After a few years hiatus I’m back in the game. What spinning  rod would you recommend for multipurpose use while wading or walking the bank where you can only take one rod? Rod will be used for soft plastics, small swimbaits, small jerk baits, inline spinner etc. budget is $75 the cheaper the better!

Also should note the only decent store that sells freshwater tackle near me is dicks sporting goods 

11 minutes ago, JustinJ said:

After a few years hiatus I’m back in the game. What spinning  rod would you recommend for multipurpose use while wading or walking the bank where you can only take one rod? Rod will be used for soft plastics, small swimbaits, small jerk baits, inline spinner etc. budget is $75 the cheaper the better!

Also should note the only decent store that sells freshwater tackle near me is dicks sporting goods 

Berkley Lightning Rod

22 minutes ago, JustinJ said:

Also should note the only decent store that sells freshwater tackle near me is dicks sporting goods 

Go to the DSG website and set your local store. Do a search for in store items then list what's available at your price point. You'll probably get a few suggestions which will leave you completely confused, so just flip a coin and be happy with whatever.😁

Daiwa Aird X and it’s not close. 

^ What he said.

Berkley Lightning $45-$60  (No idea on new ones.  Old one has caught hundreds)

Berkley Cherrywood $30

Daiwa Aird-X $60  (Praised in its price range)

Daiwa Laguna $40  (Handled casting rod in store.  Surprised by how light.  New model, I think)

13 Fishing has several lines

24 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

Daiwa Laguna $40  (Handled casting rod in store.  Surprised by how light.  New model, I think)

If it's improved - had one several years ago, got rid of it as soon as I could.

DSG looks like they have the Lew's carbon fiber rods on sale for $55 right now. Not the most expensive rod on the planet but I've used one before and would say it's a decent rod at that price.

Daiwa Aird-X in that price range. Or whatever you get, but know that it won’t be as good as the Aird-x at that price point.

Aird x reel seat/grip looks odd. I hold my rod above reel with all fingers. I prefer foregrip 

Another honorable mention is the KastKing 3pc. Perigee II spinning rod with 2 tips or go with a 2pc. with one tip and get medium. with a lower price. KK has a big presence on Amazon. Bank fishing? I've done a little bit of it and still do.

Good Fishing

Shimano Sellus

While Dick's might be the closest, ebay ships everywhere. Spend $40 on a good used reel and then buy a cheaper rod. I seen a couple Bass Pro Qualifier reels on there in that range.

 

I have a Berkley Cherrywood rod for keeping in the car.

 

I'd rather have a good reel and a cheap rod than the other way around.

12 hours ago, VolFan said:

Daiwa Aird X and it’s not close. 

I see these rods recommended a lot on here. I bought one a few months ago and I can’t stand the thing. Feels like a dead, whippy noodle. I must be Aird-Xing wrong, because the general consensus is certainly that they are great budget rods. But with Fenwick Eagles around the same price, I can’t justify the Aird-X

My favorite cheap M rod is the Lews Hank Parker.  

19 hours ago, Brian11719 said:

DSG looks like they have the Lew's carbon fiber rods on sale for $55 right now. Not the most expensive rod on the planet but I've used one before and would say it's a decent rod at that price.

I’ll second this even though I only own 2 bait casting rods I really like mine especially my 7’-0” medium power rod. 

 

7 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

My favorite cheap M rod is the Lews Hank Parker.  

I also have a 6’-10” medium powered casting rod in the Lews Hank Parker series and I can say with 99.99% certainty they are the exact same rods with the difference being Wynn grips vs EVA foam on my HP rod which I believe they are now cork grips. Either way excellent rods for the money and the HP series are available at Walmart which practically every town has.

On 8/2/2025 at 6:39 AM, Jar11591 said:

I see these rods recommended a lot on here. I bought one a few months ago and I can’t stand the thing. Feels like a dead, whippy noodle. I must be Aird-Xing wrong, because the general consensus is certainly that they are great budget rods. But with Fenwick Eagles around the same price, I can’t justify the Aird-X

 

Isn't the Fenwick Eagle over twice the price? I can get an Aird-X at Academy for $49.99, Eagle is on TW for $119.95. Unless you're still finding previous gen ones at closeout deals....

 

The Aird-X is IMO the best widely-available rod at the 50 dollar price point. I do wish they'd throw a couple more guides on them, though. I have a 7'3" MH casting rod and under load the line rubs the blank in a few spots with only 7+1 guides.

@Aaron_H you are correct. I was still going by 2022 prices. Didn’t realize they had jumped so much. 
 

Maybe I need to fish my Aird-X more to see what everybody else is seeing. 

Lews Hank Parker rod. Pretty decent for the money 

Dobyns Maverick 702sf on sale at Amazon for $55

Lots of good suggestions here, I’ll add the following:

 

Abu Garcia Vengeance

BPS Tourney Special

13 Fishing Defy 

 

 

Not a fan of the Vengence, or Berkley LR for the medium powers.  I've owned a few Vengence and Berkley LRs.  Each one has what I consider the star of the line.  With the Vengence it's the 76H, the 7MH for the Lighting rod and both of the Lews Hank Parkers are good.  The Lews HP 7MH is a little unusual in that it is a broom handle but that's also its strength.  The 610M has what I expect out of a medium powered rod. 

 

If you wanted some sort of cheap rod lineup you could use the Lews HP medium for finesse spinning.  The 7MH LR for moving baits like square bills (3/8 oz+), buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and paddle tails up to a 6" Cullshad.  The Lews HP 7MH as a big worm, jig, frog and short punching stick and the 76H Vengence as a punching, beast hook paddle tail and big bait rod.  You can alternatively use the 76H Vengeance as a super deep cranking and swing head jig rod with a forgiving line.  I've done it with 12# Big Game and it works but that rod is too stiff in the middle to be ideal.  It's very similar to my 711XH Veritas Winch 2.0 but stiffer in the middle.

Dicks has their own exclusive rod series by Dobyns rods called the Frenzy series at 79.99 retail.  The Mavericks at 55.00 is another huge value if they have the model you want.  Sportsman’s Warehouse has their own Dobyns series on sale for 99.99 and that series is really good.  

On 8/2/2025 at 6:39 AM, Jar11591 said:

I see these rods recommended a lot on here. I bought one a few months ago and I can’t stand the thing. Feels like a dead, whippy noodle. I must be Aird-Xing wrong, because the general consensus is certainly that they are great budget rods. But with Fenwick Eagles around the same price, I can’t justify the Aird-X

 

The Aird-X is definitely slower than Daiwa's Tatulas, but not whippy to me. Whippy to me would be an UglyStick. I don't love the Aird's reelseats, and keep them as backups for friends who come along and fish with me once in a while, but they perform well for $50.

On 8/5/2025 at 12:25 AM, Columbia Craw said:

Dicks has their own exclusive rod series by Dobyns rods called the Frenzy series at 79.99 retail.  The Mavericks at 55.00 is another huge value if they have the model you want.  Sportsman’s Warehouse has their own Dobyns series on sale for 99.99 and that series is really good.  

There is a.....forgot how to use English's Sporting Goods here in Chattanooga. When this new store was opened a few years ago they (she) decided not to sell hunting and fishing gear. Lake Chickamauga and Nickajack really close and Guntersville not too far away. I digress. 

 

Shimano has several options in your price range. For a little more, $100.00, you can get a Shimano SLX A.