Best Spinning Rod for Trout
I love fishing really light gear, especially for trout. Casting light lures into a nice swim hoping to tempt out that elusive ‘brownie’ is a superb sport.
Today we are going to find the best spinning rod for trout fishing and go through some of the options you need to look out for when deciding on which brand of trout rod you should buy.
As mentioned I love light gear so tend to lean towards an ultralight spinning rod setup.
This type of setup is great for casting light lures or spinners. You really need pinpoint accuracy when spinning for trout, especially in clear water. A light rod with fine action will allow you to drop your lure or spinner exactly where you want it.
Think about it – the lure may only weight a few grams so a heavy rod is just not going to give you the action you need to get the lure to where you want it to go.
There is a certain amount of finesse required using light tackle because the last thing you want to do is hammer the lure into the water and frighten off every trout within a sq mile radius 🙂
A nice Rainbow Trout caught on a small hook baited with sweetcorn on an ultralight trout rod.
What to look for when choosing a spinning rod?
Trout rod selection depends on your location but a safe setup is a rod about 7 foot long.
Action should be light or ultralight and fast but powerful enough to land a large rainbow if you are lucky enough to get on to one.
A nice spinning reel with line strong enough to hold a fish but fine enough to fly off the spool when you are pitching light lures or small spinners.
Trout Rod Guide
Best Trout Rod – Ugly Stik
My favorite Trout Rod has to be the Ugly Stik Spinning Rod.
I’ve been fishing with Ugly Stik rods for longer than I care to remember, and this new Carbon model is the best they’ve made yet.
From shark fishing in Australia to teasing shy brown trout out of streams here in Ireland, you simply cannot beat the quality and value of these rods, and the Carbon takes everything I love about the brand and makes it lighter and sharper.
And light it is. Ugly Stik reckon it’s the lightest rod they’ve ever built, and I believe them.
Where the older blanks were a graphite composite, this one is built from 100% 24-ton graphite, so it’s beautifully balanced and you can fish all day without a hint of strain on your wrist. That extra graphite brings a real jump in sensitivity too, helped along by the solid graphite tip – you’ll feel the tiniest nipper mouthing your lure long before you’d normally know it was there.
Hooking into a big rainbow feels just as controlled as playing a small brook trout, and the rod simply won’t let you down.
The one-piece stainless Ugly Tuff guides are a lovely touch.
With no nylon inserts to pop out, the line flies through them for maximum casting distance even with light lures or spinners, and they’ll happily handle braid as well as mono.
Add the golf-style split grips for that bit of extra comfort and control, and you’ve got a rod that punches well above its price.
As I said, I’ve fished this brand for years and they’ve never let me down.
Price-wise the Carbon is still very reasonable next to the big-name rods, yet you’re not missing a thing on features or quality.
If you want one budget-friendly rod that’ll handle everything from stream trout to something with real shoulders, this is the one I’d point you to.
Trout Spinning Rod Buying Guide
Choosing the best spinning rod for trout is quite complex. There are some very reasonably priced rods on the market at the moment and they stand up against the much more expensive brands out there.
All of our recommendations this time around focus on ultralight rods about 7 foot in length with a fast action.
Trout Rod Length
I mentioned earlier that rod length can be based on where you fish the most. We don’t all have the luxury or finances to have multiple trout rod lengths so I tend to go for a 7-foot length most of the time. This will do you for the majority of fishing scenarios out there.
With the right setup, you will still be able to cast far enough with a 7 footer to reach most fish in the swim.
If you are fishing in confined areas such as overgrown riverbanks or wooded lakes then you may need to scale back on rod length otherwise you will drive the rod tip into a tree and snap it off – I may have done that a few times in the past 🙂
Trout Rod Power
Next up we are going to look at the power rating of the rod. For trout, an ultralight or light power rating is best. Pair this type of rod with the correct weight line and you will have the perfect setup.
weight rating near the base of trout rod.
You can find all the weight details near the butt of the rod printed along the blank.
Trout Rod Action
Fishing rod action refers to how much the fishing rod will bend when under pressure from either casting a lure or when you have a fish on and its ability to revert back to its original shape.
Have I mentioned that I like ultralight fishing yet 🙂
Fishing with very light tackle is great sport and an extra fast action rod is ideal for this. When fishing heavy lures or something like a plug or a crankbait you would definitely want to avoid an ultralight trout rod because you will lose all feeling on the line as the tip will be flexing all over the place.
Fish a light lure or tiny spinner on an ultralight and you will see what I mean – you can feel every movement and you get the added bonus of pin-point accuracy when casting.
Ultra Fast Action Rod
ultra fast action trout rod
Trout Rod Construction
Modern trout spinning rods are made from a blended mix of composite materials. While very flexible and durable they are not as strong as older fishing poles that were primarily made from fiberglass.
They are designed to bend when casting and fishing but not when you step on them or jam the end of one into a tree so be careful.
The great action of modern trout rods comes with a small risk of snapping or breaking but if you look after them you will be fine. To be honest, it’s worth the trade because you can pick up a nice ultralight rod with great action for a very reasonable price in today’s market.
I have a preference for cork handles (maybe I’m just getting old) but I like the way they repel water and feel in your hand. Modern foam handles do a great job but you just can’t beat cork for how they feel when you have fished all day.
Some of the better brands (Ugly Stick) have stripped out the eye inserts to give you a nice line flow through the length of the rod – just watch out if you are using a braided line as it will eventually cut a groover in the eye and start playing havoc with your line.
