Pike fishing is a style of fishing that requires the correct gear. With such a hard fighting fish we are going to need a rod to stand up to that fight. There are many different elements for finding the best fishing rod for pike fishing.
We focus first on our top 5 recommended pike rods that will stand up to the test. Then we move into a buying guide for anyone who needs that little more help. On what to look for when picking out the perfect rod for themselves.
Okuma EVX Telescopic Musky Graphite Fishing Rod
If you are looking for an excellent rod that combines the classic with the modern then you need not look further. The Okuma Fishing Tackle Okuma EVX Telescopic Musky Graphite Fishing Rod is an excellent rod that delivers a good amount of power, sensitivity, and upgrades for a reasonable price. Okuma has been making excellent fishing products for years and now they have decided to tackle a rod worthy of their many award winning reels. This telescoping rod combines everything you love about a one piece rod into a manageable package that stores and travels easily.
The rod itself is made from 24-ton carbon blanks giving you the lightweight power that you need to do a good day’s work out on the water. It features stainless steel guides that are designed to easily hold up to saltwater exposure. The rod also has classic cork grips that look and feel lovely along with an ergonomic finger rest that makes the whole thing as comfortable as possible. Throw in Okuma’s Unidirectional Fiber Reinforced rod tip technology which readily increases rod tip lifting power by 3 times and you have yourself a quality rod that you will be proud to own.
- Telescoping rod is easy to store without sacrificing power and poise
- Affordable setup with modern bells and whistles
- Limited lifetime warranty included
St. Croix Triumph Graphite Travel Casting Fishing Rod
Have you noticed that most fishing rods billed as “travel rods” seem to be cheap or poorly designed? It’s as if they assume that someone who wants to take their rod on the road or out into nature is just not a serious enough angler. That is why St Croix has designed a high-quality travel rod, geared towards serious anglers for a great price. Introducing the St. Croix TRC66MHF4 Triumph Graphite Travel Casting Fishing Rod, the travel rod of the future.
For many average people, transporting a 6’6” rod can be difficult. Sedans aren’t that big and if you need to take any sort of public transit or carpool, forget about it. That’s why the St. Croix TRC66MHF4 Triumph Graphite Travel Casting Fishing Rod comes in four pieces for the most convenient travel rod experience yet. But they don’t sacrifice the caliber of components in doing so. The rod still features their SCII Graphite blanks, Fuji reel seats, premium cork handles, and aluminum oxide guides. The rod is a fast action rod with medium-heavy power giving you everything you need to catch the fish you want, where you want.
- Another quality rod from the makers at St Croix
- Brilliant to look at and brilliant to use
- Affordable price for the features
- A true travel rod
Daiwa Bass Aird-X 2-Piece Spinning Rod Medium
If you are looking for an affordable, straightforward fishing rod that checks the boxes for the modern angler without adding too much in the way of cost, then this is a rod for you. The Daiwa Bass Aird-X 2-Piece Spinning Rod Medium is a simple, yet elegant, fishing rod that does not try to do more than it needs to. It is lightweight, comfortable, and affordable and would be a perfect base for any of Daiwa’s many quality spinning reels.
The Daiwa Bass Aird-X 2-Piece Spinning Rod Medium is a two piece 6’6” rod made from high grade graphite blanks. The guides are aluminum oxide, giving them strength and corrosion resistant characteristics. This is all packaged within Daiwa’s unique braiding-x construction which is made to reinforce the graphite blanks and prevent the rod from warping or twisting over time. All of this means you get a solid, effective rod to work from for a great price.
- A reinforced graphite rod that is the perfect base for any spinning reel
- Two piece, sensitive versatile rod
- Comfortable EVA grips keep your fingers happy during use
Ugly Stik Elite Spinning Fishing Rod
The king is back. The Ugly Stik Elite Spinning Fishing Rod is simply that. The king. Elite. It’s in the name for a reason. Ugly Stik has been one of the greatest rod makers on the market for decades. They seamlessly transitioned from the last generation of fishing equipment into the modern age. Without sacrificing on their mission to deliver high quality, low cost goods to as many fishermen as possible.
The Ugly Stik Elite Spinning Fishing Rod masterfully merges stainless steel, cork, aluminum, and graphite into a single unit that performs better than the competition and comes in under budget. It is lightweight durable and comfortable. Best of all, it comes in over a dozen different configurations to fit your needs. Whether you want a short single piece rod or a long 7’ multipiece, power rod, they have you covered with all of Ugly Stik’s quality design choices included in whichever model you choose.
- A masterful blend of old and new
- Reinforced components give you a durable fishing experience every time
- A ton of options to choose from to tailor your fishing arsenal to your individual needs
St Croix Triumph Travel Spinning Rods
Birthed from decades of quality experience, St Croix has designed and delivered a quality travel rod. That performs as good or better than non-travel variants. Many times, people who want to travel with their fishing rods are forced to settle for lower quality materials and design in the name of compact storage features. Not so with the St Croix Triumph Travel Spinning Rod.
This is a medium heavy rod with fast actions standing at a stubby 5’6” and breaks down into four manageable pieces so you can take this rod nearly anywhere. No longer are you constrained by travel to your favorite, far-flung fishing destinations. This rod also features Fuji reel seats, a solid SCII graphite body, and classic comfortable cork grips for the ultimate fishing rod experience. Do not sacrifice quality for travel, get both with a St Croix Triumph Travel Spinning Rod.
- A four piece travel rod perfect for packing up to take anywhere
- Does not sacrifice on the quality of performance or material in its design
- Affordable and desirable
Best Fishing Rod for Pike Fishing Buying Guide
Pike fishing is arguably one of the toughest types of fishing. Not only is it highly demanding, but it is dangerous too at times if one is not well prepared or trained. To begin this preparation, the first step would be to get a good fishing rod for pike fishing.
What to consider before buying a fishing rod for pike fishing?
Understanding the different features of a pike fishing rod is important to make a smart purchase and avoid any frustration and difficulty while pike fishing.
Rod Action
The action of the rod is related to its bend when it hooks to a pike.
The five types of actions of a pike fishing rod are slow, moderate, moderate fast, fast, and extra fast. Slow action means that the rod bends a lot when it is being hooked to a pike. On the other hand, extra fast action means that there is barely any bend in the rod.
Also, an extra fast rod can quickly hook to and land a pike whereas a slow action rod would require more pull and therefore more time to land a pike. A good pike fishing rod would have a fast action.
Rod Power
Rod power refers to the amount of pressure required to bend the rod. There are seven different types of rod powers. These are extra heavy, heavy, medium heavy, medium, medium light, light, and ultra light.
Even though a heavier rod would mean that more power is required to bend it, a lighter rod might not work very well with a pike since it’s a strong fish. This is why the middle ground is preferred when it comes to the rod power.
Therefore, the rod needs to have enough power to handle the attack of the pike but it shouldn’t be so heavy that bending it takes too much effort.
Also, a great pike fishing rod is considered to have medium or medium heavy power.
Casting Weights
Casting weight refers to the lure weight that the fishing rod is designed to work efficiently with. In order to determine the right casting weight, one needs to consider the lures they want to use while pike fishing. Commonly preferred casting weights lie between 15 and 50 grams.
That being said, if one feels like their lures are larger and heavier, they can go for greater casting weights.
Rod Material
The most common materials used to construct these rods are graphite, carbon fiber, fiberglass, plastic, and composite material. The graphite ones are usually the most durable. Also, while choosing a material for the rod it is important to know whether that material corrodes or wears down easily in water because the rod would get wet quite often during pike fishing.
Though plastic rods also prove to be durable at times, they are not very sensitive to fish bite and movement.
Rod Length
Pike fishing rods come in multiple sizes ranging from 4 to 14 feet. The most commonly used sizes are between 6 and 8 feet. There is no right or wrong size because it depends upon the angler’s needs but the popular size of 7 inches would be fit for use in most pike fishing situations.
Reels
There are several different types of reels used with pike fishing rods. The two most popular types are bit pit reels and free spool reels which are also known as baitrunner reels.
There are big pit reels that give increased cranking power along with improved casting performance. These reels are designed for long range and they are more suited for heavier fish.
Next, there are free spool reels that offer a secondary drag system. This means that the system can be engaged or disengaged manually when the bait is in the water. This also helps with bite detection and other fish movements.
Rod And Reel Balance
It goes without saying that a rod that isn’t well-balanced would cause hand exhaustion. This is why rod balance and the reel setup are very important.
A rule that is often followed by anglers is that if the rod is heavier and longer. The reel should be bigger, and for smaller and lighter rods, smaller reels work better. In the case that the rod is heavy but the reel is light or vice versa. The rod tips the wrong way and increases hand exhaustion.
Portability
If the rod is easy to store, carry, and transport, it can be used at multiple places and save the angler loads of money. Although the portability of the rod depends on its size and weight, most two-piece rods are easier to transport because the rod can be split into two parts which are easier to store and transport than a single, long rod.
Spinning Rods Vs Casting Rods
The two types of fishing rods used for pike fishing are spinning rods and casting rods.
- The basic difference between them is the reels they use. Spinning rods use spinning reels with them while casting rods use baitcasting and spin-casting reels.
- The materials used for both the spinning and casting rods are graphite, fiberglass, or carbon fiber.
- The length of both the spinning and casting rods is between 4 and 14 feet with the sizes between 6 and 8 being the most commonly used.
- The ‘guides’ or the ‘eyes’ or the eyelets of the spinning rods are located on its underside and these point towards the ground. On the other hand, casting rods have more ‘guides’ and they run from the handle right to the top of the rod.
- The guides on spinning rods are bigger than those on the baitcasting rods.
- The reel of a spinning rod is mounted on its bottom while for a casting rod, the reel is mounted on the top.
- For spinning rods, most anglers prefer holding the handle with their dominant hand while the reel is held with the other hand. In the case of a casting rod, the dominant hand can be used to reel while the non-dominant hand can hold the handle.
Best Pike Fishing Rod Brands
Not only are the following brands known for their quality fishing equipment but these models of their fishing rods are also popular because of their high-quality.
Ugly Stik
The Ugly Stik GX2 Casting Rod is a durable and lightweight fishing rod with a clear tip design giving it high responsiveness. This rod comes in various sizes and has an EVA handle for ergonomics which makes it very comfortable to use.
This is a one-piece rod and is made of fiberglass and graphite, which is why it is one of the most durable options available. Despite its very high quality, this rod comes at a very affordable price.
Abu Garcia
The Vengeance Casting Rod by Abu Garcia is known for its great performance and style. The material used is 24-ton high modulus graphite blank which not only makes it very durable but also balanced. Also, since the rod is quite lightweight, it is very sensitive to the movement of fish.
Moreover, this rod also has high-density EVA handles for a comfortable grip.
St. Croix
St. Croix is a well-known brand in the fishing business. Its Premier Rod Fresh Water Casting is constructed from very high quality material, making it a premium choice of a casting rod. The rod is 6 feet and 6 inches long with its blank made from SCII graphite.
There are ten different models of this rod available and due to the premium design, this rod is very durable. Like most fine quality rods, this one also comes with an ergonomically designed handle.
Daiwa
The Tatula Casting Rod by Daiwa is a 6 feet and 10 inches long rod made from graphite and fiberglass. It micro pitch blank finish and comes with Fuji Alconite ring guides or eyelets. Even though this rod is slightly expensive, it comes with a warranty of 5 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pike fishing is mostly done from October to March. This is because it is the ideal pike season.
Pike fishing would require reels, hooks, line, and a trace wire besides a rod.
A fishing rod weighing 3 pounds and measuring 12 feet in length would be a safe option to use most of the time. For bigger bait, slightly heavier and longer rods would work better.
Although this is technically possible, it isn’t usually done because a spinning reel should be used with a spinning rod, and a casting reel serves a completely different purpose.
If one can only buy one rod, a 7 feet rod is a good choice because it will be suitable in a variety of situations. It should also be remembered that most anglers use rods of sizes between 6 and 8 feet.
Conclusion
A hard fighting fish required the best possible rod you can afford for the job at hand. I hope that my guide helps you find the best fishing rod for pike fishing.
These hard fighting fish require a rod to stand up to the test. We have paired our top 5 rods that will do this.
We hope that this helps you find the perfect fishing rod for your needs and that on your next trip you have plenty of tight lines with this hard fighting fish.