Expensive Rods as a Co-Angler?

[TxHawgs]

I need to buy rods, so they will obviously  be used by me when fishing non tournaments and go on my boat once I buy one this yr. But my question is this, is it crazy to use expensive rods as a co-angler? Meaning will they get beat up using them as a co on different people's boats? I think it would suck to have to own rods for fun fishing and ones for tourneys. Thanks for your input guys.

[Bluebasser86]

Only reason they would get beat up is if you're beating them up. 

[TxHawgs]

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Only reason they would get beat up is if you're beating them up. 

So u see no reason not to buy what I wanna fish with? I mean there gonna get beat up a little more goin from boat to boat instead of sitting in a rod locker if I had my own boat.

[Bluebasser86]

1 minute ago, TxHawgs said:

So u see no reason not to buy what I wanna fish with? I mean there gonna get beat up a little more goin from boat to boat instead of sitting in a rod locker if I had my own boat.

Rod socks and reel covers man. I put mine on at the end of every day to put in the rod locker or in the rare occasion I'm fishing from someone else's boat. No reason they have to get beat up. I use a small bungee to hold the top ends of the rods together so they're not smacking off each other and no rod socks fly off. 

[roadwarrior]

Fish 'em like ya stole 'em

 

[Felix77]

rod quality and being a co-angler have nothing to do with one another.  Take the necessary precautions to wrap them on long runs and they will hold up just fine.  Just don't close the lid of the "co-angler box" on the tips.  Not that I would know anything about that ... 

[J Francho]

My gear is almost always of a higher quality than any of my boating partners.  It's not a reflection of skill, status, or ability.  It's just my preference to use mid to high end gear.

[Catt]

There is always a possibility a rod will get broken but it's one of those things I don't dwell on.

I've steeped on rods laying on my deck, I've had friends step on rods, I've kicked rods overboard, I've slapped my outboard with a rod, you name it & it's gonna happen!

Ever heard of Murphy's Law?

It ain't if a rod will get broken but when!

[TxHawgs]

4 hours ago, J Francho said:

My gear is almost always of a higher quality than any of my boating partners.  It's not a reflection of skill, status, or ability.  It's just my preference to use mid to high end gear.

No I know it's not a reflection of anything, but I'm like u and enjoy fishing high end equipment. I thought for sure guys would of said I was crazy for fishing NRX rods and Metanium/Aldebaran reels as a co-angler because as I stated there is no doubt that fishing different boats every 2 wks as a co is gonna be harder on your gear compared to only being on your own boat in a rod locker when not being fished. I have only fished 2 tournaments so far and both times the boat I was in did not have a rod locker for me to use.

[Logan S]

I have never had a co-angler break a rod in my boat, but I have broken several of my own as a boater .  Nearly all of them were broken in some way related to a rod locker...I think you might be safer in the back!

Just be careful with rod covers on while running, they catch wind and move around.  I've noticed a few of my co-anglers will carry those foam-covered flexible gear tie things to keep all their rods together while running (while also strapped into the boat).  

[Mike L]

6 hours ago, J Francho said:

My gear is almost always of a higher quality than any of my boating partners.  It's not a reflection of skill, status, or ability.  It's just my preference to use mid to high end gear.

Ditto 

 

Mike 

[BrianinMD]

I am a co and go to tourneys with Dobyns Champion Extremes with Chronarchs on them. Not a big deal unless you don't pay attention or do goofy things with them. Most of the time I have 6-8 rods with me for a tourney (no not all like the combos above) and do not run into issues in the boat.

I have more concern during transport there, so I use two velcro straps. One near the reels, the other towards the tip. With the line wrapped around the rod and these straps transport turns easy.

[Bluebasser86]

11 hours ago, Logan S said:

I have never had a co-angler break a rod in my boat, but I have broken several of my own as a boater .  Nearly all of them were broken in some way related to a rod locker...I think you might be safer in the back!

 

I always put a lifejacket at the front of the locker so if the lid falls shut, the lifejacket catches it before it shuts on my rod. I've saved a few rods because of it. 

[gbryant04]

Buy what you want the first time around and you will be much happier.

[Sam]

Your rod is the communication center of your tackle. Your rod conducts the bait's, bottom's and structure's "feel" back to you via the line and bait's action. The rod also sets the hook and helps you fight and land your catch.

So no matter where or how you are fishing, boater, nonboater, bank, dock, bridge, etc., the rod is the most important piece of equipment you have.

It does not matter how you fish or what line or baits you are using. You need a good rod to transmit the conditions back to you.

With rod manufacturers making "rod specific" rods you can select a good rod for each type of presentation you want. Some rods can be used for multiple baits.

For tournament fishing I like my G. Loomis rods. For fun and pond fishing anything goes, and the Bass Pro Shop Extreme rods work fine.

Take some time and research any rods you are interested in purchasing while at the same time remember one of the Cardinal Rules of Bass Fishing: You Can Never Have Enough Rods!!!!!

[PitchinJigz]

I have had two incidents so far as a co angler that my rods were damaged. The first time, my boater stepped on and broke off the butt cap of one of my rods when I was rigging up in the morning. The rod still works fine, but the electrical tape around the end looks a little ugly. The second time, I was in a partner tournament with a guy who owns an old 17' Tracker. There was no place for my rods so I layed them in the middle of the gunnel on my side. He tripped walking up on the deck, stepped on one of my setups, and snapped a carbon fiber handle on one of my reels (that one hurt, but I had an extra). Moral of the story, I had the problems when my rods were not on my side of the boat and I transport my rods in an SUV, so that's not a problem. Keep your rods on your side of the boat and use rod jackets and reel covers during transport and you'll be fine. I carry some expensive combos like others have mentioned, and I am extra careful with those ones.

[blongfishing]

I fish a lot of high school tournaments with a partner out of another boat even though I have my own. I have never had a problem transitioning my rods from boat to boat and I have expensive gear. 

[ethan-333]

i havent broke a rod yet due to accidental reasonings. my brother did back over one of my better combos tho. and i broke the tip on one with a hookset. and im not easy on rods. cant tell you how many times ive rammed them into a wall carrying them in the house

[tomustang]

Generally I would say go all out, but the key factor here is co-angling in someone else's boat. It would really depend how much time you spend in there, how clean they are (including boat shape), how they drive,  how much they respect your gear, etc.

I personally have $400+ rods, one thing I wouldn't do is entrust them with another owner bouncing around on uncovered decking with exposed materials, or taking hard hits from wakes/waves from inexperience, having them left out on the deck or unlocked for breaks/rest. Blah blah blah, you can do so much, but you're still a coangler and not in control.

 

Now this is all hypothetical, but I've seen it before and it does happen.

[J._Bricker]

TxHawgs, my advice would be "run what ya brung" as we all have the most confidence in our best or favorite rods/reels.  Not sure what circuit you plan on fishing or if you're fishing with a club.  I know at one time the FLW limited co-anglers to five rods, and most clubs let bring as many as you want.  Rod socks and reel covers can minimize damage and allow you to quickly identify a technique specific rod quickly.  And one good thing about your better rod builders- they stand behind their product warranty.  Good luck on tournament day