.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66321622/1206682849.jpg.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67131045/1261725039.jpg.0.jpg)
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2024/02/04/3880159-78836108-2560-1440.jpg)
The 10 Best “Bang For Your Buck” Rods In Bass Fishing
‘Tis the season… of new fishing gear. There’s really no better time to stock up on new rods and reels like the Christmas season. As anglers, many of us our pretty particular about the kind of gear we’re using day to day, making it sorta of difficult to shop for (Tackle Warehouse gift cards please!), but with the sales going on, and the cold weather, it’s the perfect time to upgrade on some gear. I’ve revealed some of my favorite […] The post The 10 Best “Bang For Your Buck” Rods In Bass Fishing first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
‘Tis the season… of new fishing gear.
There’s really no better time to stock up on new rods and reels like the Christmas season. As anglers, many of us our pretty particular about the kind of gear we’re using day to day, making it sorta of difficult to shop for (Tackle Warehouse gift cards please!), but with the sales going on, and the cold weather, it’s the perfect time to upgrade on some gear.
I’ve revealed some of my favorite budget rods and reels, ones that you will run you about $100 bucks a piece, but this list is all about the bang for the buck… where you get an exceptionally great rod, at a price point that isn’t insane? And for me personally, this is where I like to live. I don’t own very many rods in the upper echelons… the Daiwa Steez line, the Shimano Poison Ultima, many of the G. Loomis rods… while fantastic rods, we’re talking more than $500 a piece. In some cases, near $1,000 for a fishing rod.
Every hobby has ultra-expensive, top line gear, but as someone who is not a professional angler, it’s just hard to justify that kind of spend for me… I know many of you agree. Of course, budget is all relative, shoot me an email if you want and I’ll steer you in the right direction for your budget.
But that being said, here’s a few of my favorite rod collections that offer up really high quality fishing rod at a price that won’t require a second job.
Daiwa
Daiwa Tatula Cork: $179.99
At under $200 bucks, it’s tough to beat the Daiwa Tatula line. Lightweight, sensitive, and offered in a ton of models to cover all the bases, it’s really one of the best starting points when you when to make the jump up a level from a more budget-friendly rod. A new design for 2025, the SVF Super High Volume Fiber blanks offer up a whopping 14% weight reduction from the previous model. And a 5-year warranty? Not bad at all.
Daiwa Tatula Elite: $219.99
Personally, I like the cork rods, but if you want to take a step up, the Tatula Elite Rods are the move. Crafted with input from elite Daiwa pros like Seth Feider, Takahiro Omori, Patrick Walters, Chris and Cory Johnston, Brent Ehrler and more, these rods are optimized for various bass fishing techniques, such as flipping, cranking, and various finesse applications. More sensitive blanks, better quality guides, and just over $200 bucks a rod, that’s a really solid price point.
Personally, I use the Randy Howell dock skipping/swim jig rod just about every day in the summer, but the Brent Ehrler multi-purpose and Chatterbait rods are tough to beat too.
Megabass
Megabass Levante: $199.99
Megabass is a premium option in the bass fishing world, making some of the finest rods on the market. If you’re familiar with some of their lures, such as the Vision 100 jerkbait or the Magdraft swimbait, you know they’re committed to superior quality. The Levante line is their most affordable rod, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s a sacrifice on performance. Sitting right at $200 bucks, it’s a steal.
The only downside is that once you get a taste of a Megabass rod, you’re gonna want even more.
Cashion
Cashion ICON Series: $234.95
Cashion is a 100% American-made brand that has caught the attention of a number of professional anglers in recent years, and for good reason… quality. Lightweight and very sensitive, thanks to their exclusive Kevlar split-grip handles, they just feel amazing in the hand, and will last longer than your standard cork or EVA foam. Cashion also does a great job of labeling their rods for the intended use, completely eliminating the guesswork for any new or less experienced anglers. You wants a frog rod? Get their frog rod. Want a great topwater rod? Get the ICON topwater rod. They even offer special forward-facing sonar spinning rods, as well as BFS options.
St Croix
St. Croix Black Bass: $155 – $195
As a Wisconsin resident, I’m fairly partial to St. Croix, and use a number of rods across various lines. The Bass X is a great entry-level line, The Mojo Bass line is super popular, but to me, the Black Blass line gives you a great for a great price.
A relatively newer line from St. Croix, the cheapest models start around $155, which aside from a few sale options, are the cheapest in this entire guide. One of the great things about St. Croix is that actions stay pretty consistent across all of their lines, and you can find a TON of rods in each line. Whatever kind of rod you’re looking for, they have one dialed in for that specific purpose.
St. Croix Victory: $220 – $295
With St. Croix, the Victory line is where that real “bang for the buck” comes into play, and right now, you can find spinning models and cranking models on sale, well below 200 bucks. These rods are all made in the United States, right here in Wisconsin, and offer exceptional craftsmanship at a reasonable price. And with nearly 30 different models across casting, spinning and cranking, there’s plenty of options to tackle every technique with extreme precision.
My go-to jerkbait rod is the 6’8″ M X-Fast, affectionally named “The Jerk,” but their Rip N Chatter model is great, their flippin’ stick, and they have a nice long hair jig rod in the spinning lineup
Fenwick
Fenwick Elite: $279.95 – $319.95
I’ve become a HUGE Fenwick fan in the past year, and find myself regularly picking one up. They have undertaken a comprehensive redesign of their entire rod lineup (with a former G. Loomis builder if I’m not mistaken), introducing four distinct series: Eagle, HMG, Elite, and the flagship World Class. I own them all, use them all, but the Elite class is just phenomenal at the price point, and even if you’re not fishing for bass, they have a rod for you. They also just looks SO clean.
When I’m dobbin’ a Texas rig, flipping a jig, or punching a mat, it’s a Fenwick Elite in my hand.
Fenwick HMG
If you want to keep it a little cheaper, go for the Fenwick HMG. I have a bunch of these, a few spinning rods in particular, and they’re just so fantastic. Fenwick is largely credited with inventing the first High Modulus Graphite fishing rod in the ’70s, and the HMG name is a nod to that iconic legacy. I love everything about these rods, but the reel seat in particular is something special. SO comfortable to fish all day long.
Shimano
Shimano Zodias: $194.99 – $224.99
The Zodias is a great mid-price option in the Shimano lineup that usually retails around $300, but thanks to Tackle Warehouse’s 12 Days of Christmas sale, you can get it right now for around 200 bucks, with some models even cheaper. Highway robbery. Featuring a carbon monocoque handle, Fuji Alconite guides, and their Hi-Power X blank tech, you’re getting tournament-caliber performance from this stick.
Shimano Expride B: $279.99 – $349.99
And finally, the Shimano Expride B line, which is the most expensive of the group, but still comes in below $300 for a few of the rods. Lightweight, extremely sensitive, highly versatile, the Expride is highly-regarded as one of the best in the business. The jerkbait rods are one of the best in the business, their spinning lineup has great options for minnow shaking, drop shotting and other finesse tactics, even their bait finesse options are top tier.
*This post contains links through the Tackle Warehouse Affiliate Program. While all products are independently selected by our expert Riff Outdoors team, if you use these links to make a purchase, we may earn a commission.
And for a detailed bait recommendation, specific to your exact location and waterbody RIGHT NOW, check out the Bass Forecast Bait Advisor. Just input your ZIP code or share your location, and Bass Forecast will give you 5 bait recommendations, a bite rating, and suggestions for peak feeding times.
Bass Forecast Bait Advisor
What is Bass Bait AI – Powered by Bass Forecast
Our advanced bass fishing algorithms analyze over 11,000 factors, including weather shifts and bass behavior, to predict what baits will give you the best chance at success for any GPS location.
Just enter your location, and it does the calculating for you. Giving you the complete bait breakdown for major and minor Bass feeding times in any bass fishing location. Click HERE to learn more.The post The 10 Best “Bang For Your Buck” Rods In Bass Fishing first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
