Fishing Pole reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 154 Reddit reviews across 14 subreddits and 42 posts to rank the best Fishing Pole brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/Fishing, r/Fishing_Gear, r/FishingForBeginners, r/CampingGear, r/troutfishing. Top-rated brands include Ugly Stik (4.3/5), St. Croix (4.7/5), Shakespeare (4.0/5).
Stats
Reviews154
Subreddits14
Posts42
Brands63
Products57
154 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Ugly Stik
4.3
(37)
"Since I was a teen in the 90s, Ive only bought Ugly Stick."
"The best beginner rods are from Ugly Stick, Shimano, and Berkley."
"Ugly Stiks are great for affordable, durable rods."
"Buy it for life, i would go with an ugly stick they have metal rings and are indestructible and pretty cheap"
"Ugly stick light pro 5’ plus a pflueger president has been my go to setup for the last 10 years."
"I have a little 4'6" Ugly Stik Elite."
"Get yourself an Ugly Stik GX2 6'6" medium-light combo."
"Ugly Stik casting rod and Zebco 33... This is a reliable, bullet proof combo that is cheap, easy to learn, will land any fish you catch, and last a lifetime."
"Ugly stick, but the advice is to buy a rod reel combo with line already on. It's already pre matched."
"Ugly Stick"
#2
St. Croix
4.7
(13)
"St croix has a new combo out with a new ish reel"
"I’d recommend a 7’ st croix triumph."
"St Croix and they have a great warranty."
"St Croix if you can afford it."
"St Croix are dangerous. Once you try one of their rods, you'll never go back to a cheapo ugly stick."
"Mojo Bass, plus its a great rod you may want one!"
"Yep-St Croix Mojo…that way if she quits you still have a banging rod."
"I really like my 4 piece St. Croix 6.5' medium power rod. Fishes more like a med-light rod but it comes in a nice fabric case to keep it all together."
"St. Croix Mojo Bass"
"I use a couple 4 piece St Croix rods. I’m very happy with them."
#3
Shakespeare
4.0
(8)
"I got a shakespeare 7” medium action rod no reel for $20. Ive used it up and down the coast from fl to md."
"Excellent value rod/reel combo. Doesn’t feel cheap at all."
"I have heard really good things about the Shakespeare micro poles."
"Shakespeare makes a collapsible pole called "Durango"."
"Walmart Shakespeare ugly stick combo. Hands down."
"Best advice: go to Wally World, buy a pole between 5 and 7 feet under 30 bucks."
"It's not the most compact thing but it is a trustworthy company and only about $35."
"I bought this combo and the Shakespeare reel is garbage unfortunately. It was cheap but didn’t even last the summer."
#4
Shimano
4.4
(7)
"I have used Shimano for 25 years and have always had a great experience."
"I use a Shimano STC mini-telespin rod. It’s a fantastic rod, nicely made, works well and incredibly light."
"I’ve always used a medium weight, single piece spin rod."
"$100 really good rod for the money +looks good IMO"
"I just picked up a shimano slx baitcasting rod 7' medium heavy-fast."
"Medium powered bassing fishing combos are excellent for fishing every species despite it being catered towards bass fisherman. Notable brands would be Abu Garcia, Lews, and Shimano."
"My personal opinion Shimano Sedona combo 6’6” light action for trout."
#5
Daiwa
4.7
(6)
"Daiwa Tatula XT and Pflueger President"
"Daiwa Tatula, Daiwa Kage’s that are on sale"
"I went with the Daiwa Tatula XT."
"Daiwa minispin if you can find it. Far and away the best truly small spin rod and way better than telescoping options."
"10' Daiwa Beef Stick. Penn Pursuit 8000 size reel."
"I have baitcast and spinning versions of the 3 foot “Shorty” Daiwa Triforce rod."
#6
Zebco
4.3
(6)
"Just get a Zebco 33"
"I second this. It's cheap and reliable. I still use my 30 year old 33 once in a while."
"Zebco 33"
"Little telescopic zebco has served me pretty well."
"Check out a zebco dock demon."
"Get to the local sporting store and buy a Zebco 202 combo."
#7
Lew's
4.5
(4)
"I really like mine. The rod is way more sensitive than the GX2 and the reel is much smoother. If you can afford the Lew’s that would be my recommendation."
"But the Lew’s is objectively better"
"Medium powered bassing fishing combos are excellent for fishing every species despite it being catered towards bass fisherman. Notable brands would be Abu Garcia, Lews, and Shimano."
"You can find pretty good spinning combos at Walmart. Look for lews, Dawai, or ugly stik."
#8
Penn
4.5
(4)
"Pure fishing (dot) com in the outlet section has Penn Pursuit III combo with a 3000 reel."
"Penn Fierce III Spinning Combo That’s my favorite combo for 100$."
"I would go on amazon and look for penn pursuit 4000 discounts they go for like 30$ when in discount."
"I usually go out to ocean beach, where the surf is rougher than Bodega bay."
#9
G. Loomis
5.0
(3)
"Gloom is and st.croix are my favorites."
"Loomis, St. Croix they have some of the top of the line offerings."
"G. Loomis (~$250+) is the closest thing to a gold standard."
#10
Fenwick
4.3
(3)
"If youve only used cheaper rods give fenwick a try."
"The rods from Fenwick and Okuma tend to cost less for good performance."
"Fenwick makes a good one but expensive."
#11
Abu Garcia
4.0
(3)
"Dependable combos are as cheap as the Abu Garcia Vengeance ($30 often, but not saltwater rated)"
"I hooked a nice Red Drum in my Abu Garcia Vengeance, which I got at Walmart for $50."
"Abu Garcia Revo SX/Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris CarbonLite 2.0 Baitcast Rod and Reel Combo."
#12
Fisherfriend
5.0
(2)
"The green Bismuth Fisherfriend gives +8 skill and perception bonus, and can be purchased from the AH."
"The best is the blue Aqirite Fisherfriend requires 300 AA to craft and gives +18 skill and even more perception."
#13
Pflueger
5.0
(2)
"Pflueger president reel"
"I got a Pflueger president reel a few months ago and matched it to a Falcon evo and it is my new #1 for freshwater"
#14
Tsunami
5.0
(2)
"Tsunami Carbon Shield II is my go to"
"I have a 9'6 Tsunami Airwave Elite with a Penn 4500 on it and its a great set up."
#15
St Croix
5.0
(2)
"This is a great rod and a really nice upgrade from the broken one and it’s carbon fiber."
"I recommend a 9’ st croix fast action...paired with a Shimano 4000-8000 baitrunner."
#16
Dobyns
5.0
(2)
"I would get him a Dobyns Kaden spinning rod, because it comes with a limited lifetime warranty."
"Get him a dobyns fury."
#17
Ugly Stik GX2
4.5
(2)
"The ultra lite GX2s are super fun. Little 4.5 footers."
"Ugly stik combo makes some around the 5’ range that I’d think would hold up well."
#18
Okuma
4.0
(2)
"Okuma lamiglas and g loomis."
"Okuma Ceymar with a Celilo ultralight or light action."
#19
Quantum
4.0
(2)
"I have a quantum embark telescopic rod that is super compact."
"Quantum Fire combo would also be cost effective."
#20
Balzer
5.0
(1)
"The German-made ones are totally kickass. Balzer Diabolo for instance - I have three of them."
#21
Megabass
5.0
(1)
"Megabass arms super leggera"
#22
Ark Rods
5.0
(1)
"I've been really impressed with the quality and value of the Ark Rods I have. They all seem to hit above their price point"
#23
Reel of Fortune
5.0
(1)
"Doesn't deplete a fishing spot, so it's better for catching rare fish"
#24
Major Craft
5.0
(1)
"Major craft troutino 5’6” ultralight best creek trout rod I’ve ever used."
#25
Oceans Legacy
5.0
(1)
"I bought my 11yo the Oceans Legacy Dreamcast rod 9'2" ML."
#26
Ugly Stik Champ
5.0
(1)
"You can never go wrong with an ugly stick Champ you break it , bring it in and get another one."
#27
Medium Light Action Spinning Rod
5.0
(1)
"You can't go wrong with a medium light action spinning rod, 6-1/2 to 7ft long."
#28
Okuma Rockaway
5.0
(1)
"Most people have settled on the Okuma Rockaway, it's an absolute beast of a pole for a good price."
#29
Tenkara Rod
5.0
(1)
"I have a cheap Tenkara rod I use for backpacking to fish small streams and creeks and I love the simplicity of it."
#30
Ultralight Spinning Rod
5.0
(1)
"If you bite the bullet and buy a small size, ultralight spinning rod, and teach on that, you'll be much better off in the long run."
#31
Bass Pro Shops MegaCast SplitGrip Rod & Reel Spinning Combo
5.0
(1)
"This rod is great for all the bass he catches and has a trigger on the bail making things a bit easier."
#32
Quantum QX36
5.0
(1)
"If you can find a fast action quantum QX36 rod... it would be the perfect setup without spending much."
#33
Shakespeare 4'6" Rod
5.0
(1)
"I’ve had a Shakespeare 4’6” one for about 15 years."
#34
Shimano Exage BX STC Tele Mini
5.0
(1)
"I've been extremely happy with the Shimano Exage BX STC Tele mini."
#35
Falcon
5.0
(1)
"I like the Falcon Coastal XG series."
#36
Berkley
4.0
(1)
"My favorite option would be the Berkley Lightning Rod for $40."
#37
Sougayilang
4.0
(1)
"Look up companies Sougayilang and PLUSSINO, I believe they tend to have the better telescoping rods."
#38
Plussino
4.0
(1)
"Look up companies Sougayilang and PLUSSINO, I believe they tend to have the better telescoping rods."
#39
Bass Pro
4.0
(1)
"*bass pro Micro Lite Spinning Combo"
#40
TFO NXT Black Label Kit
4.0
(1)
"If it’s fly fishing then I suggest a TFO NXT black label kit."
#41
Telescoping Rod
4.0
(1)
"If you need something that breaks down, they make telescoping rods."
#42
Ultralight Ice Fishing Rod
4.0
(1)
"I like to carry a ice fishing rod. Get the ultralight."
#43
Ronco Pocket Fisherman
4.0
(1)
"A friend bought me a Ronco pocket fisherman as a gag gift — I have several good travel rods."
#44
JDM Telescopic Rods
4.0
(1)
"If your budget is ~100 that begins to open the door to some entry level JDM telescopic rods."
#45
Telescoping Rods
4.0
(1)
"They make telescoping rods for both open/bottom reels and closed/top reels."
#46
Ugly Stick
4.0
(1)
"Ugly stick makes a 12 foot pole that you can launch crab snares with."
#47
Pocket Fisherman
4.0
(1)
"I have and love two pocket fishermen. $20 at Wal-Mart."
#48
Ice Fishing Setup
4.0
(1)
"I always thought that if you wanted to teach a kid how to use a proper spinning reel... then an ice fishing setup would be a good place to start."
#49
Collapsible Fishing Pole
4.0
(1)
"Good collapsible pole and a sealed tackle box."
#50
13 Fishing Ambition
4.0
(1)
"I picked up a 13 Fishing Ambition and Rapala Girl Combos in 5'6" Mediums for my friends kids."
#51
Lews
4.0
(1)
"I love some of the lews freshwater poles not crazy expensive and has really nice grips on them"
#52
Seeker
4.0
(1)
"I’ve always liked Seeker."
#53
Penn, Shimano, Abu
4.0
(1)
"Just stick to the big brands like Penn, Shimano, Abu, etc."
#54
Plusinno
4.0
(1)
"Plusinno available from Amazon."
#55
Zebco Combo
4.0
(1)
"Get a zebco combo and be happy with it."
#56
Zebco 33
4.0
(1)
"You would be well set up... with a Zebco 33 and an Ugly Stik GX2 medium heavy."
#57
Shakespeare Telescopic Rod
4.0
(1)
"I have a Shakespeare telescopic rod, it’s small enough to fit in most backpacks so it would probably work."
#58
Zebco Micro 33 Telescopic
4.0
(1)
"Little telescopic zebco has served me pretty well."
#59
Cabela's
4.0
(1)
"I have a four piece Cabellas and a four piece St Croix they both work great."
#60
Independent Tackle Shop
4.0
(1)
"I would suggest that you get him a gift card from your local INDEPENDANT tackle shop."
#61
Eagle Claw
4.0
(1)
"For hikes in the Sierra where small brook trout live, I bring this guy."
#62
Pulisanno Telescopic Rod
3.0
(1)
"One is a telescopic rod from Amazon. Pulisanno or something like that. I’ve had it for a few years. It’s ok, but after a lot of abuse things started to fall apart."
#63
Googan
1.0
(1)
"Anything but Googan."
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