I’m back today with another edition of my “Best of 2026 so far” for my fellow bass anglers. I’ve already walked through my favorite spinning reels and my favorite baitcasting reels of the year so far, and simply put, these are the products that I’ve been using the most this year. As I explained in the previous mid-season blogs, I have a ton of rod and reels that test out every single year, across all price points, and after using roughly 30 different combos so far this year, a few favorites have emerged. No sponsors, no paid-for entries… just hours and hours on the water and my honest opinions.
Today we’re talking spinning rods, and as a Wisconsin angler who loves catching smallmouth too, spinning rods and finesse techniques get a ton of action for me. Here’s a few of my favorites so far:
Abu Garcia Fantasista X
This is a special one. Certainly at a premium price point, the Fantasista X is nearly the most expensive rod line in Abu’s entire lineup and for good reason… it’s simply fantastic. Featuring Abu Garcia’s Powerlux 500 resin system and zirconium guides, these rods tackle the trifecta that every bass angler is looking for with incredible precision… super strong, insanely sensitive and ultra lightweight.
I primarily use my Fantasista X as my minnow shaking rod, but it also doubles for lightweight swimbaits, Ned rigs and drop shots.
Shop the Abu Garcia Fantasista X at Tackle Warehouse – $409.95
Fenwick World Class
The cream of the crop. Once again, this one is certainly at a premium price point, but the quality is tough to argue with. Incredibly sensitive and lightweight, the Fenwick World Class lives up to the name. I use this as my go-to drop shot rod (the way the handle is built you can perfectly slide your skinny drop shot weight in there), I use another for finesse swimbaits and hair jigs… they’re flawless. The ergonomic design of the handle and reel seat feels fantastic in your hand, guides are high quality… they even look incredibly slick. Fenwick completely revamped their entire lineup a couple years back, and I couldn’t be more impressed.
Shop the Fenwick World Class at Tackle Warehouse – $559.95
Fenwick HMG
If you want to keep it a little cheaper, go for the Fenwick HMG. I have a bunch of these, a few spinning rods in particular, and they’re just so fantastic. Fenwick is largely credited with inventing the first High Modulus Graphite fishing rod in the ’70s, and the HMG name is a nod to that iconic legacy. I love everything about these rods, but the reel seat in particular is something special. SO comfortable to fish all day long.
Shop the Fenwick HMG at Tackle Warehouse – $179.95
Shimano Intenza
This popular line from Shimano got overhauled in 2023 and the results were stellar, so much so that the Shimano Intenza might be my favorite mid-priced rod. I regularly use the 7′ medium and it feels pretty stout for a spinning setup, while also maintaining great sensitivity. I like it for spinning techniques like shaky heads, cracking a tube, or skipping a wacky rig around docks. And while the performance is great, if you care about aesthetics, the Intenza redesign went from a black and red color scheme with foam grips to a beautiful charcoal and gold with cork… looks fantastic, fishes fantastic, a must-have at this price point.
Shop the Shimano Intenza at Tackle Warehouse – $179.99
Daiwa Aird X
At less than 60 bucks a rod, you really can’t beat the Daiwa Aird X when we’re talking about entry level rods. With a handful of both spinning and casting options, you can really set yourself up with a few good rods to cover all of your bass fishing needs, and for an extremely reasonable price. I particularly like the spinning setup. I started using one for wacky rigs years ago and I still use it regularly to this day. These workhorse rods can handle just about every technique you can throw at them, and if you pair them up with the Daiwa Revros reel ($69.99), you have yourself a rock-solid spinning combo that will greatly outperform its extremely low price tag.
Shop the Daiwa Aird X at Tackle Warehouse – $59.99
*This post contains links through the Tackle Warehouse Affiliate Program. While all products are independently selected by our expert Riff Outdoors team, if you use these links to make a purchase, we may earn a commission.
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