5 Most Important Rods To Have On The Boat 2024
BostonMahhk reply :
Hey guys it's me, the rod bug again lol. I'm asking all these rod questions because I'm now looking to own numerous rod/reel combos. So my question to everyone is what are the 5 most important rods to have with you on the boat? And please don't just say the rod technique name and if you do can you tell me what the power and action is. Even the 3 most important will be very helpful. I've read the articles on here but I'm still having a hard time. I feel like they're confusing me more. I just want your opinions. I have a 7' MH fast already and a spinning combo so I guess 3 more rods I'd need. What do you think?
BradGuenette reply :
My go to top 5! All in the Dobyns lineup;
DX742sf-dropshot
DX764sf -tubes
DX745-jigs
DX743-swimjigs
DX742sf-finesse jigs
I'd feel pretty confident only bringing these setups in the boat, but depending on the bite I would switch out the 2nd DX742sf for another moving bait of some type i.e square bill on the 705cb glass.
WRB reply :
The 5 basic bass rods to me are;
Baitcasting; 3, 4 and 5 power fast action, 6'10" to 7'3"
Swimbait baitcasting; 6 power moderate action, 7'10 to 8'
Spinning; 3 power, moderate/fast action, 6'8 to 7'
Where 3 power =bc medium+,sp medium-, 4 power = medium/ heavy, 5 power = heavy, 6 power = heavy+, 3 oz to 5 oz lures.
Mfr's; ALX Custom, Loomis and Lamiglas. I don't own and would consider Dobyn's or St Croix
If you are not into swimbaits than add a crankbait rod, 4 power, moderate action, 7'3" to 7' 8"
I fish all 6 year around and have doubles or more of each.
Tom
Catt reply :
Texas Rig for casting, flipplng, pitching, & punching
Jig-N-Craw for casting, flipping, pitching, & punching
Heavy Action for flipping, pitching, punching 34 oz & up
Spinner BaitRat-L-TrapBuzz Bait
WeightlessDrop Shot
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
5 is too many 2 is all you need
Jrob78 reply :
7'-7'3" MH/fast for general purpose, t-rigs, senkos, flukes, spinnerbaits, swim jigs, buzz baits...etc
7'-7'6" MH/Moderate glass rod for cranks
6'10" M/XF for topwater, jerkbaits, small cranks, darter heads
7'3" H/F for frogs, c-rigs, jigs, pitching/flipping heavy cover
7' M/F spinning for drop shot, shaky head, finesse
This would be stretching it pretty thin but for a general purpose 5 rod line up, this would work for me.
SCangler91 reply :
I keep it pretty simple mainly because I haven't had the time and money to invest in a bunch of setups.
6-6 Medium action on a baitcaster: Top-water spooks, Small Spinners, Texas rigged soft plastics
6-9 Medium Heavy action on a baitcaster: Senkos, Jigs, Cranks, Buzzbaits, Spinnerbaits, Pitching rod/reel
6-0 Medium action with spinning gear: Weightless finesse worms, Road-runners, Beetle Spin, Crappie/Bream if bass aren't biting
camovan reply :
Im in a yak so i only carry 5.
7' mh fast (abu so closer to heavy) for 1/2 oz jigs, tex rigs, etc
6'8" mh fast for 3/8 oz jigs, jerkbaits, tubes
7'6" mh med action for swimbait, heavy c rigs, a rig, punching
6'6" med fast for spooks, poppers, etc
7' med fast for stickbaits, weightless plastics, hair jigs etc.
These are primary uses but with only 5 rods you have to be flexible. I drop shot with the 6'6" rod and frog with the 7' for example, while it is not the ideal rod, it works and since I dont consider those my go to techniques they rank lower on my rod buying decisions.
flyfisher reply :
Conventional:
baitcasters- 2 MHF and one crank bait specific
Spinning- 1 MXF and 1 MF
Fly gear
2 set ups tops...9' 7 wt and sage bass II Largemouth which i believe is the equivalent of about a 10-11wt line
Bankbeater reply :
Jigs - 6'6" mh fast casting rod
T-rig - 6'6" h fast casting rod
Cranks and spinnerbaits - 6'6" mh moderate casting rod
Weightless plastics / shakey head - 6'6" m fast spinning rod
Drop shot / ultra light - 7'0" ml fast spinning rod
nwmike reply :
flipping and pitching rod
crankbait rod
spinnerbait rod
dropshot rod
senko rod
I can get away with these 5 rods for the majority of fishing situations. they double duty when needed. my flipping rod works well as a frog rod senko rod works for shakey heads.dropshot rod is great for wacky and spilt shot rigs.crankbait rod can be used for topwater.spinnerbait rod can fish large square bills and swim jigs in lighter vegetation. I normally take 8 rods when I go fishing but feel these 5 rods will handle everything but the largest swimbaits and deep diving cranks.
J Francho reply :
I like to have a jig, a spinnerbait, a medium diving crank, a deeper diving crank, a drop shot, and a senko or wacky jig on the deck for most "figuring it out" fishing. You pick your favorite rods for this, though a couple M/F rods, a MH/F, a cranking stick, and a M/XF spinning rig will cover the bases.
mjseverson24 reply :
for five rods:
1) 7'6"- 8' H/MH flippin stick MF action ( use for flippin heavy jigs/ hollow body frogs in thick stuff)
2) 7' M-MH fast action very sensitive rod for jigs/t-rigs
3) 6'6" M-MH fast action for topwater/jerkbaits/ spinnerbaits
4) 7' medium power moderate action glass cranking rod
5) 7' ML spinning rod fast action needs to be sensitive for finesse techniques
A lot of guys on here including myself run 15-30 rods on deck so limiting to just 5 is not an easy thing to do, but if I had to this would probably be the basic set up.
Mitch
bigbill reply :
Just five? I use five from shore four spinning and one casting in the past. With rods I range from med/lt to xhvy/x fast.
new2BC4bass reply :
On 11/14/2013 at 10:36 AM, Maxximus Redneckus said:5 is too many 2 is all you need
In my youth 1 rod. Make unknown. Length unknown...but no more than 6'6". Power unknown. Action unknown. Mitchell 300 reel with 8# XL. Artificial lures were inline spinners, Beetlespins and the occasional crankbait. Artificial lures were too expensive. Usually we were fishing bait we could catch or dig up. Nightwalkers after a rain. White grubs dug out of a farmer's dried cow pie pile. Minnows from a nearby creek. Bloodsuckers (small leeches) and crabs (some call crayfish...or crawfish...with one that had just molted and therefore having a soft shell being worth its weight in gold) picked up along the shore of the lake we were fishing.
Fishes in trees reply :
I am in the camp of many rods on the deck, primarily because my boat has minimal rod storage. Rods on top of the pile would be :
1 - a pitching rod
2 - a cranking rod
3 - a spinnerbait rod
4 - a bubba drop shot rod
5 - A spinning rod with braid.
I'll carry duplicates and back ups of all these rods plus a few extra, i.e. a wacky senko rod, a reg. drop shot rod, a dedicated rattle bait rod. a dedicated frog rod, an A-rig rod, a ned rig rod, plus several I'm sure I am forgetting. A list like this is really handier for a tournament co-angler situation. For weekly fun fishing, there isn't any reason to limit how many rods I take, so I don't.
Hanover_Yakker reply :
Two too many in my opinion.
3 is all you need in most situations.........
1 - MH/F casting spooled with 50-65lb. braid - will handle jig-n-craws, texas-rigged plastics, topwater frogs, punching, tubes, craws, etc.
1 - MH/XF casting spooled with 12-17lb clear line of your choice - lighten the drag, works for CBs, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, blade baits, spoons, a-rigs, flukes, topwaters, jerkbaits, etc.
1 - M/XF spinning spooled with 12-20lb. braid and tipped with leader of choice - use for dropshot, weightless plastics, skipping, small, small topwaters, inline spinners and other finess applications.
.ghoti. reply :
use the 7' MH-F as your primary bottom contact rod; plastics, jigs, etc.
use the spinning rod for any light weight baits.
add another MH-F casting rod, maybe shorter with a shorter handle for spinnerbaits, and jighead duty
add a M-F casting rod, 7' for lighter plastics; tubes, flukes, etc
add a casting crankbait rod, 7' M-MF for small cranks or a MH-M for deep cranks
Those four casting rods and one spinning rod will cover a lot of bases. You can expand later into more application specific setups as your experience dictates.
Buy the best you can afford. It's better to buy one top shelf rod that you will use for a long time, than three lesser rods that you will replace as soon as you are able.
skeletor6 reply :
Rod selection changes upon the time of year, lake, pattern, weather etc.
If I was going in blind id probably roll with.
2x nrx 893c (texas rig and jig work in addition to many other purposes)
1x nrx 822syr (drop shot all purpose spinning)
1x nrx 852s jwr (finesse jigs, senkos, tubes etc)
1x nrx 803c (with mono spooled. Could get away with jerkbaits, cranks, topwater etc.)
My boat can hold well more than 5 however and I'd be leaving out way too many crucial rods/reels. These 5 limit heavy cover work, Frogging, dedicated drop shot and my crazy versatile cucx711mh. If I wanted to only have 5 I would have bought my rods differently. There's give and take to any rod I could swap in and out.
Which is why information mentioned in the beginning is crucial to rod selection on a given day.
S Hovanec reply :
This is what's in the locker and on deck on a typical day on the water for me.....all spinning:
1. 6'10" mag-lite/XF Dropshot
2. 6'9" ML/XF Dropshot
3. 7'6" ML/XF Dropshot
4. 6'10" M/XF Dropshot
5. 6'8" M/XF Tube
new2BC4bass reply :
On 11/15/2013 at 4:58 AM, S Hovanec said:This is what's in the locker and on deck on a typical day on the water for me.....all spinning:
1. 6'10" mag-lite/XF Dropshot
2. 6'9" ML/XF Dropshot
3. 7'6" ML/XF Dropshot
4. 6'10" M/XF Dropshot
5. 6'8" M/XF Tube
Maybe you should try adding Dropshot to your list of techniques. 
I hear it is effective.
S Hovanec reply :
On 11/15/2013 at 5:02 AM, new2BC4bass said:Maybe you should try adding Dropshot to your list of techniques.
I hear it is effective.
I'm thinking about adding it to my 'techniques to learn' for next year. If I do that, maybe there will be 5 DS rods listed!! Tubes are just so.......yesterday!
J Francho reply :
Quote
5. 6'8" M/XF Tube
Red headed step child?
S Hovanec reply :
On 11/15/2013 at 5:23 AM, J Francho said:Red headed step child?
Yea, kinda. I don't even possess that rod anymore. Sold it in the middle of summer. It's gonna be replaced with a 6'10" M/XF that may or may not be a dual purpose tube/DS rod. Also replacing the the 69MLXF with a 610MLXF.......If I ever find the time to build them! The #4 DS rod listed above was fished this year unfinished......just bare thread holding the guides on.
DogBone_384 reply :
On 11/14/2013 at 10:36 AM, Maxximus Redneckus said:5 is too many 2 is all you need
"NEED" - had little to do with bass fishing, at least from what I've learned from folks on this forum.
If you like it & can afford it (your financials are your business) - fulfill that WANT and go for it!
doyle8218 reply :
On 11/14/2013 at 10:36 AM, Maxximus Redneckus said:5 is too many 2 is all you need
I more than agree
roadwarrior reply :
For enthusiasts, technique specific gear is fun
to collect. However, three rigs cover all the
basics:
#1 6 1/2' or 7' MH baitcaster for jigs, some
soft plastics and spinnerbaits
#2 6 1/2' or 7' MM baitcaster for treble hook
lures
#3 7' MF spinning rod for lighter lures and a
variety of techniques
bighed reply :
Very difficult to answer your question. Too many variables to be as specific as you are asking. How tall are you? This usually plays into rod length. I'm 6-3 and rarely use less than 7' and as long as 7-11 but a guy whos 5-7 may prefer nothing over 6-6. What are the lakes like where you fish? The rods I favor for Falcon or Fork would probably be very different than what works best in Mass. What is your confidence technique? You will probably gravitate to that rod most of the time and may want to double up on them. Time of year has a lot to do with the rods you take along. I probably won't be taking a deep cranking rod along during the spawn but wouldn't be caught dead without it in August. I think for general use, a couple 6-6 or 7' medium and mh's are a good place to start. You can fish almost anything on those two and not have a rod that fishes only one technique well. As you tune in on your preferred style and needs for your lakes it will become clear what to get. Plug for my fav rod brand: I fish Falcon Cara rods and very little else. They are the best bang for the buck I have found. I feel that keeping all your rods of the same brand and model adds a lot to your ability to detect a strike.
rmcguirk reply :
As others have said, very subjective. My five for fishing blind would be:
2x MH F or XF baitcasting set ups for jigs, t-rigged plastics, and spinner baits.
1 MHM baitcasting rod for cranks
1 MXF spinning rod for weightless plastics/wacky jig/shakey head
1 ML XF spinning rod for drop shoting.
With that spread I could cover just about everything. I might substitute my 7' MF Avid baitcaster for one of the MHs, as it could handle a wide variety of techniques. If anyone is looking for a true multipurpose stick, I'd strongly recommend that rod.
WRB reply :
OK lets say you are fishing a tiurnament, blind draw, lake and location unknown. What 5 rods would you take?
I will stay with my choices, would you?
Tom
Jrob78 reply :
On 11/16/2013 at 12:25 PM, WRB said:OK lets say you are fishing a tiurnament, blind draw, lake and location unknown. What 5 rods would you take?
I will stay with my choices, would you?
Tom
Yep, I feel very confident my bases would be covered with my 5 rods.
Virtuoso reply :
Gary Loomis Green NRX 893c
Megabass Nautilus F5-76X
Megabass F3-610X4S Aaron Martens Limited
Gary Loomis GLX 852BSR (modified, took out the recoils, replaced with ceramic guides)
Megabass F7-77X Record Breaker
I also have a Few St. Croix on deck that I let my friends use. In case they break them or whatever I can get them replaced. Nice rods for letting others use.
I care less about cranking. Not my style.
kickerfish1 reply :
On 11/16/2013 at 2:43 PM, Virtuoso said:Gary Loomis Green NRX 893c
Megabass Nautilus F5-76X
Megabass F3-610X4S Aaron Martens Limited
Gary Loomis GLX 852BSR (modified, took out the recoils, replaced with ceramic guides)
Megabass F7-77X Record Breaker
I also have a Few St. Croix on deck that I let my friends use. In case they break them or whatever I can get them replaced. Nice rods for letting others use.
I care less about cranking. Not my style.
Sick!
Catt reply :
On 11/16/2013 at 12:25 PM, WRB said:OK lets say you are fishing a tiurnament, blind draw, lake and location unknown. What 5 rods would you take?
I will stay with my choices, would you?
Tom
Oh lets see, why did I put those 5 out there?
Oh yea!
Cause I got extreme confidence in em 
BrianSnat reply :
I usually have
3 6' 6" MH
1 6' 6" M
1 6' 6" ML
DogmanRich reply :
Im thinking all ya need is a Rod and Reel that will cast far, strong as hell, and lets ya know when you got a fish messing with the bait..... Now all that is a crazy time finding it... because its perfect. but the price tags of these rod and reels today. You can find the best but is it all worth it?.... "healthy addiction" this fishing is. I miss the days when I could take a zebco and a powerbait and catch bass after bass without even wanting more and better rods and reels.
Mike L reply :
Fenwick Techna AV...All bottom contact plastics / jigs
Falcon "Lizard Dragger"....Carolina rig / All top water
Phenix X11...All cranking
Phenix M1 casting...Spinnerbait / Chatter
Phenix M1 spinning...flukes, wacky, shakey etc.
Mike
doyle8218 reply :
Isn't that the truth - how often we get caught up in the unneeded hype !!!
wnybassman reply :
7' MH Fast casting - The workhorse. jigs, T-rigged plastics, C-rigged plastics, bubba-shots, deep cranks, lipless cranks, blade baits, spoons, spinnerbaits, frogs
7' M Fast casting - light T-rigged plastics, shallow cranks, chatterbaits
6' 6" M fast casting - wacky, topwater, jerkbaits
6' 6" ML spinning - open hook jighead fishing of all kinds, dropshot
6' M spinning - skipping rod
Some of those aren't what I would normally use for those applications, but could if I "had" to.
Virtuoso reply :
On 11/27/2013 at 8:07 AM, wnybassman said:7' MH Fast casting - The workhorse. jigs, T-rigged plastics, C-rigged plastics, bubba-shots, deep cranks, lipless cranks, blade baits, spoons, spinnerbaits, frogs
7' M Fast casting - light T-rigged plastics, shallow cranks, chatterbaits
6' 6" M fast casting - wacky, topwater, jerkbaits
6' 6" ML spinning - open hook jighead fishing of all kinds, dropshot
6' M spinning - skipping rod
Some of those aren't what I would normally use for those applications, but could if I "had" to.
Looking at your setup, I see three medium powered rods. Any reason you don't have a rod more powerful than MH? Just curious if you fish light cover, or if you feel a MH does the job well enough for you
ZB85 reply :
1. Frog rod-Veritas 7'6" mh
2. Jigs and soft plastics rod(also flip and pitch)-Veritas 7' mh
3. shallow-medium diving crank bait rod-denali jadewood crankbait rod 7' mh
4. Punchin rod-Powell Diesel 7'6"h
5. Spinnerbait, buzzbait, chatterbait rod-Powell Diesel 7'3"mh
C0lt reply :
I usually only have 4:
7ft medium heavy pro max for finesse jigs and soft plastics.
7ft duckett ghost medium cranking rod
7ft duckett ghost medium spinning rod for tubes, shakey head, and drop shot.
6ft 6 ugly stik gx2 with braid for my jigs and pitching (will soon be upgrading to a 7-7ft 3 heavy action duckett ghost)
If I had to add one more, it would probably be some sort of medium fast action casting rod, probably 7ft.... And probably a duckett.
C0lt reply :
I just realized I bumped an old form. I did a Google search, found this thread, read it, and left it open on my iPad for the day. Came back, decided to respond, forgetting its two years old. Sorry guys
via reply :
a pitching rod for heavy cover, a crankbait rod, and a finesse rod is all i will need.
benthinkin reply :
On 11/16/2013 at 12:48 AM, roadwarrior said:For enthusiasts, technique specific gear is fun
to collect. However, three rigs cover all the
basics:
#1 6 1/2' or 7' MH baitcaster for jigs, some
soft plastics and spinnerbaits
#2 6 1/2' or 7' MM baitcaster for treble hook
lures
#3 7' MF spinning rod for lighter lures and a
variety of techniques
how many times have you had to post that exact list lol
Hogsticker reply :
Ml custom Recon / Alphas SV
Jerkbaits
Mh custom RX7 crankbait rod / Shimano Scorpion XT with Yumeya spool
Lipless, square bills, flat sided
Mh custom RX8 popping blank / Daiwa Alphas SV
Swimbaits, soft full body
Ml K2 / Tdz 103 with SV spool
Tubes, Texas rigged worms, craws, creatures
Medium Mhx high mod popping blank / Shimano rarenium ci4+
All purpose spinning combo in case the mood hits me.
new2BC4bass reply :
Deleted comments.
kickerfish1 reply :
It would probably depend upon the time of year, wind conditions, water clarity, and body of water. If I was going in blind had to pick 5 of my outfits to bring I would probably choose:
Casting:
1. NRX 873/TDZ
2. Megabass EMTF/Scorpion
3. Dobyns 705cb glass/Citica 200E
Spinning:
4. Cumara Gen 1 Drop shot rod/Stradic FJ
5. Fenwick Elite Tech/Stradic FJ
This would cover most all apps I would need. I would feel more comfortable with 8-10 but I could scrape by blindly with these 5.
masterbass reply :
Megabass XX Perfect Pitch/Zillion 50th w/TDZ 100m spool: frogs, jigs, punching
Megabass X7 Extreme Mission/TDZ Ito w/7.1 gears: T rigs, jigs
NRX 893c/Metanium XG: senko, fat ika, flukes
Megabass XX Jerk Bait Special/Steez 103HLA: jerk baits, topwaters, cranks
KLX finesse worm/Liberto Pixzilla: wacky rig, flick shakes, trick worms, grub and jighead
NathanW reply :
I could get by with
1 Medium Drop Shot Special Spinning - 12lbs braid 6lbs leader
2 Medium *** Blacks with 15lbs Fluoro
1 Medium Heavy *** Black with 20lbs Fluoro
1 Medium 7' cranking rod. Anyone will do. 10lbs Fluoro.
RoLo reply :
"5 Most Important Rods To Have On The Boat"1 Casting Rod
1 Spinning Rod
3 Piston Rods
Roger
Blake2737 reply :
703 fast, casting for most soft plastics, finesse jigs, t-rigs, and spinnerbaits
735 extra fast for jigs, bigger t rigs and chatterbaits
7'6 heavy for pitching, light punching, football heads, and c rigs
702 fast spinner for dropshots and real finesse stuff
6'10 glass cranker for crankbaits
that's what I use in the yak
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