The best deep sea fishing rods range from medium to heavy action and provide enough drag to let you hook the biggest fish without fear of the blank snapping.
Fiberglass rods are more forgiving and hold up better if you’re new to deep sea fishing. Graphite rods are lightweight and provide excellent action, but someone who doesn’t know how to handle hooking a monster can ruin the rod quickly.
Blanks made from graphite and fiberglass composite offer lightweight construction and durability, the best of both worlds for new and experienced anglers alike. In addition, features like the ability to increase and decrease the drag on a reel can mean the difference between wearing out your catch and snapping the line.
The following brands stand up to heavy use and offer features the best deep sea fishing rods need to have.
Top 10 Deep Sea Fishing Rods
- Penn Squall Lever Wind Reel & Rod Combo
- Ugly Stik Stand-Up Rod
- Okuma’s Makaira Saltwater Carbon Fishing Rod
- PENN Carnage II Conventional Boat Rod
- St. Croix Mojo Salt-Series Conventional Rods
- Shimano Trevala
- Daiwa Tatula Casting Rod
- Fiblink Saltwater Offshore Heavy Trolling Fishing Rod
- Daiwa Proteus
- PENN Ally Boat Fishing Rod
Penn Squall Lever Wind Reel & Rod Combo
This one-piece Penn Squall rod and reel combo for trolling is a lightweight and ergonomic 1.58 kilogram because of its graphite frame and side plates.
The machined aluminum spool has six stainless steel bearings and guides with aluminum oxide inserts.
The black rod comes in a 6′ heavy model with a 60 size reel or a 6’6″ medium-heavy model with a 50 size reel. It features the PENN Dura-Drag formula that smooths drag performance and helps prevent water damage, with a drag up to 30 lbs, so it can handle whatever you hook.
Ugly Stik Bigwater Stand-Up Rod
The medium action Ugly Stik Bigwater spinning rod measures 6’6″ of Ugly Tech construction of fiberglass and graphite for lightweight strength. The black, yellow, and red rod has durable EVA grips and enough durability to stand up to the biggest fish.
The Ugly Tuff stainless steel guides are durable one-piece guides that eliminate pop-outs. Pac Bay reel seats and roller guides make reel attachment easy, and the rod handles up to 30 lbs of drag.
You can also choose between 7′ or 8′ models that come in one or two pieces and offer medium to medium-heavy action line-rated from 10 to 40 lbs.
Okuma’s Makaira Saltwater Carbon Fishing Rod
Made to pair perfectly with Okuma’s Cedros and Makaira lever drag reels, this rod has a lightweight carbon composite blank, shrink tube grips, and hard zirconium guide inserts to work with braided lines.
The rod measures 5’10” and has aluminum reel seats and stainless steel guide frames offering medium action designed for live bait trolling. Abalone inserts add style to give the rod a custom look.
Okuma’s casting rods have a rubber gimbal, while the popping and trolling rods with heavier action have aluminum gimbals for extra strength and stability.
PENN Carnage II Conventional Boat Rod
Penn’s Pac Bay aluminum reel seat and gimbal combine with a non-slip foregrip and Fuji K guides with Alconite inserts in these super lightweight rods. SLS3 blank construction offers light and thin diameters without losing the strength necessary to handle the biggest fish.
The rod handles compact reels with braided lines for greater drag pressures and features slower action than similar rods. Fish how you prefer, but this Penn Carnage II rod is one of the best deep sea fishing rods for throwing lures for tuna.
It’ll prove that a thin, lightweight rod can still have a ton of power. Choose between medium action 6’6″ or 7′ rods for up to 50lbs or a heavy action 6′ rod that can handle 100lb.
St. Croix Mojo Salt-Series Conventional Rods
The Mojo Salt series of St. Croix convention rods come in 6’6″, 7′, and 7’6″ lengths with medium to heavy action.
A blend of SCII carbon with FRS technology and S-glass with Advanced Reinforcing Technology (ART) and Integrated Poly Curve (IPC) mandrel technology make these rods sturdy but lightweight with a premium EVA hand for a strong grip.
Corrosion-resistant aluminum-oxide guides with rings resist the damaging effects of saltwater to keep these rods long-lasting even with heavy use. They work well as a boat, jetty, and pier rod for overall saltwater fishing needs.
Shimano Trevala
These Shimano Trevala medium-fast action jigging rods range from 68″ to 86″ and can handle braided line weights of 30 to 200 lbs, depending on the rod. Fuji reel seats and Fuji or Alconite reel guides provide no-slip accuracy for high-speed reels.
The EVA handles provide maximum grip and comfort while holding these rods designed for use with Shimano’s butterfly jigs. The comfortable foam fore and rear grips make it easy to battle the big fish without fatigue.
The blank construction is a blend of graphite and glass for lightweight spinning and jigging.
Daiwa Tatula Casting Rod
Choose from 6’10”, 7’1″, or 7’6″ if you want a medium-heavy or heavy fast action Daiwa Tatula baitcasting rod, or choose a 7’1″ heavy action rod. The natural cork handle molds itself to your grip over time, and the graphite rod blank keeps this strong rod lightweight and easy to handle.
Fuji FazLite K-guides provide smooth, tangle-free performance with braided lines. These rods are eye-catching, too. The Tatula Series black graphite finish comes with an attractive Tatula spider icon laser-etched into the surface.
The Tatula series works best for baitcasting with heavier lines and helps users make accurate casts with the new Fuji guides.
Fiblink Saltwater Offshore Heavy Trolling Fishing Rod
Big game anglers can reel in the biggest catch with these Fiblink heavy trolling rods that come in styles to handle 30-50, 50-80, or 80-120 pound test lines. You can also choose one-piece 6′ and 7’6″ rods with medium-heavy action.
These rods have carbon, fiberglass, and graphite construction that keeps them lightweight and stainless steel roller guides that make trolling easier on you while resisting corrosion.
The EVA foam handles and foregrips are comfortable and easy to hold even when wet.
An aluminum gimbal cap butt offers leverage when you’ve hooked a big one and have a long battle ahead.
Daiwa Proteus
This Daiwa Proteus rod is 7’6″ with heavy and fast action designed for 50-100 lb braided lines. You can also choose a 7′ medium-heavy rod for a 40-80 lb test or another of the 11 baitcasting and 8 spinning models.
These rods use the Fuji FazLite K-guides for tangle-free action and blanks constructed from High-Volume Fiber (HVF) carbon to prevent twisting and distortion under pressure.
The EVA grips provide sure and comfortable control. The Proteus line of rods is among the best deep sea fishing rods for inshore and offshore anglers.
PENN Ally Boat Fishing Rod
These PENN Ally casting rods come in 5’6″, 6′, and 6’6″ lengths with medium-heavy to heavy action and the ability to handle up to 100lb line.
The one-piece construction with a tubular glass blank keeps the rods lightweight, and the solid tip resists breaking. The EVA grip is triangular to help prevent rod rotation while fighting a big catch.
Aluminum and graphite reel seats prevent pop-offs, and the Fuji guides and Pac Bay rollers provide tangle-free operation.
PENN quality construction, corrosion resistance, and features designed to keep that big game fish on your line make these Ally rods some of the best deep sea fishing rods available.
Final Thoughts
The best deep sea fishing rods cost more than rods and reels you use in freshwater fishing or saltwater bay fishing. They represent a significant investment and must be heavy-duty to stand up to the bigger fish in deeper ocean waters.
It can take some practice and experience learning how to use your rod and reel to target the big fish species like lionfish, tuna, cobia, black drum, and snook. But the right rod and reel combination and some practice will have you hooking the big ones in no time.
These deep-sea fishing rods start you out with the right equipment so you won’t lose fish to problems with line tangling, pop-outs, or rods that can’t handle the weight. And don’t forget a heavy-duty reel to go with it!
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