Finally Got My Pond-Hopping Setups Dialed...

[Ryanralston07]

I spent some time fishing in Florida last week and hopped from urban pond to urban pond and I threw pretty much every lure I had from dragging the bottom (getting stuck in grass lol) to topwater (had a gator chase my whopper plopper for a while, which was anxiety-inducing), and of the six rods I had with me, I got down to these combos for the most versatility (I'm a Daiwa fanboy, so know that):

 

1) Daiwa 7'3" MHF Bass Casting Rod, Daiwa Tatula 100 7.3:1, 40# Power Pro (leader sometimes)

2) Daiwa 7'4" MHR Tatula Elite Casting Rod, Daiwa Tatula CT, 15# Seaguar Invizx 

3) Daiwa 7' Tatula XT Spinning Rod, Daiwa Fuego LT 2500, 15# Power Pro (leader sometimes)

 

I carry 5 Plano Edge 3700 utility boxes in a Basspro Tackle Backpack. I love this backpack because I can carry 2 rods on the sides comfortably, plus any gear I may need while out fishing.

 

I highly recommend these setups and backpack! If you'd like to know what the other combos were I had with me and why I didn't keep those as my core three, I can write that up, too.

Edited July 29, 2024 by Ryanralston07
Wrong rod on #2 lol

[Eric 26]

@Ryanralston07 I for one would like to hear about the rest. 

[Ryanralston07]

Here's my current combo list:

1. Daiwa 7'3" MHF Bass Casting Rod, Daiwa Tatula 100 7.3:1, 40# Power Pro
2. Daiwa 7'4" MHR Tatula Elite Casting Rod, Daiwa Tatula CT, 15# Seaguar Invizx
3. Daiwa 7' MF Tatula XT Spinning Rod, Daiwa Fuego LT 2500, 15# Power Pro
4. Daiwa 7'4" HF Tatula XT Casting Rod, Lews Tournament MP 7.5:1, 50# Power Pro
5. Basspro 7' Carbonlite 2.0 Casting Rod, Carbonlite Reel 6.3:1, 12# Yo-zuri Hybrid
6. Basspro 7'1" Platinum Signature Casting Rod, Lews Tournament MP 7.5:1, 12# Seguar Invizx

#1 is my new favorite all-around setup. The rod has more tip than other MHF I have used, and with the braid gives me the flexibility of throwing some moving baits while being great for jigs and t-rigs. I think if I went straight fluro with this setup, the rod would be more MH Moderate Fast than Fast. Using a fluro leader gives me flexibility to throw more reaction style baits while also throwing jigs and t-rigs.

#2 is my chatterbait rod. All my biggest bass have been caught on chatterbaits and I love a chatter for locating fish. I can burn it, work it slow, jig it, etc., and it's my favorite technique.

 

#3 is the spinning setup I've wanted for a long time. Super light, throws light baits well and still has a good backbone for fighting fish. I landed a 5+ pounder on a wacky rig while in Florida with it and the drag on the reel, speed for reeling, and control with the rod were great.

 

#4 I got this rod for a frogging/heavy jig/t-rig rod. I don't do a lot of that, but it's good to have in the arsenal. Most of the places I fish, if I throw a frog, I can get away with the MHF with braid listed above, which is why I often leave this rod at home.

 

#5 This is my dedicated crankbait rod. Most of the places I fish I throw light crankbaits and topwaters and this setup excels at that. I can, however, throw them on the first three setups, so unless I know I'm going to be spending a ton of time with top waters or cranking, I leave it at home.

#6 I loved this rod and the reel is one of my favorites but it's not as flexible as the Daiwa setup I have in #1. If I know the water is crystal clear, I'll take this one for t-rigs and jigs. Since I don't always know the water clarity in some of the ponds I fish, I can leave this one at home or in the truck.

[Dan N]

So you carry around 6 rods???

[Ryanralston07]

1 minute ago, Dan N said:

So you carry around 6 rods???

3. Read the original post. I have six and narrowed it down to three and my last comment was why those three.

[Dan N]

That seems extremely overkill. 
1 baitcaster and 1 spinning rod should cover it. I guess maybe you leave the extra in the vehicle. Cuz if your carrying 6 setups around, you look not cool🤣

My bad

My bad

Sorry, it keeps combining my comments 

[Ryanralston07]

6 minutes ago, Dan N said:

That seems extremely overkill. 
1 baitcaster and 1 spinning rod should cover it. I guess maybe you leave the extra in the vehicle. Cuz if your carrying 6 setups around, you look not cool🤣

My bad

My bad

My backpack has two rod slots so I can carry three (one in my hand and two on the backpack). No way I would carry all six unless on a boat 😂😂😂😂

[Dan N]

👍🏻 gotcha

[Bazoo]

Nice, thanks for sharing. I fish the bank most often, and I carry 2-3 rods most often. I've been using a small tackle bag that I sling over my head, but I'm thinking about a backpack so thanks for sharing.

[Ryanralston07]

20 hours ago, Bazoo said:

Nice, thanks for sharing. I fish the bank most often, and I carry 2-3 rods most often. I've been using a small tackle bag that I sling over my head, but I'm thinking about a backpack so thanks for sharing.

I've been very happy with the Basspro Backpack linked here: https://www.basspro.com/p/bass-pro-shops-advanced-angler-pro-backpack-tackle-system?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=BPS|Shopping|PMax|Proprietary|General|NAud|NVol|NMT&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD1TgtfMdxAxconUl7RL2eStiCafd&gclid=CjwKCAjwnqK1BhBvEiwAi7o0X-HdtTiDGWPZEn8x5aCOO99KMG-U2QBmSDI0tFnLX9MWKH9rqbnUhRoCV50QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

The straps are padded and it's overall comfortable to carry, even fully loaded. The gear I keep it in at all times:

• 5 of the 3700 sized Plano edge utility boxes (could fit more if I used the thin instead of bigger sized ones
• Plyers on the front
• Scissors in the top mesh compartment
• Toilet paper in a compartment
• Extra baits in a compartment
• Bagged baits in the inner compartment under the flap
• Rods on the sides
• Scale in a compartment
• Snack in a compartment

[Bazoo]

5 hours ago, Ryanralston07 said:

I've been very happy with the Basspro Backpack linked here: https://www.basspro.com/p/bass-pro-shops-advanced-angler-pro-backpack-tackle-system?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=BPS|Shopping|PMax|Proprietary|General|NAud|NVol|NMT&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD1TgtfMdxAxconUl7RL2eStiCafd&gclid=CjwKCAjwnqK1BhBvEiwAi7o0X-HdtTiDGWPZEn8x5aCOO99KMG-U2QBmSDI0tFnLX9MWKH9rqbnUhRoCV50QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

The straps are padded and it's overall comfortable to carry, even fully loaded. The gear I keep it in at all times:

• 5 of the 3700 sized Plano edge utility boxes (could fit more if I used the thin instead of bigger sized ones
• Plyers on the front
• Scissors in the top mesh compartment
• Toilet paper in a compartment
• Extra baits in a compartment
• Bagged baits in the inner compartment under the flap
• Rods on the sides
• Scale in a compartment
• Snack in a compartment

That is pretty sweet, thanks for sharing.