Are Walmart Fishing Rods Any Good? – All You Need To Know

Walmart stores across the country stock a variety of affordable fishing equipment.

The added advantage of being a one-stop shopping destination for everything a fisherman might need : rods, poles, reels, lures, hooks, liners, and sinkers, is what makes Walmart a great place to buy fishing rods and other gear.

Are Walmart fishing rods any good? Yes, Walmart’s fishing rods are known to be good bargains, however, it depends on what kind of fishing you plan to do, what kind of fisherman you are, and what features are you looking for in a fishing rod?

Let’s consider some of the fishing rods that are available at Walmart, and go over the pros and cons of shopping there for your fishing rod.

Fishing rods for Beginners

If you’re in the market for your first fishing rod, then Walmart has a few options for you.

Shakespeare Ugly Stik

Walmart’s line of Shakespeare Ugly Stik fishing rods have been around for a long time. That doesn’t mean, however, that they’re outdated.

Walmart has maintained steady upgrades in both style and make of these fishing rods. They are known for being durable, not overly sensitive, with great casting and control.

The Ugly Stik GX2 is popular among new fishermen as it offers superior grip, lighter feel, improved components and eye-catching cosmetics for a more modern look.

It also comes with a 7-year warranty, something any buyer can appreciate.

As a beginner, you’ll not be accustomed to standing still for a long time, holding a rod that will seem like it’s getting heavier every minute.

The lightweight design will not only help improve your range of movement but also help in regulating fatigue.

Another popular fishing rod offered by Walmart is the Zebco Rhino Tough Cross-Weave Glowtip Casting Fishing Rod, which has been known to give beginners a good fishing experience.

If you’re a dad who’s looking to buy your son-or daughter- his or her first ever fishing rod, Walmart has got it.

Related reading: Can You Legally Buy a Fishing License from Walmart? (Updated Facts)

Viugreum’s Beginner Children’s Fishing Rod Set

This portable fishing rod set is a set for children that comes with a retractable fishing rod, spinning reel, fishing line and tackle- everything your child needs on his first fishing trip.

It is also suitable for adult beginners. The rod is 1.8m/5.91ft long, and the retractable length is 40cm/15.75inches and

weighs around 300 grams, so it is easy to hold and carry. It features a high quality base, a ceramic guide ring, a tough body and a comfortable handle. It is built to be sturdy, dependable and to withstand a lot – even children.

Walmart’s Fishing rods for experienced fishermen

If you are a fishing aficionado, the fishing rods that Walmart offers might sometimes not be enough for you.

Walmart, while known to provide customers with durable and affordable fishing rods and equipment, doesn’t offer many the high-end, high-tech or flashy fishing rods But they do offer and promise good prices and variety on the rods they do have.

Berkley Cherrywood HD Casting Fishing Rod

The Cherrywood has a hybrid design construction that delivers unparalleled grip and control.

It is a sensitive rod, which is best suited for fishermen who know how to handle the advance tactile features that the Cherrywood has.

The fact that it comes with 6 guides for beginners to learn from and subsequently upgrade to the Cherrywood as they level up, makes it one of Walmart’s most feasible choice of fishing rods.

The Berkley Lightning Rod and Berkley Lightning Shock are designed for beginners, but in such a way that beginners can get even better use of the rods as they advance their skill.

Walmart’s fishing rods for different kinds of fishing.

Keep in mind that the style of fishing you plan to do also plays a huge role when you pick out fishing rods.

Walmart’s Ugly Stiks only offer fishing rods that can be used to cast or spin fishing. So if you’re looking for fly-rods, over-head rods or surf rods, you won’t have to look far.

Eagle Claw Featherlight Fly Rod

Made of Cherrywood and aluminum reel seat, the Eagle Claw comes with a reliable and secure fly reel that is optimal for fly-fishing.

This rod is appealing to both traditional fishermen and beginners. The two-piece fibreglass blank of the Eagle Claw with its durable and forgiving cork grip provides a traditional feel, but allows for modern presentation.

Thinking about surf fishing?

Penn Prevail Surf Fishing Spinning Combo

The Pen Prevail surf rods are designed for strength and performance, with two piece graphite, composite rod blank that makes for great surf fishing.

The rubber shrink tube handle design on the rods provide great grip

Walmart’s rod-and-reel combos

Speaking of combos, perhaps one the most enticing factors of Walmart’s fishing rods, that

really make it worth the buy, is the rod-and-reel combos for those on a budget.

Think back to the Penn Prevail Surf Fishing Spinning Combo. It isn’t often that you find a high-end surf rod that you can pair perfectly with the Penn Sargus, Fierce or Pursuit spinning reels offered in this combo buy.

Walmart also has the Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Fishing Spinning Combo that has all that the GX2 rod offers, along with the traditional and sturdy, improved and sensitive Shakespeare spinning reels.

What are some of the advantages of Walmart fishing Rods?

Variety 

The sheer variety that Walmart offers is a big plus for buyers. They have the illusion of choice, of believing they’re sorting and filtering through different rods to find the one. 

Price

Walmart fishing rods, are priced anywhere between 8%-40% cheaper than their competitors. Again, the low prices are a big lure, no pun intended, for prospective buyers.

The rods at Walmart are hardly going to put a gaping hole in your pocket or leave you eating out of a cereal box for months. However, their effectiveness and quality might not have you swimming in sea-food.

The combo price bundles are nothing to sneeze at, either. You walk away with a decent, relatively sturdy fishing rod and a reel, for almost half the price. 

Some people might find this suspicious, that so many options are being offered at such competitive prices. They may doubt the quality of the products they’re buying.

All good things come at a cost, right? So, does that mean they’re really good?

Is there a downside to shopping at Walmart?

While Warmart offers a variety of fishing rods, and all the other equipment that you’ll need to get ready for your fishing trip, sometimes, popping down to an outdoor equipment storemight offer more exclusive, perhaps even custom fishing rods for you to consider and buy.

Berkley’s or Bass Pro’s offer a solid selection of fishing rods and other fishing equipment, with the added advantage of being able to talk to sales assistants who are trained to know their fishing rods, and can give you all the information you might need to make a good purchase, whether you’re a beginner or an expert fisherman.

You cannot expect the same prices here that you were enjoying at Walmart, however, a Shimano Stradic CI4+ FB Spinning Reel from Bass Pro is nearly four times the price of an average Ugly Stick.

This gap in price does not mean that Walmart fishing rods are of lesser quality just because they are cheaper.

The logic behind Walmart’s affordable prices is simple.

They just sell their products at lesser prices, which directly increases the quantity of the products sold, which will make up for any differences in profit.

So, going back to the question from earlier: Are Walmart fishing rods worth it?

For the variety they offer, at that price and also taking into consideration the quality and the combo-offers that Walmart provide, I’d say that is an affirmative.

You might, perhaps ask yourself one last question to determine if Walmart is the right place to buy the best fishing rods to give you the best fishing experience.

Ask yourself if you are interested in actually fishing, or just in the act of fishing while you kick back with a cold one, because if it’s the latter, Walmart has beer that you can buy, once you’ve picked out your fishing rod.

Can WALMART Fishing Rods Catch Big Fish? >> Check out the video below: