Well, I'm currently going to be without a boat for the next few years, so I am thinking about joining a club and becoming a coangler. I'm looking to limit the number of rods to about 4. I need to be able to flip unweighted Senkos/small dense jigs, Moving baits, and perhaps someyhing very light for finnesse ultralight??

I don't really do topwater, and am hoping if my boater is punching cover or slop frogging I'll be able to pitch unweighted sticks/lightweight tungsten jigs (thinking the Castaway BB1?). I'll need the ability to work cranks (I use slightly heavier than normal, but not necessarily deep) and spinnerbaits. I was thinking a ultra-ultralight setup might help, i.e. a 1000 spinner reel with good drag, 1 to 1/2 pound fluoro.

I have read where Mr. Forhan recommends the S glass Seeker for all moving baits... I've also read that there are more modern blanks that do better at lighter weight, but I don't know..., but would like that flexibility.

I think the UL setup might be too limiting, so am open to sugeustions, possibly two light flip, 2 moving bait?

I haven't done the co angle thing before, but am planning to incorporate extra spools ready to add flexibilty...

Thanks!

Craig Clements

Co-angling is one thing I know plenty about. 4 rigs is pretty limiting, I normally take more like 7 with me. An ultralight rig would be useless in tournament bass fishing, you need something you can get unhung easily and something you can get the fish in the boat once you get them hooked. For a spinning rod you can get some super fast action rods, something like a Lamiglas XMG LP series, they have a super light tip to cast weightless baits but have enough backbone to get a good hook set through the plastic and be able to get the fish in. The BB1 is a super versatile blank for many heavy cover or heavy weight applications I use mine for everything from 1oz Carolina rigs to frogs to flipping. An MB843 type blank can probably be used for more bass techniques than any other blank out there. I have just started using my S-glass RF blanks, I have a 765 cut down to 7 foot for shallow crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits, I also have an 806 8 footer for deep diving cranks, which also works good with rattletraps. Before I built the S-glass rods I always kept a CB843 or 843 popping blank rod which is great for any moving baits and can double as a light worm rod if you need it.

In summery if I only had 4 rods to fish as a co-angler they would be a LP843 spinning rod, a MB843, aBB1, and a CB843. You could probably cover 90% of all bass fishing techniques with those.

I agree with Mike - todays pressures on task specific rods make a day with only four rods pretty tough.

A co angler needs to select his weapons from an assortment to best suit the conditions for each day on the water and the preferences of the one sitting up front.

Take a look at the information linked on very versatile blanks references above pertaining to Richard Forhan.

[www.swamplandtackle.com]

One or two of these blanks will take care of moving baits, treble hooks from Bandits to Deep Divers and Square Bills - they also provide the tools for Jerks and Topwater.

The Castaway XP3 BB1 works trimmed a various lengths for Texas Rigs and other power applications.

If preference is flipping heavy cover and grass punching the BB2 is more applicable.

A fine finesse stick built with Tennessee Handle and Microwave guide is built on the MHX SJ 842

Please note that Swampland will work with you to get all of the tools needed to keep the total number of rods to a minimum..

Other highly prized tools XP3 874 Frog and Light Flipping - MB 844 Worms and Jigs.

Use the Contact Us Link 24/7 for personal consultations - we set up Private Label Rods For Tournament Fishermen..

PS - If you are headed to Southern Waters Have a T-1 hidden in your travel wagon - Rigs up to eight ounces - that may be the only rod you need!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2012 09:12PM by Bill Stevens.

Craig -

I'm like Mike and have spent plenty a Saturday on the back of a boat in a bigger tournament and saw the need to really streamline what I carry. I think you already have the right mindset and after your years in the front of the boat, you've seen plenty of what your coanglers have been through (and you have dealt with in your boat). Personally I would go with 5 rods as that seems to be pretty manageable without taking up much room.

I recommend the following US manufactured rod blanks from Hydra Fishing:

The following are designed to maximize your rods while really watching out for long rods sticking up off the passenger rod rack (because long rods are going to get in your way all day back there) =
MB873 - cut to 7' - Shakey, finesse jig, larger topwater, weightless plastic, SB, swimmer baits
MB874 or FL904 - cut to 7' - Jig, Worm, Swim Jig, CRig
SJ872 - cut to 7' - Shakey, Tubes, Grubs, Topwater, Jerk, small cranks
P944 - cut to 7'3" - mid cranks, drop shot

I prefer a fifth rod and use it to specialize depending on the lake or the time of year. Consider one of the following (unless I double up on one above):

SJ841 - 7' - finesse, drop shot, flick shake
MB905 - 7'3" - frog, light flip, light punch, CRig

I'd recommend a Kigan micro guide set up - mainly because you will benefit from not having a tangled mess with the micros and the Kigan 3D Guide has a leading success rate on the water - including tips. When you only have 4 or 5 rods you can't have something tangled or broken - one rod out of commission is 20% of your gear being unusable!

Be glad to help you with anymore questions. Fish on and cash a check out of the back!

Alex D

Hydra Fishing, LLC

Online: [www.hydrafishing.com]
Facebook: [www.facebook.com]
Email: info@hydrafishing.com

More Planning - Rod Selection For Each Day On The Water

Communication Number 1- Hope it is not Match Fishing Rules!

Where, Water, Weather, When, Pattern, Scouting and What Is Planned For the Day

You will be hampered if you try to force fit only four rods to take care of all conditions for a full season.

Consider a "treasure chest: of seven or eight rods that were battle tested and customized for use.

Some may have to be left behind.

Some co anglers are high enouth on the totem pole that they can take what they want!

When tournament fishing - how much different would the bass fishing resluts be, if each angler could only have one rod in a boat?

I am not a bass fisherman, that is why I am asking the question. When I look at some of the bass tournaments on TV, I see lots of fellows with lots of rods, but in many cases, it seems that a fisherman simply fishes with one rod all day long.

Would there really be that much difference?

Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/05/2012 04:56PM by roger wilson.

At a tournament when you see a guy with only one rod on the deck that is when you become very afraid. That means that he has his pattern really locked in and will be tough to beat.

Back to the co-angler question even if you practice and have a dialed in pattern you still need to be flexible in case your boater is doing something that makes you have to adapt. The best example I have is what I had happen a couple of years ago at a regional on Lake Seminole. The first day we went down to the main lake and fished normal grass techniques, frogs and flipping in the mats, and ripping rattletraps through the grass on a big shallow flat with dingy water. The second day I drew a guy who was running an hour upstream in the Flint River, fishing gin clear fast moving water for Shoal Bass. Fortunately I had brought extra rods and line and spent several hours that night redoing most of my rigs doing things like replacing 50lb braid with 10lb mono and setting up rods I never thought I would need on that trip.