Do you carry multiple rods for the same tehcnique?

[JHoss]

How many rods do you normally carry on a trip? And do you have multiple rods set up for the same technique or one rod per technique? Does that change with the seasons? 

 

I typically carry 16-18 in my 14' Jon boat and its extremely rare to start a day with more than one or two techniques repeated. On the occasions I do duplicate a technique to start, its usually a T Rig or frog and I know they'll play from prefishing. If I narrow down a pattern or two throughout the day, I will start cutting off things that haven't worked and experimenting with variations of what has. So, it's not uncommon to end the day with 10 rods on the deck but only 3-4 techniques on those rods. 

[gim]

Generally, no.  I don't have enough space in my boat for multiple setups of the same presentation.

[JHoss]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

Generally, no.  I don't have enough space in my boat for multiple setups of the same presentation.

 How many setups do you typically carry? Seems like you have a bigger boat than me based on your signature.

[Junk Fisherman]

In the summer, I will often have 2-3 different drop shot setups rigged with different sized hooks for different baits.  Plus, I lose so many dropshots in Lake Michigan around Chicago due to all the jagged concrete and manmade breakwalls that I usually have at least two prerigged setups if I think dropshotting will be a big part of my day.  Besides a dropshot, I have had multiple Neds, spinnerbaits, and pitching baits rigged at various times when those were the patterns I was getting bit on.    However, besides the dropshot this is rare for me.  

[gim]

30 minutes ago, JHoss said:

 How many setups do you typically carry? Seems like you have a bigger boat than me based on your signature.

 

I have room for 10.  7 in my rod locker and I prefer no more than 3 on my deck to avoid tangling.

 

On very rare occasion I will have a duplicate of something if I know they are biting one specific presentation in advance (like @Junk Fisherman stated above with his drop shot).  But 95% of the time each of my 10 setups is something different.  Additionally, my rods and reels are somewhat "technique specific" so using a spinning setup designed for a wacky rig is not really going to work very well for something like a topwater.  You get the point.

 

A lot of anglers don't have space limitations so they can pile a dozen on the deck and 2 dozen into rod lockers.  I can't.

 

Additionally, when another person comes with me, there's only so much room for their setups too.  They can bring about 4 max.  5 is pushing it.

[JHoss]

11 minutes ago, Junk Fisherman said:

In the summer, I will often have 2-3 different drop shot setups rigged with different sized hooks for different baits. 

One of the more consistent anglers in my local trail is a big drop shot guy, and the only person I know who regularly has 2-3 drop shot rods on his desk at a time. I'm comfortable drop shotting, but hearing people talk about carrying multiple rods with hook and weight differences shows me that I've got a lot left to learn about the intricacies of the technique. 

 

10 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

I have room for 10.  7 in my rod locker and I prefer no more than 3 on my deck to avoid tangling.

 

Additionally, when another person comes with me, there's only so much room for their setups too.  They can bring about 4 max.  5 is pushing it.

It's crazy how different people's fishing styles/mentalities are. I STRUGGLE to narrow it down to 10 rods on the deck leading up to a day of fishing. It's not uncommon for me to have 6 rods on each side of the front deck, another 3-4 sitting in the bottom of the boat hanging out the back, and a few more in the rod locker. BUT, I pay the price having to fight with them when they get tangled and have broken a few trying to navigate my cluttered deck. I'd love to be able to keep it more simple, but I'm gripped with the fear of not having what I need or wasting time retying in a tournament situation... may explain why I pulled 70 lbs of soft plastics out of my boat a couple weeks when I unloaded her for the winter. 

[casts_by_fly]

59 minutes ago, JHoss said:

How many rods do you normally carry on a trip? And do you have multiple rods set up for the same technique or one rod per technique? Does that change with the seasons? 

 

I typically carry 16-18 in my 14' Jon boat and its extremely rare to start a day with more than one or two techniques repeated. On the occasions I do duplicate a technique to start, its usually a T Rig or frog and I know they'll play from prefishing. If I narrow down a pattern or two throughout the day, I will start cutting off things that haven't worked and experimenting with variations of what has. So, it's not uncommon to end the day with 10 rods on the deck but only 3-4 techniques on those rods. 

 

I normally carry 5 since I'm in a kayak and they are always 'on the deck' if you will..  If I had a rod locker I'd have another half dozen all of the time for those edge cases, but for the most part I can manage with 5-6.

 

Even with only 5-6, I often will have two of the same technique tied on.  A light and a heavy texas rig, a pitching jig and a swim jig.  Two walking baits of different options.  Sometimes the day starts that way, sometimes it ends that way.  I'm not fishing tournaments so I don't mind sitting down to retie every now and then. 

[gim]

I absolutely hate the tangling of setups.  It happens to me even when I only have 3 or 4 laid together.  A dozen or more is not realistic on the deck of my boat.  I like to keep an organized rig and deck, free of clutter.  Which means if I'm not using something, it goes in a storage compartment.

 

Its probably a reflection of my personality overall.  I'm very type A - nearly everything has a place and I put it back when I'm done with it.  Clutter bothers me to no end.

[Jig Man]

In my boat I have around 20 with multiple rods for each application.  When I am a guest I have to limit to 6; top water, C rig, 2 jig, shaky and swim bait/Ned rig.

[JHoss]

8 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

I normally carry 5 since I'm in a kayak and they are always 'on the deck' if you will..  If I had a rod locker I'd have another half dozen all of the time for those edge cases, but for the most part I can manage with 5-6.

 

My first couple years of bass fishing were spent in kayak tournaments. An Ascend 12T first and then a NuCanoe Pursuit. I only owned 6-8 combos when I had the Ascend but I brought every one of them every time. By the time I got the Pursuit I had maybe a dozen and usually carried 10. That Pursuit had integrated rod tubes so I could hide 4-6 in those, a couple on the deck, and a couple in rod holders. 

 

5 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I absolutely hate the tangling of setups.  It happens to me even when I only have 3 or 4 laid together.  A dozen or more is not realistic on the deck of my boat.  I like to keep an organized rig and deck, free of clutter.  Which means if I'm not using something, it goes in a storage compartment.

 

Its probably a reflection of my personality overall.  I'm very type A - nearly everything has a place and I put it back when I'm done with it.  Clutter bothers me to no end.

I'd like to be more like you, but my boat looks like a tackle shop exploded by the end of most days. I start out extremely organized, but as things come out, they stay out until I'm back on the trailer.

[Craig P]

The only technique I repeat is Spin Baits. A BFS setup for small spin baits and your typical MHF 7’ for larger spin baits.

 

The rest are individual to the techniques I want to use on that body of water…..based on past experience of what works during what season. Usually around 5 rods total.

 

[Alex from GA]

I'm primarily a worm fisherman and carry 3 T/R rods different weights and different length worms.

[Mike L]

Don’t own a boat 

I’m a co angler for tournaments or just putzin around. 
 If fishing from a boat I always bring 6 with 2 of those for bottom contact. 
1 for light to moderate cover and the other from moderate to heavy cover. 
 

When the sole intention is to punch I’ll substitute the 2nd for the big stick. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[TnRiver46]

16-18 rods in a 14’ jon? That has to be some kind of record.

 

i usually have 2-3 in canoe/kayak/jon and 5-6 in the 18.5’ larger jon boat. Most of them have worms tied on 😂 

[Swamp Girl]

If I'm fishing a lure that has been hot, I will often pre-rig two rods with the same lure. Sometimes I can only catch 15 or 25 bass before an outfit or lure goes down for various reasons. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

That’s a lot of rods for a 14’ Jon boat. 

[Swamp Girl]

28 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I absolutely hate the tangling of setups.  It happens to me even when I only have 3 or 4 laid together.  A dozen or more is not realistic on the deck of my boat.  I like to keep an organized rig and deck, free of clutter.  Which means if I'm not using something, it goes in a storage compartment.

 

Its probably a reflection of my personality overall.  I'm very type A - nearly everything has a place and I put it back when I'm done with it.  Clutter bothers me to no end.

 

I believe you. I've seen photos of your yard. It's...

 

[fishballer06]

You mean to tell me you guys don't all carry 4 jig rods with you?

 

1 Green Pumpkin

1 Black Blue

1 PB&J

1 Watermelon

[JHoss]

31 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

In my boat I have around 20 with multiple rods for each application.  When I am a guest I have to limit to 6; top water, C rig, 2 jig, shaky and swim bait/Ned rig.

Do the repeated applications change by season or lake for you? 

 

26 minutes ago, Craig P said:

The only technique I repeat is Spin Baits. A BFS setup for small spin baits and your typical MHF 7’ for larger spin baits.

 

I take it spinner baits are one of your biggest confidence baits? I have a ton of confidence in them myself, but don't bother having multiple rods rigged for baits like spinners that only require one knot.

 

20 minutes ago, Alex from GA said:

I'm primarily a worm fisherman and carry 3 T/R rods different weights and different length worms.

I get it with T Rigs. I want to re-rig as little as possible on the water. Even more so for techniques that have multiple components like a T Rig or C Rig. 

 

15 minutes ago, Mike L said:

If fishing from a boat I always bring 6 with 2 of those for bottom contact. 
1 for light to moderate cover and the other from moderate to heavy cover. 

Same two rigs for those 2 bottom contact baits? Or do you mix up a jig and T Rig for example?

 

15 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

16-18 rods in a 14’ jon? That has to be some kind of record.

 

15 minutes ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

That’s a lot of rods for a 14’ Jon boat. 

I'm a major tackle junkie. And I realize I'm not as talented or experienced as some of the guys I fish against, so I try to do anything I can to up my odds- one of those is cutting down on how much time I spend re-rigging during a derby. If I do have to change up a couple rods, I try to do it while I'm running from one spot to the next.

 

17 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

If I'm fishing a lure that has been hot, I will often pre-rig two rods with the same lure. Sometimes I can only catch 15 or 25 bass before an outfit or lure goes down for various reasons. 

Based on the posts I've seen from you and the numbers you catch, you need to be on the Elites or I need to come check out Maine.

1 minute ago, fishballer06 said:

You mean to tell me you guys don't all carry 4 jig rods with you?

 

1 Green Pumpkin

1 Black Blue

1 PB&J

1 Watermelon

I wish I had the confidence in a jig to have just one tied on at all times. I aim to change that this offseason by not even bringing the stuff for a T Rig in the boat until March. 

[softwateronly]

I only fun fish and over 90% of the time solo.  8-12 rods are the usual and I definitely double up on jigs, swim jigs, worms, and/or spoons if I'm on that bite and almost always have a version of those 4 rigged up.  Night time I can get down to 5-6  and prefer a less cluttered deck.  

 

scott

[Mike L]

12 minutes ago, JHoss said:

Same two rigs for those 2 bottom contact baits? Or do you mix up a jig and T Rig for example?

 

 

Sometimes but hardly ever use a jig 

The cover and water clarity will dictate what I rig on each. 
1 is a MH/F and the other a H/F
 

I have my rotation of confidence baits for the different conditions that I rotate through until a pattern emerges.
The only exception is when sight fishing beds then I only use one. 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[gim]

56 minutes ago, JHoss said:

I start out extremely organized, but as things come out, they stay out until I'm back on the trailer.

 

Sometimes more isn't better.  Simplicity can be an advantage.

 

We all have our tendencies and habits.  Organization is one of mine.  All the time.  Call me a square or a fine print nerd about it, whatever.  Its not gonna change.

 

When I bought my current house, I spent 3 months straight organizing the crap out of it.  Shelves, hooks, storage compartments, etc.  Its the only way I know how to operate.

[A-Jay]

Do you carry multiple rods for the same technique ?

Yes ~ for example

When the Jerkbait bite is hot I'll have 5-7 on deck.

Spinnerbait - at least 3

Vibrating jig - 4

Topwater - at least 4

Swinghead - 3 or 4

I think you get the Idea . . .  .

 

A-Jay

[TheSwearingAngler]

During the summer I may have 2 frogs. One walking one popping..

 

I may have a full size chatterbait and 1 or 2 flashback minis, although I don’t consider the fullsize and the mini the same.

 

I may have 2 different size/color/depth squarebills tied on at any time.

 

I almost always have 2-3 spinnerbaits in different sizes or colors. 
 

those are the only things I can imagine having multiples of at any one time.

[Tennessee Boy]

I usually carry about 10 rods.  I don't play the technique specific rod game. I usually have from 1 to 4 rods with a texas rig tied on.  The number depends many factors.   I might have between zero and four Carolina rigs tied on at other times.  I don't think it's possible to truly dial in a worm bite with just one worm rod.