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Best Fishing Rods under $50
To save you the shopping hassle, we have compiled a list of our top five fishing rods under $50 that tick all the boxes and boast of exceptional functionality.
1. OKUMA Celilo Ultra Light Rods
The OKUMA Celilo is very lightweight and comes with a high-grade graphite blank for superb flexibility and durability. It combines ultra-light power, moderate action, and high sensitivity making it ideal for smaller fish, 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, comes in a 2-piece design that is very portable, and is priced at $27.70.
- Very lightweight and flexible.
- Highly durable and sensitive, with moderate action.
- Affordable and comfortable to use.
2. Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2
Especially suited to ice fishing, the Shakespeare Ugly Stix GX2 comes with a 28’’ single piece medium power rod and size 20 reel combo. It features the patented Ugly Stik blank, EVA handles for the most gripping comfort, and stainless steel line guides for improved casting accuracy. Its reel comes with an aluminum spool and runs on one bearing, while the unit is priced at $30.
- Rod-reel combo, ideal for ice fishing.
- Single-piece design, comfortable to use.
- Lightweight and highly durable.
3. Entsport E Series – Camo Legend
The Entsport Camo Legend comes as a baitcasting rod with a highly-versatile 2-piece configuration and two tips that give variety in power, emphasizing great value for money. It comes with a lightweight carbon fiber blank that combines superior strength with sensitivity, corrosion-resistant exposed reel seats with a soft feel, and is priced at $40. It also features very comfortable spilt-grip EVA handles for reliable performance and no-friction line guides for accurate casting.
- Superior strength and energy distribution.
- Lightweight and highly versatile.
- Highly durable and convenient to use.
4. Lixada Pen Fishing Rod Reel Combo
For anglers who value portability and carrying convenience, the Lixada combo is the ideal choice. It sports a fiberglass blank enclosed in a lightweight aluminum housing, collapses to a compact 0.5’’ by 8’’ unit, extends to 1.0m or more depending on the model, and is exceptionally lightweight at 9.8 oz. Its mini reel features a spinning configuration, comes with a pre-spooled line, boasts of smooth operation, and a high-torque 4:2:1 gear ratio, while the whole unit is priced at $16 to $23.
- Lightweight and very durable.
- Compact, pen-style design.
- Comes with a pre-spooled reel.
5. Sougayilang Spinning Telescopic Fishing Rod
The Sougayilang spinning rod sport a carbon fiber/E-glass composite blend for the best lightweight and durable performance. It comes in a six-piece telescopic design, high-grade aluminum reel seats, ceramic-lined steel line guides, and an overall sleek black and gold profile. It is a great buy for the traveling angler, is very portable, and comes at $32.
- Compact, portable design.
- Highly durable.
- Sleek design, very affordable.
Fishing Rods under $50 Buying Guide
Fishing doubles as a great sport or recreational activity and while many people may be interested, between all the gear, things can get quite pricey. When shopping for a fishing rod on a budget of $50 or less, ensuring you get the best for your money becomes very important.
Our buying guide reviews the best fishing rods priced under $50 to give you the most affordable options to choose from without sacrificing functionality. We then take it a step further and outline the key factors you want to consider before making a purchase.
Type
The first thing you want to decide is the type of fishing rod you want to go for. Fishing rods are generally classified into three main categories – baitcasting rods, spinning rods, and conventional rods.
Spinning rods are the most popular types of fishing rods and are widely used by newbie, mid-level, and experienced anglers. They are ideal for small to medium-sized fish and are the most affordable on the market.
Baitcasting rods are better suited to catching bigger fish and are more popular among experienced anglers. They offer the advantage of more accurate casts, can handle larger baits, and offer higher reeling torque. They are, however, more prone to backlashing and have a steeper learning curve.
Conventional rods sport a similar design to baitcasting rods but are, however, more suited to saltwater fishing and offer the advantage of large line capacity and superior reeling torque.
Materials
When scouting for a fishing rod on a budget, one of the most important factors to consider is the materials it is made from. It should be lightweight, highly corrosion-resistant, and tough enough to handle the strain. In general, fishing rods are made from materials like fiberglass, carbon fiber, and graphite, or feature a blend of these materials.
Fiberglass rods combine high flexibility with low weight and are the most affordable. Graphite rods are lighter and tougher than fiberglass rods and are very durable. They are more expensive than fiberglass rods, but are more brittle – take less deformation to snap. Carbon fiber rods are the toughest fishing rods you will find today but will likely be above your budget. While they share the same carbon DNA as graphite rods, they are very strong, are the lightest, and the most expensive.
Portability
Depending on where you will be fishing, the portability of your fishing rod will likely be another very important factor to consider. As an extension of its materials, it should be very lightweight so it is convenient to carry around. For improved portability, you also want to look for a telescopic rod that comes in multiple-piece configurations that are easily retracted for compactness and extendable when it is needed.
Action and Power
Other important criteria you would want to consider are the rod’s power and action. The power measures how much strain the rod can handle before deflecting and will depend on the size of the fish you are targeting. The action measures the level of the reaction of your rod’s top to movement in the line or simply, its flexibility.
Fishing rod power is rated as ultralight, light, medium, and heavy. Ultralight and light rods are used with small lures and to target smaller fish. Medium power rods are the most versatile, while heavy power rods are suited to large fish.
Fishing rod actions are rated as slow and fast action rods. Fast action rods are the most sensitive and deflect close to the tip while slow action rods defect closer to the handle of the rod under load.
