Is there such a thing as and all around rod ?

[EVERETT-J]

Is there such a thing as and all around rod ? Either casting or spinning. What some would call , " a Jack of all trades " Can't really aford 10 different rods , 10 reels, etc,etc,etc.

[Chad.]

You can get 3 rods that would cove most if not all situations

as rw would say

7 mh/h fast action baitcaster rod for heavier applications weighted t rigs carolina rigs  jig fishing sipinner baits buzz baits frogs so on and so fourth

7 m/ mh fast action spinning reel for weightless plastics lighter lures small spinner baits tube, etc.

6'6''-7' M/MH parabolic action (bend through the whole rod) For all treble hooked lures cranks lipless cranks jerkbaits light swimbaits etc.

I personally throw everything i can think of on a 7'6" flipping sticks Pretty much everything except treble hook lures 9 I even threw rat l traps with it worked like a charm!) It is a Daiwa light and tough not a broom stick not an ugly stick nice rod for the money.

[skillet]

A number of folks can't afford or don't want to use 10 setups . I fish from the bank a lot. It sure cuts down on the frustration by carring 1 or 2 rods. Now I carry 2 rods for bank fishing. A baitcaster and a spinning rod. Made do for a long time with a 5'6" All Star. Then I used a 6' M Bionic Blade for just as long. IMHO I would go for a 6' M or MH Bionic Blade (or something comparable depending on where you shop). A little less expensive, go to Wal-Mart and get a Berkley Cherrywood in a 6' M or MH. If you like spinning better try those suggestions in a 6' MH.

[Bassn Blvd]

G-Loomis MBR843C..No need for this thread to go any further.

[S I G M A]

A number of folks can't afford or don't want to use 10 setups . I fish from the bank a lot. It sure cuts down on the frustration by carring 1 or 2 rods. Now I carry 2 rods for bank fishing.  

I bank fish the majority of the time as well. I carry 2 rods: a 7' MHF Avid and a 6'6" MF Avid

[islandbass]

I too am a bankie and I can now easily carry 3-4.

However I think that there are a basic 3 that can cover most of the gamut for bass fishing. RW's got that down and hopefully he'll post it.

There are some very good "all around" rods out there, but a jack of all trades rod will be a master of a few. If you can find it in your area, the Lamiglas Competitor is a medium action 6'6" rod that can handle jigs, t-igs, spinnerbaits, and even cranks and jerks and even topwaters quite well.

Its other specs are:

Lure: 3/8 - 1 oz (but I can tell you it effortlessly casts 1/4 oz lures

Line: 8-20 lb

Type: Casting

With those specs, it's about as all around as you can get. I have one and can tell you it is a great deal, value and pleasure to fish with.

On a Typical outing it is my all arounder rod for cranks, topwater, senkos and other things like trigs, alpha shotting.

I cover the heavier items with the 6'10" MH crucial such as bigger Trigs, Jigs also casting.

My spinning Lamiglas, a medium light power and moderate fast actions covers the drop shot and finesse things and it is also capable of tossing lighter and UL lures.

This covers most scenarios I face when bass fishing. Lami has an MSRP of $104 or so, but most places will sell them for about $65-90. I got mine for $65.00

[Muddy]

If I was going to start with just one rod I would think a good place to start for LMB would be a 6'6" Med/ fast rod, it can handle a lot of applications

[bigfruits]

if i only had one rod id get a spinning rod with a shimano 2500 reel. the rod would be 6'6" , fast action with a lure weight rating of 1/8oz - 1/2oz. a good quality rod with those specs should handle almost everything except heavy jigs heavy spinner baits and big swim baits.

[Catt]

I own a bass boat and can afford 10-12 rods but I choose to carry only 4  

When I had a limited budget Berkley Lighting Rods fit the bill perfectly, they are quality rod in their price range. For an all around rod I would select Berkley® Lightning Rod® IM6 6' 6 lure weight: 1/4-3/4 power: medium price: 39.95 with a $5 mail in rebate.  

[Muddy]

Thats a good suggestion. They upgraded their rods this year, some wl marts have the older ones on sale for 20 bucks!

[roadwarrior]

This might help:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1196114229

8-)

[LAO162]

Because I oringinally planned to fish for other species as well, my first three rods were Medium Fast.  Once I settled on Bass fishing, I finally moved to MHF.

If I go on a trip and take only 1 rod, I take my 2-piece Browning Midas (boron) 6'6" MF Spinning.  It's light enough for trout, and will handle most situations for bass.  It's light for heavy cover and a bit soft for jigs, but ideal for finesse.  As with most BPS rods, at full price there are better options.

Before you purchase an all purpose rod, try to determine the most likely situations you will be fishing and base your decision on how you will spend the greatest percentage of you time.  Cheers!

[Aaron]

G. Loomis MBR783C.  I can cast almost anything in my tackle box.  When only one rod is going with me it is this one or its spinning version.

[Max-in-Mn]

If I could just take one it would be either a 6'10'' or 7' med/hvy/fast baitcasting rod. You really don't need to spend a ton to get great rods these days, though. As other have said the lightning rods are good, but I would personally recommend Shimano Clarus or Convergence rods. They can be had for around $40-50 and come with fuji components and over the counter lifetime warranties. Really can't beat them on a budget.

[Catt]

Shimano Clarus rods have Over the Counter Limited Lifetime Warranty while Convergence rods have Limited Lifetime Warranty; all rods from Wal/Mart have life time exchange policies.  

[Max-in-Mn]

Shimano Clarus rods have Over the Counter Limited Lifetime Warranty while Convergence rods have Limited Lifetime Warranty; all rods from Wal/Mart have life time exchange policies.  

Oh I didn't know that about wal-mart rods. I may have to pick up a few lightning rods now ;D

[Tokyo Tony]

With my IMX 782SJR/Stradic 3000 combo I have...

fished tiny little tubes/jigs for panfish

fished inline spinners/little spoons/small jerkbaits for trout

fished all kinds of weightless soft plastics for bass

thrown up to 3/8 oz spinnerbaits for bass

fished for carp with bread

...and it would be a little light for the task, but I know it would be great for inshore fishing for reds/snook/baby tarpon

For the best all-around rod, IMO, look for a 6'6" or 7" M power F action spinning setup with a 2500 or 3000 - sized reel...and 10 lb test Power Pro  

Of course if you're generally going to fish bigger baits than the ones I mentioned, a MH power might be better for an all-around rod.

[EVERETT-J]

Thanks guys for all the info. Means alot to me.

[st00pid]

For me just getting into this i had a hard time as well. What i ended up with was a lighting rod 6' mh with a pflueger supreme spinning reel. I can throw just about anything. A bonus with the extra spool ill spool it with a different type of line say for small catfish. Then i buaght my first baitcaster the rod sucks ugly stick light.

For what i need unless im going after biiig fish ill be fine with these two. I'm a bank fisher as well and ive just got a car i want to upgrade to 6'6 rods.

[grimlin]

Most folks say anything that is a medium or medium/heavy with a fast tip is an all around rod.Most also perfer somewhere between a 6'6"-7' rod.

[CookieMonst3r]

I gotta go w/ 7'0 MH/Fast Spinning Rod, I use this etup for lots of freshwater applications, and for surf/pier fishing in saltwater.