As we discussed in our guide section, best trolling reels, trolling is a popular method for fishing. No matter what you spend on a trolling reel, you must pair it with a quality rod.
Trolling rods are just another important component to the trolling experience.
A poorly made rod will cost you fish, either with breaks, line issues, or poor handling of the fight. It’s very important to choose a rod that fits your trolling reel, and will hold up to the species of fish you intend to catch.
Rather than give you our best trolling rod, we wanted to suggest our Top 3 Best Trolling Rods for various uses and below you will see our traditional Top 3, and below descriptions of each rod will be another table with our honorable mentions.
Trolling Rods are not all made for the same thing, so be sure to understand what fish you intend to target before selecting a rod.
Best Trolling Rods Reviews
What to look for in a trolling rod
Trolling rods are broken down very simply to three main differences. The guides are either standard eye, roller-guides, or inner-flow. Let’s identify what each guide means and what it’s best used for.
Standard Eye Guides
Standard Eye Guides are the traditional guides you’ll find on just about any fishing rod. They are circles, either mounted on the top of the rod or the bottom (in the case of spinning rods), and the line flows through them and out a tip. These guides are often lined with a smooth material like graphite or ceramic, to prevent line from getting caught.
Most trolling rods, as well as all other rods, are made with Standard Eye guides and are perfectly acceptable for freshwater and saltwater fishing. These rods work great for small to mid size fish.
Roller Guides
For larger freshwater and saltwater fish, roller guides are preferred. Roller guides create less friction on the line when fighting larger fish, particularly when the pole is bent in an arch.
For species like Tuna, shark, big salmon and trout, you should consider Roller guided trolling rods. The less pressure on the line will provide even more of an advantage when fighting a big fish.
Inner Flow Guides
A relatively new guiding system for fishing rods, the inner flow guide was developed by Daiwa. Their Interline technology was developed in the 1990’s and has since become a prevalent technology in fishing.
Missing guides, the rod releases line down the middle of the blank, in the same manner a bullet travels down a barrel of a gun. This provides torque-free fishing, a smooth bending curve in the rod, and no slack line, among other benefits. If you haven’t used an inner flow rod yet, check one out. You might be very happy when you make the switch
Best Trolling Rods – Top 3
OKIAYA COMPOSIT 30-80LB SALTWATER BIG GAME ROLLER ROD
- WHY SETTLE FOR LESS WHEN YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL WITH THE LATEST DESIGN FROM OKIAYA - THE WINNERS...
- THIS IS A PREMIUM BIG GAME FISHING ROD THAT YOU CAN DEPEND ON WHEN YOU ARE IN THE FIGHT OF YOUR LIFE...
- FEATURING AN INDUSTRY CLASSIC DESIGN WITH USE OF CNC MACHINED AIRCRAFT GRADE ALLOYS FOR STRENGTH,...
- MEETS OR EXCEEDS All IGFA STANDARDS FOR ALL BIG GAME COMPETITIONS.OVERALL ROD LENGTH 1.65M (5'6").
- BONUS PREMIUM OKIAYA ROD COVER INCLUDED! ONE PIECE MEDIUM HEAVY ACTION, 30-80 LB.
This OKIAYA Saltwater Roller Rod is ideal for big game fishing on the ocean.
Constructed with composite fiber, aircraft grade alloys, and stainless rollers, for the money this is your best option for a quality saltwater trolling rod.
Some owners have complained of the reel holder being a little on the small side, so just pay attention to the size of your reel mount with the OKIAYA.
Overall, we feel any big game angler would be very happy with this budget-friendly big game fishing option.
Okuma Classic Pro GLT Downrigger Rod
- Durable Glass Fiber Blank Construction
- Stainless Steel Hooded Reel Seat with Graphite Cushion Inserts
- Stainless Steel Double Foot Guides with Titanium Oxide Inserts
- Durable Shrink Tube Over EVA Butt for Easy Removal From Rod Holder
- Tip Over Butt Ferrule Connection for Improved Strength
The Classic Pro is another quality product at a really reasonable price offered by Okuma.
As our most inexpensive rod in the Top 3, the Classic is perfect for freshwater anglers looking for something to pair up with their Okuma reel and hit the waters for a great salmon or trout bite.
These poles use aluminum oxide guides on a fiberglass blank. This family of rod is also fitted with stainless steel or graphite reel mounts, for ultra sturdy locking during battle.
This rod is perfect for the everyday freshwater angler, especially if you own an Okuma trolling reel.
Daiwa Exceler Downrigger Interline
Daiwa’s Exceler brings Interline rods to the trolling platform.
Made with carbon and glass, with a tip overlay, the construction of the Exceler is solid for all types of tough fights. A solid EVA grip gives you a strong grasp and a gimbal butt cap made for strapping into a rod holder.
Interline rods have become increasingly popular over the years and the Exceler spearheads the movement for trolling big salmon, speckled trout, and pike.
By far our most expensive rod in the Top 3, Daiwa may leave you wondering why you didn’t switch to interline sooner.
Best Trolling Rods – Honorable Mentions
This page was last updated on 2022-08-29. Affiliate links and Product Images are from Amazon PAAPI
