How many rods do you have/use?

As I'm getting more and more into Bass fishing I'm finding more and more reasons to buy rods. I'm now have;

1 baitcaster rod
2 Med action spinning rods
1 ultra light spining rod
1 spincasting rod (original Zebco cheapy from the wife).

Thats 5.. and I realize I want another.. Am I crazy/compulsive?

Am I being to lazy or being a hack if I don't want to be swiching lures/rigs out on the water?

that's the sickness my freind, embrace and buy away, lol
i own several rods and reels, primarily baitcasters. but i also have an ultra light for my trout(which i haven't been in years), a couple of spinning reels that i use from time to time as well.
i can understand not wanting to change all the time, especially in tournaments.

Haha, good topic. Let me go though my inventory...

Freshwater: 4 - 7ft Spinning set-ups, and 4 - 7ft baitcast set-up of which I use most or all during a tourney. Also have 1 - 6'6" older spinning set-up that I let my girlfriend use allow with her "lady stick" spining setup.

Saltwater: 2 - 10ft and 2 - 7ft surfcast spinning setups.

I dont think its lazy or being a hack to have multiple setups. Its all about maximizing your time on the water.

4 rods all spinning. 6ft 6in UL St Croix, 7ft ML Quantum, 6ft M Shimano and a 6ft 6in MH Diawa that i just bought. I buy a new rod and reel every year in the $150 to $200. Up next year will be a swimbait rod thats going to be a baitcaster. That set up is going to run close to $300!

I am constantly trying to keep the tackle monkey off my back. It's terrifyingly hard to not give in to my impulses and pick up that one rod that I "absolutely must have." >.<

What I currently have:

6'6" MH/F casting rod, for worms/jigs/spinnerbaits etc.
7'6" MH/MF casting rod, for pitching mostly. Also used for plastic swimbaits.
7' M/M casting rod for light to medium crankbaits
6'6" MH/M casting rod, for heavier crankbaits
6'6" M/F spinning rod, for finesse plastics, plastic jerkbaits, and anything else too light to throw on the baitcasters.

The wishlist is equally long, sadly =/

A heavy frog rod
A medium baitcaster for plastics/jerkbaits
A medium or medium-light spinning rod.
A 7' MH casting rod
A flipping rod
A swimbait rod

Is it Christmas yet? =)


While you can definitely get away with less rods, the more appropriate your setup is for what you are trying to fish with, the less time you spend being frustrated and working harder to make up for shortcomings. As others have mentioned, having more rods will also save you time while fishing. Especially for people like me, who take just a little too long to retie. If the rod is already rigged and ready to go, you have nothing keeping you from switching it up and trying another lure if what you're fishing is not working.

Thanks for the feed back guys.

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one with a tackle fetish!

I think when you have more rods it just makes it that much easier when your on a boat. When I rent a boat to go on the quabbin I have 4 rods plus I usually steal 1 or 2 from dad. Each rod serves a diffrent purpose. Your not switching out lures as much which takes away from having a line in the water. You ever see the pro tourneys? Those guys usually have 10 or 12 set ups onboard!

Currently I have 12 rods rigged and ready stowed away in my boat locker. 7 spinning and 5 baitcasters. 4 of these are set up for carolina rigs as I fall back on this technique mid to late season and always have a variety of baits set up ready to go. these are rigged with firewire, 30# for the 2 baitcasting rigs w/ 3/4 oz weights and 20# for the 2 heavyduty spinning rigs w/ 1/2 oz weights. The 3 remaining Baitcasters are set up for, topwater, Jig. and crankbait fishing, while the 5 spinning rods in my inventory are for Worm, (2) senko (wacky and texas), stickbait, and a dropshot rig. All rods are set up w/ 8/10 lb line except for the dropshot which is spooled w/ 6lb.

I currently have 42 rods, no lie!



Granted it is because I am a volunteer and host events/derbies and the park service and other volunteers have donated rods I just store them and maintain them

Personally I have 2 main rods, 12 foot length-3.00lb curve Maroon Havocs from Wacker Baits, equipped with bite-n-run reels from Daiwa

2 Spinning Ugly Sticks, light tackle rods for canoe trips and smaller fish hunting.

But really all I use anymore are the Havoc's. I would like to get a couple of Bulldogs, or maybe even some Fox warriors for some of the bigger waters i hit, but all in all I am satisfied with only having 2 rods.

Bags,carry-alls,boxes,buckets etc now that is another story. I legitimately need a trolley/luggage carrier and a rucksack to get my gear to the water. I am always looking for new ways to compact my things, and new bags/boxes are always popping up:)

hmmm lets see I own 5 baitcasters(three that I use exclusively, i upgraded from the other 2 that i don't really use anymore). and I own 10 spinnikng rods, 7 freshwater, and 3 saltwater, plus 3 surfcasters that i inherited from my dad when he passed away in 96. with plans to buy a saltwater baitcast reel because I'm not too experienced with surfcasters(I'd feel more confident with a reel with cast control brakes instead of relying on my thumb, LOL.) I look at it this way, there's worse things you could be spending your money on(women,booze,drugs), at least buying fishing rods and reels you have something to show for the spending, unlike the 3 vices I previously mentioned.

a golfer has a club for each situation that he may see on the links. this is just like an angler who has a rod for each type of situation on the water. you cant flip and pitch with an ultra light, just as a golfer cant make a 300 yard drive with a putter.
i have two bait casting rods and reels and one spinning set up. i would have more, but i kayak fish so the space is limited.

as others have said, specific rods for specific applications. You wouldn't use a musky rod to fish crappies(or vice-versa), right?

I have a 6'6" medium-heavy baitcaster, a 6'6" medium spinning, and a 6' light spinning. With these, I can do everything I need** to do(I only fish freshwater).

If I could only choose ONE rod/reel set-up(perish the thought! LOL), it would be a 6'6" medium action spinning rod with 8 pound test mono(or braid).



**this refers to 'needs', not 'wants' - I totally want a 6'6" e21 Carrot Stix and a KVD sig baitcaster!

I've decided I have enough tackle. I have a 9' Penn Spinfisher spinning surf combo, a 7' Shakespeare combo spinning for light surf and big river fishing, a 6-6 spinning w/ 20lb braid, a 6-6 baitcasting w/ 8lb mono and a 5' ultralight combo.

Now, I've spent some money on some of those combos and A LOT of money on lures, plastics, jigs, etc. and then I go fishing with my father in law and he outfishes me 2-1 with a $20 setup and throwing the same rapala lure that he's owned for the past 20 years on mono that he last changed 4 years ago. WTF??? He laughs at me and likes to constantly remind me that all the best and newest lures and gear are designed to catch fisherman and not fish. He puts vaseline on his reel parts once a year and he catches fish. I think he sold his soul to the devil.

having said that, I'm probably going to buy a nice ML 7' rod for some long cast finesse work.

I'm only talking bass fishing equipment for myself not my salt water or my kids stuff.

2 matching med. castaway spinning rods with diawa reels
1 team diawa light n tuff finesse spinning rod with diawa reel
1 diawa vip smallmouth rod with diawa reel
2 matching castaway worm/jig baitcasting rods with diawa reels
2 matching light n tuff diawa baitcasting frog rods with matching abu garcia hss reels
1 castaway rattle trap baitcasting rod with diawa reel

I like buying a couple rods matched exactly it seems like i have less to think about when changing rods if they feel the same just with a different bait tied on.
I still want more! It is an addiction not a necessity.

this brings up another question i wanted to ask. what about swivels? right now i only have one rod and use swivels and leaders to make it easy to swap out baits.

i notice a lot of people have multiple rods with different set ups and do not use swivels. does it make a difference?