Best Fishing Rod For Crappie: Summer Fishing 2022

You may be wondering what having the best fishing rod for crappie has to do with anything. Well, it will surprise you that there is much to learn about crappie fishing.

However, before we delve into the best fishing rod for crappie, you must be made aware that crappies are a popular fish that belongs to the Centrarchidae sunfish family.

One major reason they are popular is that they are the most famous hunted game fish and are plenty. Although a simple gear can catch these fishes, lately, crappie anglers have many gears to select from.

This is why we will enlighten you on some of the best crappie fishing rods.

Best fishing rods for crappie

Regarding the best fishing rod for crappie, you should be aware that you can choose between light and ultra-light crappie rods. However, the crappie rods with heavy power may have different flexibility for smaller fish.

Nevertheless, the best crappie rods are:

1. The KastKing Brutus Spinning Rod

Features:

  • Braid-ready line guides
  • Full-length Eva handles
  • Brute Tuff composite glass

One thing to note about the KastKing Brutus spinning rod is that it is made of composite glass and carbon fiber. It has been beautifully designed to be highly durable without ever failing in its performance.

It has Brute Tuff composite blanks crafted for harsh conditions and tough fish. In addition, this crappie rod has a charter-level strike tip that gives it a heightened sensitivity and helps detect strikes.

Due to how tough and durable they are, crappie anglers will have no problem here. The Tuff composite blanks found here have been made for extreme conditions and those hard-fighting fish.

Interestingly, unlike the others used to catch crappie, the poles here are braid ready. Also, note that KastKing uses only stainless steel running guide frames. And they are resistant to corrosion and come with URS stainless steel rings.

You will find full-length Eva foam handles in all the spinning rod and bait casting rods. This means that the handles are pretty durable.

More so, the increased strength Eva foam is simple to clean, offers to cushion, and will not get cold or even crack when the temperature drops.

Another thing to know about KastKing rods is that they are made available in more than twenty combinations of action, length, and several pieces. So no matter the saltwater or freshwater fishing adventure you are going for, there is a Brutus rod for you.

This means you can use it as a walleye crappie fishing rod, catfishing rod, salmon fishing rod, and even a bass fishing rod. As one of the best fishing rods for crappie, it comes with a premium graphite reel seat that helps hold reels in place no matter the pressure.

The spinning rods are an excellent tool for crappie fishing as they can take on anything you throw. With this product, you can catch big crappie and easily detect your prey with its chartreuse strike tip.

You can cast your fishing line smoothly because of its Zirconium Oxide rings. The spinning reel here has a strong design, four ball bearings made of stainless steel, and an anti-reversal roller bearing.

Why we love it

I love using the KastKing Brutus spinning rod because of its impressive strength and durability. In addition, one can use it in fishing effortlessly as it offers a good casting distance.

2. The Lew’s Fishing Mr. Crappie Slab

Features:

  • Fiberglass two-piece blanks
  • Stainless steel guides
  • Eva foam grip

When it comes down to crappie fishing, everyone deserves the best crappie rod they can find in the market. And one of the best crappie rods has to be Lew’s fishing Mr. Crappie Slab.

Lew’s is not new to the world of catching fish business. This is because they have been creating plenty of equipment over the years. They began making fishing poles by using home-grown bamboo.

And in no time, they transformed from bamboo into these high-tech crappie rods. In other news, this crappie rod is crafted explicitly for crappie fishing and made available in two lengths.

The lengths are nine and ten feet. However, it must be noted that the power offered here is strictly restricted to light alone. It uses superior fiberglass, making the crappie rod durable, cheap, and quite heavy.

Its handle grips are made from Eva foam which means it is soft, comfortable, and smooth. And it comes with a special rod length indicator. Wally Marshall has approved the specific actions of this crappie rod.

Interestingly, its Stainless steel guides come with aluminum oxide inserts which decrease the weight of the rod but add more durability. In addition, its premium graphite spinning reel decreases friction and boosts sensitivity.

Its two-piece construction makes it portable, so crappie anglers are not limited to only nearby fishing areas.

Why we love it

This spinning rod is an amazing choice for those serious fishermen that are economical when buying their equipment. Note that, even with its low price, its quality is on the high side, making it one of the best crappie rods.

3. The TFO Trout – Panfish rods

Features:

  • Lightweight stainless steel guides
  • Premium cork
  • Ultra-light

Have you been searching for panfish spinning rods? Well, one of the best fishing rods for crappie is the TFO Trout-Panfish rod. No matter the fishing technique you want to try, this basic crappie rod is fully integrated with a high-tech design.

Thus, it will take you a few years back to your glory days of fishing as a youth. This spinning rod aims to bridge the gap between old and newer memories. 

With a rod length of 5’6, the action here is fast and comes with light lines weighing between two to six lb. It also features a cutting edge weight-saving quality reel seat and comes available in one- and two-piece spinning rods.

It does not matter if you will be flipping micro or light jigs under a specific overhang, debuting a float, flying across the lake, or dunking worms under a bobber; the fact is there is a crappie rod for you here.

The Trout-Panfish series rods have been crafted and produced to offer durability and uncompromising performances. These spinning rods are the ideal choice to be used in catching crappie.

As a high-performance fishing gear, each rod comes with soft, responsive tips and progressive tapers. They have been awesomely designed for casting a small crappie bait without the tip bounce of most ultralight rods.

This rod has been made with carbon fiber for the tasty panfish and will deliver a durable reliable performance when you use it.

It also comes with TFO’s gold appointments and moss-green clear coat. It also has polished hard anodized guides and a skeletal reel seat with a carbon fiber insert.

One thing to note about these fishing rods is that, though they are created to be fun, they are somewhat technical. While some anglers may not like the design, we must acknowledge that it gives a superb performance if the color is not an issue.

The rod blank is lightweight and quite sensitive, coupled with the skeletal crappie reel seat of TFO.

Note that the reel seat design has a slight gap on the reel that will allow your fingers to fold into it as you grip the rod. This will ensure that your skin touches the already exposed carbon fiber rod.

Understand that this design will enable you to detect the slightest nibbles of this fish species.

Why we love it

Some of us love using the TFO panfish series rods because they come with wire-like stainless steel frames that are pretty tough. As one of the best crappie rods to be found out there, its cork split grip is comfortable and lightweight.

All of its reel combos create a sensitive crappie rod that performs incredibly to catch tasty panfish.

4. The B’n’M Duck Commander Spin Rod

Features:

  • Dyna-Flo stainless steel guides
  • Portuguese cork handle
  • Two-piece rod

As one of the best fishing rods for crappie, understand that B’n’M have been in the business of manufacturing quality fishing gear for close to a century. They have mastered the art of producing high performance and the best crappie tod.

Aside from their cheap product, you can count on these rod manufacturers for the best crappie rod to deliver quality and precision. 

As one of the best crappie rods, it is made out of high-modulus IM-6 graphite and is also quite thin and portable. Furthermore, one can easily recognize this rod because its handle is made from original Portuguese cork to deliver a powerful grip.

In other news, the handle can effectively channel vibrations, and the stainless steel guides withstand extreme stress and corrosion. Moreover, its action and balance are ideal for catching a large fish.

Note that the rods here are short and will be best used for boat fishing and not long casting. As a short rod, fishermen will have an easy fight when it gets hooked in the fish’s mouth.

These shorter rods have lots of flex, as the crappie cannot yank off the hook easily. Bear in mind that, as an ideal crappie rod, it is among the most preferred choices for crappie anglers.

This is because its rod blanks are excellently made of graphite, and the cork handle gives off a secure yet firm grip even when wet. If you come across a hard-fighting fish while fishing, you can efficiently deal with it because of the amazing rod blank.

Note that graphite helps boost the rod’s sensitivity and will make you enjoy all parts of the underwater activities. The rod’s guides are light, durable, and sensitive. This trolling rod comes with a double-touch system.

The double touch system, along with its depth monitoring wraps, is simple to cast. In addition, its two-piece build makes it easy to transport it wherever you want. Note that the rod length is available only in four and six feet.

They cannot be compared with a longer rod, so they are suitable for catching crappies and not other fishes.

Why we love it

Aside from its low price and rod length, I love making use of it because of its sensitivity, reliability, and ease of use. More so, it has a powerful backbone, and it is ultralight.

5. The Calamus T1 Telescopic Fishing Rod

Features:

  • Split-type handles
  • Drop shot stainless steel hook grippers
  • Solidly placed components

Instead of going elsewhere to fish, you can take fishing with you when you have one of the best fishing rods for crappie at your disposal. This rod is none other than the Calamus T1 Telescopic rod and Reel Kit.

Understand that it comes with light lures that weigh between 1/8 to 3/8 oz. This is one of the light rods made from graphite composite material. Plus, the rod power is light. The material used in its design makes it telescopic.

It is classified as a longer rod as it is 5’6 long but can be compressed into 17″, thus making it one of the most portable longer rods. Interestingly it has a carrying kit that makes it portable as well.

Furthermore, it has solidly placed components like guides, tips, and stainless steel hook keepers that stay firm irrespective of the telescopic action. These components will help in boosting your experienced in catching big crappie.

The graphite spinning seats will enable the reel combo to be securely placed, and the split-type handle on the reel seat is made out of high-density Eva rubber. This makes it comfortable even if you fish for hours under the sun and surf.

As crappie fishing rods, the drop-shot stainless steel hook grippers make for a highly convenient crappie adventure. It also comes with a set of tiny lures. 

Why we love it

I enjoy making use of this fishing rod because it makes use of light lines. But, aside from its light lines, it is a durable rod that makes the experience worthwhile.

Things to consider when buying fishing rods for crappie

Since crappie fishing differs from all other types of fishing applications, you can only succeed by using mostly lightweight crappie rod with poles longer than the regulars.

This is vital so that you can easily sneak up on the fish. Understand that the best fishing rod for crappie are sensitive because you will find out that most of the crappie fish are small.

Nevertheless, there are things you need to consider before picking the ideal crappie rods. And they are:

Best Fishing Rod For Crappie _ Buying Guide
Best Fishing Rod For Crappie _ Buying Guide

Material

If you never knew, the material used in creating a pole will determine its sensitivity and weight. Most crappie poles have some common materials used in their production, and we will be looking at them all, starting with fiberglass.

For fiberglass, the Fiberglass rods provide the advantage of being highly durable. They can beat other materials in the game based on their lifespan and how rigid they are.

Fiberglass rods can withstand abuse; if you use them in different locations, it is advisable to buy them. It is capable of withstanding the hustle and bustle of traveling.

As for graphite rods, they are lightweight and are commonly found in the market. But, aside from being lightweight, they are durable and sensitive. This means they assist anglers in feeling the slightest fish nibbles and light bites.

When it comes to carbon fiber rods, the material is hard and gives your pole good fish-fighting power. Although, it is not as rigid as all other materials.

This means you will have to apply some techniques on crappie fishing to get the fishing line twisted and the lure to move the way you want them. Aside from this, carbon fiber is lightweight and durable.

Power

Regarding rod power, note that crappie fish are normally small at about eight inches, although some are about four inches. This means you will not need to buy a rod with so much power.

Note that the higher the rod’s power, the lower its sensitivity. And this gets problematic when you begin angling for those smaller species. So the best one for crappie is an ultralight pole or light.

This is because they can bend easily from the tiniest pressure.

Action

The action must be considered when it comes to getting the best fishing rod for crappie. The action means the speed of the rod’s tip when it returns to a straight position whenever the pole is flexed.

You should know about the main types of action: slow, medium, and fast. It is best to know that the slow action rod is the most dedicated crappie rod. This is because the slow action rod begins to absorb shock when the angler pulls it.

In other news, you may not need to rip the hook off the mouth of your crappie when it is pulled out of the water. The ideal action and powerful combination for crappie is slow to action and ultralight, light, or medium power.

Length

The length of the pole will be the determining factor for how well you can sneak up on your fish while hunting. Since crappies are small, they hide underneath debris and rocks in shallow waters.

It means you will need an extra long pole if you want to succeed. Although, the length will be a result of your preference. You can find crappie poles that measure about sixteen feet.

Though sixteen feet is the longest, the best crappie rods measure about ten feet on average.

Handle

Since fishing takes hours, anglers spend about eight hours on the water to land the ideal catch.

It means you will need to buy a rod with comfortable handles. The ideal spinning rod for crappie has cushioned or padded handle for additional comfort.

Guide

The best fishing rod for crappie surely has guided. The guides are rings found along a pole that helps keep the fishing line in place. In most cases, these guides are made from stainless steel.

The reason for this is that stainless steel materials are durable and lightweight.

Weight of the lure and line

Since the rods for crappie or Jenko fishing are ultralight, one must match the poles using lightweight fishing lines and fishing rods. In addition, you can use light lures since they will not tear the mouth of the crappie when pressure is exerted.

Discovering the best fishing rod for crappie can be easy, especially if you have an idea of what you need. As stated above, you should search for an ultralight to light spinning rod at most nine feet in length.

Your rod’s size and weight will provide the ideal capabilities when fighting the crappie. Plus, the lighter action will offer more fun. The short rod of roughly five and nine feet will enable you to trudge under vegetation and soft plastics to cast in those tight spaces.

If you want to catch crappie, the most popular methods are spinning, slip float or float fishing and jigging. It does not matter if it is vertical jigging. But first, you must get an ultralight setup with more than enough power to cast light on difficult tackles.

You will need to match your light rod with a small reel and light line that is at most six lb breaking strain. The balanced, lightweight setup will be ideal for hooking your crappie.

Note that fast-action rods are good since the slow action rods begin to flex far into rod blanks for comfort.

Crappie fish – explained

Since you have an idea of the best fishing rod for crappie, it is high time we explained what this fish is and why it feels so special.

Understand that the crappie is a species of fish found in North American freshwaters. These panfish are popular and great for eating. People go for them because of their tasty meat, not sport.

They are small and will most likely not exceed four lbs, although the biggest size on record weighs roughly six lbs. Interestingly, they spawn between May and June yearly, and the female lays up to sixty thousand eggs.

More so, the eggs get to hatch within two to five days and, surprisingly, transform swiftly into adult-sized fishes. In other news, they will quickly populate small waterways and lead to issues in the water quality in such an area.

Their breeding pattern makes them perfect for catching and eating. However, if you want to go fishing for them, you will find them in inland freshwater with lots of weed, marginal cover, and reed growth.

If you are targeting crappie, you will see them around underwater brush, rocks, and even weed. The crappie feeds on smaller fish species though they will eat larvae, algae, insects, and crustaceans.

On a general note, the crappie is excellent tasting fish, and even anglers have stated that they are the best-tasting fishes you can find in freshwater. You will catch them easily though they tend to put up a good fight for small fishes.

You should reside in an area wherein they are present in the waterways if you intend to go hunting for crappie.

Interestingly, they are easy to spot and capture since they are abundant on the shores of North America. Crappie is tiny and quite fragile, even though they will nibble at the end of your rod.

As they nibble, you will barely know, except your rod is very sensitive. Like humans, they come in various styles based on the characteristics anglers say they possess. Note that there are two types of crappies; black and white.

And they can be distinguished by some characteristics like

Color

When fishing for crappie, if the one you caught is pale and has diverse dark spots on either side, you have successfully caught white crappie. It is because their spots are arranged vertically.

However, if you find irregular spots, you have black crappie in your hands.

Dorsal fins

The black crappies have about eight dorsal fins; meanwhile, the white crappies are known to have just six dorsal fins.

Thriving habitats

The black crappies prefer living in cold surroundings, and you will find them in huge lakes. Although you can find them in water bodies wherein the water flow is slow.

White crappies tend to grow in warmer areas, and unlike their black counterparts, they are stubborn with their location.

On a general note, crappies are found amid weed or wood patches. And if you want to capture them, have a good plan by considering their size and preferred location. Plus, if you have an idea of the food they love, you are set for a good adventure.

As a result of the changing seasons, one can find them in diverse locations. Therefore, you must read up on the specific season you can find before you head out to fish.

If it is springtime, you can hunt for them from the shores. It is because when the temperature rises, they move to shallow water areas; it is their spawning location.

During winter and summer, crappies tend to be shy and find it hard to locate even with their large schools. During this season, they will be covered in dense coverings and even move on to deep water areas.

If you want to fish for them this season, use sonar tools to equip your line and place them in different depths.

For autumn, you will have no choice but to begin extending your quest into deep waters. Crappies are forever on the move, so it will be hard to locate them. But, they can be right in front of you one moment, and in seconds, they have moved.

Have all these seasons in mind before you search for the best fishing rod for crappie. The ideal way to catch them is when you concentrate more on their living style, habitat, and their environment.

Fishing tips for crappie

While using spider rigging and other similar methods can help you catch crappie fish easily there are some other tips to make it easier. Some of the fishing tips you should have in mind before you head out to get those tasty crappies are:

They love brush piles

These fishes enjoy brush piles and submerged timbers. They hold tight to this habitat and will not go far away from it. Therefore, those fishing for them must risk a snag or more to get there.

Include bobbers in your line

Since depth is crucial, crappies will suspend themselves at a specific depth. So, once you catch one, watch the depth closely, then place another minnow down to that specific point.

With your casting and deep target zones, slip bobbers will greatly assist.

Make use of minnows as your bait

It would be best if you used minnows as bait because they can hit good crappie lures like a light jig, spoons, or crankbaits.

However, a serious angler will only point the boat to a brush pile with a bucket filled with fathead minnows or even golden shiners.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When is the best time of the year?

While catching crappie can be done all year round, the best time to be lucky is during their spawning season when they come up to shallow waters. It happens in spring.

What is the best bait I can use when fishing for crappie?

In our honest opinion, you can catch crappie differently, but their best bait will have to be minnows and jigs.

What is the best length rod to use for crappie?

Although there is no particular length needed when purchasing the best reel combo and fishing rod, some people may want to use a three to four feet long rod. It will all depend on your fishing technique.

Can I go crappie fishing when it rains?

While you can do this, it is advisable not to because capturing them will be more difficult.

What is the ideal jig head size for crappie?

The ideal jig head size for crappie is 1/16 ounce. It is the most common weight, although some anglers are known to use 3/16 ounces.

Conclusion

When it comes down to crappie fishing rods, we have outlined the best fishing rod for crappie that you can find out there. Ensure you read through our list and buying guide so that you do not make any mistakes when making your big purchase.

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