Choice Gear: Catfish Rods and Reels for 2018

Catching big catfish requires an understanding of the fish and the gear needed to put them in the boat. Here's a look at top catfish rods and reels for 2018.

RODS

Berkley Mudcat

For tough, value-priced rods, its hard to beat Berkley's Mudcats. They're designed to withstand the worst beating a cat can dole out, with fiberglass blank construction, rubberized shrink-wrapped handles and double-footed guides. The come in lengths between 6 and 8 feet, with moderate to moderate-fast actions. berkley-fishing.com $40

Berkley Tec Cat and Tec Cat Hunter

Tec Cats are designed for boat anglers, Tec Cat Hunters for bank fishermen. Both feature Complex Matrix blank construction and durable heavy-duty components. Tec Cats come in 6-foot, 6-inch to 7- foot, 6-inch lengths, with moderate to moderate-fast actions, oversized guides and handles. Hunters run 7, 8 or 9 feet, with moderate-fast to fast action blanks for long, accurate casts. berkley-fishing.com $85

B'n'M Redesigned Silver Cat Magnum

With the help of its catfish pro staff, B'n'M has redesigned this 7 1/2-foot, one-piece rod. A cork handle has been added, along with an aluminum reel seat and eight solid-steel guides along the entire length of the rod. bnmpoles.com $70

>> Related: Catfish Tricks to Find, Catch More Bruisers

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Shimano Tiralejo

This is a rod that allows extreme long-distance casts. Available in 10-, 11- and 12-foot models, it features Shimano's C4S blank construction, which utilizes a high-modulus blank and wraps four outer layers of 90-degree graphite. This increases hoop strength for maximum pulling power without inhibiting sensitivity. shimano.com $300

Warrior Cat Tackle Gen-2 Casting

This 7-foot, 6-inch medium-heavy casting rod, built with E-glass, features a tip sensitive enough to detect small cats, but has exceptional backbone to tame trophies. Features include a 16-inch handle (cork or EVA with X-Flock), 10 double-footed stainless guides and double locking reel-seat nuts. warrior-cat-tackle.com $85

REELS

KastKing Sharky III

This new spinning reel has features ideal for catfish anglers, including a braided-line-ready aluminum spool that eliminates the need for backing line and provides more line capacity; new Intrusion Shield System to protect body, rotor and spool from water and dirt; 10+1 stainless-steel ball bearings; and triple-disc carbon-fiber drag. kastking.com $48-$56

Shimano Ultegra XTD

Designed for serious surf casters, but this new reel can be paired with Shimano's Tiralejo rod to create a long-casting combo that's ideal for fishing tailwaters from shore. It features consistent long-casting performance, super-slow oscillation for precision line lay and Shimano's X-Ship gear system for improved durability even under the heaviest loads. shimano.com $190-$210.

Zebco Big Cat XT 350 Baitcaster

This baitcaster holds 200 yards of 20-pound mono to prevent getting spooled by fish, and features a graphite frame, aluminum spool, QuickSet anti-reverse and 4.2:1 gear ratio. zebco.com $70 

Zebco Big Cat XT Spincast

Also new from Zebco is a sturdy medium-heavy spincast reel built with a titanium-nitride-plated, stainless-steel spinnerhead commonly used on cutting tools to add durability and reduce friction. Features left or right-hand retrieve, steel front cover and powerful 2.6:1 gear ratio. zebco.com $40

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