How many rods is too many?

[The Maestro]

Is there even such a thing? For me I usually bring 10-12 rods. 6 of them are jig/flipping rods. I really feel like this is pretty much my limit in terms of practicality. Mind you I don't have a full on bass rig with massive rod storage but I feel like even adding another jig rod would be overkill and cause more headaches than anything else.

[redmeansdistortion]

According to my wife, having more than one rod is too many.  I have 14 rods right now for various species that I like to fish for.

[MN Fisher]

Being in a canoe limits my rod-storage. Currently I have the 5 rigs listed in my signature, with the possibility of adding one more next winter. Stating that, all my rigs have to perform multiple tasks so I get very creative.

[J Francho]

In my own bass boat, I might have 30 or more.  Kayak is 3-6.  Which ones I bring depends on the water I'm fishing.

[Dens228]

For me right now 7 is too many.  I have 6 rod holders on my kayak.  Although I haven't brought 6 yet this year.

 

[PAbasser927]

I have 6... and the gear monkey has not been after me to acquire more.  With my 6 rods, I do not feel like there are any voids left to fill for the styles I like to fish. Whether I am out on a boat or in my kayak, I have yet to take them all along on a single trip.

[J Francho]

6 minutes ago, Dens228 said:

For me right now 7 is too many.  I have 6 rod holders on my kayak.  Although I haven't brought 6 yet this year.

 

I like to have at least two extra holders than rods.  That way, I have drop off location for unhooking a fish, or tying a new bait on.

[fishballer06]

The last my wife counted them, I had 42 rods and that was 2 years ago. 

 

To answer your question, I still don't have enough. 

[CroakHunter]

I have 12 combos. If I'm fishing with someone I usually fish with I may bring as few as 3 or as many as 10. If its a new fishing partner I try to limit myself to 5. I could hsve 147 combos and still find a reason to buy another one

[The Maestro]

27 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

The last my wife counted them, I had 42 rods and that was 2 years ago. 

 

To answer your question, I still don't have enough. 

Do you bring them all with you when you go fishing? I guess I didn't really make it clear in the OP. I was really referring to how many you take when you go fishing. I will probably add a combo here and there but I'll either sell or retire my older ones. I don't think I'll take more than what I do now unless I step it up to a boat with more storage.

[lmbfisherman]

On my kayak, it depends.  Standard 6 rods (2 spinning 4 casting) but there are times depends on the body of water, season, weather..etc I may bring 8-10.  

 

When I'm on my tin boat alone, it is likely as many as I can take.  I have about 24 rods altogether.  I haven't bought a new one for awhile though, I mostly spend my money on reels lately.  

[Log Catcher]

Fishing out of a bass boat I usually bring 6 setups. 4 baitcasters and two spinning setups. On a rare day I might add 1 more baitcaster. Since I don't fish tournaments and just fun fish these will cover everything I want to do. If I fish with someone else I usually bring 3 baitcasters and 1 spinning setup.

[microotter]

I like 3 or 4 kayaking and 1 or 2 from shore. 

[islandbass]

From your question, I gather you mean when fishing. I used to bring up to 5, and I am a shorebound angler.  After getting tired of carrying so many rods, and I even constructed an apparatus to assist me, I realized, I never used more than 3 of the 5 rods most of the time.  So it is now three and possibly a fourth if I know I will get to fish for a long time. My apparatus allows me to carry 3 rods in one hand conveniently and I carry the 4th in the other hand. I simply haven't had the time to construct one to hold 4 or 5 rods. Rather be fishing instead.

 

Rod #1 is usually a M casting rod

Rod #2 is usually a MH spinning rod 

Rod #3 is usually a UL or ML spinning

 

#4  can be a MH casting

#5? whatever is clever

 

I don't have a heavy action rod in my arsenal yet, lol.

[The Maestro]

Just now, islandbass said:

After getting tired of carrying so many rods, and I even constructed an apparatus to assist me, I realized, I never used more than 3 of the 5 rods most of the time.  So it is now three and possibly a fourth if I know I will get to fish for a long time. My apparatus allows me to carry 3 rods in one hand conveniently and I carry the 4th in the other hand. I simply haven't had the time to construct one to hold 4 or 5 rods. Rather be fishing instead.

 

Curious to see this "apparatus" that you've jury-riggged.

[Fishingmickey]

Egads, not even sure if i should respond. I have probably 30 rigs. 6 are heavy's the reels are Curado 300E's and a Tranx, maybe 20 medium and medium heavy bait casters (50,150 & 200 sized reels) and 5 spinning combo's. For tournament fishing I usually carry 15 rigs on my kayak. I have nine holders on the milk crate, four on the Engel cooler and two stored horizontally in the PA14 holders. Depending the body of water and time of year fishing will depend on what I'm packing on the yak. I do find that I use the majority of them through out the course of a day.

Fishingmickey

[Dens228]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

I like to have at least two extra holders than rods.  That way, I have drop off location for unhooking a fish, or tying a new bait on.

I do actually have 7 holders but don't count the 7th, it's for just what you're saying.  It's on my rail in front of me on the left to put the rod in while I deal with the fish, especially in tournaments when I need a good picture and to stay organized. 

[Brad Reid]

I'm a kayak/canoe angler. The most I'd ever consider taking out would be 4 and when I have done this, I've rarely used them all. I usually know enough ahead of time about my day's plan that two rods get the job done. 

 

More, certainly, if I were in a tournament.

 

From a kayak, I'd think a dozen rods would be self-defeating for me, might cause me to give up too soon, fish too fast, move too often. in other words, it might neutralize the very advantages a kayak angler often has over big boat anglers.

 

I could see going out with two, then an ultralight rod, and a large swimbait rod . . . if I wanted to spend some time doing one or the other of those and not spend all day targeting just bass.

 

Brad

[islandbass]

40 minutes ago, The Maestro said:

Curious to see this "apparatus" that you've jury-riggged.

I call it my rod quiver.

 

Based on the shape you choose, you can hold as many rods as you need.  I chose a triangle and it's hard to believe my first one is over 10 years old! I built another one last year for an oldtimer, when I saw him struggling with 3 rods and a large tackle bag and made it beefier. 

 

To make things easy, I used a drafter's triangle.

Cutting the triangles out.

One triangle on the bottom and the other on the top, connected by dowels.

This is my first one, still employed to this day.

When I am fishing, I simply prop it on my bag.  I came up with a way to give it "legs" to prop on the ground but never got around to doing this since I have my bag with me almost all the time.

Gravity holds the rods in place, while your hand holds the middle dowel.  An acquaintance from another forum improved my design to do away with the velcro, and it is a great idea.  With that said, the industrial strength velcro has never ever failed. Ever.

The orange material is from a soda pop insulator under which the other half of the velcro is glued to.  The black circles on the bottom is pipe insulation to provide cushion for the rod butt. It also covers the screw that attaches the pvc to the bottom triangle.  

 

Perhaps a trapazoid shaped one to hold 4-6 (2 rods on top and 1 rod on each angled side for 4 and 1 or 2 on the bottom of the trapezoid for 5 or 6 rods) but honestly, from the shore, that borders ridiculousness, lol.

[MN Fisher]

8 minutes ago, islandbass said:

Perhaps a trapazoid shaped one to hold 4-6 (2 rods on top and 1 rod on each angled side for 4 and 1 or 2 on the bottom of the trapezoid for 5 or 6 rods) but honestly, from the shore, that borders ridiculousness, lol.

Cabelas has this one that holds 5 rods

 

[islandbass]

38 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Cabelas has this one that holds 5 rods

 

That is nice. I forgot to mention that the legs I would have added are very similar!

[A-Jay]

Pretty sure I could slip a few more in there 

A-Jay

[MIbassyaker]

I fish mostly from a kayak and sometimes on foot, on shore or wading. In the 'yak I can bring 5 rods. On foot I can handle up to 3.

 

This has not prevented me from accumulating rods, however. I currently own 24. 

[NYWayfarer]

I have LOTS of rods.

 

I generally take 2 bank fishing, 2-3 kayak fishing and 4 or 5 when I am fishing from a boat.

 

 

[Deleted account]

On the boat, I hardly set up more than 6 (usually less) I'll bring some backups just in case. from shore it's 1 rod most of the time, sometimes 2. I'll use less in places I know well, more in unfamiliar or new water.