Small boat guy question - What do you do with so many combos?

[Cgolf]

To start this isn't a troll post, seen that a bit on the tackle side lately.

 

So my setup is a very narrow beamed 16 foot single console deep vee, with a custom deck over where the seat next to the console is supposed to be. For rods I have a 3 rod vertical rod holder in front of the console, I know amateur looking but only safe way to store them, and maybe room on the floor for one rod in the 6 foot range. So realistically 3 rods not used up front with one in hand for a total of 4. If only one in the boat I can have 2 or 3 in the back, but bass net and musky net are space hogs too. Also have tackle bags on deck because there is no under deck tackle storage. It is a dance routine to land a fish, no running around the boat to work a fish for me.

 

Generally I do fine with the 4 or 7 rods in the boat (1 might be a musky rod so 3-6 bass rods). Heck it has saved me money on only having a limited # of upper mid range setups. What I want to know is what folks use the 3X - 4x the rods in the boat for? Maybe this is why I gravitated towards snaps to switch tactics on the fly;)

[jbsoonerfan]

Well, the possibilities are endless and I will use just a couple examples. I could use a 6'6 M for jerkbaits, a 6'9 M for lipless, a 6'10 M for squarebills and a 7' M for shallow cranks or I could throw them all on the same rod. I could have a 1/8 oz, 3/16 oz, 1/4 oz, 3/8 oz and 1/2 oz texas rig set ups ready at the go, or I could just use a 3/16 oz and call it good. That is just 9 rod and reels right there and we haven't even got into deep cranks, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, top water, frogs, jigs, swimbaits, etc, etc, etc.

[jimmyjoe]

   I think @jbsoonerfan touched on it with his answer; many competitive fishermen (not necessarily high-level) have rods pre-rigged and ready to go at the blink of an eye. To them, or to anyone practicing the competitive style of fishing, one fish can make the difference. And reaction time can mean the difference between that one fish and no fish.      jj

[Bluebasser86]

I'm a junk fisherman, so I can't help but have a rod rigged for ever possible situation I might run into in a given day. Even if I think I'll only make a few cast with a rod, I'm probably going to get it out or bring it with me.

[Fishes in trees]

To echo the previous post - mostly junk fish also.  Even when I know that my plan is to mess around with a certain technique most of the day, it is a challenge to leave rigs that I might need at home or in the fishing truck once I get to the lake.  I carry 15 to 21 rigs most of the time and I fish by myself most of the time so I just figure that if I step on a rod & break it, that's my bad.  It has been several years since that has happened.

 

Over the past 6 or 7 years I've only broken 3 rods and trunk window & electric window have accounted for 2 of them.

The other one ( a 7'4" Fenwick AETOS, $150 more or less ) broke when I pulled way to hard to unstick a stuck square bill.

 

The only one I was really bummed about was when the hatch back window slipped and one of my two original All Star WR1 worm rods is now 6" shorter.

[r83srock]

I rolled in the 15+ rod camp. I seldom do big tournaments anymore so 5 is fine for me. I fish lures that can be used in a variety of situations so I’m not retying all the time, but even if I need to no big deal.

[Dens228]

I can easily bring up to nine rods with my in my 12.5 foot long, 35 inch wide kayak.  That being said I bet you could easily fit more rods in your boat if needed.   Unless you have them socially distancing......

[MN Fisher]

I have racks for 12 rods in my 14' Square-stern canoe. Took 10 out with me every trip this past year.

 

 

It's doable with a little ingenuity.

[new2BC4bass]

I leave the vast majority at home. 

[Cgolf]

6 hours ago, Fishes in trees said:

To echo the previous post - mostly junk fish also.  Even when I know that my plan is to mess around with a certain technique most of the day, it is a challenge to leave rigs that I might need at home or in the fishing truck once I get to the lake.  I carry 15 to 21 rigs most of the time and I fish by myself most of the time so I just figure that if I step on a rod & break it, that's my bad.  It has been several years since that has happened.

 

 

 

19 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I'm a junk fisherman, so I can't help but have a rod rigged for ever possible situation I might run into in a given day. Even if I think I'll only make a few cast with a rod, I'm probably going to get it out or bring it with me.

I am with you two on the Junk fishing, it just takes me a bit longer to switch between techniques in some cases. For shallow water I generally have a slider rigged plastic snapped on (by choice because snap gives a better drop with slider head), Square bill rod, lipless rod, then maybe a musky rod. Depending on the bite the square bill or lipless rod may be a jerkbait. The bonus 5th rod will either be a spinnerbait or swim jig. If I need anything else lure wise, I switch it out on the rod it suits best. If I have the bite dialed in, I may go like 2 spinning rods and 1 multipurpose rod, all depends. 

 

Not complaining as I love my boat, but it does force me to compromise. The flipside for me is since I either get locked in on one thing and zone out or want to constantly swap out lures, this really makes me focus and think out what I need so there is that plus. I probably have ADD or something. It also really makes me think about packing for vacation knowing the space in the boat is limited, which is a great cold weather project.

 

 

5 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I have racks for 12 rods in my 14' Square-stern canoe. Took 10 out with me every trip this past year.

 

 

It's doable with a little ingenuity.

As far as vertical 3 is the max being that I am fishing from the front deck. With 2 casting musky lures with 7 foot rods, clear vertical deck space is a must. It is already tight quarters with two casting. A few bills have been buested bouncing off the console over the years. Could I maybe do another rod rack and get 6 in that spot, maybe. At this point I am so used to it it doesn't bother me. Most of my setups serve multiple purposes very well and I don't feel too held back.

 

That is why I was curious how everyone uses all those rods. Doesn't sound like anyone uses multiple setups just changing the line size keeping the lure the same.

[MN Fisher]

Just now, cgolf said:

That is why I was curious how everyone uses all those rods. Doesn't sound like anyone uses multiple setups just changing the line size keeping the lure the same.

Ummm - no

Here's the 'starting lineup' the last time I went out

BC:

Fuego CT-XS/Aird-X H/F - WP-110 Bluegill

Fuego CT-HS/Fury 705CB - Rapala Ratlin' Rap 08 Shad

Supreme/Aird-X MH/F - 3/8 Swim Jig Green Pumpkin/Berkley Pit Boss Green Haze trailer

President XT/Laguna MH/F - 3/8 Spinnerbait Yellow-Orange/RI Skinny Dipper Light Hitch trailer

President/Aird-X M/F - Rapala Original Floating Live Smelt

Spin:

Trion-35/Stratus VI MH/M - Rapala DT-4 Perch

Trion-30/Aird-X M/F - Donkey Rig/Zoom Super Flukes Houdini

President-25/Fury 702 - Drop-shot, 1/8oz/TRD CrawZ Watermelon Red

Avocet/Avocet ML/F - Gammy Offset Finesse Jig/Zoom Trick Worm Watermelon Red Magic

President-20/Spinmatic UL/F - 1/10 Mushroom Jig/TRD Canada Craw

 

Yes, I changed lures, but it was more like 'swap the Ratlin Rap for a Shad Rap' or 'swap the Yellow-Orange spinner for a Chartreuse chatter'