The Best Fishing Pole For Beginners (2023 Buyer’s Guide)

Knowing which rod or pole (they are the same thing) will be the best for fishing beginners is tough.

It comes down to what type of fishing experience that person has and the fisherman they want to aspire to be.

After considering all the options our top picks were…

As a beginner, fishing can be quite a large and daunting topic, but to keep it simple, there is only one choice for a beginner to make, fly or spin fishing?

Spin fishing is a lot easier to master than fly fishing, and you’ll be rewarded with fish and success quite quickly.

Whereas fly fishing requires a lot more patience and off water practice to master. 

Either way, you’ll want to read the rest of this article to find the perfect rod for budding anglers.

The Top Three

Here are our top three choices from the lineup, each one in its own category.

This is so you can have a variety to choose from depending on your needs.

Top Pick

PLUSINNO Fishing Rod and Reel Combo

It comes with the right fishing rod for learners; the power, length, and action make it easy to use, ideal for different environments, and different fish species.

PLUSINNO Fishing Rod and Reel Combo

The all-around best fishing pole for beginners is the Plusinno Spinning Combo. The rod is top quality, has all the right features for someone starting out and it’s good value too.

It’s easy to set up, use and you’ll be catching fish in no time. It’s also the best backpacking fishing pole if you plan to move around a lot.

It also comes with a quality reel but you will have to buy some lines and lures to go with it.

Best Value

Eagle Claw PK56TS Rod And Reel Combo

Simple and easy to use for every type of fishing you might want to expand into, bar fly.

Eagle Claw PK56TS Rod And Reel Combo

The best fishing pole for beginners on a budget is the Eagle Claw. This rod is durable, easy to use, will last, packs down small and comes with an ok reel too.

It’ll outlast most other telescopic rods in the review and you’ll enjoy fishing with it for years to come. Oh and the quality for the extremely low price is out of this world.

Editor’s Choice

Penn Fierce III LE Rod And Reel Spinning Combo

If you like quality and know you’re going to stick with fishing, this is the rod and reel to get. It casts beautifully and you’ll catch more than a hundred fish with it before it even starts to look worn.

Penn Fierce III LE Rod And Reel Spinning Combo

If it was me, I’d pick the Penn combo for beginners. The rod and the reel far surpass all the others in terms of quality and performance.

This setup will have you fishing in loads of environments for multiple species without any failures.

It’s also nice to think that the rod will be with you for a while, rather than needing to be upgraded.

Our Best Fishing Rods For Beginners

Here are all the top reels we reviewed.

Each one’s a winner in its own right and they all have their different strength

Let this list help you find the best rod for your needs…

Top Pick

PLUSINNO Fishing Rod and Reel Combo

It comes with a great fishing rod for learners; the power, length, and action make it easy to use, ideal for different environments, and different species.

PLUSINNO Fishing Rod and Reel Combo

Plusinno makes solid rods for fishing and this combo is great for beginners.

It comes with one of the best fishing rod for learners; the power, length, and action make it easy to use, ideal for different environments, and different species. 

Learn As You Go.

You’ll like fishing with it and it’s fun to target different species each day and expand each type of fishing as you go. 

Rod

The rod is telescopic, easy to set up, and one of the best types of rod for beginners.

It is a carbon fiber rod mixed with fiberglass, making it both tough and durable.

It’s a pleasure to cast with and has enough backbone to fight some larger fish. 

Reel

The reel combo matches the fishing rod perfectly and is also top-notch.

The drag, retrieve and materials are all excellent, and together with the rod, make targeting different species, depending on the fish size, a real possibility. 

The only downside is that lures, fishing line, and a travel case are not included and you’ll have to buy these separately. 

Specs

  • Type: Telescopic Spinning
  • Power: Medium
  • Length: 6.89 ft
  • Action: Medium

Pros

  • Excellent value for such high-quality gear
  • The fishing pole is tough, durable and easy to use
  • The rod has the right features for a new fisher
  • The rods pack down very small for easy transportation
  • The spinning reels quality is great and you’ll like fishing with it

Cons

  • It comes without lures, lines and a carry case

Best Value

Eagle Claw PK56TS Rod And Reel Combo

Simple and easy to use for every type of angling you might want to expand into, bar fly.

Eagle Claw PK56TS Rod And Reel Combo

This is one of the best fishing rod and reel combos for beginners.

The fishing poles and reels that Eagle Claw makes are designed to last.

They are simple and easy to use for every type of angling you might want to expand into, bar fly.

Rod

The rod is telescopic and is used for spin fishing.

It is made from fiberglass, an excellent material for fish rods, and is durable.

The fishing rod casts well, is simple to set up and you’ll like fishing with it.

The rod is also light, so you don’t get tired using it, and packs down small for portability. 

Reel

The reel is made from aluminum, a durable material that stands up well to corrosion. It’s a good reel size as well.

It comes with the line pre-loaded so all you need to buy are the lures.

It has good enough drag and retrieve to get started, but after a while, you’ll probably like to upgrade it. 

The only negative to this combo is that the telescopic pole can collapse by itself.

This is a common problem with telescopic kits. Just remember to tighten it often while you’re out catching fish.

Specs

  • Type: Telescopic Spinning
  • Model: PK56T
  • Power: Medium power
  • Length: 5’6”
  • Action: Fast

Pros

  • Packs down small and is super affordable
  • The spinning reel is pretty good for the price
  • The spin rod is durable, easy to set up and casts well
  • It’s a lightweight rod and great as a beginner pole

Cons

  • The pole can collapse if you forget to tighten it

FISHOAKY Spinning Rod And Reel Combo

The spinning rod, reel, lures, line, and travel case are all you need to get into every different type of fishing. And you get all of this for a good price too,

FISHOAKY Spinning Rod And Reel Combo

This is a good fishing rod and reel combo for beginners.

The spinning rod, reel, lures, line, and travel case are all you need to get into every different type of angling. And you get all of this for a good price too, 

Rod

The spinning rod is one you’ll like. It’s telescopic, light, durable, and made from carbon fiber. The guides and reel seat are also great!

The pole’s medium action and power are ideal for beginners. You’ll be able to fish for a bunch of different species with this rod. 

Reel

The fishing reel that comes with the combo is pretty great for the price and provides a smooth experience all-around.

The travel case is also excellent but you will want to get some better lines and lures to fish with. 

The only issue with this pole is that it can collapse on its own which is quite frustrating. It’s best to tighten the joints often to avoid this.

Specs

  • Type: Telescopic Spinning
  • Type: Telescopic Spinning
  • Power: Medium
  • Length: 6.80ft
  • Action: Medium

Pros

  • The fishing rod and reel combo comes with everything you need to start fishing
  • The spinning fishing rod is easy to use for beginners
  • The telescopic pole packs down for easy storage and portability
  • Made from top-quality durable materials

Cons

  • You might like to upgrade the line capacity and lures after a while
  • The pole can collapse on its own

Sougayilang Telescopic Fishing Rod And Reel Combo

It comes with everything beginners need to start angling and is a great set up to target different species with.

Sougayilang Telescopic Fishing Rod And Reel Combo

Sougayilang are starting to make a name for themselves in the fishing gear industry.

These are great beginner rod and reel combos.

It comes with everything beginners need to start angling and is a great set up to target different species with.

Rod

The casting rods that come with these combos are telescopic. The pole is easy to set up for beginners, light, and packs down small.

The pole is made from a mixture of carbon fiber and fiberglass which is a great combination for beginner fishing rods. You’ll like casting it as it provides enough stiffness and flex to cast and hook fish well. 

Reel

These reel combos are good for a less seasoned fisherman. It’s not the best quality but someone starting out will like how simple it is. And once you like angling enough, you can upgrade it. 

The only annoying thing about this combo is that the pole and the reel don’t fit in the case when connected, so you’ll have to set up once you get to the fishing grounds.

It’s natural if you’re having second thoughts about Sougayilang because they are new to the market. To give you confidence about their products, here’s a detailed review of Sougayilang fishing gear.

Specs

  • Type: Telescopic Spinning
  • Model: Only Brave Combo
  • Power: Medium
  • Length: 7.87 ft
  • Action: Fast

Pros

  • Comes with everything you need to get started
  • The fishing poles features are ideal for someone new to the hobby
  • The pole is light, durable and easy to use
  • It’s a great pole to cast with
  • You can target different species with the pole

Cons

  • The reel is not the best quality but is ok for the price
  • The fishing pole and reel don’t fit in the carry case when connected

Mountain Hike Fishing Rod Reel Combo

It’s light, has the right features for anyone who is just starting to fish, and has a price everyone will like.

Mountain Hike Fishing Rod Reel Combo

Mountain Hike aren’t well known for their fishing poles but their best fishing rod and reel combo is one to like.

You get quite a big range of equipment in the combo and will be able to target different species with all the gear. 

Rod

The rod is telescopic and therefore easy to set up.

It’s light, has the right rod size and features for anyone who is just starting out the hobby, and has a price everyone will like. 

The rod is made from a mix of carbon fiber and fiberglass, both durable fishing rod materials that are made to last and good to fish with.

Features

It comes with a stainless steel reel seat and guides which are corrosion resistant for use in saltwater or surf fishing or boat fishing, so you can fish for different saltwater species too. It’s easy to fish with and a lot of people that are just starting out like using it. 

Reel

The spinning reel is ok quality for the price with corrosion resistant ball bearings.

You’ll like that it’s made from CNC machined aluminum and stainless steel, again great for saltwater fishing.

The reel has a smooth drag and retrieve, but it can fail sometimes and you might like to upgrade it as your angling skills get better. 

The only other negative is that the poles guides can pop out or break.

This can be annoying but they are easy to replace.

Specs

  • Type: Telescopic Spinning
  • Model: Combo
  • Power: Medium
  • Length: 5.9 ft
  • Action: Medium

Pros

  • Everything you need to start catching fish comes in the combo
  • The rods are made for use from freshwater to saltwater fishing
  • The rod has the right power and action for beginners
  • Rod and reel consist of quality materials
  • You will like that the rod is lightweight and an easy rod to use

Cons

  • The eyes of the rod can come loose/break
  • The reel can fail, but this is rare

BlueFire Fishing Rod Combo

A combo that comes with everything you need to fish with. BlueFire are not known very well for their fishing poles but have done their best with this combo.

BlueFire Fishing Rod Combo

This is another combo that comes with everything you need to fish with.

It is best used for freshwater fishing, as the materials aren’t the best and the fishing reels’ ball bearings will corrode in saltwater or when surf fishing.

BlueFire are not known very well for their rods but have done their best with this combo.

The spinning rod is telescopic and great to fish with.

It is one of the best types for easy setup and to take on fishing trips with.

Rod

The rod is made from carbon fiber, one of the best materials a rod can use, and this makes it lightweight, durable, and tough.

You’ll be able to cast well and hook a fish easily with this rod. 

Reel

The rod comes with a good reel with a nice gear ratio.

It has a quick, smooth retrieve and the drag is good enough to target smaller fish or freshwater species with. 

Unfortunately, the rod combo doesn’t come with instructions and the line is pretty bad and will need upgrading.

Specs

  • Type: Telescopic Spinning
  • Model: BF Kit
  • Power: Medium
  • Length: 6.88 ft
  • Action: Medium

Pros

  • The kit gives you everything you need to start
  • The rod has the right features for a beginner
  • The materials of the rod are high quality
  • The rod is light
  • An easy pole to use

Cons

  • The rod and reel are for use in freshwater only
  • The rod comes without setup instructions
  • The line that comes with the rod is poor quality

PLUSINNO Fly Fishing Rod and Reel Combo

Luckily it’s one of the best fly fish combos around and is one that’s great to start out with. The rod is ideal to fish with thanks to its weight, length, and balance.

PLUSINNO Fly Fishing Rod and Reel Combo

This is the only fly rod in the review just in case there are any enthusiastic learners who want to give fly fishing a try.

Features

The rod comes as part of a combo and includes the rod, reel, backing, fly line, flies, fly box, and a travel case.

Luckily it’s one of the best fly fish combos around and is one that’s great to start out with. 

The rod is ideal to fish with thanks to its weight, length, and balance.

It’s very forgiving for a learner to cast with and will help you fish well pretty quickly.

Rod

The rod consists of IM8 graphite, one of the best materials, it is light but strong and durable. The rod also comes with an aluminum reel seat and stainless steel guides for extra durability and corrosion resistance. 

Reel

The reel balances the rod perfectly. It is durable and is die-cast aluminum.

It comes ready spooled with a fly line that matches the rod’s weight, but you’ll want to upgrade the line, as it’s not the best quality for the rod or a learner.

A better weight forward fly line will load the rod more efficiently and make casting with the rod a lot easier. 

Specs

  • Type: Fly rod
  • Weight: 5
  • Length: 9 ft

Pros

  • The rod combo comes with everything you need to start
  • Ideal fly pole for beginners with and less experienced anglers
  • High quality graphite rods and reel that consists of top durable materials
  • Forgiving and easy rod for casting with a fly
  • The reel is easy to fish with

Cons

  • The flies included aren’t the best selection to fish with and are poor quality
  • The fly line is hard to fish with and will need upgrading to something different

Editor’s Choice

Penn Fierce III LE Rod And Reel Spinning Combo

If you like quality and know you’re going to stick with the hobby, this is the rod and reel to get. It casts beautifully and you’ll catch more than a hundred fish with it before it even starts to look worn.

Penn Fierce III LE Rod And Reel Spinning Combo

Penn is one of the most recognized manufacturers of fishing poles in the world.

Their other rods and reel are top quality and therefore the Fierce III LE rod and reel are probably the best in the review.

If you like quality and know you’re going to stick with with the hobby, this is the rod and reel to get. 

Rod

The rod comes in 1 piece, making it hard to store and take on a fishing trip but excellent for casting.

It’s a great fishing pole made of composite graphite that is light, durable, and a material we all like to fish with.

It comes with an excellent reel seat and guides too.

It casts beautifully and you’ll catch more than a hundred fish with it before it even starts to look worn.

Reel

The reel has a full metal body and side plate with a high density carbon fiber HT drag. It also comes with an instant anti-reverse bearing and a good gear ratio.

It’s ideal for targeting a lot of different species and the ball bearings are also ready to fish in saltwater too.

It also has the power to catch big fish. 

The only real downsides to this are the high price and the lack of fishing line and lures.

But you might like picking out your own lures and line, and you’ll learn something too.

Specs

  • Type: Spinning
  • Model: FRCIII2500LE701ML
  • Power: Medium
  • Length: 7ft
  • Action: Extra fast
  • Full Specs

Pros

  • Incredible quality and durability
  • Can be used in fresh and saltwater
  • Good for someone who wants to increase their angling skills
  • They come as 1 piece composite rods

Cons

  • Doesn’t include line or lures in the combo
  • Quite high-end for a beginner
  • A little more expensive than the other rods
  • Hard to travel with

What’s a Beginner Fishing Pole?

Child Fishing On a Lake

A rod for beginners is usually an inexpensive rod that comes as part of a fishing rod and reel combo. I used to watch my father’s bite alarms and fishing tackle like a hawk before he finally got me my own starter rod.

With pre-configured rod/reel setups, you often get a good beginner rod, a casting reel, line, lures, and a case or a small tackle box they all fit into.

Basically, a full fishing kit delivered to your door with everything you need to get started. 

A fishing rod and reel combo is a solid place to start.

Why a Rod Combo?

The rods and fishing reels are good enough for a beginner to get going with, and with the lures and line, you can literally start casting it the day it arrives.

Combos usually aren’t the best quality, the rods are mostly fine, but you might find the lures and casting reels need upgrading after a while.

Once the new fisherman is hooked, the combo has done its job and you can look to upgrade parts of it if you need to. 

What Makes A Good Beginner Fishing Rod? 

Reeling in a Fish

The best fishing pole for beginners is going to be simple and easy to use.

The last thing anyone starting out wants is to be confused and frustrated with the gear as it’ll most likely put a downer on the fishing experience, and they make give up instead of having a great time.

Versatility and Ease of Use

The best fishing rod should be simple to set up, easy to fish with and be quite versatile for a few different situations.

the rod needs to have the right features…

This will allow a beginner to chop and change their tactics from trout to bass to crappie to keep them interested. 

To do this, the rod needs to have the right features, meaning it sits in the middle of the spectrum, medium weight.

Ultralight rods and heavy rods are tough to cast with and not easy to use, a beginner will get frustrated learning with them. Some of the best travel fishing rods will also fall into the same category as they will be meant for more experienced anglers who move around a lot. 

If you want to avoid frustrations and have a worry-free fishing experience, this guide about setting up a fishing rod can help you.

How To Choose The Right Setup 

Price 

The rule in the world of fishing gear, generally, is; the higher the price the better the quality.

You can find gems outside of this, but this rule does stand.

It’s not worth investing a lot of money in a beginner’s rod or buying the most expensive fishing rod, especially if you’re not sure how much you’ll love the hobby.

A great starting point is with a fishing rod and reel combo for under $100 and if you end up loving to fish, upgrade from there.

There will always be parts of the combo that live on, whether it’s the rods and reels or the lures, and you can add these to your tackle collection. 

Types Of Fishing Rods 

There is a choice to make as to whether to go down the spinning or fly fishing road at the start. If there isn’t a clear need or desire for fly fishing or any other types of rod, I’d recommend spinning to begin with. 

It’s far quicker to get the hang of, and you’ll find out if you love the hobby quite quickly. And you can get a fly fishing rod later if you feel like it.

Fly Fishing?

Casting with a fly is like nothing else.

The connected feeling of casting, understanding the fish, the flys they want to eat and why, gives you a much higher connection to nature compared to other forms of angling in my opinion.

Then once you feel and see the eat, following a fight on a fly rod, you’ll be hooked.

But it is all about patience and practise, and you’ll need to stay with it to become good at it. Thankfully, there are a number of fly fishing books written on the subject to guide you.

Spinning Rod

Spinning Rods

Spinning setups usually have a rod length of 5-9 feet and are made from either one or a mixture of carbon fiber, graphite and fiberglass.

They can come in 1 piece, multiple pieces that you join together or as telescopic graphite rods and work with spinning reels. 

Telescopic Rod

A telescopic rod is what you typically find in a fishing reel combo.

All that telescopic means is that the sections of the rod sit inside one another, and you simply pull them out and tighten them to set up the rod. 

Once set up, you simply add a spinning reel, thread the line, tie on the lure, and go angling.

Upkeep

They are very simple and easy to use, but they do have their downfalls, mainly that the sections loosen and fall down while you’re using them.

It’s worth constantly checking and tightening the sections as you go to avoid any issues happening in key moments, like when you’re hooked up to a fish of a lifetime. 

Fly Rods 

Fly fishing rods are made of the same materials as a spinning fishing rod and usually come in multiple pieces, 2 or 4 are the norm.

They are around 9 feet long and differ in weights, which is the unit of measurement of a fly rod. For less experienced anglers, 5/6 weight is an ideal place to start.

It’s forgiving with your casting and can be used for different fish sizes.

On the other hand, choosing a fly rod for kids is different and could be hard, the fly rod should be comfortable that will keep kids entertained and interested. Here’s a review of the Best Fly Rods For Kids to help you out.

Close Up Image of a Baitcast Reel
Close Up Image of a Baitcasting Reel

Baitcasting Rods

Baitcasting rods are very similar to spinning rods, but instead of using a spinning reel, you use baitcasting reels with a revolving spool reel.

Baitcasting is an upgraded form of spin fishing, and you’ll want quite a lot of fishing experience, especially bass fishing, before you start trying that out.

It’s not a great place for beginners to start out. 

How To Choose A Fishing Rod For Beginners 

Length

Fishing poles come in a huge range of lengths from 2 feet to 12 feet.

The best fishing rod if starting out will be in the middle of the spectrum, around 5 to 8 feet long.

This will allow you to learn the rod’s feel, cast far enough but not feel awkward trying to get an overly long or short rod to do the business. 

Rod length should always be considered in your decision when choosing a rod for angling. Check out our guide on rod length so you’ll have the knowledge and never be wrong when selecting a rod.

Power

Power describes how stiff a rod is, and each rod is labeled with a power rating from ultra-light to extra heavy power. The heavier the rating, the stiffer the rod. 

Heavy Rods

Stiff rods are unforgiving, and you’ll need to have your casting technique dialed in to use them effectively, so they are not for beginners.

Ultralight Rods

Ultralight rods are super bendy, and also tough to handle for beginners, as they bend so much it’s hard to figure out the timings on your cast, especially for a novice. 

A beginner fishing rod should be medium power or medium-light power, this will make a rod a bit bendy and therefore forgiving to cast with but not too bendy.

And it’ll be stiff enough to allow for good hook sets and putting some power into a cast. 

Action

The action of the rod describes where a rod bends, and is rated from slow to extra-fast action.

Slow action rods bend at the butt of the rod, while medium action rods bend in the middle, and fast action rods bend at the tip. 

Slow and Fast Action

Slow action means the rod will bend at the base and is good for casting distance and fighting small fish, while quick action is for fighting larger fish and feeling subtle bites.

Medium Action

The right action of a beginner fish rod is medium action or medium-light.

This will cover a large range of fishing situations, species and will be tough enough for hook sets but still bendy enough for good casting.

Fishing on a Dock

Weight

How heavy your beginner rod is matters quite a bit. Imagine playing golf with heavy clubs or tennis with a heavy racquet.

It’s going to get quite tiring right? The same applies to fishing rods.

The funnest forms of fishing have you casting and retrieving the entire time and all a heavy rod is going to do is make you tired and enjoy your time on the water a little bit less.

NOTE

Make sure to pick a few rods that have all the right features first and from there start looking at the weights of each of them, and make your decision from there. 

Here’s a quick recap of our top three picks..

Best All-Rounder

If you’re looking for the best all-around setup to start out with, then the Plusinno Spin Combo is the way to go.

You get a solid setup for a decent price that is perfect for people learning how to fish.

The setup will last and you’ll be able to target multiple fish species in numerous environments with it, that’ll only further your fishing education. 

Best on a Budget

If it’s a deal you’re after, then the Eagle Claw combo is the one for you. The quality for the price is almost unbeatable and you’ll be fishing with this setup for years to come. 

Editor’s Choice

If you want your first rod to be around for your lifetime, then the Penn Combo is the way to go.

It is for more serious learners who know they’ll be fishing for years.

The combo is top quality and no part will need replacing, it’s also geared up to fish anywhere, so you can try your hand at any species you like.

Thank you for reading this article, Hope that you enjoyed and learned something from it. If you’re looking for more kid-friendly rod options try checking out this best kids fishing pole review.

Feel free to share this article to your friends and loved ones, and don’t forget to check the site for more fishing info such as this guide on how to properly string a fishing rod.

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