One rod to rule them all?

[burleytog]

On an recent episode of The Bass Pros, Rick Clunn made a case for picking a single power/action rod and using it for all applications.  In his case, he uses only H/F rods.

My recollection of his reasoning is a bit fuzzy, but it pertained to not having to get used to another rod every time you changed techniques.  In some ways, it made a lot of sense.

[ABC123]

Hmmm, I wonder how that will effect the sale of his line of signature series rods???

I can see that to a point though. I use light's for pan fishing, mediums for Walleye fishing and MH/H's for Bass. I'm not sure about the action part though. I like my moderate crank rods and fast/extra fast jigging/worm type rods

[Catt]

Rick's Ole School & Old Guys Rule  

Let's try explaining it; don't have half of your reels low profile and half round, don't have half of our rods BPS with the bump on the handle and half without. I do the same when I pick up a rod I want it to feel the same as the one I laid down. If you have Falcon Rods then have all Falcon rods, if you have Revo's have all Revo's.

K.I.S.S  

[deadeye32.]

I think what he was saying was that to really understand your lure in the water you should use this theory.  When practicing with a new lure or technique use the same rod and reel setup and get used to the feel of the lure before custimizing your setup to help you fish that way better.  That way when you tie something new on, You can actually feel the differences between that and something else.  If you use the same rod for these applications, you will be able to feel the difference in how different tackle moves and works in the water.

I might be wrong, but that's what I took from it.

[.Paxamus.]

I saw that episode and understand what he is saying, however he fishes more than most of us put together and can do things with a rod that most of us will never be able to do.  I agree with trying to have all the same, but when you are the "Greatest Fisherman" as voted by your colleagues you can fish finesse baits on heavy action rods and other stuff.  I love Clunn and hope to one day be a tenth of the fisherman that he is, but I will have to hold on to my different rods until I can get in his "zone".

[roadwarrior]

It's like Tiger Woods playing golf with nothing but a 7 iron.

He would still win, but most guys would find it "challenging".

8-)

[d.hark]

It's like Tiger Woods playing golf with nothing but a 7 iron.

He would still win, but most guys would find it "challenging".

8-)

I would say your close with your analogy RW, but its more like Tiger having a different set of clubs every tourny he goes to, or for everyday of a tourny. One day/tourny with XX stiff flex, somw with X stiff, some with stiff, some with medium and some with regular flex. Every tourny he would be off cause his muscle memory would be off. I think thats what Clunn was saying. If you use a Heavy/Fast (or whatever your preference is) rod by 1 particular maker, and the same length (although I am not sure he uses the same lenght for all his rods or not) you will have that same feel for for every application, and know how to set the hook, fight the fish, detect bites, how the rod is gonna cast etc, etc........ for every rod you pick up.

[Alpster]

Let's see... it takes approximately 1/2 a cast for me to get used to the particular rod I am fishing with. I for one, am glad I'm not stuck with only one rod. JMHO

Ronnie

[Captain Chaos II]

Clunn is the man.  He spoke of being in the fishing "zone" during a Bassmaster Classic.  I was like...I know about being in the zone for a sport like basketball or maybe golf ..... but fishing???  That blew my mind.

I think you can get away with the same rod for almost all applications ... except cranking.  You almost need a soft tip for that.

Being a weekend warrior, I like my variety and it increases the enjoyment.  If I was a tourney angler, I'd maybe attempt that one type rod theory.

[smallfry]

I can only think of one stick that can do it all...

....I believe it is made by Dupont....

[Styx]

This is from his (Rick Clunn) web site:

The Art of Angling

The mechanics of angling should be a variable that the angler controls. Your ability to cast the lure exactly where you desire is essential. Missing the target area by even a few inches can cost you a strike or create a premature strike. Premature strikes occur when the bait lands too close to an aggressive fish and you get a defensive strike instead of an offensive reaction from the fish. A fish, which strikes defensively, is more likely to be lost.

For me casting is much the same as shooting a basketball was in my younger high school days. I enjoy watching even the best college and pro basketball players artistic ability with the ball. Most great shooters shoot the best when little conscious thought appears to be involved. Pure shooters or casters seem to work best when working from a level free of conscious thought where they achieve a perfect rhythm between mechanics and intuitive action. Conscious though for most is an unwelcome intruder, which disturbs that perfect rhythm, that perfect stroke, or perfect cast. Thatâs often the main reason that you see some of the greatest shootersâ, when they have time to think, are not even average when shooting free throws.

There are many ways to improve mechanics. Practice certainly is one of the most important. Hours of practice allow casting to become intuitive, much the same as running your trollmotor when you operate it without thinking. Allowing casting to be an automatic process should be ones goal. When I am casting at my best I achieve a perfect rhythm between mind and body. Over the years I have learned to minimize everything that can interrupt this rhythm.

As the sport of angling evolved and more and more specialized techniques were developed naturally specialized equipment developed as well. Instead of one or two rods and reels that served all my fishing needs I found myself with a half dozen or more different rod actions and reel styles and speeds for these apparently different techniques. New ideals and techniques were a fun and fascinating part of my angling growth but one consequence for me was that my casting and presentation always suffered. In the past all my crankbait rods were the same but if I switched to another technique I would find myself having to adjust to the different length or weight of that particular rod and reel. This adjustment period wold upset my established rhythm, cost me efficiency, an interrupt my concentration.

A little out of frustration and a little by accident I started using my crankbait rod for spinnerbaits and jerkbaits and found that they were not only adequate but superior than the lighter action rods I had been using. For me the right rod was a function of proper presentation of the lure, hooking setting efficiency, handling controlling and landing the fish. The rod that has always performed the best for me in these areas was my heavy action crankbait rod. At the beginning of the 2000 season I made the decision to use this one-rod for 98% of my fishing that year. The 2000 tournament year was probably the best overall year performance wise in my career. I won the two biggest FLW events of the year at Beaver Lake and Pickwick Lake continuing into the 2001 season with the B.A.S.S. Mega- Bucks win at Lake Douglas Tennessee. Many variables played a row in the success I experienced and I emphasize that my single rod and reel choice was only one of those variables but a very important one. One of the essential keys in a successful tournament is your execution on what I refer to as momentum fish. These are the key quality fish that determine whether you just place or whether you win the event. There are many important fish in a year of competition but these fish and how you execute when they strike separate you from being average or being great. I have always executed well over these years on these key fish but I executed better than any other time in by career after making this equipment adjustment. Again this exceptional year and a half was a culmination of many variables working together perfectly. Some are uncontrollable variables and some are controllable variables. I have consistently stated throughout my career that to be successful you absolutely must control the controllable variables. Your skill with your equipment and the way it performs for you is one of those controllable variables!

If your presentation is consistent and more importantly you are executing well on those key momentum fish, than do not change your equipment. If you are not satisfied in these areas than you might consider simplifying you equipment or trying my approach. I use the Bass Pro Shop RC704 series 7 foot heavy action rod. It is the best fish hooking and fish landing rod I have ever used. I now use this rod for Texas rig worming , jigging, pitching, Carolina rigging as well as all crankbaiting , spinnerbaiting, and jerkbaits. It is very important when any one suggest product to you that they explain the whole system. It is the sum of the parts that makes the whole system work. For example, I use round bend treble hooks that I sharpen myself. I use Bass Pro Shop XPS monofilament and fluorocarbon lines. And last but not least my approach to fighting and landing fish is what I refer to as controlled aggression.

I use a 6.3.1 ratio reels on all my rods, so no matter what rod I choose, the weight and feel of the rod is the same. Each lure has a feel that I attempt to stay intimate with because within the feel of each lure I know the exact vibration and speed that generates the most strikes. Change reels or reel speeds and that becomes unfamiliar and must be relearned all over. My choice is the Rick Clunn Signature Series XPS reel by Bass Pro Shop.

If you use only one rod why did you design and show several models in the Bass Pro Shop catalog is a question I am often asked. Everyone is different and not everyone will embrace the one-rod philosophy. I stand, but many people sit or are shorter and a 7-foot rod might be too much initially. The RC664s are a shorter version of my RC704 series. The other rods are for people that use a lot of light line like the new drop shot rods, the RC662WD and RC702WD. I admittedly use 12# line and higher the majority of the time. If I do use 10# line or lighter I will use one of the medium or medium heavy action rods. I like the shorter RC663T topwater rod for using topwaters that require a lot of wrist action by the angler.

Oneâs equipment should be an extension of the angler and compliment their ability.

[Lucky Craft Man]

I saw that show and it could be a good rule to go by if you are starting out, but I got so used to my technique specific rods, that using any other rod for that lure feels weird to me.  For example, I throw my senkos on a G Loomis BCR893 and if I try to throw a senko on any other rod, it takes me little while to adjust in my accuracy of casting with the new rod.  So, I assume Rick Clunn is just saying that instead of trying to get used to or expanding into technique specific rods, just use the same rod you are used to and expand its function. (But if the bait monkey is a good friend of yours, and you were fooled into buying all technique specific equipment, just get used to it and you'll be fine)

[Pigsticker]

i believe in that strongly but let me add to it that you have one baitcaster and one spinning. i see myself fishing a lot of different appilcations with a 7ft heavy baitcaster and a lot with a strong spinning rod that can easily cover more techniques than i use (although i dont use that many as it is)

[sal669]

I highly respect and admire Rick Clunn and I kinda' understand the idea, but "no, thank you".

I will use the same rod+reel for the same technique religiously, but I want the specific power & action for every technique.

For example: I use exclusively a 6-6 mh/modfast(?) BPS Graphite for all my spinnerbaiting and buzzbaiting. I would never even consider useing annother set-up.That's a reason why I don't fish this 2 categories of lures at the same time(I suppose I could buy annother identical combo, but I don't feel I need it).They kind off complement eachother : If the buzzer doesn't work, or I am getting short strikes, I'll change to a spinnerbait; iff the spinner doesn't produce strikes, I'll try on the surface. If one of them works, I'm not gonna change.

It takes me  a couple casts to readjust to annother combo, but I will fish a certain technique with a certain combo, allways.

Now this gets me thinking I should have identical reels on all my rods... ...I don't think I can afford to buy a dozen identical baitcasters that I'd like at the same time, unless I sign the divorce papers and somehow end up walking away with some money ;D ;D ;D