2024 Gear Guide: Four Fishing Rods We Love and Why

As island anglers, we know that the right fishing rod can make all the difference between a successful day on the water and a frustrating one. Whether you’re casting a line for salmon, halibut, rockfish, or even bass and trout, having a reliable, high-performance rod is essential. In this review, we’ll delve into four fishing rods we tried, examining their features, performance, and overall value to help you choose the perfect tool for your next fishing adventure.

OKUMA CEYMAR 6′ 6″ MEDIUM SPINNING ROD C-S-662M

If you are getting into bass or trout fishing, it’s a no-brainer to pick up this two-piece graphite rod—it’s priced incredibly at about $50, and it performs exceedingly well. It’s rated for 8- to 17-lb line and has medium power—a rod you’ll never have to worry about letting a newbie try, but a great rod to have at any skill level. It’s one of those steal-of-a-deal finds that we get lucky with once in a while.

PENN CARNAGE III

We love this 6′ 2″ 40- to 80-lb rod for jigging up halibut. The custom-fill rubberized shrink tube handles grip very well. Their SLS3 blank construction provides a very thin-diameter blank while maintaining a lightweight feel. It uses inner and outer spiral wrap layers of carbon fibre to sandwich middle layers of alternating longitudinal carbon and glass. We absolutely love the aluminum Sea-Guide reel seat and the Fuji K-Series tangle-free guides with Silicon Carbide (SiC) inserts, which are great for braid due to their hardness and smoothness. This is a terrific workhorse high-end rod.

ST. CROIX TRIUMPH SURF SPINNING ROD (TSF100M4)

We picked up this beast of a rod for surf fishing in Mexico and were blown away by the casting distance and accuracy with a 1-oz Kastmaster lure as well as the sensitivity. It’s rated medium power, moderate fast action, 8- to 20-lb line, and for lure weights of ¾ – 4 oz. This 10′ rod breaks into 4 pieces and comes with an incredibly sturdy travel case that has now seen a lot of action. While we played good-sized crevalle jacks in the Mexican surf (they fight like the Devil himself), we had no trouble launching heavy spoons off the beach in Black Creek for salmon with this tank of a rod. For those that want an all-purpose travel rod for a tropical location like Mexico, especially with the case, this is a must-have in your arsenal.

SALTY OUTDOORS R3EF MOOCHING ROD 10′ 6″ OR 9′

This two-piece rod has been making waves this year as the go-to for trolling. We found the bend on this medium rod makes it a great workhorse. We haven’t had one of these break yet, and after calling around to local shops, we found the same, but they do come with a 1-year warranty. Also, the top half is commonly stocked as a replacement part for about $40, should you break the tip or mess up the top guide. The rod butt is smartly designed with carbon fibre to smoothly come out of a rod holder, while the upper handle is cork for perfect grip. The rod also comes in a 9′ size that we found is easier to get the fish closer to the boat when fishing alone with a rod in one hand and a net in the other. There’s no loss of sensitivity when a fish is nibbling at our lure in this shorter size, which is our preference. Some rods have a straight piece of metal that catches material like upholstery when you lay the rod flat in your boat’s cuddy, so we’d also like to thank Brent McCallum, who owns Salty Outdoors and designed these rods for our BC waters, for making a smooth round hook keeper on this rod. Congratulations for an award winning rod!

Looking for reels? Check these out.