightweight rod. It’s strong, but not as strong as graphite, so keep that in mind for bass fishing.
You should also think about other components and what they’re made from. For example, the guides are critical for how smoothly the line runs, so make sure they’re high-quality and made from non-corrosive materials.
Grip
People have different ideas of what’s comfortable, so choosing a handle is a personal decision. In most cases, you’ll find cork and EVA foam handles.
Cork is considered to be more attractive. It’s also warmer, but not the best for frequent, rough use. On the other hand, EVA foam is cooler and softer. It’s pretty tough and will probably last a longer time than cork.
Reel Mount
This is where things can get tricky because the reel you go for has to fit inside the reel mount. So, think about the reel you have and whether the mount matches.
You should also think about reel placement. For beginners, this is best to determine with trial and error since there’s no right or wrong when it comes to where you prefer the reel to be.
Guides
You should always go for high-quality guides because baitcasting rods, and bass fishing rods in general, are designed for heavy-duty fights.
It’s not something you can overlook because guides are meant to help your baitcasting rod and line handle the fish.
You’ll notice some rods have more guides than others. You can go for as many as you like, keeping in mind that more guides mean less stress.
Price
As it’s always the case, it’s best to have a budget in mind. This will help you focus on rods within that budget so that you don’t waste any time.
But, it also helps to know the average price of a casting rod. In most cases, the price depends on a few factors like materials and the quality of manufacturing.
The best baitcasting rods aren’t necessarily the most expensive. For this reason, it’s best to think about other factors first.
Again, beginners can go for a basic and affordable casting rod, whereas experienced anglers can drop a few more bucks.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you found the best baitcasting rod for your needs and preferences among the ones we talked about.
The list is quite versatile, so there’s something for everyone. Again, check the KastKing Perigee II if you can’t make up your mind. It’s an excellent option that works for nearly all fish. It’s also pretty affordable.
Brett Freese
I've always had a passion for fishing ever since I was young. I started fishing with my grandpa at 6, and he taught me everything I needed to know! I love sharing my knowledge with the community, as well as learning from other anglers. We only get better if we help each other!
