i am about to go to my first tournament, how many rods should i bring and what kind of rods, IE ( flipping, pitching, crank bait)?

Take all you got. Ask your boater what kinda pattern or what he is doing then limit it to 6 rods, 4's even better. Most boats accomadate 4 great , 6 at the most in the rod holder for the guy on the left. If all else fails...I suggest a flippin stick, a spinning outfit for finese, crankin rod, and a carolina rig. Top water would be next, and last a texas rigged worm rod. Anything else you can make do with the arsenal you have , just modified.

One for the upper part of the water column

One for the middle part of the water column

One for the lower part of the water column

One for back up  

Five rods

1. Flipping/carolina rig

2. Spinnerbait/heavy crankbait

3. Topwater/small crank

4. Spinning for dropshot

5. Spinning for texas rig

You may want to opt out a swimbait/frog rod or use the flippin stick for those also

If you rig up a drop shot be sure to secure the weight securely to the rod.

You don't know the mess you can get into if that weight flys around and gets tangled up in your other rods.

I know. Believe me, I know.  ;D   ;D   ;D

One other suggestion.

Please view my post in Husker's "Scaling Down Tackle for a Tournament" thread.

Rods are important, but so is having extra baitcasters and spinning reels ready to go incase one breaks or you get the Backlash of the Century.

It is easier to change out a reel than to fight a backlash or have a reel break during a tournament.

Yes, I know.  Have had both happen in previous years.  

I always keep two rods rigged with the same thing:

1. Carolina rig

2. Drop shot

One because of the time it takes to rig it and the other because I use a spinning reel.

I also have rods for the following:

3.Flippin stick

4.Worm/jig

5.Shallow cranks

6.Deep cranks