Seems like more and more guys have super technique specific setups. I’m curious to see how many people on this forum go the technique specific route, or have more generally purpose rods. I’m could kind of go either way with my casting rod selection and I’m trying to decide which way to go, or to ogo for a more middle of the road approach. What would you recommend for a guy planning on 10-15 setups higher end setups? 

 

  I bought a M/F spinning outfit when I got back into fishing 10-ish years ago…  Thanks to YouTube and BassResource, mine gave grown VERY plentiful and VERY specific over the years.

 

My starting spot is a 7' MH Fast for casting rods.     If the bait doesn't work well with that 'control' rod, I usually find that I need a technique specific rod for the bait.     

 

Jerkbait......doesn't work well on that control rod, so I've got a p5 Destroyer 110 stick 

 

Chatterbait.....doesn't work hardly at all on the control, so I got Alpha Angler Chatterbound rod. 

 

For spinning rods, my starting spot is a 7' M Fast.    Everything I want to do on a spinning from skipping senkos, to shaking a minnow, to throwing a neko rig......all perfect on that rod.    I don't own a single technique specific rod in terms of spinning gear.  

 

 

11 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

 

Chatterbait.....doesn't work hardly at all on the control, so I got Alpha Angler Chatterbound rod. 

Might be one of the best slightly under-the-radar Chatterbait rod. The only glass-composite rod I own.. I tested St. Croix, Dobyns and ALX composite-glass rods and they all seemed thicker/heavier than the Chatterbound. 

Almost no technique specific rods here. I pretty much know the actions and ratings of all my rods, so when I select a bait I want to throw, I just tie it on to the outfit I think it will work best on. Sometimes that means swapping reels onto different rods first to align line type or test properly.

Almost everything I own is technique specific 

I like stuff that can do lots of stuff but generally I like some heavier stuff and some lighter stuff for throwing bigger and smaller baits.

Not really specific. My cranking sticks aren't great for much else. I have a couple shorter XF jig/worm rods that seem like they should work for jerbaits, but they're terrible. The rest can cover several baits. Not so much because they're versatile, it's just that I've seldom come across a rod labeled as doing one thing that couldn't do a half dozen more. 

7'3" MH casting rods are my go to for almost every lure i use. Most of them are the same make and model too. If i use something lighter ill switch to a 7' medium, or a 7' heavy rod for the opposite.

Out of 21 casting rods only a select few are technique specific, 2 are for swimbaits (one is for up to 2oz, the other is for up to 6oz). Kind of hard to throw those on my regular rods, and the other rods are 2 cranking rods for obvious reasons.

 

I really dont get too much into every technique needing a specific rod, because ive spent years bank fishing with only a few rods. I learned i can use 3 rods to cover every single bait, and lure other than big swimbaits or musky stuff. I dont even use my moderate cranking rods because i prefer throwing cranks (especially lipless cranks) on the same 7'3" MH fast action rod i mentioned above.

 

Technique specific rods are a marketing teams dream, a businesses reality, and our tackle/gear addiction.

Theres really only a few places where technique specific rods shine. #1 jerkbaits, having a shorter rod that can cast these usually lighter baits all while having a tip that can load up and keep a fish pinned. #2 Crankbaits, all about keeping the fish pinned, while being longer so you can get the most out of your cast. #3 Bottom baits like Texas rigs and Jigs, although these arent as needed as #1 and #2, but for most people getting a rod with that extra sensitivity is nice. #4 If you do alot of tournaments and need to change something quick, instead of spending a few minutes getting something different and retying just reach down and pick up a rod out of the often dozen if not more choices. #5 Swimbaits, musky/pike lures, try throwing a 6oz bait on a average bass rod.... Wont work too well.

3 hours ago, August said:

What would you recommend for a guy planning on 10-15 setups higher end setups? 

Get 4 different higher end setups first, fish them and find out what you like. Then add/build on from there. Most 7-7'3" MH rods, 6'6"-7" M, 7' H, rods will cover almost everything.75%  of my rods would be these. The remaining setups would be one for shallow-mid/squarebill crankbaits, 7'4" or longer moderate action, then a bulkier heavy duty rod with same length and action for deep divers, a rod for swimbaits or A rigs if you fish them.

OK so I'm coming in here saying the term 'technique specific' is over and perhaps even misused.

And I lean that way because rods are tools and selecting the right tool for the job is what I strive to do every trip on the water.  Could I fish one or two rods for a Jig, a swimbait, a crankbait, an A-Rig, a topwater bait, a hair jig, jerkbait ?  Maybe but I'm certain I'd struggle.

If one fishes a Texas Rig 24/7 - might not need much variation in the arsenal. 

Otherwise, matching a bait to a rod, reel & line for me is simply part of being an experienced basshead.  So I'm not buying the technique specific deal.

If an angler is successful fishing his or her deals on a few of the same type of rods, that's cool.

But I'm a hack and need all the help I can get.

So there's that.

A-Jay

12 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

OK so I'm coming in here saying the term 'technique specific' is over and perhaps even misused.

And I lean that way because rods are tools and selecting the right tool for the job is what I strive to do every trip on the water.  Could I fish one or two rods for a Jig, a swimbait, a crankbait, an A-Rig, a topwater bait, a hair jig, jerkbait ?  Maybe but I'm certain I'd struggle.

If one fishes a Texas Rig 24/7 - might not need much variation in the arsenal. 

Otherwise, matching a bait to a rod, reel & line for me is simply part of being an experienced basshead.  So I'm not buying the technique specific deal.

If an angler is successful fishing his or her deals on a few of the same type of rods, that's cool.

But I'm a hack and need all the help I can get.

So there's that.

A-Jay

I definitely get your point. I’m mainly talking about how guys will have 3 rods designated for football jigs etc. 

Open the tool box and wrench to loosen a 9/16” hex nut. You have a 9/16” opened wrench,  box end wrench,  socket ratchet tool, Crecent wrench and channel lock pliers. Which tool do you choose?

The Cresent wrench and channel lock pliers may work but not application specific, you have better choices.

To select the proper tool location is important, can you turn the nut with the other tools or is the socket the only tool to perform the task.

You select the tool that gets the job done. If you only have a crescent wrench you make it work.

Tom

I don't have lots of fancy specific rods, although lots is relative and my wife may see things differently. I do have some preferred rods for different presentations. Especially the ones I throw regularly like swim jig, brush or football jig, heavy jig, and spinnerbait. I also have a few different spinning rods. Technically all medium but they fish very different. I'd throw a mid weight shaky head on a different one than a weightless wacky because they load up a little differently.. it's not all necessary but definitely makes it more enjoyable and increases my confidence some. 

18 minutes ago, August said:

I definitely get your point. I’m mainly talking about how guys will have 3 rods designated for football jigs etc. 

OK - Not Football jigs specifically,

but I have multiple rigs for just spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, vibrating jigs, topwater baits, and a few others.

But I'm an OG and have had time to figure out what I like and more importantly, what I need.

And in bass fishing, NEED is almost always a relative term.

But what I do might not be right for you.

Also, my rig has a truly Ridiculous amount of usable storage for it's size.

Clearly, I take full advantage of that. 

 

A-Jay

 

18 minutes ago, August said:

I definitely get your point. I’m mainly talking about how guys will have 3 rods designated for football jigs etc. 

If you fish football jigs everywhere, all the time, and it’s your bread and butter technique then I can see having multiple rigged up. At some point, you figure out either the baits that work for you or the baits that work for your waters. I could see myself with three different jerk baits rigged this spring for a couple of the lakes I fish. At times in the summer I might have three different Texas rigs on at a time. If you’re a crankbait guy I could totally see a couple in the deck on the right day. Does that make the rods technique specific?  For that day I guess. But then any of the three jerkbait rods I’d have rigged up would be hardbait top waters a couple weeks later (and I might have three rigged at a time). 

All of my rods are very specific.  They are all used for fishing.

Guilty to the point of excess. 3 cranking rods, 2 jig rods, 1 worm rod, 2 swimbait/swim jig rods, 3 topwater rods, a tube rod, a jerkbait rod and a number of other dual purpose rods. I really don't count my spinning rods as technique specific. To my way of thinking, they're all finesse rods.

Most of my 2 dozen bass rods are single purpose, but there are a handful that serve dual roles. 

Other than a fiberglass rod I prefer for surface baits, I use all my other rods with all my lures. 

 

41 minutes ago, WRB said:

If you only have a crescent wrench you make it work.

 

Yep, I fish with crescent wrenches and make them work.

As I’ve posted my general use rigs…

 

GLX 804c JWR - 6’ 8”          Curado 201-greenie

IMX 844c MBR H/F - 7’         Curado 201-greenie

IMX 843 CBR M/M - 7’          Lew’s Tournament MB

IMX 782c MBR M/F - 6’6”    Curado 201-greenie

IMX 783c MBR MH/F - 6’6” Curado 201-greenie

IMX 781S ML/F - 6’6”.            Spirex 1000

 

…so yeah, pretty much adjustable wrench’s

Space for rigged rods on my boat and on my personal pontoon is limited and I hate having a bunch of rods get tangled up. I’ve never had more than 5 rods, and usually 4 on the deck most times. I just don’t have the room and always felt that technique specific rod labeling was just a way for companies to sell more rods. I carry a medium lite, a couple of medium spinning rods and one or two medium heavy baitcasters. Those will do a good job throwing anything in my tackle box that’ll catch a smallie. 

Very specific. They can all specifically do multiple things.

 

Monkey can't get me.

I can fish just about any bait on a 7’ MHF casting rod and did that for years. But over the past few years I’ve added other weapons to my arsenal.

 

Often times the difficulty comes down to what my load out is on each trip. Space is limited on my kayak, so I have to choose wisely.

100% Catt specific 😉

7 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

Yep, I fish with crescent wrenches and make them work.

X2

 I have limited space in my boat. I do have 2 rigs for pitching( braid and heavier rods) but one is a spinning rig for skipping under docks.