Best Crappie Fishing Rods
The Best Crappie Fishing Rods – No matter where you are hunting crappie, a good crappie fishing rod will be essential.
Look no further if you are looking for the perfect crappie fishing pole. This page contains information about the selection process as well as reviews of some of our favorite fishing rods.
This article will be about general crappie fishing rods. Click Here to Learn More: Crappie Spiderrigging Rods
Have a look at our top picks for crappie rods:
- St. Croix Premier Spinning Rods –Our Choice!
- Bass Pro Shops Micro Lite Graphite Spinning Rod
- Cabela’s Fish Eagle Spinning Rods
- Cadence Fishing CR5 Spinning Rods
- Fenwick Elite Tech River Runner Spinning Rod
- St. Croix Panfish Series Spinning Rods
Best Crappie Fishing Rods 2021
St. Croix Premier Spinning Rods – Our Pick!
Length7
Materialgraphite
Power/actionUltralight/Fast
Size of the lure: 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. to 3/16 oz.
Line weight:2-6
Handle:Split cork/spinning 12.25
Guide material aluminum oxide
The Premier ultralight is fast and features a cushioned hookset that helps papermouths. It is lightweight, strong, balanced and well-balanced. The rod can handle any type of fish, including crappie and panfish. It won’t break nearly as quickly as it might.
Your line will be ruined by the high-quality aluminum oxide guides
Comfortable casting is possible thanks to the rod’s long handle made of cork. The Fenwick might be a better choice.
The St. Croix is a great rod if you are willing to spend a lot.
Pros
- Amazing sensitivity
- Excellent casting
- Qualitative handles
- Amazing guides
Cons
- Expensive
Micro Lite Graphite Spinning Rod
Length6′ 6″
Materialgraphite
Power/actionUltralight/Fast
Size of the lure:1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. to 1/4 oz.
Line weight:1-1-6
Handle:13″ Cork/Spinning
Guide materialStainless steel
Bass Pro Shop’s ultralight rod is ideal for small fish such as crappie.
At six and a quarter feet, the ultralight is preferable. The ultralight measures six and a half feet in length.
Cork handles are large enough to accommodate large anglers. They are comfortable and smooth. Other anglers have only praised me.
Certain anglers have reported a drop in quality with newer models, particularly if they’re using fluorocarbon line. I have not experienced any problems.
Pros
- Amazing sensitivity
- Gentle hooksets
- Excellent casting
- Qualitative handles
- Very affordable
Cons
- Fluorocarbon as a guide for quality issues
Cabela’s Fish Eagle Spinning Rods
Length6
Materialgraphite
Power/actionUltralight/Fast
Size of the lure:1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. to 1/4 oz.
Line weight:2-6
Handle:11.5″ cork/spinning
Guide materialStainless steel
Cabela’s Fish Eagle Rods look similar to Bass Pro’s, but have more features. These rods can be comparable to rods of higher quality, but are still affordable.
Bass Pro products are stronger than ultralights at six feet. It is our favorite. It’s responsive and provides fast action. It can be both a blessing or a curse because of its stiffness. It can catch larger fish than crappie.
Casting with any size lure is a great option.
They are excellent quality. There are no problems.
Fish Eagles have a cork handle that is long and comfortable. This is especially important for larger species such as bass.
This rod is a great choice if you have a tight budget. This rod is great for crappie fishing.
Pros
- Amazing sensitivity
- Excellent casting
- Qualitative handles
- Fantastic guides
- Very affordable
Cons
- A bit stiffer than its ultralight counterparts
Cadence Fishing CR5 Spinning Rods
Length7
Materialgraphite
Power/actionUltralight/Moderate
Size of the lure: 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz.
Line weight:2-6
Handle:Cork 12 Inches, EVA foam/spinning
Guide materialStainless steel with SiC Inserts
The CR5 is a solid rod at a reasonable price. This rod is ideal for those who are looking for a dedicated crappie rod.
The CR5 has the perfect combination of power, action, and length. It is the perfect choice for soft hookset crappie fishing.
The rod can catch fish that are larger than crappie using the CR5 ultralight. It is however not the best rod to use for other species due to its moderate action.
The quality of the guide is exceptional. The handle is exceptional quality and has a long length.
Overall, this is a solid contender for the top spot and a great rod for crappie.
Pros
- Amazing sensitivity
- Qualitative handles
- Fantastic guides
- Soft hooksets almost guarantee
- Very affordable
Cons
- This is a little less flexible than the rest .
Fenwick Elite Tech River Runner Spinning Rod
Length6′ 9″
Materialgraphite
Power/actionUltralight/Fast
Size of the lure: 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. to 3/16 oz.
Line weight:2-6
Handle:Split cork/spinning
Guide material titanium
The history of Fenwick rods is long. Fenwick rods have a long history.
River Runner ultralight can be used quickly and offers great action. You can also use it with crappie lures.
You can only get the best X-Titanium titanium guide. It is possible for it to fail.
The Fenwick is a great choice for cork with high-end split handles.
Pros
- Amazing sensitivity
- Excellent casting
- Qualitative handles
- Fantastic guides
Cons
- Expensive
St. Croix Panfish Series Spinning Rods
Length6’9″
Materialgraphite
Power/actionUltralight/Fast
Size of the lure: 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. 1/32 oz. to 3/16 oz.
Line weight:2-6
Handle:Cork/spinning
Guide materialStainless steel
It’s also very affordable.
The Panfish Series ultralight can be described as fast but also medium fast.
This guide is high-quality and affordable. It is well-engineered and smooth so even the smallest lines can be maintained.
Personal preference is subjective. However, I find the handle a bit too short. Cadence’s rod is great, and many will appreciate the way it fits their needs.
We have reservations about this rod. It comes in one piece, making it difficult to transport and store.
Pros
- Amazing sensitivity
- Excellent casting
- Qualitative handles
- Fantastic guides
Cons
- Transporting and storage of single-piece rods is cumbersome.
Our Pick – St. Croix’s Premier Spinning Rods
These rods are in fierce competition, so you won’t notice the difference in quality and performance. Handle design and length are the only exceptions.
The St. Croix Premier ultralight is our top choice. It is only a fraction more than other ultralights but it is the best.
Premium is a flexible package that’s strong, durable and sensitive. Premium also offers exceptional guidance and handling. It is more durable than any of its competitors.
Both the Micro Lite by Bass Pro and Cabela’s Fish Eagle can be purchased at a reasonable price. Cadence’s CR5 is also available. These are great options, and they are much cheaper than premium options.
No matter your choice, will not disappoint!
How to Choose a Crappie Fishing Rod
There are many options for crappie rods. They all have one thing in common. These rods let you place the hook gently, while still detecting nibbles.
Take Action
The angle at which the rod bends when it is weighted is called the rod’s action.
To set the hook, bass anglers should use a medium-to-heavy power rod.
Crappie fishing is best done with a sensitive rod.
Power
The force required to bend a rod is called power. This gives you an idea of its performance.
A strong rod is necessary for large fish such as pike or tarpon. It must be strong enough to withstand heavy strikes and long fights. The hook can easily be torn if you apply too much force.
It is crucial to think about how power and action of the rod will interact with crappie sunfish.
Three reasons we recommend ultralight rods:
- Cushioned hooksets Medium-fast rods will give you the cushioned hookset you need to catch finesse fish. Ultralight rods can be fast but they can also be fragile, making it difficult to remove hooks from “papermouths”.
- Sensitivity Ultralight rods bend easily and can be sensitive to any nibble because of this. This is an enormous advantage for timid fish.
- Fun Ultralight tackle transforms every fish into a whale Ultralight tackle is so much fun, you won’t believe the things you’ll discover.
Crappie will tolerate fast action from an ultralight rod. The rod is sufficiently delicate that the action won’t risk ripping the hook.
Length
This article does not include gear for spider-rigging. Casting rods must be at least 7 feet in length.
The length of your rod will determine how far you can cast. Casting distance will be affected by the length of your rod.
Ultralight rods can be shorter and more precise that regular rods. They do not have enough line to seat the reels they are intended to use.
For crappie fishing, I use a rod that measures six-and-a-half feet in length. If you aren’t sure what your requirements are, this is the length to use.
Line and lure weight
Crappie rods are thin and look whip-like. Crappie rods look whip-like and are slim. They use light lures and small lines. They can use lures of different sizes, from 1/4 to 1/2 ounces to 1/16 ounces.
We offer recommendations on the best crappie lures.
Guides
Big crappie aren’t monsters. However, the line they fight isn’t made from steel chains. Great guides are needed to avoid damage and friction during fights that involve line weights of between two and six pounds.
This video shows how crappie can test your rod’s guides. Fish will be lost more often if they are not using high-quality guides.
This video shows you how to check the quality of a guide.
Material
Today’s fishing rods are made of a variety materials, including graphite or carbon fiber.
- Graphite It is strong, stiff and light. It is strong and durable for rods because of its stiffness.
- Fiberglass It is usually more expensive than graphite and heavier than graphite. Although it’s not as strong as graphite, and has a lower sensitivity than graphite, it’s still very powerful and should be in your arsenal. This is particularly important for crappie. They are easy to use and comfortable.
- Carbon fiber It is the strongest, strongest, and lightest material to use for rod blanks. It’s unbeatable in performance, yet it’s very affordable!
Handle
You can choose which handle you prefer. You can choose what works best for you.
- Cork is more appealing than other materials and has a warmer appearance. It can be handled with less care.
- EVA foam feels cooler and more flexible to the touch. It is extremely durable.
Reel Selection
It doesn’t matter if you prefer a spinning, baitcaster or closed-face reel like the Zebcos, you can pick which reel suits your needs best.
It is important to match your rod and reel size. It is crucial to match the size of the rod and reel.
Crappie anglers most often prefer spinning reels so rods are designed to accommodate this style.
