Best Travel Fishing Rods – Updated for 2023

Reason to fish (What will you be fishing for?)

Whether you’re surf fishing in a rocky area, next to steep beach banks, or in a little backyard pond, the kind of fish you capture entirely depends on your location. You determine what equipment you require based on your location.

Fishing Performance

When a rod is bent, action refers to how much it flexes throughout its length and how quickly the rod tip returns to its neutral state. The taper, length, and material of the rod’s blank (core) all have an impact on the rod’s motion. The motion of a fishing rod determines both the sort of fishing for which it is most suited and the way it will handle a fish.

Materials and Construction

The materials used to construct modern fishing rods — carbon, graphite, fiberglass construction, and composite—each have unique properties that affect the travel rod’s overall action and feel.

There are significant technical distinctions and benefits, but the choice of rod grip and guide/runner material may simply come down to personal preference and the amount of money you are prepared to spend on your first travel spinning rod.

Usually travel rods are made from carbon fiber that offers higher performance, but it may be too expensive for your first fishing pole so you might stick with the regular rods.

Durability

There are several justifications for using a stronger travel spinning rod. One of the key elements that determine how much time you’ll have on the lake is the sturdiness of the travel rod.

After just a few usages, you’ll notice problems with the grip and strength of your rod if it isn’t sturdy enough. For this reason, it’s crucial to get a sturdy travel fishing rod that won’t malfunction as soon as it gets wet.

Moreover, keep in mind that you’ll use your travel fishing rod in a variety of settings. You’ll be out on the water, and you could capture some fish that are large enough to fight back. The pressure of battling a monster fish will require a robust pole, so choose one of them.

Your travel fishing rod won’t survive as long as the one that is sturdy, which brings us to our second point. This implies that as time goes on, you’ll need to replace your rods, especially saltwater fishing rods, more frequently.

This is not only more expensive but also inconvenient because you’ll have to buy new ones every time they malfunction or stop working due to damage from weather or other factors like rocks that might get caught in them while fishing in the wild.

Modular vs Telescopic

Modular rods always outperform telescopic rods on that front. Since they are mechanically simpler, they are far less likely to malfunction, and as ferrule technology has advanced in the fishing industry since the 1980s, increasing that number to three, four, or even five does not significantly reduce sensitivity.

And to be brutally honest, businesses like St. Croix and Fenwick have well-deserved reputations that they won’t jeopardize performance by providing subpar designs. All of this adds up to the fact that modular construction is typically the best option.

Guides

You must be asking yourself, “Do I really need to know about rod guides too? ” at this point. Although we don’t blame you, you’d be shocked at just how much these tiny rings may impact the caliber of your angling. There isn’t much to them, but there are a few things you ought to be aware of.

The majority of guides have an inside ceramic coating on metal frames. The coating lessens line friction, allowing for easy movement. These days, ceramic-coated rod guides are practically standard on all fishing rods.

A 7′ rod, for instance, might contain anywhere between 6 and 9 stainless steel guides. Generally speaking, a rod should have as many guides as possible.

Handles

There are two fundamental types of materials for the rod handle: cork and EVA foam. The majority of anglers concur that cork is a more pleasant material since it provides more comfort and warmth on chilly days.

There are numerous different forms for travel spinning rod handles, but two stand out as the most popular. These are the trigger stick and the gun grip. A short, curved handle with a hook for your index finger is called a pistol grip. This kind of handle is excellent for accurate jigging motions and casting.

With the extended grip of the trigger stick, you may cast while using both hands. While combating bigger species, it is typically preferable to the pistol grip since it enables you to cast considerably farther. It only depends on your preference for certain types of fishing as there is no price difference between the two.