Just like the title says.

If as a bass fisherman you could only have 5 rods on your boat what would they be?

For me it would be....

1. 6'6" - 7' Spinning finesse XF action
2. 7'6" H power for flipping
3. 7' M or MH "Worm Rod"
4. 6'6" - 7' XF M power "spinner bait rod"
5. 7' MH "crank bait rod"

Mitch,
When I see things like this it reminds me of my wife's grandmother who taught me to fish.

Although I still have many rods and reels in my boat when I go fishing, I have to think back to what she taught.

Take a simple rod, tie on a nail for weight, tie a hook on the end, and tie on a fly, grasshopper, cricket, lizard, worm or what ever and catch all of the fish you need.

The feel of the rod was not so important because she always taught me to feel with a tight line and keep the line between my two fingers to sense any light bites.

We caught so many fish in those years when I fished with her. It brings back pleasant memories to a simpler time.

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Why don't you try an experiment.
Go fishing for a week with your best complement of rods. Count the number of both strikes as well as boated fish.

Then, take your very very best guess and select one rod and select 5 baits.
Now go fishing for a week and count the number of strikes as well as boated fish.

One of the things where we all stumble is to get too involved in the process and assumptions that have been developed over the years.
For example - whether you keep a notebook or not - think back about the last 200 fish you caught. Make note of the particular rod that you used, the bait that you used, the line that you used, the hook that you used.

Many folks find it quite suprising that although they carry a dozen or more rods in their boat, that they carry a thousand baits of every type - that they have caught 90% of their fish on one or two rods and a handful of baits.

Remember, a rod that is lying in the boat is not catching a fish. A bait that is resting in the boat is not catching a fish.

Take a look at all of your rods, and all of your baits and try to remember how many fish you have caught on any or all of them. I think you will find that you can easily have a thousand baits in your boat that you have never caught a fish. How many rods to you have in your boat that have never caught a fish.

Yes, I know, we bring things along - Just in Case.

Is it time to simplify our lives?

Take care
Roger

Here Here The KISS method I like your train of thought.

Bill - willierods.com

This year, there are 5 casting rods that were almost always in the boat. My 14' boat restricts my rods to being under 7', as longer rods get in my way when running the gas motor.

1. 6'6" 1/16-5/16 F Spin Jig blank weightless plastics and light twitch baits
2. 6'10" 1/8-1/2 XF Spin Bass Swimming grubs, 1/8 oz buzz baits, and finesse
3. 6'10" 3/16-5/8 XF Spin Bass light worming, topwater, and light spinnerbaits
4. 6'6" 1/4-3/4 F Mag Bass heavier worming, jig 'n' pig, and heavier spinnerbaits
5. 6'6" 1/4-5/8 M Crankbait shallow to 8' running crankbaits

I have a couple spinning rods in the works to fill a couple niches in my fishing, that will see some use next year.

Are you talking about bass fishing? If so recreational or tournament fishing?

(yeah I know it sounds picky but I fish differently when $ is on the line or if I just carry my Dad/daughter/wife out to the lake for numbers)

-----------------
AD

Roger,

I wish I could do that, but in the past 3 mos I've used over a dozen rods to catch an equal number of fish on each using different baits. I do live near the Miss R, L Mich, and have the most diverse lakes from deep clear to shallow swamps here in SE Wisconsin. So for me I need at least five just to be halfway comfortable.

The five will be:
6' MH mod/fast jerkbait
6'6" MH mod/fast spinnerbiat/shallow crank
7'6" H modfast or fast action flipping
7' H fast action baitcaster skipping rod for docks
7 M Fast spinning for tubes/DS/shakey/dragging

the KISS is fine and good... but i guarantee i will catch more bass on 7' ML Ex Fast rod with 8lb power pro using a drop shot than i will with a 7'6" Mag Heavy Baitcaster spooled with 20lb florocarbon also using a drop shot, and vice versa of course when flipping cattails. I follow your logic - and you're absolutely right, but Keeping it simple still means a couple different rods at least. I catch an overwhelming majority of fish on my #1 and #2 below - but thats because i fish that presentation almost all the time. Sometimes I'm on a hot jerkbait bite, or fishing a system with lots of pads or cattails so i'm flipping a lot... i might only bust out that rod for those spots - but #1 and #2 will not put fish in the boat in its place - they might get bites but lack the power to get the fish to the boat.

that said:
1. 7' MH/ Ex fast baitcaster - 15lb pline - 1/4oz and up trig & jigs, pitchin docks/light cover - works for jerkbaits, spinnerbaits as well
2. 7' M / Moderate S-Glass (seeker bc706) baitcaster - 30lb power pro - cranks, traps, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits
3. 7' ML x-fast spinning, 8lb powerpro - shakey head, senkos, drop-shot


Thats really all i need... but since i can have 2 more

4. 6'6" M / fast baitcaster - topwaters & jerkbaits, backup jigs, trig
5. 7'2" Mag Hvy - baitcaster - 60lb power pro - Scum frog, heavy flipping (pads, cattails)

i might take 15 rods, but typically they are clones of these 5 with a little variation. I like to be able to switch colors of the same bait without retying.... throw one 3 times throw the other 3 times, back and forth until i find the one thats working.

Regards,
-Justin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/2009 05:02PM by justin keithley.

Lets see.

6'8" Medium - Moderate for Pop-R's
6'6" MH for Zoom Super Flukes
6'6" Medium - Moderate for Pointer 78's
7'0" Heavy - Fast for Ribbets and Rage Toads/Shad
7'-0" Heavy - Fast for Big Brush Hogs

Usually, there is about 8 stacked on the deck but I hardly use them more than two casts. I could probably put all the tackle I use in a coffee can also.

Well, I had to pare down to six for a tourny as a non-boater this year....

1) Shikari FS764 - gotta have a flipping stick
2) RX8 XSB843 - Built casting for all of my plastics
3) BS706-Sglass - Built 6'6" For generall cranking needs
4) 3C68MXF - Can do pretty much anything at all
5) 3C69MLXF - For where I fish I absolutely need to have a dropshot on.

If I didnt need the drop shot I would carry a Rogue SJ703 as my all purpose spinning rod. Depending on the time of year I could also swap the FS764 out for an XMB843.

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com

What if you only could have one rod and would have to travel with it also.

Edwin Kime

Edwin Kime Wrote:
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> What if you only could have one rod and would have
> to travel with it also.
>
> Edwin Kime

That would be whatever my Dad wanted to take along. He's a young 72 and onery. Skunks me 9 out of 10, though.

if there was one rod to take or travel would be a 7' or 6.6' fast medium to medium heavy spin rod. I have caught more bass on plastic worms than any other bait thrown or rapalas. can even do some salt water fishing. might bring a couple extra reels with lines. tight lines!