The Greatest Walleye Rods of 2024, Examined and Reviewed

Walleye rods are like golf clubs. Sometimes you need a driver, and other times, a five iron, a sand wedge, or a putter — and all the clubs in between. Like golf clubs, there’s really no one best walleye rod that does everything perfectly. Some get close to being the ultimate versatile walleye rod, but today’s walleye fishing is very technique specific. 

I’ve spent the last year testing a wide variety of walleye rods on waters ranging from the Mississippi River, St. Croix River, Mille Lacs Lake, and other notable walleye lakes throughout Minnesota. So, if you’re looking for the best walleye rod to catch a trophy Walter or a limit of eaters, here are my top picks. 

How We Tested the Rods

With the help of my fishing buddies, I fished each rod using a variety of techniques while noting sensitivity, rod power, weight, balance, castability (including distance), ergonomics, and overall fishability. 

The techniques included vertical jigging, pitching, rigging, slip-bobbering (aka power/speed corking), casting, trolling crankbaits, pitching blade baits, drop shotting, and just about everything else you can imagine. The goal of this on-the-water testing was to find the technique each rod excelled at the best.

Best Walleye Rods: Reviews & Recommendations

Best Budget All-Purpose: Daiwa 24 TD Eye (TDEYE701MLXS)

Key Features

• Length Tested: 7 feet 1 inch 
• Action and Power Tested: Medium-light power, extra-fast action
• Light and Durable Cork Grip
• Fuji guides
• Fuji reel seat
• HVF (High Volume Fiber) carbon construction
• X45 carbon weave
• MSRP: $130

Pros

• Lightweight
• Sensitive blank, handle, and tip
• Affordable
• Carbon weave increases strength, durability, and rod twist prevention

Cons

• Jack of all trades, master of none

Daiwa took all the technology from their premium rods and put them into this price-point walleye rod. I found the 24 TD EYE to be as light, sensitive, and well-designed as Daiwa’s Kage rods, which cost $100 more. 

And it’s not just me. My buddies were impressed, too — especially with the sensitivity. We used a TD Eye on Mille Lacs and the Mississippi River to power cork and pitch walleyes. The rod allowed us to feel subtle bites and easily cast our light jigs. It works well for jigging, rigging, pitching, casting cranks, and can play a Swiss Army Knife for about anything else in the walleye fishing playbook. 

I talked to Top NWT, AIM, and multi-circuit walleye tournament phenom, Tom Huynh, who has been extensively fishing the 24 TD Eye rods this year. He’s been evangelizing their benefits, especially for pitching super light jigs with forward-facing sonar to hook big, conditioned walleyes. “I can literally see and feel the bite on a slack line when I’m sniping big walleyes out in open water with FF sonar,” says Huynh. Given Huynh could use any rod on the market, it says a lot that he uses budget Daiwa technique-specific TD Eye rods. 

Read Next: Walleye Fishing Tips from the Experts

Best Mid-Priced All-Purpose: St. Croix Legend Walleye Tournament “Mid Rig” (73MLXF)

Key Features

• Length Tested: 7 feet 3 inches
• Action and Power Tested: Medium-light power, extra-fast action
• SCIV+ carbon fiber blank
• Alconite and stainless steel guides
• Nylon, aluminum, and stainless steel reel seat
• Super grade cork and composite cork handle material
• IPC, ART, TET, and FRS proprietary technologies
• MSRP: $280

Pros

• Length allows for numerous walleye techniques
• Sensitive
• 15-year warranty

Cons

I’ve been a big fan of St. Croix Legend Tournament rods since they were first introduced, and the last redesign hasn’t changed that enthusiasm. The second-generation Legend Walleye Tournament rod family is lighter and more sensitive overall, thanks mainly to using SCIV+ carbon fiber blank material. 

This rod proved great for rigging (as the name implies), pitching, casting swimbaits and small- to mid-sized crankbaits, hair jigs, slip bobbering, trolling #5 Shad Raps, and drop-shotting. It’s a little long for vertical jigging, but that’s its only limitation. If you’re looking for a mid-priced, all-purpose walleye rod, this is the stick. 

Best Budget Pitching Rod: Fenwick Elite Walleye (ELTW70ML-FS)

Key Features

• Length Tested: 7 feet 
• Action and Power Tested: Medium-light power, fast action
• 36/30 ton Powerlux 200 graphite blend with proprietary reinforcing resin
• Tailored foregrip
• Multi-material split and full-length grips
• Titanium guide frames with super-thin zirconia inserts
• MSRP: $170

Pros

• Limited lifetime warranty
• Durability
• Fantastic guides
• Affordability
• Ergonomic handle

Cons

• Fast action is a bit slower flexing than rival fast-action rods

Note: I tested the 2023 version of this rod, which has been redesigned slightly for 2024.

First, a bit about Fenwick. Given I’m nearly 50 years old, I remember the 1980s when Fenwick made the best walleye rods. My dad fished them, as did many of my uncles and other anglers I knew. Occasionally, I’d get to use one of their rods and was always impressed with their light weight and sensitivity. 

Then at some point Fenwick was superseded in name and sales by other brands. While there are still a lot of walleye anglers out there fishing Fenwicks from the past, it’s taken some work to get the name back out there again. But they now offer walleye anglers multiple technique-specific rods at various price points and many top pros like John Hoyer and Mark Courts fish Fenwick rods.

I fished the 7-foot Fenwick Elite in a medium-light power, fast action, which I think is a good deal at $170. Those specs make it an all-purpose rod and it fished like one. 

If you’re looking for an affordable, all around rod that will accomplish lots of different tasks, this is a champ. It worked well for jigging, pitching swimbaits/cranks, working glide baits, rigging, drop-shotting, slip bobbers, and even long-lining crankbaits behind the boat on the troll. The only negative thing I can say is that it feels more like a medium-power rod than a medium light. 

Braid slips easily through the zirconium-inserted titanium guides, which contributes to the Elite Walleye’s sensitivity. The tailored foregrip with reduced length and added taper make for good feel. Another factor in its ability to feel light taps is the blank’s direct contact with the reel seat, which I personally really like for jigging and rigging applications. Combined with braid and something like a tungsten jig head, you’ve got a setup that detects the slightest walleye bites. 

Best Budget Jigging/Rigging Rod: 2B Fishing Genesis (7’ ML Fast)

Key Features

• Length Tested: 7 feet 
• Action and Power Tested: Medium-light, fast action
• Precision-engineered graphite blank
• Ergonomic, blank-through Army cork handle
• Hand-wrapped PVD coated stainless steel guides
• MSRP: $189

Pros

• Designed by Gregg and Paul Thorne
• Sensitive and light
• Well balanced
• Affordable

Cons

When I was 10 years old I built a custom fishing rod in the old Thorne Bros. custom rod shop in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota. The owners, Gregg and Paul Thorne, held my hand through the process.  

Now, some 39 years later, the proof of their hard work and commitment to rod building excellence is apparent in their brands Eliot and Two Brothers (2B), which were recently sold to Acme Fishing. Guess that means more fishing for the brothers.

2B Fishing offers some great rods for under $200. The 7-foot, medium-light power, fast-action rod I tested had many merits, including its incredible light weight, sensitivity, and solid construction. Speced as an all-purpose 7 footer in medium-light power, fast action, the performance-to-value ratio proved especially high. Used as a jigging rod, the blank was very sensitive and felt feathery in the hand with little fatigue. 

I also used the rod for casting small- to medium-size swimbaits, #5 crankbaits, and other minnow crankbaits. Could you drift or slow-troll a rig or spinner with it? Absolutely. Or fish a slip bobber? Yep.

As far as our year-long testing goes, this is our recommendation for best jigging/rigging rod on a budget. However, their Ceres line (which we did not test) might also qualify in the same length, power, and action for even less damage on the pocketbook at a very affordable $129. 

Best Budget Forward Facing Sonar Rod: Rosemore Outdoors Whiskey Flats Jig Rod

Key Features

• Length Tested: 6 feet
• Action and Power Tested: Medium-light power, extra-fast action 
• Graphite construction
• Cork handle
• Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Price: $130

Pros

• Easy to pitch baits closer to the boat with accuracy
• Extremely lightweight
• Extra-fast action and short length make for quick hooksets
• Super affordable

Cons

• Fast action nearing moderate-fast action
• A bit light for a lot of walleye techniques

At a mere $130 the Rosemore Outdoors Whiskey Flats 6-foot, medium-light power, extra-fast action rod seriously outperforms its price tag. Tested at the recommendation of winning NWT/AIM tournament ace, Tom Huynh, because it was his forward-facing jig and live bait rod choice for almost three years. It played a big part of his winning program and he caught fish up to 30 inches with it. 

I tested this rod by making precise pitches to FFS-located walleyes at 40- to 50-feet from the boat. Although using a short rod seems counter-intuitive, it allows the angler to position small baits directly over the head of sonar marks over open water. It’s a technique that has become a staple with tournament anglers and is something to try. This rod has a nice, quick tip bend, giving it an extra-fast action. When it’s paired with a slow-retrieve-ratio 1000-size reel, the action prevents the angler from playing big walleyes too hard and fast. 

That’s pretty cool considering that it feels ultralight in the hand, weighing only 2.9 ounces. And it’s sensitive, too. Whiskey Flats Jig Rod is worth having in the arsenal if you’re making precise pitches to walleye marks on FFS. 

Read Next: 7 Forward Facing Sonar Tips: Settings, Mounting, and Techniques Explained

Best Vertical Jigging Rod: St. Croix Walleye Legend Tournament “Jig & Rig” (LWTS66MLF)

Key Features

• Length Tested: 6 feet 6 inches
• Action and Power Tested: Medium-light power, fast action
• SCIV+ carbon fiber blank
• Alconite and stainless steel guides
• Nylon, aluminum, and stainless steel reel seat
• Super grade cork and composite cork handle material
• IPC, ART, TET, and FRS proprietary technologies
• 15-year warranty
• MSRP: $280

Pros

• Extremely sensitive for vertical jigging
• Great cork handle feel
• Mid-price point

Cons

• A bit short and light for some walleye techniques

My buddies and I do a lot of vertical jigging on the Mississippi River and put a lot of rods through the paces. Our findings? The St. Croix Walleye Legend Tournament “Jig & Rig” LWTS66MLF is the stand-out champion for this kind of fishing. Fished with everything up to 3/8-ounce jigs and paired with 8-pound hi-visibility monofilament for jig loft and bite detection, the rod simply kicks butt.

This rod is a pure workhorse, yet feathery and extremely sensitive due to its SCIV+ carbon fiber blank construction. We also appreciate the no-frills components that are built to last. 

Farthest Casting: TRIKA 6X

Key Features

• Length Tested: 7 feet
• Power and Action Tested: Medium-light power, fast action
• EkkoChamber technology
• Axial-weave carbon blank technology
• MSRP: $280

Pros

• Blank-through reel seat makes it extremely sensitive
• Farther casting compared to other rods
• Lightweight at 3.8 ounces
• Great pitching and casting rod
• One year money-back guarantee

Cons

• Direct-to-consumer sales only

Two winters ago I ran into a buddy at the St. Paul Ice Show who had retired from St. Croix Rod but went back to work for this company, TRIKA, which he insisted was “doing revolutionary things” with rod design. My friend was enthusiastic about the rods, their casting distance, and overall engineering. 

Well, it wasn’t hype. My friends and I tested the $280, medium-light power, fast action, 7-foot TRIKA 6X alongside other 7-foot sticks in the same powers and actions. The rod did cast noticeably farther. Why? TRIKA explains that it has to do with the “recovery” of their proprietary carbon-weave blank design which returns to form faster after the cast. The reel seat also has a highly sensitive titanium frame, and the carbon weave blank features something called EkkoChamber and Axial Weave technology for greatly reduced weight, and it also contributes to casting recovery. 

Although the rod excelled for vertical jigging, we found it especially valuable for pitching and far-casting jigs, plastics, or meat. It launched small jerkbaits and crankbaits too, which is important when fishing walleyes on ultra-clear waters where fish can be spooky and difficult to approach with a boat. That said, it’s become a favorite rod for one particular friend of mine who fishes walleyes from shore all year long. He still marvels at his casting distance, even with baits as small as 1/8-ounce. And the sensitivity is pretty unreal. 

Read Next: Trika 6X Rods Review

Best for Snap Jigging: St. Croix Legend Walleye Tournament (6’8″ MXF)

Key Features

• Length Tested: 6 feet 8 inches
• Action and Power Tested: Medium-power, extra-fast action
• SCIV+ carbon fiber blank
• Alconite and stainless steel guides
• Nylon, aluminum, and stainless steel reel seat
• Super grade cork and composite cork handle material
• IPC, ART, TET, & FRS proprietary technologies
• MSRP: $280

Pros

• Excellent quick-bending extra-fast tip for quick hooksets
• Solid build
• Durable
• Will work with numerous techniques: hair jigs, glide baits, plastics, Rattlin’ Raps, and heavier jigs
• 15-year warranty

Cons

For walleye anglers looking for one rod that works great for snap jigging hair and jigging raps, the St. Croix Legend Walleye Tournament 6 foot 8 inch MXF is the best rod we tested for both techniques. Although there are other rods that probably make a better dedicated Jiggin’ Rap Rod, this rod does double duty with glide baits and hair jigs, making it super useful. The medium power is perfect for Jigging Raps up to size 9 or hair jigs to a half ounce. The extra-fast tip is useful for jigging techniques and keeping walleyes pinned. If I could only choose three walleye rods, the St. Croix Legend Walleye Tournament would be one of those picks.

Best Slip Bobber Rod: JT Outdoors MAG Light

Key Features

• Length Tested: 7 feet 3 inches  
• Action and Power Tested: Light power, fast action
• Proprietary Toray carbon fibers spun with zonal technology
• SeaGuide Hero high grade with silicon nitride insert and recoil guides
• Blank-through SeaGuide Alien reel seat handle or Sure-Grip Tennessee handle option
• Available in four different color combinations
• MSRP: $330

Pros

• Extremely sensitive from the tip through the butt section
• Excellent hand-built, custom rod quality
• Awesome balance with reel
• Perfect for pitching small jigs or finesse speed or power corking/slip bobber applications
• Could be used for other walleye techniques like drop-shotting

Cons

For years, my buddies and I didn’t think there was a slip bobber rod that beat the performance-to-price ratio of a 7 foot 6 inch, or 8-foot St. Croix Eyecon — until now. Especially for more refined casting and smaller, finesse presentations like power or speed corking with forward-facing sonar. 

This JT Customs 7 foot 3 inch JTX MAG Light has more finesse and sensitivity than an Eyecon and also doubles as a good stick for long casting small jigs to suspended fish in ultra-clear waters. It triples as a deadly drop-shot rod, as well as a smallmouth bass marabou jig fluff-chucker. 

Best Spinning Rod for Long-Lining Crankbaits: St. Croix Legend Glass (LGS72MM)

Key Features

• Length Tested: 7 feet 2 inches 
• Action and Power Tested: Medium-power, moderate action
• Weight-reduced linear S-glass fiberglass blank with IPC mandrel technology
• MSRP: $275

Pros

• Moderate action for long-line trolling crankbaits; casting cranks; or fishing medium- to larger glide baits

Cons

• Takes a bit to get used to after fishing graphite fast-action rods
• Maybe a bit overpriced (but worth it)

This is a rod to consider if you’re long-lining cranks like Shad Raps, Flickr Shads, and stickbaits. While many anglers love a baitcaster with line-counter reel, we prefer the quick and easy fishing spinning tackle provides, especially when fishing around vegetation. 

Along those lines, the St. Croix Legend Glass LGS72MM medium-power, moderate-action spinning rod is a great rod. We found it especially excelled when sizing up to deeper-diving crankbaits like #7s. We fished it with 2500 and 3000 Daiwa Tatulas and 10-pound Trilene XT or 10-pound braid with a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader. In the same vein as using an Ugly Stix for its moderate action and ability to keep fish buttoned on the troll, the LGS72MM has a quality fiberglass, moderate action which makes it great for keeping trebles pinned. 

The rod also works great for fishing big creek chubs on snells in mid-summer/fall, as well as a large glide bait rod, rattle-bait rod in a pinch, or heavier slip bobber walleye rig. I also plan to use it for fishing live frogs during the fall run for walleyes from shore. It’s a great all-around rod with a cool, classic look that proves we should seriously consider fiberglass again for some walleye techniques. 

Best (Lindy) Rigging Rod: 2B Fishing Genesis

Key Features

• Length Tested: 7 feet 
• Medium-light, fast action
• Precision-engineered graphite blank
• Ergonomic, blank-through Army cork handle
• Hand-wrapped PVD-coated stainless steel guides

Pros

• Designed by Gregg & Paul Thorne
• Sensitive
• Well balanced
• Affordable

Cons

If you’re looking for the best-buy Lindy rigging rod, consider Gregg and Paul Thorne’s 2B Fishing Genesis, which offers light weight, sensitivity, and solid construction. The Genesis caught plenty of fish for us with its unreal sensitivity for the price. While fishing a Lindy rig with a finger on the line and the bail open, we had no trouble feeling that subtle Morse code walleye tap.

Will it do other things? Absolutely. It covers all the bases really well and comes in at under $200.

Best Bladebait Rod: JT Outdoors JTX-Mag

Key Features

• Length Tested: 6 feet 10 inches
• Power and Action Tested: Medium-light power, fast action
• Proprietary Toray carbon fibers spun with zonal technology
• SeaGuide Hero high grade with silicon nitride insert and recoil guides
• Blank-through SeaGuide Alien reel seat handle or Sure-Grip Tennessee handle option
• Available in four different color combinations
• MSRP: $330

Pros

• Extremely sensitive from the tip through the butt section
• Well-balanced with reel
• Excellent hand-built, custom rod quality
• Perfect for working bladebaits, jigs/swimbaits, or small spoons/glidebaits

Cons

Of all the rods my buddies and I tested over the past year, this is my favorite. I use it for vertical jigging, pitching, and fishing bladebaits in cold water, something I do a lot on the Mississippi River from October through May every year. 

Everything about it just feels like an extension of my arm, and it’s lightweight and sensitive. I like the versatility of the 6-foot 10-inch model, which can vertical jig a minnow, hair jig, or fish bladebaits vertically instead of pitching them. 

The carbon fiber blank is very sensitive, telegraphing when my bladebait picks up a small piece of vegetation or zebra mussel and isn’t running straight. Part of that is due not only to the exceptional blank but the unique blank through rod handle construction (Seaguide Alien reel seat). I think the design is about the best out there in terms of feeling every bait and fish nuance. 

I plan to buy at least one more of these to make sure everyone in my boat gets a rod that works great for fishing the river October through May. The recoil rod guides are not only difficult to break, they’re very cold resistant and don’t freeze up as bad during winter open-water runs. Especially when you squirt a little bit of PAM canola on them to fish in sub-zero temps. 

There’s just something about the medium-light action of this rod that catches more fish with the same bait fished the same way when standing next to another angler.

Best Rattlebait Rod: St. Croix AVID Walleye (ASWS71MF)

Key Features

• Length Tested: 7 feet 1 inch
• Action and Power Tested: Medium power, fast action
• SCIII+ carbon fiber blank
• Stainless steel guides
• Nylon/EVA reel seat and nut materials
• Super grade cork handle
• IPC, ART, FRS, TET St. Croix build technologies
• MSRP: $220

Pros

• A beefy rod built for casting larger rattlebaits, even glidebaits and larger swimbaits
• Solid backbone and true, fast action 
• Attractive price

Cons

• Beefy guides for some techniques, but perfect for rattlebaits and larger baits on braid

I have to admit, my buddies and I are relatively new to fishing rattlebaits for walleyes in the aggressive manner of Mille Lacs Lake guide Tony Roach. He’s an expert at using that technique and suggested we try this rod. Well, he was right. It turned out to be a great stick for Ripping and Rattle Raps, Traps, and the rest, either for long-bombing pods of fish or ripping through or along cabbage edges or over rocky humps and reefs.

It also makes a great Jigging Rap or mid-to-large swimbait rod. With its big guides, I liked it for fishing larger, weighted slip bobbers. If I were to recommend a Mille Lacs-specific walleye rod, I’d say you must have at least one of these in your boat. 

Best Premium Rod: G. Loomis GLX Walleye

Key Features

• Length Tested: 7 foot 
• Action and Power Tested: Medium power, fast action
• High-modulus graphite construction
• Multi-taper design reinforces potential stress points
• Full-cork handle
• REC guides

Pros

• Durable, yet extremely sensitive
• Great balance
• True, fast action
• Excellent craftsmanship
• Lends itself to numerous walleye techniques

Cons

Let’s talk high-end rods, a subject I’m a bit opinionated about. I’ve owned a couple St. Croix Legend Elite rods, and they’re magic in the palm. And I still own a 7-foot, medium power, fast action Legend Xtreme that was given to me years ago as a gift, a rod that I reserve for fishing similarly expensive Megabass stickbaits or Husky Jerks for both smallmouth bass and walleyes. 

This is the first Loomis I’ve ever owned, and I put it through the paces. It’s incredibly sensitive, but a bit heavier and stiffer than the imilarly priced St. Croix Legend Elite, which I didn’t expect, but actually like. 

Did it work as a jig rod? I caught fish with it, seldom missing a bite, which it telegraphed electrically through their high-end blank, guides, and handle. Did it cast rubber well? Sure. Did it perform as a rigging and drop-shot rod? You betcha. 

In fact, it does everything pretty damn well — and it should for $500. It’s the high-end rod you’d want to bring to Canada without having to pad it in a case or treat gently. If all I had to do was jig, I’d choose the Legend Elite, but for all-around walleye fishing, this Loomis rod is the juice. 

Do you need one? Probably not, but it is a cool showpiece and fun to fish with. Mine is a great companion for special fishing trips when you want to use the very best walleye rod that money can buy. 

How to Choose a Walleye Rod

You need to first determine whether you need a specific technique walleye rod to round out your arsenal or a rod that does-it-all. 

If you’re looking for a generalist rod, a 7-foot, medium-light or medium-power rods are the most versatile. The right combination of length, action, and power for technique specific rods will vary by the intended technique and even the body of water. Talking to your buddies or a trusted retailer about rods that work for them is a good place to start. 

If you’re shopping in person, take the reel you’re going to use and try it on a number of different rods and hold the entire combo in your hand. Feel how the reel balances the rod and if it feels right to you. You can place the tip section on a carpeted retail floor (eyelets up) to get a feel for where the blank starts to bend, which reveals its action. Most fast action rods should start to bend about four eyelets or so back, with extra fast rods close to the tip. 

Final Thoughts on the Best Walleye Rods

All of the best walleye rods tested above proved great at their respective techniques. Some were even impressive Jack of all trades that will fish just about anything you want to present to walleyes. While there are rods that exceed $500, there are plenty of great options that provide a lot of value. This guide should help you find the rod that best fits how you’ll fish and your budget.