Best Float Fishing Rods: Our Top Picks 2023
Traditionally, when you think of fishing, one key item of tackle that springs to mind is a fishing rod. However, in most recent years, particularly Coarse or Match fishing, you far more likely to see anglers using a fishing pole rather than a rod.
While pole fishing has far exceeded the traditional rod and reel form of fishing, there is, and always will be, a place for at least a couple of decent fishing rods in your arsenal.
For me, even today, there is something quite satisfying and therapeutic about setting up with a rod a reel. It brings back memories of sitting on a bank, talking to my late father, while I thread my line through the guides of a rod.
Casting your bait with a rod and reel is a skill that every angler should have, even if it lacks the precision of using pole, there is a real sense of accomplishment when casting your bait at a target spot and hitting it dead on.
Landing a fish using rod and reel is also a different experience to using pole and requires a different skill set in order to know when to let a fish run, manage the drag and know when to reel.
Personally, I prefer fishing on pole, but I still break out a float or feeder rod on almost all fishing trips.
Fishing rods range quite dramatically in price; from as low as £20, for a low-end budget rod, to exceeding £400 for professional standard match rods. Even a high-end match rod is a fraction of the price of a high end 16m pole, so if budget is important to you, rod and reel may be the best way to go.
You can read about my recommended reels here – Best Fishing Reels: Top Picks 2018
Top Picks – Budget
Drennan Red Range 13FT Float Rod (Click to check current Amazon price)
This is a remarkably well balanced, three-piece carbon blank which has all the attributes needed in a general-purpose float rod.
Check Price of Drennan Red Range
Top Picks – Mid Range
Drennan Acolyte 12ft Carp Waggler Rod (Click to check current Amazon price)
The 12FT Acolyte is the perfect tool for general float fishing on commercial fisheries. This versatile rod can be effectively used at close range with small to medium Wagglers and pellet Wagglers but can also be employed much further out with loaded floats right up to 20g.
Check Price of Drennan Acolyte
The elements of a Float Fishing Rod
There are a number of elements that make up a fishing rod, the term rod is the culmination of all these elements combined.
- Blanks – The blanks of a rod are the tubular sections (often 2 or 3 sections), that make up the ‘back-bone’ if you will, of the rod. Usually a carbon or carbon-composite construction.
- Guides – The guides are rings that are attached to the blanks and are which you thread your line from the reel to the tip of the rod.
- Reel Seat – The section of the rod that the reel connects to. These are usually produced in one of two styles, DPS or Fuji style.
- Handle – The section of the rod that incorporates the reel seat and the part that you hold. The handle is often constructed of either EVA or Cork. Cork is more traditional where EVA has growing popularity due to its durability and the ease of which it can be moulded in to more comfortable designs.
Key Features of a Good Float Fishing Rod
- Length – Float rods are typically long and thin and are designed to enable you to be able to cast reasonable distances. 10ft or longer would, typically be the length of a decent float rod. As with all rods, the longer the rod the greater the distance you can cast.
- Weight – Float rods are designed to be light to ensure that they are delicate enough to play even small fish without causing them harm.
- Power – Despite being especially light, float rods are designed to be quite powerful in order to handle larger species as well as small.
- Versatility – Although many float rods are advertised as being designed for a specific method of fishing, such as “Carp Waggler”; a decent float rod will be capable of fishing all float methods.
- Responsiveness – The responsiveness is how the tip of the rod responds to bites on the line. Stronger rods tend to be less responsive meaning that it can sometimes be difficult to “feel” the play of a fish if it has taken the bait. A good float rod would have good responsiveness and strength combined.
- Line rating – Line rating is the recommend weight of the main line used with the rod. This is also an indicator to the strength of a rod. The higher the line rating, the stronger the rod. A good, typical line rating for a float rod would be 3lb – 8lb
Where to Buy
The obvious choice, and first stop for most people with any purchase, would be Amazon. Amazon often have some great deals, especially around holiday seasons, such as Christmas and New Year. Amazon is also a great place to read reviews from other buyers.
AnglingDirect is also a personal favourite of mine when shopping online, they stock a huge range of all types of fishing tackle, including hundreds of poles.
If you prefer to shop in store rather than online, then I’d certainly recommend your local tackle shop. You may pay a higher price in store, but you get to actually get a feel for the reel, attach it to a rod and see how the weight fares etc. While a tackle shop may not stock as many as an online store, in most cases they will be able to order in a product if requested. Plus you have the added benefit of supporting a local business.