Helping you choose a top-notch rod-and-reel setup for 2025 – Outdoor News
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Rods and reels for 2025 are smoother, cast better, and are probably cooler looking than ever before. From the spools that help you cast further, to baitcasters that have you digging fewer backlashes, anglers will get in more casts per day.
It’s a great year to be on the water.
13 Fishing
The new Oath Series fishing rods from 13 Fishing are for serious anglers inspired by their top pro anglers.
They come in three models – casting, cranking, and spinning – which allows anglers to prepare for every type of on-the-water presentation. Rods range in action from moderately fast to extremely fast, and power from moderately light to heavy.
They are built with high quality components that provide a consistent performance and durability.
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G. Loomis
The revamped GLX BASS series offers a comprehensive lineup of 36 purpose-built models with structural upgrades achieved through a proprietary blend of high-modulus graphite and advanced resin technologies.
The rod blanks have boosted strength-to-weight ratios, heightened balance, and pumped sensitivity. To isolate and reinforce areas likely to fail under load and to provide maximum durability, G. Loomis engineers roll each rod on stepped mandrels machined with micro-tapers within the overall taper.
St. Croix Rods
St. Croix has 36 new rods that will complement their SEVIIN reels in the Black Bass series, which were designed and executed to appeal to bass anglers at all levels. The rods offer premium SCIII carbon for blanks on the merits of its balance of high performance, exceptional durability, and value.
They also are built with proven guide trains, conventional handle designs in split-grip configurations, and put emphasized attention on the design of the reel-seat nut – its lockdown ability and its aesthetics – to support satisfying fishing during long days on the water.
Okuma
The Okuma Ceymar Baitfeeder “A” features an on/off auto trip bait-feeding system allowing you to easily switch between bait-feeding mode and standard mode, giving you greater control over your fishing experience – perfect for walleye seekers!
The Flite shaft system ensures increased smoothness, providing a seamless casting and retrieving experience and multi-disc Carbonite drag washers and 7BB+1RB stainless steel bearings, help deliver performance and durability.
By Incorporating Cyclonic Flow Rotor technology, optimized airflow improves casting distance and accuracy.
Pair it up with an Okuma Dead Eye Pro “A” Series Walleye Rod and targeting walleye is a cinch. Crafted with precision engineering and packed with innovative features, the rods are designed to elevate your walleye fishing experience to new heights.
Built for technique-specific fishing, they feature ultra-responsive 24/30-ton carbon blanks, and UFRII (Ultimate Flex Reinforced) rod tip technology provides enhanced sensitivity and strength.
Elliott
Elliott Performance Bass rods deliver performance and precision at an appealing price.
Each of the nine models have been carefully engineered to optimize casting distance, accuracy, and sensitivity for top bass targeting techniques, giving you the confidence to target largemouth or smallmouth bass with incredible efficiency.
Shakespeare
The Ugly Stik GX2 has been a favored rod since 1976, establishing a reputation for strength and durability.
The new GX2 builds on this reputation and is now packed with new features that make it tougher and perform better than ever. The renowned Clear Tip design, Ugly Tech construction, and Ugly Tuff guides are now joined with a proprietary guide coating to improve performance, an extra durable rubberized diamond EVA handle for better grip and improved durability, and finally, a new reel seat designed for better hand feel and increased sensitivity, all packed under a 10-year warranty.
Abu Garcia
The Abu Garcia Max Elite Spinning Reel delivers performance and reliability in a sleek, lightweight package, perfect for anglers of all skill levels.
Available in multiple sizes (2000, 2500, 3000, and 4000), it offers versatility for various fishing styles, from ultralight to larger freshwater applications. Featuring the Rocket Line Management System for improved casting and a smooth, consistent drag system, the Max Elite reel ensures exceptional control and efficiency.
Built with a durable graphite body and rotor, the Max Elite is designed to handle demanding conditions while maintaining smooth operation. Upgrade your gear with a reel that combines quality, functionality, and style.
For those that prefer baitcasters, the Revo X BFS, is uniquely BFS engineered for finesse fishing, delivering precision, smoothness, and control in a compact design.
Featuring an advanced Infini brake system and ultralight shallow spool, it allows anglers to cast lightweight lures effortlessly with pinpoint accuracy.
Its durable, lightweight graphite frame and side plates, combined with premium bearings, ensure smooth performance and long-lasting reliability.
SEVIIN
The all-new GF Series spinning reels share common architecture and many features with SEVIIN’s GS and GX Series spinning reels, including the same carbon and stainless-steel drag stacks, gears, S-curve slow-oscillation system for positive line management, and lightweight carbon fiber/polymer bodies, side covers, and rotors.
Enjoy a two-piece stainless-steel bail, smooth 5+1 stainless-steel bearing system, forged and anodized aluminum spool with braid band, and custom-designed aluminum handle with soft-touch paddle further for all your fishing wishes.
A sleek carbon-grey and black finish with red anodized accents completes a look that’s carefully curated to complement the aesthetics of a wide variety of today’s high-performance spinning rods.
Fenwick
The Fenwick HMG Series rods are known for their strength, sensitivity, and lightweight construction, making them a favorite among serious anglers.
The rods feature carbon bound blanks, which offer a balanced combination of power and precision. The series includes various models tailored to different fishing styles, ensuring versatility for freshwater and saltwater environments.
With ergonomic handles and durable guides, the HMG rods provide comfort and reliability for long days on the water.
Shimano
The all-new Ultegra FD meets the needs of anglers across freshwater and saltwater environments, blending cutting-edge technology, lasting Core- Solid construction, and Ultegra FD exceptional value into one sleek package.
At the core is the brand’s InfinityXross technology, which extends the surface of the cold-forged Hagane Gear to evenly distribute force and enhance gear durability. For seamless cranking power, Infinity Drive technology reduces friction between the spool shaft and pinion gear, delivering effortless winding even under heavy loads.
The reel also features Shimano’s Anti-Twist Fin, a flexible polymer design that ensures even line lay and minimizes the occurrence of wind knots for optimal casting performance. Shimano’s X-Protect technology safeguards the reel from water intrusion, making it a dependable choice for saltwater and freshwater anglers alike.
Daiwa
Packed with the latest technology the new Kage SV TW 150 is the first baitcasting model to break into the Kage line.
It’s packed with features starting with Hyperdrive Digigear, a brand-new gear design that makes the teeth of the gears more efficient at transferring power, therefore making the gear set feel smoother, more powerful, and less noisy.
The reel is housed by Hyper Armored Housing, a reinforced aluminum frame and sideplate that provide maximum rigidity and precision performance of the internal components. A Hyper Tough Clutch with a mechanism that increases durability for rock solid engagement and disengagement of the freespool.
A TWS line guide system allows much more room for line to travel back and forth during the cast, minimizing friction and allowing longer and more accurate casts, plus a set of two corrosion resistant ball bearings and five shielded stainless-steel bearings, provide long term smoothness.
For those muskie fanatics, the three-model series Prorex Stein muskie rods are Daiwa’s new muskie lineup.
Each 9-foot, 8-inch rod has a removable handle secured with Daiwa’s innovative V-Joint technology to the lightweight, study rod blank, and are offered in heavy, X-heavy and XX-heavy actions to handled lure weights up to two pounds.
The “Stein” name attached to the rods comes from the German word “stone” because the brand boasts that the new rods are “as solid as stone” when casting big baits, but are extremely lightweight for their size due to Daiwa’s SVF Nanoplus graphite and X45 Bias blank construction.
Source: https://www.outdoornews.com/2025/03/18/helping-you-choose-a-top-notch-rod-and-reel-setup-for-2025/
