I hope the title made sense. My friend has six different spinning rods but only has 2-3 reels. He picks the rod and attaches a reel and he's off. I have a dedicated reel for every rod. How about you guys?

I have enough reels for every rod, plus a couple floaters at this point. Spinners are pretty fixed but casting reels move between rods from time to time depending what I'm doing that day.

An interesting question.

The only dedicated combos I keep consistent are the frogging combo & the flipping and pitching combo. The reel is specifically designed for flipping and pitching so it stays dedicated right there. It might bounce around on different rods from time to time.

But generally, I keep my rods and reels separate because I'm a vintage guy with a nice collection of 70 to 80 awesome old rods going back 40, 50 years or so. Same with my reels.

I want every fishing trip to be with something different. So I move reels around on rods all the time. I like to enjoy the differences rather than settle on one combo and keep it that way always.

Between my sons and I, we have close to probably 125 rods and probably 60 or more reels. We both keep most separate and pick and choose for each trip. So its never the same and I think we both really like the variety more than same old same old all the time.

One of the benefits of doing it this way is that each time we go fishing all of our lures are freshly tied on rather than chancing not retying after fishing and going back out with possibly damaged line ready to snap on first fish next trip out.

Variety is the spice of life!

I have twice as many rods as reels, and move reels around.

Normally I didn't change reels once mounted. However, I'm retired now. Moved to Florida. All reels came off to be packed. Now I'd like to determine what feels best to me on the rods I will be using so that means some changing. Also which reel is better suited for the techniques I will be using for each rod. However, once that's determined the reel won't be coming off. I have more reels than rods.

Reels stay on the rod. I'm irritated enough stringing up the fly rod each time I use it, don't feel like doing it with my other setups.

I might change a reel spool for a different type or size line,

but I'm never changing reels.

A-Jay

I have a dedicated reel for every rod as well.

39 minutes ago, Randy Price said:

I hope the title made sense. My friend has six different spinning rods but only has 2-3 reels. He picks the rod and attaches a reel and he's off. I have a dedicated reel for every rod. How about you guys?

I try to keep my gear to only what I will use. This means I think I’ve got a total of 9 combos of rods and reels. The only floater is my cranking reel which I bust out when I get a wild itch to send deep diving cranks.

6 minutes ago, Standard said:

Reels stay on the rod. I'm irritated enough stringing up the fly rod each time I use it, don't feel like doing it with my other setups.

At my age running line thru the guides is an exciting experience.

I did get eye surgery on both eyes in November, so maybe it will be a bit easier now...as long as my fingers cooperate.

Once I match a rod and reel, I usually keep them together.

Although with a few of my combos in the past, after fishing with them for awhile I decided I wanted something different and switched them around.

The only reels I swap are spinning reels. I do not use spinning reels and rods that much, but I do have the need for spinning setups for bass and for steelhead fishing on the river. So I will float my spinning reels between the bass rods and steelhead rods as needed. All casting rods have dedicated reels that do not get swapped.

Spinning combos stay intact. For baitcasting I will move reels around on occasion.

Basically dedicated with spares/extras of both in the basement. I might swap reels from two rods for a trip because I want to have the ‘other’ line on that rod for a specific purpose. That might mean putting braid on a rod that normally has mono because I’m bombing top waters and that’s the setup I need. But mostly not.

I only have two spinning combos so they stay in tact. One medium on medium light. My casting rods and reels get mixed around depending on what lure I’m throwing, where I’m fishing etc.

I mostly have designated rod/reel combos, but I do have floaters that are called into service when needed. Sometimes the reels come to tournaments in case I need them. Usually, it's a casting reel with straight braid in case I feel like I need to swap it with a reel that has fluoro on it.

Every rod has a dedicated reel. If I purchase a new rod, I buy a new reel to go with it.

Each rod had it's own reel.

I do have a few Musky / Pike rods that do not have reels. Purchased them for a trip to Canada two years back. Will be swapping reels on those rods this summer when we make a return trip north.

For me most of the time each rod gets it's own reel...balance, gear ratios and whatnot. I do swap on a crankbait rod that doubles as my primary topwater rod (so I have two reels for that one) but that's about it. I'd probably also swap my frog reel w/ braid if I ever actually used my punch rod for punching but I usually just use my frog frog for that and most of the time I'm using that flipping stick for 6" weedless magdrafts or WCZ Citizens...

I have a more spinning rods then reels, they all have a purpose, other then just being extras, I might swap a reel 2 or 3 times a year. If I buy another reel or 2 there will no longer be a need.

I have 2 BC rods and reels, no need to swap.

I take the reels off the rods during winter but I number them so I can put them back on the same rod for balance and feel.

The less messing around prior to a trip the better IMO. Create efficiency. Much easier (but obviously more expensive) to have a rod reel combo for the primary techniques I plan to use. Worst thing for me is restringing multiple rod/reels each time before I go out. I have 15 rods and each has a set reel.

I keep three or four setups ready to go most of the time. I like to mix and match my rigs to keep it fresh, depending on where I'm going and what I'm in the mood for.

21 hours ago, Randy Price said:

I hope the title made sense. My friend has six different spinning rods but only has 2-3 reels. He picks the rod and attaches a reel and he's off. I have a dedicated reel for every rod. How about you guys?

I have approx 30 different rods and reels for each one. Also have a few spare reels. Each one is ready to go, Since I am a bank fisherman I usually take about 3-4 with me on any trip to the pond or lake. Each one is setup for a different technique.

I have for the most part one reel for each rod. I do keep one reel on the side as a back up in case something goes down. I do like to move a reel or two around from one rod to another just to see if it might be better. Sometimes a little different feel is just the right thing.