Best Bass Fishing Rods of 2025

Top Pick: Dobyns Colt Series BFS Casting Rods

Expanding the value-driven lineup of Dobyns Colt Casting Rods, the Dobyns Colt Series introduced two new bait finesse geared casting rods designed with the goal of casting ultra-lightweight lures at an angler-friendly price. Built using high-modulus graphite blanks for excellent sensitivity, the Dobyns Colt BFS rods feature a balanced construction from end to end with quality components like high-density Hypalon grips and premium Sea Guides. Perfect for anglers who want to experiment with bait finesse tactics without an expensive price barrier, the Dobyns Colt BFS Casting Rods combine premium rod craftsmanship, a price-conscious design, and high expectations after the success of the Dobyns Seirra Ultra Finesse Casting Rods.

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Top Pick: Shimano Outlier Casting Rods

Optimized with premium heavy-duty components for serious trophy hunting, the Shimano Outlier Swimbait Rods are engineered using Spiral X and Hi-power X blank construction for reduced blank twist and increased strength, accuracy, and big bait control. Built to minimize fatigue when fishing heavy swimbaits, Outlier Casting Rods include unique heat-wrapped spiral EVA handles that offer comfortable long-distance castability with oversized or awkwardly shaped lures. Fuji tangle-free K-frame guides ensure smooth line passage and durability with braided lines, as the Shimano Outlier Casting Rods are built battle-ready for technical swimbait anglers who chase the largest fish in the system and are dedicated to throwing big baits.

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Top Pick: Shimano Poison Ultima 7'4" Medium Heavy Casting Rod

Designed to maximize sensitivity and bottom contact feel for a wide range of applications, the Shimano Poison Ultima 7’4” Med Heavy Casting Rod generously showcases Shimano’s most advanced technologies. The Poison Ultima Series combines Shimano’s Spiral Core X and High-Power X technology for the ultimate blend of lightness and multidirectional strength with reduced blank twist. Complete with a full carbon monocoque grip for extreme sensitivity at your fingertips, the Shimano Poison Ultima 7’4” Medium Heavy Casting Rod leverages a unique handle shape that elevates performance and comfort for jig and worm applications.

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Top Pick: Cashion Element Z2 Casting Rod 7' Medium

Expertly balanced for walking topwater lures on the surface, the Cashion Element Z2 Casting rod 7’ Medium has a perfectly tuned tip section that loads up with a forgiving bend on aggressive reaction strikes to improve hook-up ratios. Featuring Cashion’s CRZm Carbon Matte Blank technology and RFP blank construction, the Cashion Element Z2 casting rods are topped with premium Fuji K-frame casting guides and upgraded American dwell cork handle grips for comfortable casting. Designed to give anglers the confidence to fish tournament-winning techniques all day long, the Cashion Element Z2 7’ Medium Casting Rods deliver technique-specific bass fishing performance at a competitive price point.

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Top Pick: Dobyns Xtasy 7'5" Ultra Mag Heavy Casting Rod

A frog rod that spares nothing in terms of quality, components, or technology, the Dobyns Xtasy 7’5” Ultra Mag Heavy Casting Rods utilize advanced Toray Nano graphite blanks for crisp, fast actions with plenty of power to remove fish from heavy cover. Covered in a Kevlar wrapping for bolstered strength during heavy hooksets, these premium rods are fitted with Fuji Titanium Torzite guides and painted Fuji reel seats to ensure top-tier performance with toads, hollow body frogs, and oversized topwaters. Fitted with premium AAAA-grade cork full grip handles, the Dobyns Xtasy 7’5” Ultra Mag Heavy Casting Rod creates a seamless connection between bait and angler with the sensitivity-rich construction of the Xtasy Series.

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Top Pick: Falcon Expert Series 6'8" Medium Casting Rod

Designed with an advanced scrim material that creates a stronger and more sensitive rod, the Falcon Expert Series 6’8” Medium Casting Rod is noticeably lighter than the previous generations, making it a great choice for anglers who work jerkbaits aggressively. Falcon Expert rods utilize multi-layer, cross-directional Japanese carbon fibers to boost strength and create a superlight construction. Finished with blank-thru Fuji reel seats for improved blank connection and angler feel, the Falcon Expert Series 6’8” Casting Rod features the moderate bend, shorter handle type, and premium components that make up the ultimate jerkbait rod.

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Top Pick: Level Fishing Brian Latimer 7'2" Medium Heavy Casting Rod

Designed by tournament angler and YouTuber Brian Latimer, the Level Fishing Brian Latimer 7’2” Medium Heavy Casting Rod provides professional-grade performance to chuck and wind spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, and lipless crankbaits. Representing the pinnacle of Level brand fishing rods, the B-Lat Casting Series is built on a premium 30-ton Japanese Toray carbon blank that provides exceptional sensitivity, lightweight balance, and unmatched strength. Outfitted with tangle-free guides for smooth, uninterrupted casting, the Level Fishing Brian Latimer 7’2” Medium Heavy Casting Rod is optimized with lengths and actions hand-selected by Brian to give you an edge with reaction baits.

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Top Pick: Lews KVD Elite Casting Rods

Extending the legacy of legendary crankbait angler, Kevin VanDam, the Lew’s KVD Elite Cranking Rods are crafted in a slick red and matte-black color scheme and topped with lightweight stainless-steel guides and zirconia inserts to promote long casts. Lews KVD Elite Cranking rods boast boosted tip strength and durability to improve deflections, hookups, and fish landing rates for any style of reaction bait. Available in a range of lengths and actions optimized for fishing shallow or deep, the Lew’s KVD Elite Cranking Series Casting Rods are finished with high-density EVA split-grip handles and full-contact reel seats for unmatched feedback and sensitivity.

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Top Pick: Daiwa Tatula Cork Casting Rods 7'9" Heavy Moderate

A versatile swimbait rod with specs tailored to big bait presentations, the Daiwa Tatula Cork 7’9” Heavy Casting Rod blends a powerful construction with a moderate taper to create one of our favorite rods for umbrella rigs. Built 14% lighter than the previous generation, Super High-Volume Fiber (SVF) blanks provide the foundation for big bait success through precise resin control and graphite fiber construction that delivers a lightweight feel and improved sensitivity. Finished with a full cork handle for improved comfort and leverage when casting heavy rigs, the Daiwa Tatula Cork 7’9” Heavy Casting Rod brings enhanced performance on the water so you can capitalize on every bite.

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Top Pick: G. Loomis IMX Pro Green Casting & Spinning Rods

The G. Loomis IMX Pro Green Casting and Spinning Rods incorporate an advanced componentry and construction that elevate any angler's inshore fishing performance. Featuring TaperTec rod actions that offer optimized weight and strength, the unique blank design varies the taper rate throughout the blank to dial in precise actions without adding extra material to create lighter, more responsive rods. Complete with ci4+ reel seats for enhanced durability and sensitivity, the G. Loomis IMX Pro Casting and Spinning Rods include premium cork handle types to enhance casting comfort when battling through demanding inshore sessions.

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Top Pick: Daiwa Steez Travel Casting & Spinning Rods

Housed in a compact travel case for convenient transportation, the Daiwa Steez Travel Series Rods feature an ultra-lightweight 5-piece construction that breaks down easily for your next long-distance fishing trip. Built with V-Joint diagonal fibers for a secure connection and smooth bend at each ferrule joint, the Steez Travel rods utilize Daiwa’s Nanoplus resin and nanoalloy compounds connecting single carbon fibers to enhance the lightweight and robust abilities of the rod. Available in casting, spinning, all-purpose, and technique-specific model options, the Daiwa Steez Travel Casting and Spinning Travel Rods are the ultimate choice for discerning bass anglers who can’t leave home without fishing.

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Top Pick: Fitzgerald Stunner HD Spinning Rods

Redesigned with fresh cosmetics and upgraded components, the Fitzgerald Stunner HD Spinning Rods ensure uninterrupted line flow and enhanced sensitivity with American Tackle TiForged guides, which are paramount for light-line finesse fishing. Constructed using a highly responsive 40-ton Japanese Toray carbon-fiber blank and fortified with Xtreme Power Technology (XPT), anglers benefit from amplified strength, control, and sensitivity. Whether you prefer dragging a shakey head, launching a small jerkbait, or twitching a drop shot, the Fitzgerald Stunner HD Spinning Rods bring stunning performance and incredible sensitivity to your favorite finesse fishing techniques.

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Our suggestion, and the widely accepted industry standard, is that most beginning anglers should start with a spinning rod. More specifically – a medium powered, fast tapered spinning rod from 6'6" - 7'. This range provides a wide selection of rods for anglers to choose from, while accommodating a lot of techniques recommended to those who are just starting to bass fish.

Before fishing rods are formed into their long, tubular shape, they start off as a flat sheet of material, whether its graphite, fiberglass, composite, etc. A rod's taper (also commonly called action) describes the angle of the material before its rolled and formed. This angle ultimately controls the flex of the rod and ultimately its properties.

Some rods are designed to only flex in the first 10% of the rod blank, then quickly transition into a stiff backbone. This would be considered an extra fast or fast action. Other rods are designed to bend all the way down to the reel seat, these rods would fall under a moderate or slow action. Each taper provides different properties, which can be advantageous for certain techniques.

Rod length is typically based around the application being employed. Some techniques, like jerbkait fishing, require a shorter rod so the tip doesn't contact the boat when working the lure, while other techniques, like the Umbrella rig require a longer rod to maximize casting distance and leverage.

One thing to note when choosing rod length is that there is typically a correlation between the angler's height and their preferred rod length. While there's no one-size-fits-all rule when it comes to selecting rod length, if you consider yourself "tall" you will likely prefer a rod on the longer end of the spectrum for any given technique. Conversely, if you consider yourself "short" you might be more comfortable with a rod near the shorter end of the spectrum based on technique.

The short answer: whatever fits your budget. However, like everything in life, not all bass fishing rods are created equal. Rods vary drastically by price, materials and components, so how do you sort through the noise to identify the right rod for you? In most cases, the price point is a direct reflection of components, raw materials, and craftsmanship. It’s not uncommon for less expensive rods to be mass produced using cutting-edge machinery, while higher priced fishing rods tend to be handmade, one-at-a-time by a highly specialized team of rod builders. When you spend more money on a fishing rod, typically, you can expect: a lighter weight, increased sensitivity, better balance, higher quality components, tighter tolerances, and a better warranty backing.

After a season of bass fishing your rods with cork handles might be in need of a cleaning. Taking the time to maintain your fishing rods will return the original feel and look of a brand new cork handle fishing rod. Tackle Warehouse has created an article to demonstrate how-to properly clean your cork handles without damaging the cork and how to protect the cork handles to make them last many years.

If you fish long enough, you are eventually going to break a rod tip. Whether it’s a bent guide, a missing insert, or a snapped tip, it's an unfortunate reality of the sport. Luckily, fixing a broken tip is an easy and cost-effective task that can even be done on the water. Gone are the days of waiting weeks for you to get your favorite rod’s tip patched up by the manufacturer or repair shop, in just a few minutes you can go from temper tantrum to casting a line in search of that next trophy fish with our step-by-step guide to repairing a rod tip.