Best Spinning Rod Under $100
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Introduction
When it comes to fishing, so much attention is paid on the fishing reel, but a great fishing rod is just as important. This article will cover the best spinning rod under 100 dollars, this is important because most of us aren’t the professional fisherman that is out buying the super expensive rod.
We ultimately want a great spinning rod/casting rod that will help us catch some awesome fish, make it easier and more comfortable/enjoyable to be out on the lake/river fishing with our family and friends.
Spinning rods are important because of the ultimate design of the spinning reel itself. The eyelet hole should be fairly close to the reel mounting spot so that you don’t have a ton of slack from the reel to the first eyelet hole, but you don’t want it so close that there are sharp angles in the line.
Ultimately though, when looking at spinning rods these are specifically designed for having slack in the line, which I will get to at the end of the article, but if the eyelet hole needs to be spaced appropriately (which most are) and the mounting system for the reel should be fairly solid, because unlike casing rods the spinning rod places most of the strain at the reel mounting point, so a solid design there is important.
That is why I have come up with this list of the best spinning rod under 100 dollars, so that you don’t have to think about all that stuff, and you can just find the rod that works best for your goals and have it shipped to you.
Lets get to it.
Comparison Table
Table could not be displayed.#1 Ugly Stick Elite Spinning Rod: Best Overall
The awesome thing about this rod, besides the long history that this company has with producing quality products is the fact that the Ugly Stick was already an incredible rod, then they took its design and overall function and added around 35% more graphite, making this a stronger and way more sensitive.
The strength is important, because with more graphite it will maintain a decent amount of flex, but will be able to stand up to most fish grabbing on. The issue with the more graphite is that you loose some of that flex that other poles have. Flex and strength is one of those areas where you gain some and you have to give the other.
The sensitivity is important because it will allow you to feel the first little nibble on the hook and allow for quicker more efficient setting of the hook.
The handle is extremely comfortable, it is made of cork material. The only complaint that comes from that is that the cork can make the reel a bit unbalanced.
Other concerns from those that have bought this spinning rod is that the eyelet guides have stainless steel in them, so it can catch and actually break the line. This doesn’t happen much, and is seen more with cheaper brands of braided lines, but ultimately you should be aware of that.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
Ugly Stick Elite Spinning Rod: Best Overall spinning rod under 100 dollars
This is a great rod, and the biggest reasons that it made this list is the fact that it is a strong rod with a very reputable name attached to it. This rod is comfortable, strong, and very responsive to fish nibbles. When you couple this with understanding the few limitations that this rod has, specifically the lack of flex (because of the increased strength) and the little bit of imbalance, you can make an informed decision.
#2 Ugly Stick GX2 Spinning Rod: Best Value
The great things about this rod are plenty, but first we need to start with the name. The Ugly Stick brand of rods is a great brand and is well known for their quality production of rods.
This rod itself has a great mix of both graphite and fiberglass into the rod core. This means that the combination of those two components produces a great middle ground between strength and flexibility. This rod is not nearly as strong as a soldi graphite rod is, but it also can handle a lot more flex than a solid graphite rod would before breaking.
The handle on the Ugly Stick GX2 spinning rod is made of EVA. This is a combination of two synthetic materials, essentially making it very lightweight, but still strong.
One of the main concerns that a lot of the people reviewing this product have on Amazon and other places is that the guides, being made of stainless steel can actually catch on and fray the line if the line is a braided cheap brand of line typically.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
Ugly Stick GX2 Spinning Rod: Best Value
Overall this is a great spinning rod. This rod will ensure that you have enough flex built into the rod while maintaining a decent amount of strength. The EVA handle is very lightweight and people love the comfort of it as well.
Understand the few limitations of this rod (mainly the guides can catch cheaper brands of braided line), and make sure you get some strong fishing line and you will be more than happy with this rod as it is hands down the best value when it comes to spinning rods under $100.
#3 Shimano FXS 2 Piece Spinning Rod: Most lightweight
The Shimano FXS 2 piece Spinning Rod is a great set up. This medium heavy fast action rod means that it won’t bend a ton, but that it is fairly quick to snap back once it gets a hit. The good thing about rods that have a heaver action to them is that they will be stronger, which means that can handle a heavier fish. This rod has an aeroglass construction, which is different in material then most of the graphite/fiberglass combos.
Another awesome thing about this rod is the EVA handles. When it comes to picking out a spinning rod, you will find that EVA handles are on a lot of them. These are super comfortable, lightweight, and all around great handles to have on your fishing rod.
An awesome thing about this rod is the ability it has to break down. When you start getting into these great rods a lot of them don’t break down into multiple pieces, when they do it is a huge plus because it makes hauling them and storing them so much easier.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
Shimano FXS 2 Piece Spinning Rod: Most Lightweight
This rod has a lot of unique things that other rods just don’t. The material it is made of is different, it has an aeroglass construction instead of the usual graphite/fiberglass build. The locking reel seats are important because then you don’t have to deal with the reel coming loose and always having to worry about it.
One of the great things about this rod though is the portability. To have a rod that that functions as well and is as nice as this one is that breaks down is a game changer.
#4 KastKing Perigee II Spinning Rod
The KastKing Spinning rods use a combination of graphite and carbon fiber for their solid construction. The spinning rods range from actions of moderate to fast action, which is reassuring because it allows you to choose which action you want. If you are going to be fishing the larger tougher fish then you want a fast action (heavier) rod, and the opposite is true.
These rods have EVA grips with graphite high strength reel seats to ensure your reel stays attached tightly to the rod. Another thing that the Kastking spinning rods are well known for is being one of the lightest spinning rods under 100 dollars. This is key for those long days out on the lake/river, the heavier the entire set up the quicker your shoulders will wear out and the quicker you will likely want to just head home.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
Kastking Perigee II Spinning Rod
This is a great spinning rod and the great thing about this link to the Amazon page for this rod is that you can choose from a ton of different actions instead of like most rods being locked into the one action listed.
This rod has a great feel to it and the reviews are incredible. Everyone is absolutely loving this rod and how smooth, lightweight, and durable it is.
#5 Shimano Solara Spinning Rod
This rod has an aeroglass component to it similarly to the Ugly Stick rod mentioned above. When it comes to the quality of spinning rods, it doesn’t get much better in terms of quality per money spent then this rod.
This rod is one of the cheapest rods out there in terms of the price, but the quality and ability of this rod is exceptional. One of my personal favorite things about this spinning rod is the fact that the guides are aluminum oxide, meaning the line will slide nicely through them making for very efficient and smooth casts and retrievals every single time. If you are looking for a rod that is a great price and great quality, then it really doesn’t get much better than the Shimano Solara Spinning Rod.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
When it comes to price/value ratio, there isn’t really a rod that compared to the Shimano Solara spinning rod series. This set up is incredible for the low price tag. The rod itself is a low weight fiberglass rod, which means great flex, but not super fast action or strength.
This rod is amazing for a rod that is less than $50.
Besides the price this rod has guides that are incredibly smooth. When looking at the reviews on Amazon you will see that everyone is so stoked about this rod and what it can do, and so many people have purchased to replace a more expensive rod that broke, and they are loving it!
Best Spinning Rod Under 100 dollars Buying Guide
What type of fish will you be fishing?
This is important. If you are fishing small stream trout then you don’t need a super fast/heavy action rod, you could get away with a medium action rod. The heavier the action the bigger the fish essentially.
The opposite is true for length. If you are fishing huge fish, then a shorter rod would be better. If fishing smaller bodied fish then a longer rod is appropriate. Length is also key for accuracy. If you are casting into tight areas, a smaller length rod (<6 feet) will help with accuracy, wheras if casting accuracy isn’t quite as important you can go with a > 7 foot rod for help with the distance of the cast.
What is the rod made of?
Graphite, carbon fiber, or aeroglass are the common things that spinng rods and other fishing rods are made of.
Graphite is stronger and doesn’t bend quite as well as aeroglass or carbon fiber will bend. So, if you are planning on fishing some heavy fish, make sure graphite is at least a component of the rod you purchase.
Where will you be fishing?
This was briefly mentioned above. Where you fish is important because if you are going to be doing highly accurate casts into tight areas then a shorter rod is important to have. If the casts are in open spaces, then get yourself a longer rod so you can really sling the lure out there (with the right reel combo of corse).
How comfortable are the handles?
I don’t know about you, but if I am fishing I usually am holding my pole most of the time. This is important because of the sensitivity factor. If I set my pole down then I can’t feel those very slight tugs on the line as im jigging. So, I want the handles to be comfortable so I don’t hate holding onto it.
Length of the rod
We went over some of the details of fishing rod length above, but to summarize.
Most rods are between 6-12 feet in length. A great beginner length is about 7 feet. The shorter length rods are great for accuracy and for strength.
The longer rods are better for distance, and depending on the action they are great for more aggressive fish as well.
Weight of the rod
The weight of a rod is rated as the amount of weight needed to bend the pole essentially. This goes from ultra light to extra heavy.
This means that light rods are less stiff, and hence will bend easier.
Heavy rods will set hooks quicker and are ultimately good for single hook systems, they can also handle heavier line and larger fish.
Rod Action you need
Rod action is the same as power essentially. It is another way to describe the bend of the rod. The fast action rods return to their neutral spot faster then slow action. Typically a fast action rod bends only at the tip, meaning it has higher power or weight.
Faster action rods are good for quick hook setting and heavier fish, they don’t do super great with fish that are notorious fighters, since there isn’t much bend to the rod itself.
Benefits of buying one of the best spinning rods under 100 dollars
Low cost
It is so easy to spend a ton of money on fishing rods. This list of the best spinning rods under 100 dollars gives you insight into just how much quality you can get in a spinning rod for the price if you do some research.
Each of these rods is beneficial in their own way, but each one will get the job done.
Great control
This comes in two forms. Great control over your finances to get more lures, and then great control over your casting. These rods are not the ones the pros use, and that is a good thing because you and I likely aren’t pros right?
These are fantastic rods for the price and will do what we want them to do, which is catch fish on the weekend with our friends and families.
Great value/money ratio
As mentioned above, the amount of money you will spend on these spinning rods to the time you will spend fishing is tipped in favor of you getting more value and use per dollar then the people selling the rod making a killing on you.
Other FAQS
What is the best spinning rod for the money?
This article is all about the best spinning rod under 100 dollars, well it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that I think the best spinning rod for the money is the Shimano Solara spinning rod. This rod is so cheap, but has great value and is so versatile.
What is the best spinning rod for trout?
The Ugly Stick Elite is hands down the best spinning rod for trout. I personally feel this way because the extra graphite that this spinning rod has adds some great strength to the rod in general. Trout aren’t super nasty fighters, but they can grow to be fairly large if you are in a big lake.
For this reason, the Ugly Stick Elite, because of the extra graphite and strength is the best spinning rod for trout. You can check out the other reasons above why it is the top pick for the best spinning rod under 100 dollars.
What is an ultra light rod?
An Ultra light rod is one that doesn’t require hardly any tension to bend from the tip to the handle basically.
What is the best length for a spinning rod?
This depends on what you want to do. So many people ask this question. Above I talk about how shorted is better for accuracy and longer is better for open water long casts. Do you fish mountain lakes? Then you probably want around 7 feet or so.
Length is usually around 6-12 feet.
What is the most sensitive spinning rod?
Graphite rods are touted as the most sensitive rods. This is because the graphite doesn’t have a ton of give, so any movement is transferred thorugh the rod easily and into your hand/arm depending on how you hold your spinning rod.
Do graphite Rods Break Easily?
I wouldn’t say that graphite rods break easily, but when you compare a pure graphite rod to a pure fiberglass or euroglass rod, then the graphite rod will break easier then those rods for sure.
Are graphite rods better than fiberglass?
Really this just depends on how you define better. I go over all the details of each rod above, but this question needed specific mention because overall rod “quality” and “usefulness” depends a lot on what you want to use it for.
How to take care of a spinning rod
- Always dry your rod after you use it
- If you fish saltwater, then wipe it down
- Don’t leave the rod in areas that get super hot
- Don’t tighten it or put too much tension on the line when you store it. Some people leave a hook or lure attached and reel the line tight. Don’t do this, it will wear the rod down quicker.
Conclusion
When you are looking for the best spinning rod under 100 dollars, there are a lot of factors to consider. I hope this article has been able to help you learn how you can choose the best spinning rod for you, and even more important I hope that in those first 5 rods there is one that you like and can just pick one of those up on Amazon.
Good luck Fishing
Sean
