End that long hike with a relaxing hour fishing at the top. Carry a rod with you on road trips and fish when you need a break. Just an easy to store rod.

Spinning travel rods can achieve all of these things and much more but it can be hard to choose from the hundreds out on the market, so let’s take a look at a few to see just which one is the best travel spinning rod.

What is the best travel spinning rod?

Here is a quick preview of my favorites. To learn more about each one, please keep reading below…

• Daiwa Ultralight
• Okuma Nomad Travel
• Okuma five-piece
• St. Croix Triumph
• Fiblink 4 Piece

Daiwa Ultralight

A tiny rod with an ironically large name, the Daiwa Ultralight (let’s just call it that) is an incredibly affordable and light spinning rod and reel combo that’s designed for fishermen on the go and it certainly does what it was made to do.

Weighing in at just over 1 pound and 5 ounces (including carry case) this rod and reel combo is perfect for storing in the car or backpack for fishing on the go. The hard carry case includes compartments for storing a variety of tackle which only adds to the versatility and efficiency of this rod. It’s not a big rod, but isn’t that really part of the appeal?

It’s a 4.5’ rod so it’s big enough to cast medium distances and comes with a 5.1:1 gear ratio on a nice little ball bearing reel, not too shabby at all. While the materials and workmanship on this combo are not perfect they are certainly far from poor and this rod makes a great addition to any angler’s arsenal. You can’t go wrong with picking up one of these for under $50.

Okuma Nomad Travel

The Okuma Nomad Travel Spinning rod is a travel rod on the more expensive side but it’s clear that the higher price does bring a higher value. This is about as heavy-duty as travel rods get. A sturdy and durable graphite backbone gives any angler total of control over bigger fish and the carbon outer wrap ensures this lasts, locking in the excellence for many years to come.

Quality manufacturing doesn’t stop there, however, with well attached stainless steel guides along the three beautifully crafted sections of the rod that separate for easy storage in the carry bag. This rod comes with a lifetime warranty which shows that Okuma trusts in their product.

A high-quality travel rod of this size (7 feet long) makes for a perfect buy for frequently travelling fishermen who want to do away with the hassle of using beaten up and abused gear.

Amazingly easy to take apart and set back up and, thanks to the excellent connects between the sections, you can bring up surprisingly large fish with all the sturdiness of a one-piece rod. Absolutely astonishing.

Does the Okuma Nomad Travel Spinning rod have what it takes to be considered the best travel spinning rod? I say yes!

Okuma five-piece

This Okuma five-piece rod fits all 6’ of power snugly into a small and heavily padded travel case. Perfect to carry with you into the great outdoors this rod fits together like a dream and, thanks to the strength of the graphite, has the power to bring up just about anything you can run into on a hike.

This rod and reel combo might not be capable of bringing up a massive marlin or taking on  a large tuna but it works divinely on any size fish you’re likely to come across in freshwater. This makes this combo perfect to take along with you on your day (or longer) camping or hiking trips.

Because of the carry bag that it comes in this combo is perfect for stowing with your checked luggage when going on a longer trip by plane. I’m still amazed at how easy it is to store 6 feet of casting power underneath the seat of my car, never again will I miss an opportunity to fish a nice looking creek on the side of the road. Really a fantastic little rod that allows you to fish on the go and assemble and de-assemble with ease.

St. Croix Triumph

The next spinning rod to add to our list of the best travel spinning rods is the St. Croix Triumph. This rod is available in three sizes, 5’6”, 6’0” and 6’6” so there’s certainly a variety of sizes available to suit the needs of the buyer, always good. Each of these three sizes is crafted out of SCII graphite and has immense strength and is a formidable force on the water.

This rod isn’t purely brute force though, no, the sensitivity of the tip allows you to feel each and every bite you get and it has the right mixture of flexibility and strength to really allow you to sink the hook right in. I mean, is there anything worse than the one that got away? It’s actually incredible how sensitive this rod is for a four-piece; put together you can barely tell it even comes apart.

The cork handle really seals in just how quality the build is and for such a low price it’s practically a steal. I’d recommend this rod to anyone in need of something to take with them on medium length camping trips however I’d recommend something smaller (like the Okuma Voyager or the Daiwa Ultralight) for hiking or keeping in the car and something larger for more regular or strenuous use (like the Okuma Nomad).

Fiblink 4 Piece

The Fiblink 4 Pieces Travel Spinning Rod is exactly what it says it is. It’s a four-piece Spinning Fishing Rod, made for traveling and made out of graphite. This pole sports a very heavy lower backbone that’s just perfect for controlling and reeling in the heavier fish alongside an astoundingly responsive and sensitive fiberglass tip that reverberates any touch at the end of the line right through to your hands so that you remain in total control.

Once again it’s really surprising how strong some of these portable rods feel.  This 6’6” pole easily fits into bags and suitcases and is a great pick for travelling. Everything about this rod just screams quality from the perfect ceramic guides to the ground-breaking modulus carbon fiber blank.

The best part is that it is available in a number of different sizes. For example, you can choose between an 6’6″, a 7’0″ option or long 7’6″.

It is truly a high-end rod that sells at a low-end price. Many users report use upwards of hundreds of catches and still say they have no reason to doubt it’s strength.

Final Thoughts….

So, what is the best travel spinning rod? That depends on your fishing needs and the type of fishing  you will be doing. However, in my opinion I really like the St. Croix Triumph. It is available in a number of different sizes so you can choose the one that best fits your fishing needs. I also like that it breaks down into several pieces, making it extremely portable.

There you have it! Our list of the best travel spinning rods on the market. Share with us your thoughts in the comments below.