The Best Affordable Fishing Rods (and Gear) for Less-Than-Expert Fishers

“The easiest place for anyone to start is panfishing,” says Ross Gordon, the CEO of modern fishing brand Catch Co, “because they’re in every body of water, are relatively small, and are super easy to catch, as their populations are very high wherever they are.” Because panfish are lighter, experts recommend using lighter rods. (In general, the lighter the fish, the lighter your rod should be, so that you can feel when it nibbles.) “The main thing you want with panfishing is light action,” says John DeCuffa of the Bronx’s Jack’s Bait and Tackle, because it gives you “the sensitivity to feel the bite” (in the words of Arthur Bronson, president of the International Federation of Black Bass Anglers.)

This affordable, ultra-light spinning rod from fishing brand Shakespeare was recommended to us as a great starting point by Gordon, Hedaya, and Bronson. That’s because on top of it being a light rod with a suitable length for panfishing, it’s also a “combo” rod, meaning it comes with a reel and line already attached.

While generally speaking live bait “will get a little more bite,” Gordon acknowledges that “it’s a tradeoff — they don’t last as long, and people tend to be squeamish around them.” If you don’t like the idea of putting live worms onto a hook (we don’t blame you) our experts told us that thankfully you can also easily catch a fish with artificial bait. “Fish will feed based on a variety of their senses, from sight to smell to taste, and they also have a line down the side of their body that can detect movements in the water. They’re reactive predators, and not that intelligent.” All that to say, Gordon says, that “If they’re feeding and there’s an artificial lure in the water, they’ll come and check it out. They may not hold it as long, but they’ll hold it long enough for you to start reeling.”

Ross’ favorite artificial kit for panfishing is called, fittingly, the PanFish magnet. “I recommend it to people fishing for the first time, because it’s an all-in-one kit,” he says. Hedaya is also a fan of kits like this, because they come in a number of colors, which he and magazine editor (and longtime fisherman) Matt Hranek tell us is a good thing, because if you aren’t getting bites, sometimes changing up the color of your bait is just the thing to get a different reaction.

When it comes to bobbers (which sit on the water and drop below when a fish pulls it, telling you when to start reeling) our expects universally said that almost all simple, round bobbers will work just fine. However, Gordon did point out that he doesn’t recommend ‘Flip Bobbers’, where “Your line runs through the bobber,” to beginners, because they increase the risk of tangles. These simpler bobbers were recommended to us by Hedaya. (Note: there are no bobbers in the next section, as in bass fishing it isn’t customary to use one.)

There are a few reasons that at some point you’ll want to level up to bass fishing, say our experts. “You want to catch bigger fish,” is one reason Gordon mentioned, but he adds that, “there’s also an element of sportsmanship in bass fishing, too, that’s a little different. Because you’re relying on the feel of rod rather than a bobber, there’s more skill involved.”

To put yourself in the best position to solve that puzzle without breaking the bank, our experts all said you’ll want to purchase another combo rod with a spinning reel, although this time one that’s a little sturdier, as bass are bigger and you don’t need as light a rod to feel them. “The most important thing for beginners,” Bronson says, is to “not get a specialized bass rod, but to get one that is durable and will work for every circumstance, and is economical.”

This stronger rod came recommended to us by three experts who vouch for the brand’s quality at an affordable price point. They also like it because, at 6’ 6”, it’s longer than the panfishing rod, which is better for bass fishing, because “it gives you the most reach, control, and flexibility. Anything shorter and you’re going to have to work harder.” And Hedaya says that this is the model he keeps in his car to teach friends with, and that it’s never let him down.

Hranek told us he’d also recommend an entry-level bass fishing rod like this one from Shimano (which Gordon is also a fan of) for the simple reason that they produce rods all the way up to the most expert level. “As you get better at it,” he says, “you can graduate within the brand portfolio to better versions of what you started out with.”

The majority of our experts, however, told us they use rubber worms when bass fishing. “I also use topwater poppers,” Hranek says, “but I find nine times out of ten, they’re taking the rubber worm.” Both Hranek and Hedaya told us about how having a kit with multiple colors of rubber worms is preferable, as, according to Hranek, “when they’re not hitting, you throw an unexpected color and sometimes, even if out of aggression, that’s what makes them finally bite. What you’re trying to do is have them respond to you.” Hedaya tells us this has long been his favorite kit to use, as it comes with 46 rubber worms of different sizes and colors.