How many rods do you really need? 2024

retiredbosn reply :

I think the specialty rod syndrome has really gotten wild lately. I have used the fishing rods are like golf club excuse with the wife to validate a purchase, but in all honesty how many rods do we need to carry. I have a friend who has a drop shot rig and a shakey head rig, a jig rod, a worm rod, a carolina rod, buzz bait, spinner bait, topwater, etc. He carries ten plus rods when he goes fishing. I understand the necessity of different rods for different uses, but seriously a shakey head rod and a drop shot rod, a football jig rod and a regular jig rod. Do we carry all of these rods so we don't have to retie when switching bait? Personally I carry five rods, 2 cb rods, one shallow one deep, 2 jig rods, one for smaller jigs and 1 larger jigs, btw they also double for my worm, carolina rig. one medium that I use for whatever. My jig rods sometimes pull double duty as my buzz bait and spinner bait rod. The one cb rod the MH will also sometimes serve as a buzzbait rod and topwater treble hook bait rod. I may just be cheap, but I can retie a long long time before I can justify the expense of a seperate setup for each bait.

=Matt 5.0= reply :

I only need three.

stormrider reply :

I use 5

plus I carry an Ultralight

roadwarrior reply :

Three:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1196114229

8-)

BASS fisherman reply :

From what I understand:

The whole reason for having a ton of rods all rigged up and ready to go, goes back to tournament anglers.

When you start your day, everything is rigged so you dont waste time tieing on new lures every few minutes. In doing so, you have more time to do whats important during a tournament.

During a tournament every second counts. If it takes you 20 seconds to tie on a new lure, and you tie on 30 lures throughout the day, that is 6 minutes you wasted tieing on lures when you could have been fishing.

It may not seem like much, but when you factor in time to find the lures and time wasted in other ways throughout the day, it all adds up.

Stasher1 reply :

Quote
I only need three.

Yup, three for me as well.

6'6" M/F spinning rig with 8# mono

6'6" MH/F spinning rig with 30# braid

7' M/Mod-Fast baitcasting rig with 12# mono

These three rods can cover pretty much any technique I'd use on my local lakes. I have other combos, like an UL spinning rig and a ML dropshot spinning rig, but I can actually cover both of these techniques with my primary rods.

franklinfishfinder reply :

I carry 5 when i'm tournament fishing or just fishing on a regular day. I can usally pick 5 baits, one that fits each rod and out of those 5 baits one will catch a fish and if not then it's more than likey going to be a long day no matter what I throw at them. I do have about a dozen or so pre-tied carolina rigs ready to rig up and a few extra drop shots tied up. but that is about all that takes more than a few seconds to re-tie.

eyedabassman reply :

I have 22 rods in the boat pre rigged. I fish tournaments and I guide so I do need that many. I have had clients lose a rod or two! :'( Some clients don't like baitcasters and and some don't like spinning, so I need a Variety.

TrippyJai reply :

yep... 3 and it's been said.

islandbass reply :

Me three. Three wisely chosen types can cover the entire spectrum for non tournament related fishing.

Catt reply :

Top Water Lure, Mid Depth Lure, & Bottom Lure

SirSnookalot reply :

Quote
How many rods do you really need?

Honestly the answer is 1. I'm as guilty as the next, have well over 20 outfits.

No question about that there is advantage of having several with you if you desire to change techniques quickly, but do you need it.......no.

The gentleman has indicated that he is a recreational fisherman, not a guide needing equipment for his clients or a tournament fisherman where time is of the essence.

I carry 2, the second is usually a backup in case of equipment failure.

The_Natural reply :

You don't need the golf club excuse. Just head down a bank that has multiple situations. Chunk rock bank...sweet! I'll work my crankbait. Oh hey...there's a log up by the bank. I'll pitch a flappin' hog up there real quick. Oh hey...check out that deep brushpile! Let me grab my football jig before I lose it on my sonar. Hmmm...they didn't want my football...that brush is too good not to have a fish...it's a good thing I have a Junor D tied on. I can't tell you how many times my backup bait struck gold when my first choice failed to produce a strike. You can retie your asss off and catch some fish....it just all boils down to how serious you are about your bass fishing. More rods on deck is an advantage...period.

cart7t reply :

I've got 14-15 in the boat most of the time with around 6 on deck.

If it's a good day of fishing usually all but 2 or 3 go back into the box to relieve clutter.

Cravin reply :

How many rods do you really need?

1=How big is your closet?

2= How big is you garage?

3= How many can your boat store?

4= How many could you fit into all you closets, your garage and your boat?

5= Do you ask yourself this question after leaving a tackle shop with another rod in your hand?

6= do you think one more may actually affect your marriage?

Im stuck on #1,I feel like #5, I would like to be at #4,But would end up at #6! :'(

bigfruits reply :

you only need 1 rod.

its better to have 3 for different weights

my main reason for bringing over 3 rods is so that i dont have to keep retying baits when i want to use something else.

Micro reply :

3-5 if you ask.

27 if my wife asks.

retiredbosn reply :

After I wrote this last night, me and the wife were out in the garage and I got to counting all of my poles. Not only my bass poles but all of them

5 spinning rod outfits

5 baitcast outfits

4 spincast outfits

Which came out to more than I realized! I use five baitcast poles when bass fishing, carry two or three when I'm trout fishing. I have always used multiple poles, just wondering how many is enough. I liked the response that said right up to the point that every crevice in the house is full.

Grey Wolf reply :

Primus reply :

I believe most fisherman can get by with 3-5 combos and do quite well. However, I do believe to an extant more is more for my style of fishing. I have app 20 differrent combos that I use throughout the year, though I typically bring app 10-12 most outings based on seasonal conditions and the type of lakes I fish. During the summer I could use as many as 3 different crankin sticks in different line combos for fishing various lipped & lipless cranks and small swimbaits such as the King Shads. I like a 5:1 gear ratio MH 7'6" rod for throwing DT 16/ DD 22 type baits with 10 or 12 lb floro to get these baits deep. However I have 2 combos, one with a M & 1 MH rod for fishing cranks around shallow cover, I still use mono for this application. I use the M action rod with 14 lb mono the vast majority of the time, I only use the 7' MH with 20 lb line for oversize heavy cranks or ones with a lot of resistance or maybe for fishing a deep diver in shallower water. In addition I use a 6'9" M action spinning rod for fishing jerkbaits, 1/8 oz tiny cranks like the RC 0.5 or twitching rapalas. I also like a 6'6" M casting rod with 14 lb mono for topwater baits add a spinnerbait rod and I'm looking at 5-6 rods for hard baits, nevermind a combo for large swimbaits.The truth be told I could probably fish the majority of these baits with 1 combo, but to get optimal performance out the different types of lures that I use I think it's an advantage to have a few speciality combos.

Without going into too much detail I have combos suited for C rigs, dropshot, shakey heads, regular jigs, small jigs, general T rigs and heavy cover, these are an assortment of M, MH & H action casting and spinning rods. I mostly use floro for these combos, though I have a couple of combos with braid for grass mats.

As mentioned earlier seasonal conditions will have a major influence on the gear I bring, if the water temp is 42 degrees early spring for example I'll leave my topwater rod & lures at home.

Everyone has to determine based on expierience level, available storage and fishing style what's right for them as to the amount & type of gear they use.

Red reply :

well i only used one for many years, then when i moved to minnesota i got heavy into walleye and pike fishing, so i had two. now in texas and i now have five set ups

6'6" H=jig/big worms/small swimbaits

6'6" MH=spinnerbait/buzzbait

7' MH=Crankin/small swimbaits

6'8" MH=Worm

my 5th is a spinning outfit which i havent yet got a rod for, but it will most likely be a 6'6"-7' M that i will use for weightless stuff and jerkbaits. once i get this rod i think i will be pretty well set, i may want a heavier setup down the road for larger swimbaits. but i am in no hurry for that.

do i need this many, nope!

Cliff

=Matt 5.0= reply :

Quote
3-5 if you ask.
27 if my wife asks.

;D I love it!

T-Bone reply :

Three.

Steve_IA reply :

Only the one I'm using at the time!

The Ven reply :

For plastic worms... M or MH/XF

For Small Cranks and Small Topwater... M/Mod

For Frogs... H/Mod

For Large Canks and Large Topwater... MH/Mod

For Spinners and Buzzbaits... M or MH/F

For Swimbaits... MH/Mod

For Small Jigheads... ML/F Spinning

For Evertything else... Mix and match or a M/F Spinning rod

That's what I use. I don't think they are at all necessary, but there are advantages to each that just might get you hooked-up instead of missing a strike. The fast and extra fast tips are great for quick hooksets, the moderate, softer tips are good for allowing the bass to have an opportunity to take the lure without snatching it away.

But, hey... it's just my opinion. What do you think?

cbreeze22 reply :

I have 5 setups. the wife gets a couple of them when we fish together.

Two spins finese lite 3 baitcasters cranks jigs T rigs C rigs top water 8-)

ReelMaster reply :

The one I have in my hand at the time but I have 17 but that includes fly rods and surf and pier rods.

My wife likes it that I collect rods instead of girl friends. ;D

bass wrangler569 reply :

I usually fish with 8 rods and I have another 8 at home that I don't use much.

Do I need that many? Of course not.

Do I want more, lots more? Absolutely!!!

One of the great things about building rods is that when your wife/girlfriend/mother asks you why you're building another rod, you can say "well, I didn't get the last one quite the way I want it and I really could use the practice, hopefully this one turns out right or I'm going to have to build another one"

Big Tom reply :

I suppose you could say one only needs one rod and reel to fish with.

That's not fun though.

I am comfortable with three but I prefer five.

ArcticCat500 reply :

I ended up climbing into this rod specific boat for a ride too, I think I bought more rods in the last 6 months then I have in over 30years, and today another arrived. A GBlanks custom spinning rod 6.6MXF

Man I dont need all this stuff, looks like a yard sale soon.

I always carry 3 and think thats to many sometimes.

I.rar reply :

i have 3 now.

one 5'6 UL with a president 6725

one 7' M with a president 6740 (its a bit too heavy for my liking and i think ill pick up a MH rod to throw it on or trade for a 6735)

and just got my citica thats going on a 6' M compre.

Uncle Leo reply :

Carry 8 own 36, you should see my wifes purses that lady is a sicko.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Own a bunch, use 1

7'11" Crucial MF H

Ineedanewscreenname20170204 reply :

I can get by with 4 (for Bass fishing)

1 - Worm/jig 7' MH (or St. Croix M) BC

2 - Spinnerbait/buzzbait (3/8, 1/2oz) - 7' MHF BC

3 - Jig - 7' MHF BC

4 - Crankbait - 7'MM BC

I like to include a couple others:

5 - Light crankbait/spinnerbait (1/4oz) - 6'6" MF BC

6 - Finesse plastics - 7' M Moderate action Spinning

Bassn Blvd reply :

Depending on the season, Non-tournament 2-4

Tournament 7-8.

ww2farmer reply :

I carry no less than than 12 in my boat at all times, usually 3-5 on the deck at all times. Do I "need" that many.......no, but It's sure nice to have them rigged up and ready to go. There are times when the rods on my deck are the same for weeks at a time. For instance, in mid summer, when the grass flipping bite is on, it's nice to have a couple of rods rigged up. One with a 3/8 oz weight for pitching into holes, one with a big 1 oz. sinker for crashing the mats, and one for frogs. You can do this all with one rod, but if you can afford it, why not save yourself the time and hassle of retying.

MichiganFisherman reply :

For everyone who said "3", could you tell me the length,power, and action on them and what kind of baits you fish with them? Thanks.

I use one but, I'm starting to feel like I need many more.

djmax22 reply :

I really have expanded over the last year. I am up to 12 setups and still would like to have a couple more (a few more crankings stick would be nice).

Big Tom reply :

Quote
For everyone who said "3", could you tell me the length,power, and action on them and what kind of baits you fish with them?

If I had my own boat I would surely have a lot more. As I mentioned earlier, I am a lot more comfortable with five but space constraints limit me.

This is what gives me the most versatility:

Rod 1: Casting Rod - 7' Medium Power with a Moderate Action - Most Crankbaits, Hard Jerkbaits and Top Water.

Rod 2: Casting Rod - 7' Medium Heavy Power with a Fast Action - Shallow Crankbaits, Spinnerbaits, and Buzzbaits.

Rod 3: Casting Rod - 7' Heavy Power with an Extra Fast Action - Jigs, Texas Rigs and the occasional Carolina Rig.

These are the techniques I fish the most and the above Rigs fit me pretty decently.

Muddy reply :

3, basically along the lines of what Catt stated. I have 6,( one is a bacup) usually have 3 in the boat. Exception , fishing Snag Proof type frogs then I bring a 4th specially set up for that, Could actually do it with 2 one Med and one Med hvy.

bigfruits reply :

if i only had 3...

7' spinning ml xf (1/8-3/8oz) - dropshot, shakey, split shot, 4 inch t-rig worms, 1/8oz jigs

6.5' spinning m/mh f/xf (3/16-5/8oz) - t-rig, 1/4-5/16oz jigs

6.5-7' baitcast mh f (1/4-3/4) - 3/8-5/8oz jigs, heavy t-rig, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, crankbaits

many would choose a moderate action rod for cranks, but with only 3 rods id just use a fast action.

keep in mind, a 5lb fish is pretty big here in VA. FL fishing might require heavier set ups....

tkite16 reply :

At the moment I need 14 but Bass Pros spring classic is coming up so who knows what I'll need that week

BassinBoy reply :

3 or 4, give or take on a good day

Bassn Blvd reply :

In the summer months, here in S.Florida, I use the following.

7'1 m/h with #15 mono. This is my worm rod

7' m/h with #12 moo. This is my Fluke rod

7.5 M/h with #17-20 mono. This is my jig/flipping rod.

That's pretty much the only baits I fish from May-Oct. If it's tournament day then I add another worm rod.

Nov-April I add the following but may leave the 7.5 from above at home..

7' med with #10 mono. crankbait rod

7' m/h with #15 mono. topwater (spook) rod

7' m/h to H with #15-20 mono. spinnerbait rod

FiSHCOX reply :

I'd say 3-4 baitcast setups.

rod 1 - cranks

rod 2 - cranks (I crank a lot)

rod 3 - worm & jig / swimbaits

rod 4 - spinnerbait / chatterbait

Those would be more than enough to cover the lakes here in North Central Texas

South FLA reply :

A fishing rod is not a need, food, water, and shelter are needs, after that everything is gravy, but I like lots of gravy ;D.

In an Ideal world a rod setup for all the techniques you could be presented with on your particular body of water. For me this is about 5 setups, but as I tell all my friends that are casual fisherman. A 6'6" to 7' Med/Medium Hvy Spinning Rod with a 3000 SeriesReel should cover pretty much all your fishing rod needs.

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