what is the best spinner bait rod?

[James Pisano]

I am in the market for a spinner bait rod. Would a spinnerbait/ chatter bait be ok on my all around rod which is a duckett triad 7’ 3” Mh? Or should I go with something lighter?

[ATA]

For sure not lighter than that, I recomend G-Loomis 844C or something same power. 

[WRB]

You can and I have used several bait casting MH rods for spinnerbaits,

Basically if you can cast the spinner bait effectively that is all that is needed.

Tom   

[MN Fisher]

MH is what I use for spinners and chatters...unless they're really light like a 1/4oz.

[jimmyjoe]

   I don't know how/where you intend to retrieve your spinnerbait, but I retrieve a heck of a lot on riprap. I literally pull the spinnerbaitrs right over the rocks. Therefore, I use a MH/F or a H/M rod. I figure I need that authority. 

   If you're retrieving with no obstructions, then you don't really need that "authority".      jj

[Bluebasser86]

Spinnerbaits are one of those things that don't need a real specialized rod IMO. I've used anywhere from a 5' 6" pistol grip rod to a 7' 6". Most have been medium or medium heavy rods with fast action but a moderate-fast works well also.

 

My preferred rod is a 6' 10" MH/F. Has the backbone to drive the hook, power to move a big fish, short enough to be accurate, but long enough to make a long enough cast when I need to.

[Jig Man]

I fish them a lot and have used a bunch of rods.  What I have settled on that is best for me is my Gloomis IMX 843C rods.

[waymont]

I also prefer a Loomis 843c MBR

[Deephaven]

I built out a St Croix Elite blank to 7'10" for throwing spinnerbaits.  5C70MHF.  Love the extra length for covering water and the fast tip/heavy back bone for getting them back and popping off milfoil and other fun weeds.  I have some shorter sticks that occasionally get a spinnerbait as well when I am putting them under or around targets, but the 7'10" is surprisingly accurate even with all the length since it controls the bait so well.  Some of the extra length is in the butt as I like to tuck it in my arm as I reel back and I am 6'7" so it isn't quite as long as it sounds.

[Fishes in trees]

I guess, since 1980, I am a couple of thousand dollars into the search for the perfect spinner bait rod.  The difference between a rod that "works" for spinnerbaits and one that is perfect for spinner baits is hard to describe, but I'm pretty sure I'll know it when I find it.   It needs to have plenty of backbone to set the hook and be tippy enough that it will throw baits as far as I want with little effort.  And I like a handle long enough that I can cast 2 handed, but light enough that I don't have to if I don't feel like it.   Back in the 80's, when Berkley Lightning Rods were premium rods, Berkley made a 5'9" MH rod with a thick straight handle.  This rod threw spinnerbaits great for me and I was extremely sad when it got stolen.   I know back in the 80's many guys used pistol grip rods for spinner baits, and I had a few at various points in my life but I never liked that option.

Fast forward to the mid- 90's, I met an All Star rod salesman and I got to like the All Star Zell Rowland Special spinner bait rod.  It was 6'8" I think, MH with a lot more tip than the All Star worm rod.  I went through my rod breaking period then and I went through several of them because of operator error.  Then All Star got sold to Shakespeare and the rod quality went bad.

 

Mid 2000's I came across a Fenwick AETOS 6'8".   Fenwick described the rod as a shorter jig rod, but it worked good for spinner baits for me and that is what I'm currently using most of the time.

A couple of years ago I was in Academy sports and in their close out bucket there was an All Star rod that was VERY similar to the mid 90's Zell Rowland Special.  There were 3 of them ay $35 per hit, so I bought them, and they work ok.  The down side to these rods are that they are 6'10"where the older All Stars were a little shorter and, oh yeah, they are purple and I 'm not big on colored rods, but they do work.

I'm always on the look out for the perfect spinner bait rod, maybe some day I'll find it.

[TBAG]

I don't throw either of those techniques often but I do have a dedicated setup for each.

 

Both are Sierra 734c rods and I've found when I do throw a vibrating jig or spinnerbait the 734 handles them great.

[bowhunter63]

I use a lighting rod shock for spinnerbaits. Yea I know it’s not a high dollar rod but it has a soft tip but loads up quick. Got it for a gift a few years and use it a lot. Was pretty surprised in it 

[swhit140]

Pretty much any 6'10"-7'3" baitcasting rod, MH action. Take your pick of brand/price you can afford.