Choosing the best walleye rod depends entirely on just how exactly you are intending on fishing for walleye. Different methods suit different locations and techniques, matching your setup to how you present your lure is super important.​ The three main methods for catching walleye are: Trolling

Spinning

Jigging Each method requires a different setup and tackle configuration. The main differences in the rods is generally the sensitivity. Trolling rods will be the least sensitive, spinning rods somewhere in the middle and jigging rods will always have the most sensitive actions.​ Best Walleye Rod 2019/2020

Trolling rods​ If you are planning on trolling for walleye then you will need a somewhat heavier setup than if you were spinning and most definitely if you are jigging. Trolling ​puts a lot more pressure on your gear especially if you are using planer boards or heavy lead core line to help get down deep. A trolling setup requires a longer rod with a medium/heavy power and a medium action. You can use a heavier spinning rod for trolling but you are much better of using a trolling rod that has been specifically designed for the job. Spinning rods A spinning rod for walleye sits somewhere in the middle between the heavier trolling rod and the much lighter jigging rod. A good walleye spinning rod will generally be medium to fast action and a light/medium power. With spinning you can sometimes find yourself casting a variety of different lures from really light Rapala's up to heavier crankbaits or even some heavy spinners depending on where you are fishing. Having a good spinning rod that sits between an ultralight rod and a medium setup is usually best. Versatility is the key here so don't shoehorn yourself into anything that is too light.​ Jigging​ rods Walleye jigging rods are a little different than either a trolling or spinning rod. With jigging it is all about sensitivity. They are usually short at about 6'6 but a lot of walleye anglers will also stretch up to a 7' foot rod. A fast action is key here with a light/medium power. Lighter tackle means better sensitivity and when you are using really small jig heads for vertical jigging then it makes sense to have a sensitive rod that gives lots of feedback through the tip.

​Now that we have had a brief introduction as to what type of pole you need for each of the different types of fishing setups for walleye we can take a more in depth look at some rods in finer detail. Spending a small fortune on your rods is not always the best approach the reel is generally the most important when you are trolling or spinning. A good walleye pole is not a major investment but you may end up purchasing a few different ones depending on how you are fishing.​ However, if you are jigging for walleye then the rod is probably more important than the reel. Just make sure that your reel is not too heavy as a heavy reel with a light weight rod can cause a bit of a balance issue with the rod and how you jig with it. Best Trolling Rod for Walleye ​For most fishermen trolling for walleye tends to be done deep done on large lakes usually using large crankbaits of deep diving minnow baits. When it comes to getting your trolling depth right you will generally use one of the following things: Weight​

Plano board

Down-rigger All of the above to tend to put a lot of strain on a rod especially something like a down-rigger where the rod is bent under a high load for sometimes hours on end. If however you are trolling in the shallows then you don't need to use anything like weight or a down-rigger. The lip on the crankbait should be sufficient for shallower waters and you can fine tune the diving depth by adjusting your boat speed. Trolling along side drop offs of weed beds can be very productive and doesn't need quite as powerful a walleye setup as when you are trolling. If you are trolling in the top 10 feet or so of the water then you can quite easily get away with a medium powered spinning setup and you might not need a dedicated trolling rod for walleye. However you can still use your trolling tackle just minus whatever you normally use to get the lures down deep. Although you may want to use a slightly lighter leader as visibility of better in the shallows.​

Ugly Stik Elite Steelhead Rod Don't let the name fool you these rods are perfectly suitable as a walleye trolling rod. An 8'6" rod in medium or medium/heavy is more than capable of handling a trolling set up, the rod blanks have a lot of backbone. ​ They have one piece stainless steel guides which eliminate the need for guide inserts. One piece guides will generally divide opinions personally I think they are just fine in fact it means there is even less to go wrong with your rod. Paired with a decent baitcaster you can also use these rods for casting heavy lures, like big spoons or large crankbaits especially the heavier sinking varieties and can still use them for trolling. Ugly Stik Clear tip design

Tough one piece stainless steel guides

Stainless steel reel hood Check on Amazon

Shimano Talora Trolling ​The Shimano Talora rods are specifically built with trolling in mind and have 3 types of models available: trolling, planer board, lead core, wireline and dipsy diver. The TC4 rod blanks are made from a mix of fiber glass and graphite. The blanks have a double inner layer of T-Glass with a third inner layer and then the outer spiral layer made from high modulus graphite. This combines a solid glass backbone to the blank with a little more sensitivity from the outer layers, giving you the best of both worlds. With each model there are some subtle differences with the hardware used. For example the wireline rods have AFTCO titanium roller guides whereas the downrigger/planer/dipsy rods have Fuji aluminum oxide guides. The handles and butts also vary slightly depending on the models.​ ​Purpose built for use with different trolling methods

Aluminum guides

Fuji reel seat

Available in 7', 8' and 8'6" lengths Check on Amazon

Daiwa Telescopic Accudepth The Accudepth trolling rods from Daiwa are telescopic in design and they collapse down to between 6 and 7 foot in length. With a medium to heavy rating they are suitable for line weights in the 10 - 20 lbs range. These are best suited to leadcore/copper wire trolling. A major issue when running lead core lines is just how hard it is on you line guides.The guides on the Accudepth tods are made from a toughed aluminum oxide that Daiwa claim to be cut proof. The 8'6" is a really good option as an outer rod for spreading your lines if you are running a lot of rods from a boat. ​ The 7'10 model has 10 guides and the 8'6 model has 11 guides.​ Telescopic trolling rods

Medium - heavy action

Available in 7'10 and 8'6 lengths Check on Amazon

Best Walleye Spinning Rod The three best walleye spinning rods available on the market right now are: Fenwick Eagle​ Okuma Dead eye St Croix Eyecon Spinning for walleye can be one of the most rewarding methods and its probably used the least with most fishermen preferring trolling or jigging. With a spinning setup you are generally looking for a light/medium power rod with a medium/fast tip action. The main advantage of a spinning setup over a baitcasting one is that you can generally throw much lighter lures a greater distance. There is usally a limit as to how low in the weight of a lure you can go when using a baitcaster. As an example say you are using an F5 or F7 Rapala(F means floating) minnowbait in shallow to medium depth water, then you really would want a light spinning setup for this approach. If you are casting much heavier crankbaits and large spinners then you can of course use a baitcaster with a casting rod. A heavy spinning setup however does have the advantage that it can be used for light trolling work. You would never want to use a jigging rod for trolling so if you intend on trying your hand at trolling/spinning and jigging then a single spinning rod and reel could be used. Ideally you would have a spare spool for some lighter line when you switch to jigging. This type of versatility can really save you some money.

Fenwick Eagle Fenwick produce some of the best quality rods you can buy and the Eagle range of spinning rods is no exception. They were one of the first rod brand to start producing graphite blanks and have perfected the process over many decades.​ The Eagle range are superbly balanced and are excellent casters with a really nice tip sensitivity. There is top notch guides and reel seat used on all sizes and the price is very good considering the quality. The range runs from a tiny 5'6 model up to an 8 footer. ​For walleye you should be looking at a medium light 7' foot model especially if you are looking to use it as an all rounder. Fast taper blanks with tuned action

SCII graphite

Aluminum oxide guides

Fuji reel seat

5 year warranty Check on Amazon

Okuma Dead Eye Spinning The Okuma Dead Eye Spinning range of rods is designed specifically with the wallleye angler in mind. Built on sensitive yet sturdy IM-8 graphite blanks the range sits in the light/medium to medium power ratings with moderate/fast to fast actions available. The smallest in the line up is a 6' model with the longest being 7'6. The line weights that can be used are 4-10 lbs for the fast action rods and 6-12 lbs for the moderate/fast rods. The lighter action rods can also double as a jigging rod as they do give you the type of tip sensitivity that is required. MI-8 graphite blanks

Available in 6' - 7'6 rod lengths

High quality cork handle Check on Amazon

St Croix Eyecon The Eyecon range from St Croix have established themselves as a quality competitor to the Fenwick Eagle and the Okuma Dead Eye above. St Croix have built the Eyecon from their SC graphite blanks coupled with high quality Kigan Master Hand 3D guides, aluminum oxide ring inserts and split grip cork handle.​ These rods have a nice crisp action and can be used for spinning and jigging alike. Available in 6'6", 7' and a 7'6" version. They also come in three different power/action ratings medium light/fast action, light/fast action and a medium light/extra fast action. ​SC graphite

Kigan guide, aluminum oxide inserts

Split cork handle

5 year warranty Check on Amazon

Best Walleye Jigging Rod Jigging for walleye is certainly one of the most popular methods along with trolling. The best walleye jigging rods have to be super sensitive on the tip so that you can feel as much as possible of what is going on down at the hook. Having as much feedback as ​possible through the rod is paramount to setting the hook. That's why you need a rod that falls near the medium power with a fast action. ​With jigging you really need to know what is exactly happening to your walley​​e jigs, low stretch line and a fast action rod are crucial.

Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye The Tech Walleye spinning rods from Fenwick give a perfect balance between power and action. These rods are built with an impressively sensitive tip yet just enough backbone in them to not feel weak. ​They can be used for walleye jigging or light spinning. When a rod doubles up and performs well at two separate styles of fishing you really get true value for money. ​The rod blanks are full graphite and come in a range of different powers and actions. Some of the models are specifically geared to rigging and others to jigging. One of the stand out features is the "hidden reel seat". The real seat is inline with the contours of the handle so you don't feel the reel seat threads​ as you normally do on other rods. If you are doing a lot of vertical jigging you'll be well used to feeling the reel seat on your rod hand. With the hidden seat you barely even know the reel is there. Small touches like this really illustrate just how much thought Fenwick put into their rod designs and separates them from a lot of other rod brands that just make generic copies.​ Medium/light power

Fast tip action

Hidden reel seat

Lightweight titanium frame guides with zirconium inserts

Lifetime warranty Check on Amazon

G.Loomis Walleye Vertical Jigging The NRX range from G.Loomis has been the go to walleye jigging rod for a lot of fishermen for quite a few years now. However, they have one major drawback and that's the price of close to $500! The E6X range however gives you almost the same performance, sensitivity and quality of the more expensive NRX range at a fraction of the price.​ The E6X uses a multi taper graphite blank that is slimmer in profile than most rods in it's class. The thinner ​blank adds even better feedback through the rod right into the all cork handle. Multi taper graphite blanks

Fuji reel seat

Fuji guides

Super crisp action Check on Amazon