I "only" take 5 on the kayak, and still get razzed by old-timers: "Say, do all those rods help you catch more?"

 

I always say, "Well, they sure don't catch anything sitting at home."

I keep about 15 rod/reel combo in my boat but they are not all 15 individual specific application rods, most are multiples of the same type of rods. 3 indenticle jig & worm outfits and 2 of everything else I use. I like backup combos so I can change lure or colors quickly. If I break something off just pick up the backup combo. The only exception is my spoon/small crankbait rod, frog rod and XH swimbait rod. Multiple crankbaits rods,  finesse and casting rods.

Tom

I think most anglers would do better if they specialized in a few basic techniques instead of using them all.  All successful professionals have a strength.  I have fished against great fisherman that only do one thing, but they do it well.  One thing done right is better than everything done poorly. 

16 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Prefishing isn't always an option.

...and on the 8th day, God created 5" Senkos.

I only carry one outfit since I'm a bank fisherman and walk several ponds in a day. I try to anticipate what my best technique will be and equip accordingly. Sometimes I get it just right and sometimes I miss. Makes a good challenge. For the most part this year has been exceptional so it works for me.

Because the bait monkey dabbles in rods and reels too

1 hour ago, BassNJake said:

I thought I was gonna see my wife's name as the thread starter

Why so many rods? 

Why so many lures?

Why so many spools of line?

Why so many excuses for not catching fish .....

 

J/K my wife is awesome about my bass fishing addiction as long as her and the kids come first!!

My wife isn't allowed in the garage?

I saw, therefore I bought.

I have about 20 combos.  If I am boat fishing I bring about 6, if kayak fishing, I bring about 4.  I decide before each trip which rods I bring (depends on technique/season).

1 hour ago, Captain Phil said:

The majority of my rods are Bass Pro $39.95 specials.  They will do everything a $300 rod will do.  A rod's action is more important to me than how pretty it is.  No offense, but if I had to carry 15 rods to win a tournament, I need to do more prefishing.

I don't "have to carry 15". I choose to. I would purely love to do more pre-fishing. Maybe when I can retire it will happen.  Fish on!

FM

2 minutes ago, Fishingmickey said:

I don't "have to carry 15". I choose to. I would purely love to do more pre-fishing. Maybe when I can retire it will happen.  Fish on!

FM

I hear you.   Our bass club is very competitive. Every tournament is a war.  Winning top rod for the year is the ultimate to some members.   Some things aren't fair.  The younger guys who work for a living can't prefish like the retirees.  They complain that the older anglers have an unfair advantage and I agree.  I once prefished 35 hours for a club tournament.   The lake we fished was very tough.  I caught one fish and came in second.  I caught that same fish in practice.   

1 hour ago, PhishLI said:

My wife isn't allowed in the garage?

One day you will not be allowed in the house

Tom

1 minute ago, WRB said:

One day you will not be allowed in the house

Tom

Nah. She gets her stupid Italian pocket books. I get fishing gear. She got another one while we were in Milan that cost more than 10 of my rigs combined. We have an understanding. She's still not allowed in the garage.

When I go out fishing I usually always take a friend with me.  When I see someone come with six or seven rods I will always check to see how many they use during the course of a trip.  Three is the normal number used at the end of the day.  The same guy will also bring a 50 pound tackle bag of lures and everything else he has bought.  He seldom even opens the bag except for a bullet weight and hook.  I had to mention it to him so he would down size and not take over every inch of space in the boat.  

If you know what the bite is you only need 1 or 2 rods and a small tackle bag.

Tom

1 hour ago, PhishLI said:

Nah. She gets her stupid Italian pocket books. I get fishing gear. She got another one while we were in Milan that cost more than 10 of my rigs combined. We have an understanding. She's still not allowed in the garage.

My wife is a purse junkie. That’s her “thing”.  It’s as stupid as fishing tackle lol. 
 

We all have our passions. I don’t get the need for a new $$$ purse every two months, but if it makes her happy, I’m good with it. 
 

The next purse will be my fishing kayak lol. 

I normally bring 4 bait casters and 2 spinning setups on the boat. I haven't bank fished in so long I can't remember the last time. I really don't want to to deal with a big bunch of setups. I can fish anything I want to fish with the ones I have.

I have 6 rods when im bass fishing. I tie on what i expect to use before going. Often i only use 1 or 2 during the trip. Sometimes i use them all. Sometimes i use them all and have tied different stuff on them!

usually two, sometimes three

1: Texas Rig: weightless to 1/4 oz

2:Texas Rig: 1/2 to 1 oz

3: Jig-n-Craw: 1/8 to 3/8 oz including Shaky Heads 

4: Jig-n-Craw: 1/2 to 1 oz

5: determined by the body of water I'm fishing, topwater or mid-depth.

12 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

My wife is a purse junkie. That’s her “thing”.  It’s as stupid as fishing tackle lol. 
 

We all have our passions. I don’t get the need for a new $$$ purse every two months, but if it makes her happy, I’m good with it. 
 

The next purse will be my fishing kayak lol. 

My wife is the same!  She has multiple purses for each season, I have multiple baits, rods, reels, and line for each season!  ?

20 minutes ago, FishinBuck07 said:

My wife is the same!  She has multiple purses for each season, I have multiple baits, rods, reels, and line for each season!  ?

They have UL, medium, MH and heavy action purses. In multiple colors and actions lol. 

Won the 1st 4 tournaments I fished with a casting outfit and a spinning outfit. - I now carry way too much stuff

-

I have actually started taking rods off my deck. I am trying a more simplistic approach this season. I am just going to have crankbait, creature, worm, jig and topwater. Oh, and one to make Hank Parker proud, a 5-6 pistol grip rod with a spinnerbait on it for some tight under hanging areas. No sissy spinning  rods for me this year ?

 

As a sidenote as I was taking them off the boat my wife made the comment that she was right and I did not need all those rods....

I usually go with about 8-10 setups in my boat.  Anything more than that and I just don't have room for it as my rod locker holds 7 and I can keep about 3 on the deck under the strap.  I've also got walleye and muskie setups at home, but obviously I don't take them when I go bass fishing...

 

The thing I often wonder about is how the pros can keep about 15 on the deck and they don't get tangled?  They reach down and grab one out of the pile and its never tangled with another one.  Riddle me that.