In this video I go over all of the tenkara, tenkara-adjacent, and tenkara-ish rods I own. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)
Contact me here if you have one of the rods I’m looking for.
If you want to jump directly to a specific rod in the video, go view the video on YouTube, and all of the time stamps are in the video description.
(Note that the Amazon links below are affiliate links.)
CHEAP NON-TENKARA RODS
Generic yellow “bamboo” rods (7x)
• I have 7 of these in various lengths, namely 180 (2x; 1 has a cork handle), 210, 240 (cork handle), 270 (cork handle), 300, and 360.
• These are all the same rod just in different sizes. Here and here are two different AliExpress links for some of the rods. They’re occasionally on Amazon, too, including here (several lengths) and here (2.7 m version)
Goture Breeze 360
• Amazon
• AliExpress
Weird lipstick rod
• No longer available on AliExpress
Weird stiff AliExpress rod #1 (Tanago handle)
• AliExpress
Weird stiff AliExpress rod #1 (Cigarette)
• AliExpress
Weird stiff AliExpress rod #1 (Silvery)
• AliExpress
Professional Trust Rakutsuri Bitterling Universal 120
• Amazon
CHEAP TENKARA-ISH RODS
Fishing Time USA Tenkara 270
• Couldn’t find a working link. I bought mine off of eBay, and they were at one time listed on the Fishing Time USA website, but they’ve been sold out for a while.
Fishing Time USA Tenkara 360
• eBay
• Fishing Time USA
Fishing Time USA Tenkara Freebie
• I don’t think these are being sold anymore.
Aventik IM 12 Nano 9 ft (10 sections, 6:4)
• eBay
• AliExpress
• The rod is also sometimes available on Walmart.com or Amazon.
Aventik IM 12 Nano 12 ft (13 sections, 6:4)
• eBay
• Amazon
• AliExpress
• The rod is also sometimes available on Walmart.com.
Maxcatch Tenkara Mini (12 ft)
• Amazon
• AliExpress
• eBay
Goture Capella
• Amazon
• AliExpress
• eBay
TENKARA RODS FROM AMERICAN COMPANIES
Reyr Gear Tiny Cast
• Reyr Gear
Zen Tenkara Suzume
• Zen Tenkara
• Amazon
• Info about the replaced tip section
• Optional performance tip (Zen Tenkara)
• Optional performance tip (Amazon)
Tanuki XL-1
• Tanuki
Tenkara Rod Co. Yari
• Tenkara Rod Co.
Dragontail Tenkara Foxfire
• Dragontail
Dragontail Tenkara Mizuchi
• Dragontail
• Amazon
Dragontail Tenkara Mutant
• Dragontail
• Amazon
Dragontail Tenkara Nirvana 400
• Dragontail
• Amazon
RODS FROM JAPANESE COMPANIES
Takamiya H.B. Concept Shirataki 120
• Never Quit Fishing
Shimotsuke Kiyotaki 270
• Look for it on eBay.
Shimotsuke Kiyotaki 180
• Not really available anywhere currently.
Nissin Pro Square 360 6:4
• TenkaraBum
• Amazon
Nissin Zerosum 3
• TenkaraBum
• Amazon
Nissin Pocket Mini V3 300
• Available from TenkaraBum via special order.
• Google it to possibly find a place that has them in stock.
Nissin Air Stage Hakubai 240 (Stiff)
• TenkaraBum
Suntech Kurenai HM33R
• TenkaraBum
Daiwa Sagiri 45 MC
• Tenkaraya.com
• I want the 39MC! Let me know if you have one you want to sell.
RODS I USED TO OWN BUT DON’T ANYMORE
Suntech TenkaraBum 40
• TenkaraBum
Wild Water Tenkara Rod
• Amazon
RODS I HAVE COMING IN THE MAIL
Tenkara USA Rhodo
• Tenkara USA
• Amazon
Zen Tenkara Kyojin II
• Zen Tenkara
RODS I MIGHT GET THIS YEAR
Dragontail Tenkara Hellbender
• Dragontail
• Amazon
Tao Wisco 2
• TAO Tenkara
Wasatch Tenkara Rods Maruki Sharpshooter
• Wasatch Tenkara Rods
Whatever pops up on Kickstarter
Looks like you have your eye on adding a couple of bigger water rods. I picked one up this year that’s not on your list – the Suntech Keiryu Sawanoboro 53, which is a crossover tenkara/keiryu rod. It’s an amazing 530 cm rod at only 3.2 ounces and completely alters the experience on the wider creeks with overhead casting clearance. Plus, at 32 pennies I’m looking forward to testing it out on a real tanker of a trout (if I can ever make that happen). Thanks for the entertaining video! Let me know if you ever need any Iowa Driftless recommendations.
Correction- “Sawanobori”
The shape of the Nissin Pro Square Super Tenkara 360 6:4 handle, or grip, doesn’t matter at all to me. I also have the Nissin Pro Square 320 6:4. Both are lovely rods.
Hi Tristan, I know you don’t like the Maxcatch mini tenkara rod, but I’d be interested in your thoughts on their others. I own two of their nymphing rods and they’re both great in different ways, plus I have one of their tenkara rods that I use occasionally. The quality seems great and it’s been pretty user friendly to learn tenkara, so I’m interested how it might compare to others. That said, my son hated it and went straight back to his conventional fly outfit.
Hey, I’m new to this but is that Wisco rod designed for the small driftless streams?
Big fan of your YouTube channel. I recently got into Tenkara fishing but have fished western fly fishing for over 40 years and designed and built split cane flyrods since 1989. Your channel is invaluable to newcomers to the tenkara world.
I currently own a Maxcatch triple zoom 10’6″ not a bad rod but lacks dampening. Also own a Dragontail Shadowfire 365 and Dragontail Hellbender.
I see you have the Hellbender on your wishlist. I use it for bass, pickerel and trout here in local ponds. Rod has plenty of backbone. At the 11″ length it turns over a level line bit better and not as rough on the smaller fish. Great rod and hope to use it for schoolie stripes and shad this spring. It was a replacement to the Tenkara Rod Co. Rocky which I had a horrible experience with. The Rocky blew apart on me just casting a #10 unweighted shad fly. Took me almost 90 days to get my $$ back. Not a nice company and found their quality sub par.