Best Catfish Rods by Technique and Type of Fishing

September 29, 2026

Catfishing continues to be one of the biggest and still growing segments of fishing, and B'n'M Poles proudly offers a wide range of catfish rods to fit every technique and scenario you will encounter in catfishing. From bank fishing sets to down stream drifts with a bumping rod, we offer a rod to fit every type of catfish angler as well as most every budget in catfishing. We strive to provide rods that are going to put a lot of big catfish on your stringer or in your boat. 

The best way to cover catfish rods is to break it down by application and technique. We offer a wide range of rod powers, lengths, actions, materials and more at several different price points. As we are all fishermen, we also want every catfish angler to have great gear that they can depend on and that they look forward to using when battling with the monsters of the deep muddy haunts.

So let us run through each popular type of catfishing application and highlight some of the best catfish fishing rod options that will work best in each scenario. The most common applications and techniques for catfishing include the following:

• Bank Fishing
• Drifting
• Suspending
• Anchoring
• Bumping
• Trolling
• Night Fishing

Bank Fishing Catfish Rods

While any number of rods will work for bank fishing for catfish, especially if you are using some sort of good rod holding system or even something like a concrete or rip rap structures to hold the rod secure, having a good rod that you can not only make good long casts with but also wrestle a good sized fish up and over obstacles that might be in your path when you go to land a big fish can matter. 

The size of the catfish you expect or often catch on the fisheries you frequent can also dictate which rods you will prefer. If you regularly catch 20 to 40-pound fish where you fish, a heavy duty and heavy power rod might be better suited to your bank fishing application. But if you are catching a lot of 3 to 10-pound catfish, a lighter rod might make the fishing more enjoyable and the fight more fun while also being less taxing on you when it is a lot of regular action.

While a lot of these rods might be created for other specific applications, they also double as great bank fishing rods as well depending on the various conditions you find while catfishing .

Our top choices for bank fishing for catfish include the following rods that also double in other applications as well.

Silver Cat Redesign 

The Silver Cat is redesigned with a medium power 100% fiberglass blank. The handle features nylon cord that offers no slip grip even if your hands get wet or slimy from catfish. The reinforced aluminum oxide guides feature smooth ceramic inserts for maximum performance. The glow-in-the-dark tip provides strike detection at night and low light conditions. The action makes this rod very castable which is what makes it idea for bank fishing. Rated for 10 to 20 pounds. These 2-piece rods come in 7 and 8-foot options. MSRP $44.99

Silver Cat Magnum Redesign

The Silver Cat Magnum Redesign builds on the success of the original Silver Cat magnum rod. The improvements added an aluminum reel seat, stainless steel guides and an X-Grip EVA Foam Handle on the original parabolic Carbon Fiber blank. Offered in 2-piece design, the rod comes in a medium power in the 7 and 8-foot models and heavy power in the 10-foot model. MSRP $71.99.

Atlas XH Green (Dam fishing)

If you are bank fishing in heavy current where big catfish lurk, you will love the beefy backbone of the Atlas XH. This extra-heavy power blank is a 1-piece rod that is rated for 30 to 80-pound lines. The 7-foot, 6-inch rod features stainless-steel guides, aluminum reel seat and X-Grip EVA Handle. This rod is made for fighting big cats in heavy current with it's extra long and double-wrapped handle to add more fighting power and leverage. MSRP $109.

Moonbeam Catfish Rods (Night Fishing)

The Moonbeam is a 7-foot, 1-piece catfish rod features E-Glass, UV reflective finishes. With its custom Mossy Oak Design in Orange and Chartreuse makes it a great looking rod perfect for night fishing from the bank for big catfish. Available in both spinning and casting models with double locking reel seats to give you a solid rod for fishing weights up to 8 ounces. These are medium power rods with tons of backbone and fast actions. 
The new standard for serious catfish bank anglers. MSRP $109.

Silver Cat Elite Light

Based on the most popular catfish rod line, this lighter version rod is a 1-piece 7 1/2 foot rod that is light action for catfish, about 20 percent less backbone than a medium rod. This rod is still rated for up to 8 ounces of weight and 50 pound lines, but has more rod tip for casting and fighting catfish. The reel seat is aluminum, and the handle is an X-Grip EVA foam handle. With stainless steel guides, this is a durable performance-based rod. MSRP $91.99.

Lady Elite Catfish

This MH rod replicates the MAG75Cn rod but has the same components of the Silver Cat Elite with a purple, pink and white digi-camo pattern. Rated for 24 to 50-pound lines. It's a powerful rod with a feminine touch to make a lot of great catfishing memories. MSRP $98.99

Gunnr70

This 7-foot, one-piece casting rod is made with an S-Glass/Carbon composite blank for strength and sensitivity and showing our love and respect to the US Marines.  This is a MH power with MF action. Rated for line weights of 20 to 70-pounds and lure weights up to 8 ounces. Stainless steel guides, high-vis tip, and EVA Foam grips. These rods are made for fishing fish in current, trolling and work well for bank fishing. MSRP $92.99.

Catfish Drifting Rods

Rods designed for drifting and also for bumping are generally made for fishing in current. Which means they are often under enormous load, or heavy baits be drug or fished the other way by bumping along in current or even suspended just off the bottom. 

Again a lot of these rods can be used for other techniques and applications but we liked these best for drifting and bumping.

Silver Cat Elite

The Silver Cat Elite is the no-nonsense 1-piece 7 1/2-foot MH Catfish rod rated for 25 to 50-pound lines and up to 12 ounces of weight. They purposely built this catfish rod for suspended drifting and anchoring. The double-nut locking reel seat is made of aircraft aluminum. Coupled with hi-vis tip, X-Grip EVA Foam handle, this rod has more backbone than tip to handle current, weight and fighting big fish. MSRP $91.99.

Prostaff Bumping Catfish Rod

This rod got beefed up thanks to the feedback of our catfish pros. This rod is made to handle big catfish in current. Things like the the stainless steal tip designed to handle swift current and 80-plus-pound catfish. The heavy power and extra fast action was built to handle big waters like the Mighty Mississippi. Rated for 25 to 50-pound line, this rod can handle everything drifting and bumping you will find anywhere in catfishing and is the best choice for our serious catfish tournament anglers and guides for its proven performance. MSRP $98.99.

Atlas XH Green 

If you are fishing in heavy current where big catfish lurk and/or using planer boards, you will love the beefy backbone of the Atlas XH. This extra-heavy power blank is a 1-piece rod that is rated for 30 to 80-pound lines. The 7-foot, 6-inch rod features stainless-steel guides, aluminum reel seat and X-Grip EVA Handle. This rod is made for fighting big cats in heavy current  as well  as handling a lot of extra weight on the line like planer boards with it's extra long and double-wrapped handle to add more fighting power and leverage. MSRP $109.

Stealth Strike Catfish Rod

The Stealth Strike features a heavy power, fast-action carbon fiber composite blank with stainless steel guides and a full hard EVA handle with exposed blank reel seat. This is a 1-piece, 7-foot, 6-inch rod. MSRP$ 109.99

Catfish Anchoring Rods

Anchoring is another popular way to catfish. Using anchors at the boat and stern to hold a boat in a precise location, anglers can strategically target fish along structure, current breaks and river banks with incredible precision but it often requires stout rods to keep your presentations in a specific place along contours and breaks. So certain rods are able to not only hold in place but also be very precise in their presentation. Here are a few of our favorites for anchoring.

IronSide

This 7-foot, 6-inch, one-piece casting rod employs an S-Glass/Carbon composite bank for added strength and sensitivity. The dual action X-Grip EVA handle and stainless steel guides along with the high-vis tip and double locking reel seat make this a workhorse anchoring rod giving a nod to the US Navy.

Other options include the Silver Cat Elite and the Silver Cat Magnum. See their descriptions above.

Catfish Trolling Rods

Trolling for catfish has long be a popular technique for covering water. However trolling for catfish is a unique endeavor as you are often fishing large and heavy rigs and catching very large fish and that means you have to have specifically designed rods that will handle a constant load but then still have enough power to fight a big fish. So we offer several rods that fit this bill, especially in our series of rods that pay homage to our American military. 

Bomber 75 Catfish Rod

This 7-foot, 6-inch, 1-piece, casting rod features an S-Glass/Carbon composite blank for better strength and sensitivity while paying homage to the Air Force. This rod also employs a unique polymer handle, stainless steel guides, high-vis tip or a double-locking aluminum reel seat. These rods can handle trolling, planar board usage, back bouncing, drifting, dragging and suspending baits. The rods are medium power with moderate actions to load on big fish while trolling and rated for 20 to 60-pound line and rig weights up to 6 ounces. MSRP $98.99

Other options for trolling include the IronSide and Gunnr70. See descriptions above.

Best Catfish Night Fishing Rods

Night fishing is not only a great way to beat the heat for catfishing in the summer, but it's incredibly effective. The biggest issues are fighting fish you can't see as well and detecting when you're getting a bite in low to little light. So good night fishing rods are strong and work well under black lights thanks to UV finishes and glow-in-the-dark tips.

Moonbeam Catfish Rods 

The Moonbeam is a 7-foot, 1-piece catfish rod features E-Glass, UV reflective finishes. With its custom Mossy Oak Design in Orange and Chartreuse makes it a great looking rod perfect for night fishing from the bank or boat for big catfish. Available in both spinning and casting models with double locking reel seats to give you a solid rod for fishing weights up to 8 ounces. These are medium power rods with tons of backbone and fast actions. These are the new standard for serious catfish night anglers. MSRP $109.

Another good option for night fishing for catfish would include the Silver Cat Redesign with their glow-in-the-dark tips. 

Choosing the Right Catfish Rod

Choosing the right catfish rod is often about matching your gear to the fish, the size of the body of water, and the application and technique you intend to use to present baits to the catfish. Also current and techniques like trolling can dictate which rods are best. If you are bank fishing for smaller catfish, you don't want a super extra heavy rod that is heavy and harder to fish with for catfish under 10 pounds. 

However, if you are in heavy current or on big fisheries like major muddy rivers, you don't want to be undersized where the current and required extra weight to keep your baits down will wear you out on lighter action rods. So choosing a rod often factors in many variables like how swift is the current, how big are the fish, how much does the rod's action factor into presentations like trolling. Things like that. 

Because there are so many options for fishing for catfish, we have built a wide range of rod power, actions and lengths to fit all of the applications at different price points. This gives anglers options that will land a lot of big catfish and make a lifetime of memories on any budget and application.

Full Line of Catfish Fishing Rods for Every Technique

• Silver Cat
• Silver Cat Elite
• Prostaff Bumping Catfish Rod
• Silver Cat Magnum
• Silver Cat Magnum Redesign
• Silver Cat Elite Heavy
• Atlas XH Green Catfish Rod
• Moonbeam Catfish Rods
• Bomber 7.5 Catfish Rod
• Silver Cat Elite Light
• Ironside Catfish Rod
• Lady Elite Catfish Rod
• Stealth Strike Catfish Rod
• Silver Cat Combo
• Gunnr70 Catfish Rod
  

---

Also in Weekly Tips and Techniques