Limited Number of Rigs

[Big Easy Bassin']

I will be fishing in my first big series of tournaments as a co-angler at the end of the summer and into the fall. I'm limited to 6 rods. I know every body of water will be different, but if you were only able to use 6 setups all the time, what would your 6 be? Not necessarily looking for anything too specific. Just general setup ideas. Thanks in advance for the advice. 

[EvanT123]

Medium light spinning. 

Medium spinning

medium heavy casting

heavy or medium casting depending on the body of water. 

Bam done it in 4 that gives you two extra to play with. 

[Mike L]

Heavy Flipping / Punching

Bottom contact / Jig

Spinnerbait / Chatterbait 

Crank / Top water

Frog / Swimbait 

All around setup for soft plastics in and around light to moderate cover

For me those are all casting combo's 

 

Mike 

[Big Easy Bassin']

2 hours ago, EvanT123 said:

2 hours ago, Mike L said:

Heavy Flipping / Punching

Bottom contact / Jig

Spinnerbait / Chatterbait 

Crank / Top water

Frog / Swimbait 

All around setup for soft plastics in and around light to moderate cover

For me those are all casting combo's 

 

Mike 

You pretty much just hit the nail on the head for what I was thinking, except for me they're all spinning combos lol. I'm a strictly spinning guy

[Fishes in trees]

When I was doing tournaments as a co=angler, I took a dozen or so rigs to the event.  I was fishing southern Missouri Ozark lakes.  I always had a jig/worm rod.   I always had a flipping stick ( which doubled as my bubba drop shot rod.)  I always had my carolina rig rod.  (If your boater is moving fast & pitching, often dragging a bait behind the boat is your best option.  For me any more than 6 or 7 rods became unmanageable, so I'd fill out the arsenal with whatever was seasonally appropriate.

Depending on seasons, that might be a Ned Rig, or a slider rig (which in my mind pre=dates the Ned rig by a couple of decades) or a shaky head rig or a jerk bait rig or a spinner bait rig, shallow crank or deep crank rig.  It was always a challenge to leave the wacky senko rig on the bank.  If the lake had very many docks at all, I wouldn't do it.   It depended on what I thought of the seasonal conditions and what I thought of the advice my boater was giving me..

I was never a strictly spinning guy or a strictly bait caster guy.   If you are carrying a bunch of spinning rods - I'd have a rod sleeve for each rod.   That will save a little bit of time dealing with tangles.  My favorite carolina rig rod was a spinning rod with a braid/fluorocarbon leader set up.

There is a learning curve to being a co-angler.  In some ways it is harder than being a boater.  Being versatile becomes more necessary

[Big Easy Bassin']

1 hour ago, Fishes in trees said:

When I was doing tournaments as a co=angler, I took a dozen or so rigs to the event.  I was fishing southern Missouri Ozark lakes.  I always had a jig/worm rod.   I always had a flipping stick ( which doubled as my bubba drop shot rod.)  I always had my carolina rig rod.  (If your boater is moving fast & pitching, often dragging a bait behind the boat is your best option.  For me any more than 6 or 7 rods became unmanageable, so I'd fill out the arsenal with whatever was seasonally appropriate.

Depending on seasons, that might be a Ned Rig, or a slider rig (which in my mind pre=dates the Ned rig by a couple of decades) or a shaky head rig or a jerk bait rig or a spinner bait rig, shallow crank or deep crank rig.  It was always a challenge to leave the wacky senko rig on the bank.  If the lake had very many docks at all, I wouldn't do it.   It depended on what I thought of the seasonal conditions and what I thought of the advice my boater was giving me..

I was never a strictly spinning guy or a strictly bait caster guy.   If you are carrying a bunch of spinning rods - I'd have a rod sleeve for each rod.   That will save a little bit of time dealing with tangles.  My favorite carolina rig rod was a spinning rod with a braid/fluorocarbon leader set up.

There is a learning curve to being a co-angler.  In some ways it is harder than being a boater.  Being versatile becomes more necessary

Thanks for the advice. I know fishing as a co-angler will definitely be a learning experience.   I was looking at my calendar and I don't think I'm going to make the tournament at the end of August, so my first one will be the end of October. Down here in South Louisiana, depending on when the first cold fronts roll through, that could still be late summer type weather. Hoping it's more of an early fall type situation though. Either way I will be as prepared as I possibly can. And a big thanks for the rod glove tip. Gonna have to order some of those and also gonna get some lure wraps too just in case. 

[Chance_Taker4]

I currently fish co angler and these are the 6 I normally take along

6' 9" Med Casting

7' Med Casting

6"10 Med Hvy Casting

7'3" Med Hvy Casting 

7'3" or 7' 6" Hvy Casting 

6' 9" Med Spinning.