Spinnerbait fishing is all about casting accurately all day long, and the perfect spinnerbait rod will let you do this with ease.
Long casting days are tiring and keeping your focus isn’t easy 8 hours in. So the last thing you want is a pole that makes it harder.
Some of our top spinnerbait rod recommendations were…
Just like picking a good swimbait rod, the best rod for spinnerbaits will help you fish well, relentlessly.
My article has all the info you need to find the perfect gear for you, straight from the fish’s mouth. Keep reading to see what spinnerbait setup works best for you.
The Best Spinnerbait Rods From The Review
Top Pick
Denali Lithium Pro
It has all the right features. The action, weight, power length and lure range give you everything you need for success with a spinnerbait.
Denali Lithium Pro
The all-round best spinnerbait rod is the Denali Lithium. This casting rod delivers everything you need from a spinnerbait pole.
It’s light, durable, casts long and accurately, and has enough punch for a proper hook set and to be able to fight big fish.
The action, power, length, and weight stack up perfectly to give you a spinnerbait rod you’ll love.
Best Value
Lew’s Speed Stick Spinnerbait Rod
It starts off with the IM8 graphite rod blank, 18% lighter than your standard graphite, while being super sensitive and having the power you need to get a good hook set on a large fish’s mouth.
Lew’s Speed Stick Spinnerbait Rod
If good value is your game, then I think the best spinnerbait rod on a budget is theLew’s Speed Stick spinnerbait rod.
It’s very affordable while being exceptionally durable and reliable, in fact, it’s hard to find anything wrong with this rod at all.
At 6’10” long, medium heavy, and quick action, it’s everything you need from a spinnerbait rod at an awesome price.
Editor’s Choice
St. Croix Bass X
The rod is made from a premium SCII graphite blank, an awesome material that gives superb durability, sensitivity, and lifting power.
St. Croix Bass X
From my years of casting for days at cover, you can’t go wrong with St. Croix.
In my eyes, it is the best spinnerbait rod reviewed here.
The combination of fast action with medium power rating balances the rod perfectly.
With St. Croix’s design and build behind you, you’re getting one of the best rods on the planet.
Our Top Spinnerbait Rods
Dobyns Rods Fury Series
An ideal spinnerbait casting or spinning rod thanks to its 7ft length, medium-heavy power rating, and fast action. These features are exactly what you need to have long and accurate casting distance while still having enough sensitivity to feel every bite.
Dobyns Rods Fury Series
The Dobyns FR 703C casting rod is an ideal spinnerbait rod thanks to its 7ft length, fast tip, medium-heavy power rating, and fast action. They also have spinning rods if that’s your deal.
Together these features are exactly what you need to have long and accurate casting distance while still having enough sensitivity to feel every bite.
This means you can get your spinnerbait right next to the cover with ease and work your spinnerbait well to tempt a lurking bass.
Lure Weights
The pole also covers an excellent range of lure weights, 1/4 -1oz, so you can catch fish with a broad range of baits.
Build
The rod’s high modulus graphite blank is also excellent. It comes with a kevlar wrap as well as kevlar wrapped guides for increased durability and stiffness.
It’ll last a long time and handle the pressures of all-day casting and hopefully some bass fishing.
The Dobyns Fury Series is also one of the best in our flipping rods review, and you can check out that review here.
Reel Seat and Handle
The spinnerbait rod comes with Fuji reel seats that’s solid and isn’t going to let your reel combo go anywhere, plus a comfortable EVA handle to ensure your hands stay blister-free while casting all day.
Overall it’s a great value spinnerbait rod, and the only drawbacks are the short pole butt and the short thread on the reel seat.
While these don’t affect the rod’s performance, they might not be aligned to your own personal preferences.
Specs
- Model: FR 703C
- Power Rating: Medium-heavy
- Length: 7’
- Line: 10-17 lbs
- Lure Weight: ¼-1 oz
- Action: Fast
Pros
- Made with kevlar wrapped high modulus graphite for extra durability
- Covers a broad range of lure weights
- Great spinnerbait casting or spinning rod for long and accurate casting
- Stiff enough to hookup and land big fish
Cons
- Pole butt is quite short for some
- The thread is a bit short on the reel seats
Top Pick
Denali Lithium Pro
It has all the right features for a bass angler. The action, weight, power length and lure range give you everything you need for success with a spinnerbait.
Denali Lithium Pro
The Denali Lithium is one of the best spinnerbait poles Denali makes.
The best spinnerbait fishing is done with constant casting, and Denali has thought of this.
Features
This rod is extremely light with an AAA cork handle, so you can cast all day without feeling tired.
This means you can concentrate on bass fishing instead of an arm ache.
It also has all the right features. The action, weight, power length and lure range give you everything you need for success with a spinnerbait.
Weight and Build
The rod is IM8+ graphite to reduce the weight while maintaining excellent durability.
The setup casts brilliantly with pinpoint accuracy, and you’ll find hitting tight spots easy.
The only downside is the lure weight range.
It’ll be perfect for smaller spinnerbaits, but you’ll need to upgrade to use the larger ones.
Specs
- Model: Lithium
- Power Rating: Medium-heavy
- Length: 6’10”
- Line: 10-20 lbs
- Lure Weight: ⁵⁄₁₆-1 oz
- Action: Fast
Pros
- Extremely durable fishing rod with excellent lifting power
- Casts beautifully and accurately for hitting tough spots easily
- Light for fishing over long days
- The rod is sensitive to every bite and the feel of your lure in the water
Cons
- Limited lure weight range and you’ll need another rod when fishing heavier spinnerbaits
Editor’s Choice
St Croix Bass X
The rod is made from a premium SCII graphite blank, an awesome material that gives superb durability, sensitivity, and lifting power.
St Croix Bass X
St Croix has made their name by being a top-quality fishing rod manufacturer, and this setup is no different.
The Bass X is one of my favorite spinnerbait rods they make and this is mainly down to the materials used in their blank construction.
The rod feels a bit stiff and the blank has a premium SCII graphite construction, an awesome material that gives superb durability, sensitivity, and medium power.
It has a split grip handle and is also pretty lightweight to make casting all day that little bit less tiring.
Guides and Reel Seat
It comes with hard aluminum-oxide guides for reduced friction and one of Fuji’s most reliable reel seats, the ECS.
Length and Action
At 6’6” it is a little short which may affect your casting length, but this is great for when you’re fishing up against tight cover.
The medium-heavy power, fast action, and solid lure weight range make it ideal for some versatile spinnerbait fishing.
Specs
- Model: BXC66MHF
- Power Rating: Medium-heavy
- Length: 6’6”
- Line: 12-20lbs
- Lure Weight: ⅜-1 oz
- Action: Fast
Pros
- A lightweight rod to help keep you going on those long days
- Short rod for increased accuracy on your casts
- The rod covers a wide range of spinnerbait weights
- The rod is durable, strong and sensitive to every bite
Cons
- The length of the rod is a little short and may affect your casting distance.
Best Value
Lew’s Speed Stick TP
This is a high quality rod at an affordable price. It starts off with the IM8 graphite blank, 18% lighter than your standard graphite rods, while being super sensitive and having the power you need to get a good hook set on large fish.
Lew’s Speed Stick TP
Affordable Price
The Lew’s Speed Stick delivers professional quality at an affordable price, but how do they do it?
It starts off with the IM8 graphite blank, 18% lighter than your standard graphite, while being super sensitive and having the power you need to get a good hook set on large fish.
Guide
The pole also features an American Tackle Micro Wave Guide system that assists with casting length, accuracy, and by reducing wind knots that might otherwise have you missing fishing time.
Construction
Lew’s use their custom skeletal SoftTouch graphite reel seats on this rod for increased comfort and weight reduction, while the Winn Grip Dri-Tec handles stay grippy and comfy even when wet, keeping you fishing on tirelessly.
Action
The model below has the right specs you want in a spinnerbait fishing pole.
The power is medium-heavy with fast action and a perfect length for casting far and accurately.
The only disadvantage of this pole is the limited lure weight range, but this isn’t too bad compared to others.
Specs
- Model: TP1610MHF
- Power Rating: Medium-heavy
- Length: 6’10”
- Line: 10-20 lbs
- Lure Weight: 3/16 – 5/8oz
- Action: Fast
Pros
- Rod blank is 18% lighter than standard types
- Comfortable reel seat and handle prevent tired or sore hands
- The pole is durable, sensitive, powerful and it casts really well
- Excellent value fishing rod for the quality
Cons
- Limited lure weight range
G.Loomis E6X swimbait
One of the best rods, but as always, even the best has its negatives. The G. Loomis E6X is expensive, but that’s what you get at a quality of this level.
G.Loomis E6X swimbait
G. Loomis makes a mean spinnerbait pole, in fact all their rods are pretty mean, and the E6X is no exception.
Action
The thing that stands out most about this rod is its action. This is the first spinnerbait rod in the review to have an extra-fast action.
What does extra fast action mean?
While most of the rods in the review are fast action, extra-fast action will give you the highest accuracy and sensitivity a rod can.
This simple addition could take your fishing to the next level in terms of hitting the right spots with your casts and never missing those big fish that bite subtly.
You may think you’ll lose out a little bit on the distance of your cast, but the medium power rating counteracts the extra fast action to give you a rod that still casts as far as you need it to.
Build
The rod is made from carbon fiber and is handmade in the USA. G. Loomis developed their own rolling table to taper the blank to reduce weight across the whole rod but still reinforce any potential breaking points.
You end up with a light rod that is equally or even more durable than any others.
Guide
This spinnerbait rod also comes with Fuji aluminum oxide guides, a custom Fuji reel seat, and a full grip premium-grade cork handle.
Overall, the build is made up of some of the best designs and best materials around.
This spinnerbait rod is one of the best baitcasting rods, but as always, even the best has its negatives. The rod is expensive, but that’s what you get at a quality of this level.
The lure weight range is also a bit limited, and you’d have to use this rod for quite specific lure weights.
Specs
- Model: E6X 812C SBR
- Power Rating: Medium
- Length: 6’9”
- Line: 10-17 lb
- Lure Weight: ⅜ -½ oz
- Action: Extra fast
Pros
- Exceptionally well balanced action and power
- Durable and light blank construction
- The rod is handmade in the USA
- Well thought-out design
Cons
- High price point
- The lure weight range of the rod is pretty limited
Spinnerbaits And What Their Rods Need
Now that we’ve seen some of the best spinnerbait rods, let’s think about what spinner baits are and what you’ll need from your chosen spinnerbait rod to fish them well.
What Are Spinnerbaits?
There are two types of spinnerbaits, inline or open.
Inline
Inline spinnerbaits have a wire shaft with a blade at the top and, sometimes, treble hooks, and a skirt at the bottom.
Open
Open spinnerbaits look a bit like an open safety pin. On the one end, you have a lead head with a plastic skirt and treble hooks or single hooks.
The head is connected to a wireframe that leads to the other end of the ‘safety pin’ when you’ll find one or more blades.
The blades are there to vibrate and flash to attract the fish to the skirted lure at the other end. It’s a deadly combination that some fish can’t resist.
What Do Spinnerbaits Catch?
Spinnerbaits are primarily used for freshwater predatory fish like pike, perch, and bass. It’s great to consider one as a travel fishing rod if you love frequenting different lakes.
They have been made famous in the bass fishing world thanks to how versatile they are for many different fishing situations.
When To Fish A Spinnerbait
The answer is whenever you like. They are so effective that they work in all conditions all year round.
They can be fished shallow or deep and their most useful application is when fishing near snags and weeded areas or if you need to cover a large area.
The blades attract the fish from quite far away and the safety-pin version is excellent at bumping off weed and snags.
NOTE
This means you can get close to snags where opportunist fish like bass love to hide.
What Is A Spinnerbait Rod and Do You Need One?
A spinnerbait rod is simply a casting rod that has all the right features in order to fish a spinnerbait well.
Having the best spinning rod or baitcasting rod for spinnerbait fishing is going to ensure you have the casting distance and sensitivity you need to be as effective as possible on the water.
It doesn’t just have to be used for throwing spinnerbaits either. You can fish any lure in the weight class of your chosen casting or spinning setup.
What To Look For In A Good Spinnerbait Rod
Here I have outlined all the key features that you’ll want in a spinnerbait rod.
all the key features that you’ll want in a spinnerbait rod…
If you follow each of these, you’ll end up with a great casting rod that’ll make sure you get the most out of using spinnerbaits.
Weight
Spinnerbait fishing involves continuous casting and retrieving. Believe me, it gets tiring throwing cast after cast as accurately as possible, and the last thing you want is for your rod to make it harder by being too heavy.
You’ll want your setup to be as light as possible, and my advice is to find a few rods that match all the features below and then pick based on weight.
Action
The action of a rod describes where the rod bends when casting.
Action is rated between slower, medium, fast, and extra-fast action. A slow action rod will bend near the handle, and a fast action rod will bend nearer the tip.
A slower action rod is great for casting longer distances but is sluggish when it comes to accuracy and sensitivity.
A fast action or extra fast action rod will provide excellent accuracy, and be sensitive to every little bite that comes along.
TIP
The best fishing rod for spinnerbaits will have a fast or extra-fast action so you can have pinpoint accuracy when casting near cover and all the sensitivity you need to hook-up off every bite.
Power
The power rating of a rod describes it’s stiffness and how much it bends.
The power rating can range from ultralight to medium power, medium-heavy, and heavy power.
The heavier the rating, the stiffer the rod.
When fishing a spinnerbait, the drag created by the blades in the water is quite high and therefore you’ll want a good rod that doesn’t bend too much with a good gear ratio.
You’ll also need enough power for a good single or treble hook set and to keep fish out of cover when it runs.
TIP
The best spinnerbait rods have a power rating of medium power or medium heavy power.
This will ensure you have enough power and the stiffness you need to retrieve, hook, and fight a fish on a spinnerbait.
Length
The length of your pole dictates two things, casting distance and accuracy.
A longer rod will give you more leverage and therefore cast further, while shorter rods give you more accuracy.
With spinnerbait rods, you want to find a balance, as you want to cast far enough but also accurately.
Ideal Spinnerbait Rod Length
A good spinnerbait rod length will be 6’6” to 7 feet long.
This will give you enough length to cast far while still being accurate.
If you like to fish lighter lures like 2/8 oz or 3/8 oz then stay in the six-foot range
For heavier spinnerbaits, 7 feet is a good rod option.
Winding Up
Here is a quick summary of the top three rods from the review…
Best All-Rounder
The top all-around spinnerbait rod is the Denali Lithium.
It delivers on all the key features from power, action, and length all the way to weight.
It’s strong, durable, and robust enough for great hook sets and stopping big bass from snaggy you.
Best on a Budget
The best spinnerbait pole when it comes to value is the Lew’s Speed Stick.
This is an awesome rod for spinnerbait fishing that delivers unbeatable quality for such a good price.
It ticks all the boxes in terms of power, action, length, and weight, plus you’ll love fishing with it.
It casts beautifully, is sensitive, and can stop big fish when you need it to.
Editor’s Pick
My favorite rod from the review for spinnerbait fishing is the St. Croix Bass X.
I’ve been fishing with St. Croix rods my whole life, from fly fishing to spinnerbait fishing, and while I may be biased, there is nothing quite like them.
You probably won’t find me fishing with anything else. Maybe my backpacking fishing setup if I’m moving around a lot.
The design, hand made quality combined with all the right power, action, length, and weight specs make them the top performance spinnerbait rod as far as my experience goes.
