Why Bassheads have multiple rods & reels ~

[A-Jay]

This one was inspired by another thread current running which discusses Dedicated Rigs

and is not news to those of us that do it. 

 

  So why do bass fishermen carry multiple rods & reels with them on the water?

Shore bound & boat bass fishermen alike, often prefer to carry various rods to match fishing techniques that can change fast on the water.

Having different action rods already rigged with lures affords us the flexibility to change tactics quickly which can equate to catching more fish.

 

There can be various reasons why bass fishermen like to fish with many rods on standby.

Flexibility, convenience, and speed probably covers most of it.  

Being gear junkies may be part of this as well. (I know it is for me).

 

 Matching conditions on the water by having multiple rigs prepared for different scenarios and on standby, can be a solid plan.  

There’s enough factors that negatively affect our fishing and that are out of our hands.  

Being prepared is something I can control (mostly).

 

 Selecting the right gear and bait for bass fishing is a big deal at times.

This includes the Fishing Line itself which can be just as important as the rod.

Multiple rigs allows for a line type & size flexibility not reasonably possible with one or two rigs. 

I carry extra pre-rigged spools of varying line types/tests for this very reason.

Plus I’m a crazy person.

While it certainly can be done, changing out line on the bank or in the middle of the lake, never really seems quick, efficient, or very practical.

 

  Another aspect of what ends up in a basshead’s rod locker may be that even though our current (insert older) gear is most likely perfectly fine, improving technology and marketing can make us feel like we need the newest model; the latest & greatest.

I’m certainly guilt of it.

 

All said & done, in my mind ALL my rigs are “dedicated”.

Dedicated to catching the most & biggest Brown bass I can.

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[MidwestBassAttack]

I endorse this post…because it’s true and because it gives me many reasons to succumb to the bait monkey. 
 

Most importantly; when the next gear/tackle order gets delivered to the home, I now have a scapegoat…….”A-Jay told me to do it dear”

[new2BC4bass]

Bassheads?  More like head cases. 

[QED]

I take a different tack - I don't buy in volume (though I still manage to end up with more rigs than I can rationalize) but rather buy at the very high end.  A slightly different variant of the BM virus.

[LrgmouthShad]

And, as I saw in some of your videos and photos @A-Jay, you might carry a ton of rods and tackle, but the front deck of your boat seems to remain pretty uncluttered while fishing. Doesn't hurt to have a bunch of options available below deck that aren't crowding things. 

 

Even in a kayak, sometimes I convince myself to bring only 3 or 4 rods, and those sometimes wind up being the days that I wish I brought my other 2-3 rods. 

[flyfisher]

As a kayak fisherman i always hear people say oh i do it for simplicity and take one rod or whatever.  Well to me a kayak is a tool and that tool has it's limitations.  One of those limitations is space so i would rather take rods that are rigged up rather than rerig often.  I want flexibility, convenience and options and while i don't stack the deck like @A-Jay, i take my fair share.

[roadwarrior]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

 

A-Jay

I can't tell if you have three too many or need two more!

 

 

[A-Jay]

6 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

I can't tell if you have three too many or need two more!

 

 

 I don't really need more, I mean seriously. 

But there's a few more in the locker, hanging on the wall in the garage

and a small collection of retired sticks in the hobby shop.

As outrageous as that is ~

And we're not even talking about ALL the Striped Bass stuff

I had but sold most of before moving up to the sweet water.

And I have no problem mentioning all this because I've seen PLENTY of pics

in this forum of collections of gear that totally DWARF my whole deal.

And you guys know who you are . . . . . 

A-Jay

[islandbass]

Well said, A-Jay. 
 

I remember when I first started fishing in 2004 I told myself only one rod was needed and I stayed with my med-light 4-10lb line “Walmart special”.

 

I initially was targeting trout and didn’t know jack about bass. I tie on a size 5 floating Rapala minnow and didn’t even know what I was doing. I felt a “vibration” but didn’t know it’s significance (it was a hit, dummy, lol). 
 

As my lure got closer to me, I see a bass on the end. He was small and that was all it took. A “trout” angler’s first fish was a bass, and that was all it took. 
 

Naturally, it didn’t take long to realize when and where and when my Walmart special rod was adequate and when it was knot. 
 

Then, all these rods start magically appearing in my garage. Another spinning reel or two and who would believe a few baitcaster reels too. 
 

My 6th grade shop teacher’s words have never been forgotten and are still with me today. “Use the right tool for the job. Save yourself the trouble.”

 

Rods and reels are tools so don’t blame me. I’m just following orders. 
 

-ib 

[king fisher]

I have multiple rods and reels, because the Bait Monkey twisted my arm.

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Doesn't hurt to have a bunch of options available below deck that aren't crowding things. 

Ya - I only put 3-4 rigs on the deck of the F-9...but that leaves 10 more in the rod locker if I need something different.

 

3 minutes ago, king fisher said:

I have multiple rods and reels, because the Bait Monkey twisted my arm.

Lucky - he usually mugs me....

[Mobasser]

I don't know if walleye guys, trout guys, or catfish guys are like bass fisherman. We always like to be prepared for whatever they try to throw at us. So, we convince ourselves that we need so many rods and reels.                         Plus, we just like all this stuff.

[T-Billy]

I'm a minimalist. I only carry 10-12 rods on the deck. ? The fact that I fish from a 1648 without a rod locker MIGHT have something to do with that.

28 minutes ago, king fisher said:

I have multiple rods and reels, because the Bait Monkey twisted my arm.

You're lucky. He usually twists my nipples. I hate purple nurples and submit to him everytime.  It's a truly sad state of affairs.

[Jar11591]

No matter how many rods I bring, I’ll still be on my boat thinking “man I wish I brought that 7’ MH rigged with a Dark Sleeper” or “why didn’t I bring two 6’6” M-F so I could be throwing two different sized poppers?”.  

[roadwarrior]

27 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

Plus, we just like all this stuff.

 

 

                                         

[new2BC4bass]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

Ya - I only put 3-4 rigs on the deck of the F-9...but that leaves 10 more in the rod locker if I need something different.

Okay.  I've seen your mention of the F-9 several times and have to ask....what is your F-9?  A search showed up either a F9-R such as this

https://www.boatsdata.com/farrier-f9---r-trimaran-37728/specs

 

or the Yamaha F9.9 motor.

[MN Fisher]

40 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

Okay.  I've seen your mention of the F-9 several times and have to ask....what is your F-9?  A search showed up either a F9-R such as this

https://www.boatsdata.com/farrier-f9---r-trimaran-37728/specs

 

or the Yamaha F9.9 motor.

Alumacraft F-9 Lake Master - the predecessor to the current V-14

My build thread of how I converted it from a 3-bench seat fishing boat into a bass boat is

 

[Woody B]

I carry 3.  I'll take a picture tomorrow.   

 

Edit, added.  I've had all 3 hung up on something at the same time.  Back in the spring I tossed out a spinnerbait.  It got lodged perfectly under a rock or something.  I couldn't budge it until I got the boat on the other side of it.  Before I go it loose I tossed out a crankbait.  I didn't want to spoil the area by running my boat up to free the spinnerbait.  It got hung on a stump.  Before I got the crankbait or the spinnerbait loose I decided to throw a spook out.  I usually use a devils horse for top water that's 3/8 ounce.  I gently tossed the spook, with enough force to throw a devils horse where I wanted it to go.  The spook ended up 10 feet high in a tree.   I bet there was a bass there before I had to free all my lures.  

[GreenPig]

In the pic below from several years ago I only had 9 rods on board. I take a few more now. If I only had rod boxes on my boat.

[FrnkNsteen]

2 hours ago, GreenPig said:

In the pic below from several years ago I only had 9 rods on board. I take a few more now. If I only had rod boxes on my boat.

Can I ask what brand and model that boat is? We currently have a 10' Pelican plastic boat we use on the electric only strip pits around here, but as we get older it gets harder to get in and out of the back of the truck. My wife has also mentioned that it is starting to feel a little too tippy for her.

 

I'd like to set something like that up that is smaller than the Stratos to get in and out of the small ramps of the pits, then would put a jet prop on it to also fish the smallies on the river.

[GreenPig]

9 hours ago, FrnkNsteen said:

Can I ask what brand and model that boat is? We currently have a 10' Pelican plastic boat we use on the electric only strip pits around here, but as we get older it gets harder to get in and out of the back of the truck. My wife has also mentioned that it is starting to feel a little too tippy for her.

 

I'd like to set something like that up that is smaller than the Stratos to get in and out of the small ramps of the pits, then would put a jet prop on it to also fish the smallies on the river.

Lowe 1448. She's very stable for a small boat.