Walleye rod recommendation

Looking to get a good walleye rod, is a noodle too recommended or more of a stiff rod for jigging spoons? Will be used mostly in a portable shack also. What’s the longest everyone recommends for inside use?

If you want to use it for jigging spoons, a noodle would be a bit underpowered. The tip would overload with the weight of the spoon. My go-to walleye sticks are the Tuned Up Custom Rods Precision and Commander. I like to use the Precision as my spoon rod and the Commander as my minnow profile rod (Rippen Rap and such). The Precision is a great all-around rod, and the Commander is designed for big heavy fish. I recommend a 32″ length. It is kind of the sweet spot length on the Precision Blank and it fishes well inside a shelter.
Dan

Love my TUCR Precisions!

Lots of good options out there. Rods today are of much better quality and one merely has to pick one.

I’ve used anything from Ugly Sticks to Thorne Bros Walleye Sweetheart for jigging spoons or raps.

A noodle rod to me is better for a dead stick presentation with a minnow swimming.

Agree with everyone else regarding a noodle. I would suggest the TUCR Precision or something similar as it will still feel at home with Crappies and Perch.

I agree.

This noodle rod craze is driving ME crazy. They have a purpose for walleyes, and that’s only as a deadstick (IMO).

All I can picture is newer ice fisherman out there flopping/bouncing BuckShots and Jigging Raps around with a noodle rod, because that’s all they ever hear about

For active jigging you need an active and responsive rod. I’d recommend any medium action graphite rod in the 28-32″ range.

My favorite is a TB Walleye Sweetheart, but there are tons of options for less and more money.

My favorite walleye blank is the st Croix CI32MF. I’ve got over 40 Thorne bro rods, but this thing is tactile as all bejeezus. The handle blew imo, so my buddy redid it with a tapered Winn grip.

I would probably post what kind of budget you have… Add $35-$50 for a reel to that to get your all in and see what you are comfortable with. There are many great options all over the price spectrum.

32″ precision is my favorite spoon rod for 1/8 – 1/4oz. I do have a 34″ commander on the way though for bigger spoons/raps.

I got a TUCR Precision last year and have been very happy with it. Couldn’t really imagine there’s much that’s better.

Thorne Bros Perch Sweetheart

Definitely don’t go with a noodle rod for a walleye jigging rod. Get the best, most sensitive rod you can afford. Ideally put the reel you plan to use on the rod and see how it feels/grips/balances before buying. Plenty of good rods at $30-60 range.

If it’s in the budget both the TUCR Precision and TB Perch Sweetheart are great rods for this application.

For jigging, my go-to rod depends on the lake I am fishing. If I am fishing a lake that has a reasonable shot at a big walleye or where most everything is eater size plays a part in the first rod a reach for.

If there is a decent chance at a walleye 22in or bigger I reach for the TUCR Commander. If I think the majority of walleyes will be in the 12″ to 18″ range, I reach for the DH Customs Perch Pounder or TUCR Fusion. Also, I will have a deadstick with a slip bobber and/or some tipups out too (depending on the state I am fishing in)

After all the recommendations for a TUCR precision 32” I’ll probably give one a shot. Will it handle the occasional large pike or large walleye ok too? What’s a good reel to pair with it?

I have 2 Precision’s and they will definitely handle large walleyes and regular size pike.

I typically pair my walleye rods with a Okuma Ceymar or Pflueger President

13fishing whicked has been my favorite rod for perch and eyes. I’m not fishing big walleye 15-20” range.

Funny this topic came up. Ordered my tucr precision with a Ceymar last Sunday night. Can’t wait to use it.

Really any of the $40 and up reels will handle what you would expect to catch.

I like the tucr commander, dh walleye stinger, and the thorn walleye sweetheart. If dropping down in lure size, I go to the thorn perch sweetheart or the dh perch pounder.

Most Joe Schmoe fishermen should have 4 main rods: 2 graphites, and 2 noodles. One of each shelter rigged with braid to fluoro, and one of each outdoor rigged using straight fluoro for brutal temps.

Yeah, we can get into deadsticks, and having different presentations, but for a basic setup… good enough.

I keep my rods at $50-75 so I don’t feel sick about a $100 rod if a tip gets smashed for some stupid reason, or in the process hauling the flipover behind the snowmobile.

I got a Thorne Bros Perch Sweetheart late last season and it quickly became my go-to ‘light’ walleye rod over the TUCR Precisions. I’ll keep those for perching. The Perch Sweetheart fishes like a slightly faster version of the Precision with a little more backbone. A 24″ walleye will bend the Precision all the way down to the handle. I have the Thorne 36″ with 7″ Winn grip and keep 1/16-3/16oz spoons and lighter jigging baits on it. It’s the ideal spoon rod, IMO.

For slightly heavier stuff, I also use a 38″ Commander with 8″ grip for 3/16-5/16oz baits. This primarily serves as a jigging bait rod, but occasionally I’d drop a heavier spoon with it too.

Both rigs have light, 7-7.5oz 2500-size reels. Both have 4-6# Yo Zuri Hybrid copolymer line that handles/breaks heavier than the rated strength.

These are both long rods. On both, the reel is taped right up at the front of the handle about an 1/4″ back. This allows me to pencil-grip the rod in the house so it’s more compact and overhand grip the handle behind the reel outside of the house. Best of both worlds.

Jake D wrote:

Thorne Bros Perch Sweetheart

The wife and I both use these. The walleye sweetheart is a little stiff for our liking.