Best Fishing Rods for Crappie
To save you the shopping hassle, we have compiled a list of our top five fishing rods for crappie that tick all the boxes outlined above ad don’t cost a fortune.
1. Cadence CR5-30 Spinning Rod
The Cadence CR5-30 is an outstanding spinning rod that comes in a portable two-piece design and boasts of a lightweight carbon fiber blank that gives it exceptional sensitivity, strength, and flexibility. It is highly versatile to different target species, allows for smooth casting performance, and comes in a wide variety of lengths and performance ratings suited to different purposes. It is highly durable, affordable, and sports cork handles for the most comfort.
- Very lightweight and portable.
- Highly versatile, smooth performance.
- Comfortable, very durable.
2. OKUMA Celilo
The OKUMA Celilo is very lightweight, comes with a high-grade graphite blank for superb flexibility and durability, and stands at 8’6’’ long. It combines ultra-light power, moderate action, and high sensitivity making it ideal for smaller crappie, comes with aluminum oxide guide inserts, and high-performance steel reel seats. It also comes with cork grips for the most comfort, is very affordable, and comes in a 2-piece design that is very portable.
- Very lightweight and flexible.
- Highly durable and sensitive, with moderate action.
- Affordable and comfortable to use.
3. St Croix Spinning Rods
The St Croix spinning rod comes with a graphite composite blank that grants it exceptional sensitivity, power, and lightweight performance. It sports a unique fortified resin system for exceptional strength, features highly durable reel mounting components, and high-grade cork handles for the most comfort. It stands at 6’4’’ long, comes with light power and fast action, and is a great buy for the serious angler.
- Superior strength and flexibility.
- Highly durable.
- Comfortable to handle.
4. Lew’s Mr. Crappie Slab Daddy Rod
The Lew’s Mr. Crappie rod is specially designed for the logistics that come with crappie fishing and comes in a handy two-piece design for the most carrying convenience. It sports a lightweight fiberglass blank, aluminum oxide-reinforced steel guides, and graphite reel seats. It also comes with EVA foam grips, stainless steel hook keepers, and an overall compact and sleek design.
- Especially suited to crappie fishing.
- Excellently portable, highly durable.
- Very comfortable to use.
5. St. Croix Premier Fishing Rod
The St. Croix Premier spinning rod comes in a two-piece configuration for the most portability and features a mid-modulus graphite fiber blank for durable and sensitive performance. It comes in a 5’6’’ length, comes with ultralight power and fast action, and is very lightweight. It also features high-grade cork handles for the best grip comfort, Fuji DPS reel seats, aluminum-oxide line guides, and a Kigan hook keeper.
- Comes with great features.
- Lightweight and highly sensitive.
- Portable and highly durable.
Fishing Rod for Crappie Buying Guide
Of all the equipment in your crappie fishing gear, your fishing rod takes priority. Many fishing rods may work fine, but some perform better than the others in terms of sensitivity, durability, and reeling action.
Our buying guide reviews the best fishing rods for crappie on the market based on their specified features and tested performance to give you the best options to choose from. We then take it a step further to outline the particular factors you should consider and qualities you should look out for in a fishing rod for crappie before you make a purchase.
Length
The first factor you want to consider when choosing a fishing rod for crappie is the length. The longer the rod, the further you can cast, and the shorter the rod, the more accurate you can cast. Fishing rods for crappie should not be too long. Lengths between 4’ and 7’ are great as they are not very powerful fighting fish. Shorter rods are also more portable.
Type
When choosing for a fishing rod for crappie you want to go for either a spinning or baitcasting rod. Spinning rods are the easiest to use ad work with spinning reels to improve casting distance. Baitcasting rods will work great for larger crappie and work with baitcasting reels for more accurate casts.
Action and Power
The action and power specifications of the fishing rod for crappie are the other important factors to consider. The ideal fishing rod for crappie should come with fast action and light power to balance the short lengths and allow for great sensitivity.
Guide Design
Fishing for crappie utilizes light-load lines and so the design of your fishing rod becomes very important. The thin lines are usually rated between 5 to 10 lbs. and are very prone to breakage on wear. For the most durability, your crappie fishing should come with very smooth guides to reduce friction and also improve casting performance.