It seems like every day there is discussion about a rod for Ned rigs, a rod for jerk baits, a rod for crank baits, etc. Do you guys actually have rods for each technique that you use? Personally I don’t own a rod that only has one use. For example, the rods that I had built for shaky work well for jigs up to 1/4 oz and do extra duty as crank bait rods.

I take those labels as "suggestions" and agree with you. I use a discontinued Falcon drop shot rod for Ned rigs. It says "Drop Shot" on it, but I'm a rebel. Ask anyone.

The only technique-specific rod I have is a 7'6 Powell that I use for frogs. It's got a Revo SX with 25lb drag and 65lb Sufix 832 on it. I can pull stumps with it.

28 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

Do you guys actually have rods for each technique that you use?

RIP Chuck.

Oh heck no ... my disposable income is needed and wanted for other things. Retirement comes to mind. So multitaskers it is

I doubt many started fishing with a rod for every technique. One or two rods did everything. However, many enthusiasts on fishing forums may have amassed 30 to over a 100 rods over the years. (15 years for me after getting my first baitcast reel. I fished with one spinning rod for quite a few years.) Why not settle on one technique for each rod if you have the rods? Likely to have more than one rod for each technique. Each rod handling different weight ranges. Ex: I like to use spinnerbaits. I've used from ML to Heavy depending on weight. Heck, I've even thrown a 1/8 oz. one on a Light power casting rod.

This doesn't mean a rod is only suitable for one technique as I'm sure you are well aware.

Personally I like to have lures tied on before leaving the house. I very seldom change lures while fishing. I just grab a different rod that has the lure on it that I want to try next.

I don't fish jigs much at all but have a dedicated jig rod. It's the most I've ever paid for a rod. I have a couple dedicated frog rods. I have a 6' MH short range spinnerbait rod and several MHs ranging from 6'6" to 7'6" that I will use. I might even take a couple MHs with each having a different colored spinnerbait. Etc., etc.

I used a MF for crankbaits long before buying my first 'crankbait' rod. Now I have several so my MFs no longer get used with a crankbait.

Nearly all my bass rods are dedicated to one technique. Only one or two pull double duty.

I have some rods for other species that are multi purpose.

I use one rod for all techniques. I need to keep things simple and minimal. My old brain can't handle anything else .

I just back into conventional tackle and have acquired about 20 setups. Almost all of them will do a couple things. My light cranking rods double as a jerkbait rod or blade bait. Heavier crank rods double well for big jerkbaits or topwater. A frog rod might double as a flipping rod. That said, I prefer to have a dedicated setup. Last year I was switching between frogs and flipping on my Dobyns hp 746. Great for both. But I like to run a short mono leader flipping, straight braid on a frog. That’s not good having to keep cutting off and retying a leader. I only have a few more rods on my list to get and I’ll have everything I wanna do covered.

Not really, but I’ve got a couple rods that are REALLY GOOD at one specific thing that I always do anyway so they are de facto technique specific. I’ll do other things with them of course when I’m not doing the usual thing.

I’m either on the bank, a canoe or a co-angler in the back of someone else’s boat. So I’m limited on the number of rods I can carry, sometimes it’s as few as two with 5 being the most.

That being said a rod just isn’t as useful to me if it can only do one thing. Thankfully most rods can do more than one thing regardless of what the label says.

There are techniques and circumstances where specific length, power, action can maximize effectiveness and or efficiency but that’s not to say it won’t be good for anything else.

I have no doubt that specific rods would be better in various situation and with different tackle, but other than one medium moderate rod I often use for crankbaits, the other casting rods are just general medium/fast or heavy/fast and I use them for everything. I never knew I needed technique specific rods until I started reading the internet

You don't need a specific rod for every technique. I no a kid that fishes both live bait and a variety of lures, with a soda bottle with mono wrapped around it. Coke or Pepsi, doesn't matter any soda bottle any technique.

The Monkey and I hope that someday I have a rod for each technique, but for now I don't have the money or the space. All of my rods have to do double, or triple duty.

All my setups function with versatility, but have strengths. I have realized getting into bass fishing, there is no doubt we accumulate several rigs because it can be fun and interesting deciding what’s needed for a given day. Sometimes we even grab a rod just because we’re in the mood to fish or catch fish with it lol. I’ve found serious bass fishing highly entertaining as it’s full of challenging situations all the time. I love the puzzle.

I don't utilize every fishing technique, mostly because my target species

and typical lake environments don’t demand extreme versatility.

Instead, my gear has become highly specialized for the presentations I use most often.

While some rigs do pull double duty, it’s mostly seasonal:

springtime jerkbait rods become summertime topwater tools,

V-Jig setups transition to spinnerbaits,

and tube rigs turn into small swimbait sticks.

Unfortunately the only thing I can do with any of them presently is perhaps chip ice.

A-Jay

I have a specific combo for the majority of techniques but the reality is many can overlap. If I’m a back seater I’ll have to pick six of those combos.

IIRC, the first rod I bought with a specific technique in mind was a 'jig rod'. Turns out that it wasn't the dream jig rod I'd hoped for. But it is a great, technique-specific, spinnerbait rod. Most of my dozen plus technique-specific rods became that way in the same manner. I have one crankbait rod and one swimbait rod that are almost exclusively used the way I imagined when I bought them.

On 3/21/2026 at 10:12 AM, Jigfishn10 said:

. So multitaskers it is

This is me….. with limited room in my little boat, they got to be used for more than one technique.

No sir!!! My inventory of rods and reels number only 10 or 12 and that's counting both casting and spinning total. I do however have one reel that is high speed that I do use for topwater stuff (didn't realize it was high speed until after I'd bought it and even it gets used for other stuff) but otherwise all my stuff is multi-use. All my rods are either mediums or medium/heavy's and do double duty most of the time.

Being in a kayak, I bring at most 4 rods.

The only one I bring that's technique specific is a drop shot rod, which is only brought on certain lakes.

The other's do multi-task.

I have bought rods with only one technique in mind at the time of purchase, but all of them are capable of multiple techniques. Probably two-thirds of my rods are used for approximately two or three techniques while the other third tend to be rigged with techniques I use almost every time I am on the water, so the lures used on them don't change often.

I have about 30ish bass rods. Maybe a little less. Haven't really counted.

Last year I was on a kick to downsize and upgrade. Though I went through the upgrade process, I didn't get rid of anything as I don't really need the money.

All of last year I found myself using only 4 rods for everything. I picked up some high end rods and they have been fantastic. I carry 7' BFS, 7' mh, 7'5" mh with a good backbone, and 8' h. With those 4 rods I have not found a technique I cannot cover yet.

Once I discover the rod/reel combo I have is exactly how I prefer to use for a certain technique, it'll stay for that one purpose only.... If I can only bring a few rods, I have a few rods that are versatile enough to be used for multiple techniques... But I'm blessed to be able to own enough rod/reel setups to have them dedicated to be a one trick pony...

If a rod can only do one thing well then it has no place in my quiver. Even my one "dedicated" rod (for dropshot) is not a typical one, and can do other things should the need arise.

On 3/24/2026 at 8:30 AM, herder said:

Being in a kayak, I bring at most 4 rods.

The only one I bring that's technique specific is a drop shot rod, which is only brought on certain lakes.

The other's do multi-task.

Maybe so, but does that stop you from having 30 rods at home? Rotating is an actual thing. The Bait Monkey is waiting for you. 😁