7 Best Walleye Rods For 2022 (Buying Guide)

Walleye fishing is on the rise, with hundreds of thousands of people doing this activity each year.

Your rod is a potent arsenal in your fishing adventure. Many anglers use the best walleye rods available today, but it’s not always easy to tell which ones are the best.

So, we’ve put together a list of the best walleye fishing rods to help you decide which is the right rod that you can use in the upcoming fishing season.

Our Top Picks 

7 Top Walleye Rods

• Lightest & Most Advanced – St Croix Legend Tournament Walleye 2 
• Most Sensitive & Comfort-Driven – Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Fishing Rod 
• High-Performing & Cost-Effective – St. Croix Eyecon Spinning Rod
• Best Walleye Rod for Bigger Fish – Cadence Spinning Rod
• Best for Deep Water Fishing – Tica WMVA Bass & Walleye Casting Fishing Rod
• Best Walleye Fishing Rod for Beginners – Shimano FX Spinning Rod
• Best For All Ages – Shimano FX Casting Rod 

1. St Croix Legend Tournament Walleye 2 

Lightest & Most Advanced

Key Features:

• It comes with a light power blank
• Has premium cork handles
• Designed with high-grade carbon for added strength
• With integrated poly curve technology 
• Fuji guides come with alconite

The Croix Legend Tournament Walleye rod features Fuji SK2, giving a lightweight, sensitivity-tuned reel. Its super grade cork handle will provide you with that perfect grip, making it easy to use. 

Fishing for long hours with large, heavy rods is tedious. This Croix Legend Tournament rod is designed to be a lightweight rod enough to let you learn the tricks of fishing for longer hours.

The lightness of the blank allows you to cast them in deep water. Rigid fast tips allow anglers to feel even the lightest bites.

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2. Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Fishing Rod 

Most Sensitive & Comfort-Driven

Key Features:

• With hidden handle design to fish comfortably 
• Extremely durable and virtually bulletproof
• Frame guides made of titanium
• Inserted with lightweight zirconium

Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye Spinning Fishing Rod offers sensitivity. It comes with extremely fast rod tip sections, allowing anglers to feel everything under the water.

Titanium frames provide a strong and durable frame for your rod so that you can fish for longer periods without compromising your fishing gear.

If you want a reel with combined comfort and function, this rod can be your pick. Its TAC handle and the specially designed cork provide a good grip and comfortability for your next walleye fishing trip. It even works well in wet conditions. 

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3. St. Croix Eyecon Spinning Rod

High-Performing & Cost-Effective

Key Features:

• Constructed with SCII graphite blank
• With EVA trim for a strong grip
• Kigan Master Hand 3D guides
• Has slim and black-framed rings with aluminum-oxide

St. Croix Rods Eyecon Spinning Rod is a light rod that features a custom Fuji IPS reel seat. The integrated hood provides added protection from the elements.

Its innovative cork with a finish of an EVA trim provides the rod with extra strength and ease in fishing. 

This is a perfect walleye fishing rod for anglers that values high performance. Built with SCII graphite blank, it’s ideal for most fishing techniques, such as casting, trolling, and jigging walleye.

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4. Cadence Spinning Rod

Best Walleye Rod for Bigger Fish

Key Features:

• With stainless steel frames for durability
• Offers two-handle configuration
• Smooth casting features
• Carbon Fiber blank for extra sensitivity

The Cadence Spinning Rod is perfect for various fish, including freshwater fish such as trout, walleye, bass, and other well-known inshore fish species.

It’s fortified with a Fuji reel seat for comfortability and a blank wrapped in a carbon veil for durability. SiC guides have durable stainless steel guides as well for great-level casting performance.

This series of spinning rods are all about providing convenience and top performance for anglers. These rods are lightweight and ideal for small boats, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and other small spaces where longer rods won’t fit.

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5. Tica WMVA Bass & Walleye Casting Fishing Rod

Best for Deep Water Fishing

Key Features:

• Made of 40T high modulus 
• With high-density graphite
• Features a telescopic design with two sections
• Equipped with a lightweight and highly sensitive blank for smooth action
• Tape handle with a nonslip cork 

Tica WMVA Bass and Walleye Casting Fishing Rods are strong, durable, and sensitive enough to deal with bass and walleye.

Its innovative design features a cork handle, which should provide all-day comfort to any angler and allow them to withstand even the harshest conditions.

The graphite trigger reel seat has been improved to create a more responsive trigger. This features graphite reels, giving the rod more power and sensitivity.

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6. Shimano FX Spinning Rod 

Best Walleye Fishing Rod for Beginners

Key Features:

• Fortified with aluminum oxide guides
• Has EVA handles with screw threads for ease of use
• With black anodized guides
• Has a new FX spinning reel

The Shimano FX Spinning Rod is built with durable X30 carbon rod blanks. It has additional fiberglass for enhanced durability.

This is a versatile rod that offers a casting action to meet the needs of every angler. It can work in a wide range of situations, making it excellent for saltwater and freshwater applications.

If you’re looking for a high-quality reel with Dyna balance and can give you the longest drag possible, then this is for you. It has got it all – smooth operation, great drag, and a solid hookset making them perfect for beginners.

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7. Shimano FX Casting Rod 

Best For All Ages

Key Features:

• Has full grip style
• Medium power walleye jigging rods
• Provides a fast rod action
• Has fibreglass material for durability

The Shimano FX Casting rods are designed for the most discerning anglers, making it the perfect fit for most budgets.

A convenient two-piece construction makes it easy to pack and transport. This comes with strong aero glass blank construction and EVA grips for added comfort.

Shimano FX Casting Rod has EVA foam rubber for great grip even in wet conditions. The guide material is made of aluminum oxide not to rust easily when used in salt and freshwater.

It is also lightweight and easy to use for anglers of all ages and skillsets. 

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Walleye Rod Types

No two fishing rods are the same. They have their fair share of pros and cons.

However, walleye anglers prefer a premium rod that provides a high-quality angling experience for them. Let us discuss its types to get to know more about this fishing gear.

Walleye Spinning Rod

In spinning rods, reels are placed underneath your rod, and your lines should face downward. When using this setup, you should choose somewhere in between a light and heavy setup.

Spinning rods come with a variety of lures, so remember to look for a middle-range, all around walleye rod.

Walleye Trolling Rod

A trolling rod is used for fishing in a moving boat. When trolling for walleye, use a heavier setup and longer trolling rods than your usual. It is necessary for fishing walleye in deeper areas of the water. 

Walleye Jigging Rods 

A jigging rod is commonly used with large-sized aluminum or metal jigs that you can cast into the water from where you are fishing.

Go for the best walleye jigging rods with quick action and just enough power, as walleye are very sensitive when approaching a lure.

Things to Consider When Buying Walleye Rods

Now that we’re done with the walleye rod reviews and their types, let’s move on to the features you need to consider in buying one that may suit your fishing style better.

Action

Since walleyes have very soft bites, you should use highly sensitive rods. Choose the best walleye jigging rod with very rapid action. Also, consider stiffer jigging rods because not much action is needed. 

Durability

You should choose rods made of high-quality carbon and graphite materials. Rods with EVA and cork builds are also good choices. These will make your rods last longer. 

Fishing Technique

Jigging, spinning, and trolling are the main techniques used to catch walleye. Jigging and spinning make use of similar rod types. Trolling, on the other hand, requires more durable trolling rods. 

Rod Length

Choose rods between 6 and 6.5 ft. This rod length range will give just enough power to affix your hook and catch your preferred size of walleye. You may need longer and stronger rods when trolling. 

Line Weight 

Your rod power is connected to your fishing line weight. Generally, fishing for walleye will require up to 12 lbs. This weight will give just enough power to fish effectively for walleye. 

Power

Catching walleye will require rods with at least medium power. This will let rods be lightweight enough for rapid action. Trolling rods need a powerful action, so search for rods with heavy ratings to handle trolling challenges. 

Size

6 ft. and 3 in. is the ideal size when looking for a walleye rod. Longer rods aren’t necessary, but shorter rods are preferred to give more feel with your bait. 

One Piece vs Two-Piece Rod

Choosing between the two won’t make much difference. But with two-piece rods, you may sacrifice some power and sensitivity. On the other hand, the one-piece rod is the exact opposite and is easier to use. 

Tips to Land More Walleye

1. Use reliable techniques

If you want to catch more walleye and other fish, here are some techniques that will help you get the most out of your fishing experience.

Trolling crankbaits

Trolling is a good way to land on walleye. Choose the appropriate walleye lures (e.g., Rapala Shad Rap) according to the areas you will fish in. 

Spinner rigs

Use a live bait with it, such as a minnow or leech. Use a sinker to drag your rigs from rocky areas to flat areas to succeed in deep water. 

2. Look for Areas Where Walleye Thrive

You can’t fish for walleye in an area where they don’t exist. Research on the areas where they are present. Use a navigator or Google Earth to get more accurate locations. 

3. Pay Attention to the Conditions

Consider the time of day and the weather. During sunny days, walleye may hide, so look for deeper structures. During cloudy weather, find areas with lots of forage as walleye gather there.

The walleye are active during dusk, so you can easily catch them with a small bait or lure. 

Conclusion

Walleye fishing requires patience and time, but it’s an exhilarating and rewarding experience. It is all about timing and anticipation.

Like any other fish, walleye need to be caught using the best fishing equipment. You can catch walleyes with a fishing pole or a rod, and they are also easily caught by casting a lure.

Whether you’re a recreational or tournament angler, walleye angling has a lot to offer. Taking the time to learn about your walleye rod can help you get the most enjoyment from your fishing.

We hope you found a few rods that fit your style.