If you could have one rod for walleye what would it be?

[sns2]

On the weekend, my beloved St Croix Legend Tournament went to the bottom of Calling Lake in a spot that was 34' deep, and I'm no diver. Please don't ask how, but let's just say its hard to hold a grudge against yourself. LOL.

Anyhow, if you were to get one walleye rod what would it be?

PS: I know there are use specific rods available, but I'm only getting one

[Wes_G]

For mostly jigging for eyes, I love my Eyecon. 6'6", med fast 4-10lb. Doesn't hurt so much if you drop one over the side either.

Now bring on the Ugly Stik posts......

[BuckCuller]

But the 6.5' Nasty stick with the chartreuse tip.

[Kurt505]

Well I know I already ran a few by you, and because Shimano doesn't make the crucial with the same quality they used to, for a one rod does all I'd still recommend one like my GLoomis WRR 8500s GLX. It's pretty sensitive and can handle some heavy fish. It's not as sensitive as my crucial but it's better for dragging heavier baits.

I'll just post a link to their web page because I know you prefer that

http://www.gloomis.com/content/g-loo...YE_SERIES.html

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

Well I know I already ran a few by you, and because Shimano doesn't make the crucial with the same quality they used to, for a one rod does all I'd still recommend one like my GLoomis WRR 8500s GLX. It's pretty sensitive and can handle some heavy fish. It's not as sensitive as my crucial but it's better for dragging heavier baits.

I'll just post a link to their web page because I know you prefer that

http://www.gloomis.com/content/g-loo...YE_SERIES.html

I have the 9000S and it is a great rod and like you say they can handle some decent fish but it is a bit light imo especially for a 1 rod does all. The 8500 is probably a bit better being that little bit shorter but I would still think on the light side for bottom bouncing or crankbaits.

I think the 8501S would be a great rod, on paper anyways looks like it has just that little bit more backbone and would still have crazy good sensitivity. I don't think anywhere locally carries it though...

Edit: Just to clarify I am sure you can catch big fish with the 9000S, I already have a probably 10 lb brown trout on mine, but you need to be careful not to high stick it cause I do think it would break if fighting a bigger fish improperly.

[Walleyedude]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

Well I know I already ran a few by you, and because Shimano doesn't make the crucial with the same quality they used to, for a one rod does all I'd still recommend one like my GLoomis WRR 8500s GLX. It's pretty sensitive and can handle some heavy fish. It's not as sensitive as my crucial but it's better for dragging heavier baits.

I'll just post a link to their web page because I know you prefer that

http://www.gloomis.com/content/g-loo...YE_SERIES.html

I'd go off the same G Loomis page, but my choice would be the 821S. 6'10" Mag-Light.

It absolutely excels at fishing jigs, both vertically and pitching, that's it's forte. It also works quite well for casting small cranks. You can even cast shiver minnows or rip small jigging spoons with it if necessary.

Paired with a high quality 1000 or 2500 size reel depending on your preference, it's pretty much the ultimate finesse walleye combo and it'll handle any fish from perch to big pike.

It won't work well for bottom bouncing or trolling big cranks, but you can go with a second far less expensive combo for that.

[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by Walleyedude

I'd go off the same G Loomis page, but my choice would be the 821S. 6'10" Mag-Light.

It absolutely excels at fishing jigs, both vertically and pitching, that's it's forte. It also works quite well for casting small cranks. You can even cast shiver minnows or rip small jigging spoons with it if necessary.

Paired with a high quality 1000 or 2500 size reel depending on your preference, it's pretty much the ultimate finesse walleye combo and it'll handle any fish from perch to big pike.

It won't work well for bottom bouncing or trolling big cranks, but you can go with a second far less expensive combo for that.

Ever tried the older Shimano Crucial? Sounds just like the 821s. A bit light for dragging the deep diving crankbaits though.

[wildwoods]

I've been using a Fenwick HMG 6'9" Med light-fast- for the last few years. Even re bought one due to a careless accident this spring. you can find them on sale for $100 usually. Beautiful thin cork handle. Unreal pick up when bouncing swim baits. Handles small and large jigs very well. Great bang for buck and you don't cringe too hard to repurchase later if say you drop it in a lake or snap them while carelessly walking by them for instance...
I have mine coupled with a Pflueger Pres XT medium capacity and am happy it's in my rod locker

[The Fisherman Guy]

No one is going to ask him what his preferred technique of fishing for Walleye is?

[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by The Fisherman Guy

No one is going to ask him what his preferred technique of fishing for Walleye is?

Throwing his rod at them.....

Sorry buddy, I couldn't resist.

[sns2]

Sorry, vertical jigging first and foremost. I rarely ever use any other lure than a jig.

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by wildwoods

I've been using a Fenwick HMG 6'9" Med light-fast- for the last few years. Even re bought one due to a careless accident this spring. you can find them on sale for $100 usually. Beautiful thin cork handle. Unreal pick up when bouncing swim baits. Handles small and large jigs very well. Great bang for buck and you don't cringe too hard to repurchase later if say you drop it in a lake or snap them while carelessly walking by them for instance...
I have mine coupled with a Pflueger Pres XT medium capacity and am happy it's in my rod locker

That is the nice thing about Gloomis is you don't have to cringe too hard if you break one. Worst case if you know you are at fault you just send them 180 bucks(130 on cheaper models) and they send you a brand new rod within days.

Although I guess it doesn't cover throwing your rod in the lake lol.

[sns2]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

Throwing his rod at them.....

Sorry buddy, I couldn't resist.

I deserve it

[The Spank]

I had a room full of Shimano's for every application then one day a few years ago when Rapalas first started putting out rod & reel combos at really affordable prices I picked up an IM-6 6'6" 4-10lb medium fast with a Rapala X20? reel for $69 at Wally World to try out. I loaded it with 6lb XL and absolutely love it. I added another in the Magnum series in an IM-7X 6'6" medium heavy with the same reel. I since sold every other spinning rod and reel off and never looked back. Those early Rapalas were a great deal at $69!! The Magnum series gets loaded with 10lb and before moving to SK saw alot of Largemouth & Smallmouth duty plus ice out Lakers and Splake .

[Penner]

Fenwick Walleye Class in a 7ft.... you'll thank me later.

[Michael_Brown]

Shimano Crucial - CRSSG70MB
7ft medium action spinning rod.

You will feel them fart down there. Very sensitive rod and awesome choice for walleye.

[Walleyedude]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

Ever tried the older Shimano Crucial? Sounds just like the 821s. A bit light for dragging the deep diving crankbaits though.

Yep. I've got a couple of them that I won't ever part with, they were the first high end walleye rods I bought when I got serious about fishing. They've caught a lot of fish and their sentimental value is way up there lol.

The GLX 821S is better rod though, and it's my go to now. More sensitive, lighter, more comfortable to hold, and I love the titanium guides.

If I could only have one rod for fishing jigs, I'd go with the GLX 821S because it's so versatile. Very good rod for vertical jigging, but if you're fishing deeper or pitching jigs, or if you're switching it up to a different technique, it's much more effective.

If you're after the ultimate VERTICAL jigging rod, then go back to that website and have a look at the GLX 751S, 6'3" Mag-Light. It'll pitch jigs too, but it's really designed for vertical jigging, and I don't think you can buy a better rod for that technique. You can also buy the same action in the IMX series.

[Bushleague]

I mostly troll and soak bait with a little bit of spoon chucking just for fun... so most of my walleye are caught on Ugly Stiks. For these applications using a more expensive rod just doesn't gain you anything. That said, if I could only have one it would probably be my Fenwick HMX. It works as a trolling rod better than the Ugly Stiks work for jigging and is still pretty tough for the rigors of throwing heavy sinkers from the riverbank when the lake is too rough to get the boat out.

Funny, everyone on here seems to equate being serious about fishing with owning expensive tackle. For me I gauge my "seriousness" as a fisherman with the amount of time I spend on the water, and the more time I spend on the water the less I bother with high dollar gear.

[Penner]

Oh yeah Fenwick comes with a lift time warranty. I broke 8" off the tip of my Walleye Class Rod a year or two after I bought it (my own fault several years back). I sent them a e-mail and told them the story, they told me to mail the top half of the rod to them, they sent me a new rod tip back no charge, no questions asked, I just paid for the shipping 1 way.

I also own a HMX spin cast, HMX bait cast, a HMX 9'-6" 6wt, and a Aetos ice fishing rod. The ymake great rods at mid-level $$$'s.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Penner

Oh yeah Fenwick comes with a lift time warranty. I broke 8" off the tip of my Walleye Class Rod a year or two after I bought it (my own fault several years back). I sent them a e-mail and told them the story, they told me to mail the top half of the rod to them, they sent me a new rod tip back no charge, no questions asked, I just paid for the shipping 1 way.

I also own a HMX spin cast, HMX bait cast, a HMX 9'-6" 6wt, and a Aetos ice fishing rod. The ymake great rods at mid-level $$$'s.

I have an Eagle GT as well, and for the price it is a pretty good rod too. A bit slower action than the HMX but in the real world it doesn't seem to catch any less fish.

[Lowrance Fishburn]

6'6" Medium, Extra fast, Shimano Crucial.

BEST

[EZM]

I think the best walleye rod you will ever own is in 34 feet of water.

You just can't beat a St.Croix. I prefer them to my GLoomis rods because the eyes are not so small they tangle up anytime you flip (which is a royal PITA with my Loomis). Break it - they replace it. No questions asked.

St.Croix - Legend Tournament - LTWS66MLF Jig-N-Rig 6'6" ML Fast 1 4 - 10 1/8 - 3/8 3.3 2 $ 250
http://stcroixrods.com/products/fres...-walleye-musky

You can feel a fish swimming by - it so sensitive. Tip returns fast and drives that hook home.

For a spinning reel - Abu Garcia - Revo Premier - 20 series - $ 250

http://www.abugarcia.com/abugarcia-r...8.html#start=8

There is simply no other reel which has a smother , tighter and precise drag ...... not even close. I have lots of high end reels and I keep going to Abu Garcia for their spinning reels. No comparison.

Now you just can't beat that combo ......

[SamSteele]

I know you said you don't have GPS coordinates for where your old one went in, but if you have landmarks to get close and the visibility is alright I would be willing to give the bottom a search. I could use the practice with underwater navigation and grid searches. Let me know.

SS

[Walleye101]

Originally Posted by wildwoods

I've been using a Fenwick HMG 6'9" Med light-fast- for the last few years. Even re bought one due to a careless accident this spring. you can find them on sale for $100 usually. Beautiful thin cork handle. Unreal pick up when bouncing swim baits. Handles small and large jigs very well. Great bang for buck and you don't cringe too hard to repurchase later if say you drop it in a lake or snap them while carelessly walking by them for instance...
I have mine coupled with a Pflueger Pres XT medium capacity and am happy it's in my rod locker

100% Agree. This is the best bang for your buck. I use the HMG 7' Heavy Action for my Pike Rod too. Great Rods.

[neilsledder]

Originally Posted by EZM

I think the best walleye rod you will ever own is in 34 feet of water.



You just can't beat a St.Croix. I prefer them to my GLoomis rods because the eyes are not so small they tangle up anytime you flip (which is a royal PITA with my Loomis). Break it - they replace it. No questions asked.



St.Croix - Legend Tournament - LTWS66MLF Jig-N-Rig 6'6" ML Fast 1 4 - 10 1/8 - 3/8 3.3 2 $ 250

http://stcroixrods.com/products/fres...-walleye-musky



You can feel a fish swimming by - it so sensitive. Tip returns fast and drives that hook home.



For a spinning reel - Abu Garcia - Revo Premier - 20 series - $ 250



http://www.abugarcia.com/abugarcia-r...8.html#start=8



There is simply no other reel which has a smother , tighter and precise drag ...... not even close. I have lots of high end reels and I keep going to Abu Garcia for their spinning reels. No comparison.



Now you just can't beat that combo ......

My wife bought the Abu Garcia rod with a Pluegfer ( check for proper spelling) and it's a nice rod! I put 15 power pro supper slick line one and you can cast a mile with it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I have an Eagle GT as well, and for the price it is a pretty good rod too. A bit slower action than the HMX but in the real world it doesn't seem to catch any less fish.

If you cant catch more walleye with a higher end graphite rod then you are doing something wrong. Sensitivity to feel the lightest of bites can be the key to successful walleye fishing some days. I have literally been out with guys some days and they think the walleye arent there/biting because they arent feeling the tiny little pecks on their too heavy or insensitive rods. Yes there are other days when the fish are hammering your bait/lure and it doesnt matter what you use for a rod but simply put that is not always the case and a higher quality rod can make a significant difference(assuming the operator has the ability to feel the light bites).

A similar analogy is indicator or bobber fishing for trout/walleye. The smallest most sensitive indicator/bobber you can get away with will show you more bites and help you catch more fish just like a lighter more sensitive rod will.

This isnt hocus pocus magic. It is science and higher end graphite is stronger and stiffer. The strength allows you to decrease graphite thickness/diameter which is what gives you a lighter rod and the increased stiffness is what gives you that increased sensitivity as every bite is transmitted through the rod to the user instead of dissipated internally.

The fenwick eagles are a decent cheaper rod but they eyelets are crap. The HMX is a good step up but even better is the HMG which imo is the best bang for your buck if buying a fenwick.

[cube]

Originally Posted by sns2

Anyhow, if you were to get one walleye rod what would it be?

PS: I know there are use specific rods available, but I'm only getting one

Originally Posted by sns2

Sorry, vertical jigging first and foremost. I rarely ever use any other lure than a jig.

Given you are looking for a walleye rod and not just an all around rod my choice hands down is the St Croix Legend Extreme medium 5'9" extra fast.
LXS59MXF 5'9" M X-Fast

I tried it side by side with a GLoomis and both had the same sensitivity but I actually landed 2-3% more fish with the St. Croix. I think it is a little stiffer and the fish just seem to stay on a little better.

I went for the 5'9" because if you hang a light jig from the tip it is perfectly balanced. This means any LITTLE disturbance is detected and felt.

I use 8 pound test on a Shimano STRADIC CI4+ in the 1000 size. STCI41000HGFB. When jigging you don't need boat loads of line and the 1000 size has more than enough capacity while still having a very smooth drag capable of landing fairly large fish. Couple of weeks ago I boated 3 pike with it in the 15 lb range.

Good luck on your quest

[PerchBuster]

If I could only have one rod I would probably go for the 7'0 Ugly Stik Elite. Virtually unbreakable, very sensitive, and plenty of backbone. At a fraction of the cost of some of the other higher end rods like G Loomis etc it leaves you some extra dough to use on other tackle goodies and it won't nearly break your heart as bad the next time you throw it over the side or knock the tip off in the tailgate!

[EZM]

Originally Posted by PerchBuster

If I could only have one rod I would probably go for the 7'0 Ugly Stik Elite. Virtually unbreakable, very sensitive, and plenty of backbone. At a fraction of the cost of some of the other higher end rods like G Loomis etc it leaves you some extra dough to use on other tackle goodies and it won't nearly break your heart as bad the next time you throw it over the side or knock the tip off in the tailgate!

OK - I disagree - and I'm dumping in a little humour here to illustrate my perspective ....

You are seriously comparing an ugly stick "elite" to a Loomis?

The OP asked for the best one rod set up - not a great value set up.

The ugly stick combo would be a good value - no doubt - but I'd likely spend the same amount on a graphite composite with a fast tip over a glass/low load graphite rod like the parabolic slow/moderate action ugly stick "elite" in this application (for walleye jigging).

As a matter of fact - A parabolic action rod with a slow/moderate action might actually be the worst set up for jigging walleye.

It might be ok for bottom bouncing though (as long as the eyes are hammering it).

It might also make an awesome tent pole or whooping stick.

Sure the stick will catch a fish, and yes it's durable, and yeah they are inexpensive but call an ugly stick "very sensitive" is just a crime.

The sensitivity (or lack thereof) is truly nail in the coffin for this rod's candidacy for "the best one rod for walleye" category.

You could chuck a cantaloupe sized rock at this rod and you wouldn't even know anything happened .......... the damn thing wouldn't break ...... but you wouldn't feel a damn thing.

Perhaps the only thing "elite" about this rod is the emblazoned fancy scroll script on the rod which was hand painted by golden winged fairies in the factory.

I, as a concerned citizen and outdoorsman, forbid you to say such things.

[Talking moose]

^ shot down in 🔥 flames!!! Lol.
Question. What you guys think is a good choice for a budget of say 100-150 bucks? Time to retire the fenwick.