Best Feeder Fishing Rods 2023: 5 Excellent Rods

As a match fisherman, you want the fastest, most effective technique to bag as many carp as possible. The feeder technique is the king of catching carp quickly and efficiently and if you want to take advantage of it, you’ll need the right gear for the job.

What to look for in a feeder rod:

• Progressive action – for smaller hooks and lines
• Large quiver tip selection – allows you to fish for a larger variety of fish at a variety of weights
• Length – The further you’re casting, the longer you want your rod to be
• Handle – A cork or EVA handle is important for keeping a good grip

And of course, this means you need a feeder rod, but with all the options and versions of rods on the market, it can be difficult to find the right rod for you. We’ve compiled a list of tested and researched rods that we think will be perfect for the majority of match anglers.

Fishing Rod	Price
Diawa N’Zon Feeder Rod	Check Current Price
Preston Ignition Feeder Rod	Check Current Price
Drennan Red Range Feeder Rod	Check Current Price
Middy Arco-Tech Feeder Rod	Check Current Price
Diawa Match Tournament Slr Feeder	Check Current Price

Diawa N’Zon Feeder Rod – Best Overall

Casting ability

The N’Zon is probably the perfect feeder rod for the vast majority of anglers. It’s lightweight, simple, and affordable. The N’Zon comes in several sizes and specifications, ranging from 9-14 feet with various casting weights. The smaller rods are better suited to short-range fishing while the longer rods will be ideal for bigger bodies of water.

We’d recommend the 11-foot rod for most people, they are incredibly strong and perfect for method feeder fishing for both carp and silverfish. At this length, the N’Zon is versatile and well-equipped to deal with anything you’ll encounter in commercial fisheries. You can find all the models and prices of the N’Zon on Amazon.

Quality

As we’ve come to expect from Diawa, the quality is superb for all the rods in the range. However, it is important to make the distinction between the “S” and “Z” versions of the N’Zon. The “S” rods are entry-level rods and they are more than adequate in terms of quality. The “Z” range is a considerable step up in terms of materials and consequently performance but unless you’re quite a serious angler, the price difference probably isn’t justifiable.

Fighting/General Usage

Since the N’Zon range is so extensive, everyone can find the rod that will be ideal for their particular style of fishing. Not all the rods behave the same but they are all typical Diawa rods. You get lots of feel through the rod when playing fish, the rods feel strong under pressure, and they are easy to use

Preston Ignition Feeder Rods – Best For Commercial Fisheries

Casting ability

Preston products are among the most popular with match-fishermen and for good reason, every product we’ve used from them has had the utmost thought and care put into it. Unsurprisingly the new line of Ignition rods is the same, they are sharp, have great handles, and are a joy to cast. You can find out the price of the Ignition rods on Amazon.

The casting range on the ignition really depends on the model you choose to buy, they come in 9 to 12 feet, with the 9-foot rods being good at short-range work in tight swims and margins while the 12-foot rods are much better suited to distance casting.

However, for most anglers, we wouldn’t recommend either and advise the 10-foot model instead because it’s the best all-rounder, and for most commercial fisheries the power of a bigger rod is rarely required.

Coupled with a quality reel and the Ignition has no problem casting to the tight margins of an island or just handing a few meters ahead, it also comes in two pellet waggler versions which are equally as impressive. Overall, its well-built, well-equipped, and really versatile which is why it makes it to the top of our list.

Quality

As we mentioned before, we’ve got high expectations from Preston but they’ve managed to deliver every time. The Ignition, despite being reasonably priced is built seriously well, the eyes are fitted beautifully, the cork is well integrated into the handle, and it looks the part with a stealthy matt-black finish. Brilliant stuff.  

Fighting/general usage

With the Ignition, Preston decided to toughen up the quiver tips and fine-tune the nature of the rod so that it is perfect for reading bites and playing fish. With an excellent progressive action, the Ignition feeder rods handle fish of most sizes incredibly well, whether there’s a bream or a big brute of a carp at the end of your line, the Ignition range has got you covered.

We feel the 10-foot rod to be the perfect blend of power and precision, its long enough to pack a punch when casting but also light and short enough to feel very taut and direct when playing fish.

Drennan Red Range Feeder Rods – Best For Small Fisheries

Casting ability

The Drenan Red Range feeder rods come in a range of lengths, from 9ft to 11ft. The longer the rod, the better the casting performance you get, however, the shorter the 9ft model does also have an advantage, it’s maneuverable in tight swims. We generally recommend the 10ft model as you then can get the best of both worlds. You can find both the 10 and 11-foot versions of the Drenan Red range feeder rod on Amazon.

Overall though, each version of the rod is very solid and you should have no problem casting with any of them in commercial fisheries and small lakes, etc. 

Quality

We’re not going to bore you but rambling on about how good the finish on the rod is, Drennan is infamous for its feeder rods and builds quality and the red range rods certainly live up to that expectation. The rod feels great, it performs great, it’s built very solidly and apart from that, there isn’t much else to say.

Fighting/General usage

The progressive action is also another feature that makes this rod stand out, especially when playing the smaller fish. We’re carp anglers mostly and we use the heavier tips most often but the lighter quiver tips allow us to target various other species like bream, roach, and rudd. No matter what you’re fishing for, the Drennan Red Range rods get the job done!

This rod suits mid-sized commercial fisheries best, low double-figure carp shouldn’t be a problem, and fights with smaller silverfish will still be engaging enough. However, for bigger venues with potentially bigger fish, I’d probably opt for something a little tougher and longer.

Middy Arco-Tech Feeder rod – Most Innovative

Casting ability

Middy’s new innovative extension feature in this rod is a game-changer. It allows you to add an extra foot of rod on so you can turn your 10ft rod into an 11ft rod and hit further distances. We’ve owned Middy’s products for 7 or 8 years now and they’ve kept up their incredible standards in casting which is why their Arco-tech rod is one of our favorite rods.

The 10-footer is preferable for tight swims at a shorter range because it is more accurate and the extended 11ft version is better distance casting. Middy is literally giving two rods inside of one! Honestly if casting if the main priority for you, this is definitely one to for.

Quality

As we mentioned before, we’ve owned Middy products for many years and have had a lot of first-hand experience with them. From the many rods we’ve owned, we can confidently say that you won’t be disappointed in the quality and value for money that Middy gives, we’ve owned rods from them that are around 8 years old that we still use and are still strong.

There’s no doubt that this rod is an excellent feeder but it wouldn’t be our first recommendation to new anglers. Its a bit more pricey than some of the other rods and although it compensates through its incredible technology and features, its something that we feel a lot of anglers may not use.

However, we do feel that the rod is very useful to more experienced anglers who will be able to utilize the extension feature by knowing when and when it isn’t required. If you think that you’ll make use of the extension feature, you can find the Middy Arco-tech feeder rod on Amazon.

Fighting/General usage

The Middy Arco-tech range has very clever engineering at the tip of the rods, they come equipped with something called “trigger tips” which are much softer than the tips you would usually find on a feeder rod. The thinking behind this is that the softer the tips the better hook up the rate you get, we’re not entirely sure about this but it’s the explanation behind the trigger tips.

Like every Middy rod we’ve owned, it fights incredibly well and is a very sensitive and precise piece of equipment, we’d be nit-picking but we think the rod is good for the majority of fish you’ll catch in commercials but anything above 12-13lbs, it is a bit fragile for.

Diawa Tournament SLR Feeder – Competitive Match Fishing

Casting Ability

The Tournament SLR feeder rods are mainly suited to mid-long-range feeder fishing. Materials like the X45X Full Shield Bias Carbon and the impeccable construction of the rod all indicate that the Tournament SLR was designed for long-range fishing.

The result of all this attention to detail is a rod that is practically flawless in regard to casting. It is literally a point-and-fire rod. With the right technique, you can hit incredible distances with unbelievable accuracy using the Tournament SLR. Of course, the longer rods in the range will always be superior for distance casting than their shorter counterparts, however, the 11-foot rod is probably the most versatile from the line-up. You can find out the price of the Tournament SLR on Amazon.

Quality

Like all of Daiwa’s rods, the tournament SLR is well-built. The real discretion between the SLR and a cheaper alternative is the materials used. The rod is made completely from industry-leading materials with a strong focus on making a rod that casts brilliantly.

However, since the rod is nearly entirely made from rare materials, it is incredibly expensive. Costing several hundred pounds makes the Tournament SLR difficult to recommend to most people. It is undoubtedly and phenomenal rod and arguably the best feeder rod in production. However, it costs a lot of money, and unless you’re a serious match fisherman who’s trying a gain a competitive edge or someone who simply wants the best rod available, its difficult to justify the price.

Fighting/General Usage

With the rod being so light, its no surprise that it has so much finesse during a fight. Everything from small F1s and Bream to double-figure Carp should be no problem for the Tournament SLR.