How many rods do I need?

Well since April has rolled around I've started to think more about bass and all my gear which has been stored or used for trout...

My question is, when I'm bassing this year, I'm not sure about how many rods I should string up and take with me on the boat...???

I'm not looking for an answer like as many as possible, because I don't have the space or funds to buy 10 rods and have them strung up. I'd like to have that luxury, but I'm fishing off a 12' Lund V Hull and usually with a buddy so I don't have a ton of room, so what do you guys think is an adequate number of rods strung up with different lures tied up???

I'm just trying to figure out whether or not I should go buy some rods, I have 3 good rods I can use for bass bass (all spinning, I prefer that reel) and I might be able to use a 5'6" light action rod but I would rather not as that is more of my trout rod...So right now I'm sitting at 3 maybe 4 rods, so is that enough or should I get a few more?

Oh and when's it worth bassing?

I might have to just go try for bass after I do a little trout fishing...

Hey Hunter,

I usualy bring three rod and reel combonations when I go bassing.

1. If the bass you are catching are small, lets say under 12", with an occasional big one. I like to use light action 5' - 6' rod with a reel that has maximum line weight of 6# test. I usually run 4# test.

2. If the bass are larger, over 12", deeper, and hold in line destructive cover. I like to bring a rod that is 6' - 7' and reel that holds a maximum 0f 10 or 12 pound test. I usualy run 8 or 10 test on this setup. The heavier line will allow for a little more abbrasion resitance in rocks and sticks.

3. If you know the area and the fish. Just bring a back-up of either of the before mentioned set-up.

I'm not sure about the westside but I have seen bass boats on their way down here from spokane in the past week. Just get out and give it a shot.

I think I'll bring the bass tackle box with me on my next trout excursion and try that after trout fishing...

My 4 setups would be:
7' medium action Okuma spinning setup with 12lb test
6'6 Daiwa medium action spinning combo. 8 lb Pline xxtra
6' Abu Garcia spinning combo medium light 8lb test Pline xtra strong
5'6" Abu Garcia spinning combo light action 8lb test

I'm confident with the first three, but maybe the 5'6" will be tough enough to handle bassing...

J7-What do you tie up with your 3 setups?

1. one rigged with a tube, smoke, gold flake, 1/32oz internal weight.
2. one rigged with a spinnerbait, white, 3/8oz, you could go 1/4oz
3. one rigged with soft plastic of your choice.

Rod #3 could also be rigged with top water, or crankbait, depending on fishing conditions.
8lbs line is a good all around line.

Basser:

I've been reading up a lot on some bass websites and such and they haven't said much about using tubes? I got a few tubes that would do the job if they are that good...

I'll check up one those and see...

I wanna be confident with what I'm throwing out, cause I'm still a rookie at bassing...

I generally have 3-4 rods for bassin:

All rods at least 6' to 7'. Line weight is 10 lb, the fluocarbon type or mono.

Two spinning rods rigged for: casting floating rapalas or popper-type baits. 2nd rod would be rigged for light plastics - 4-6" senko type or similar light weight lures.

3rd rod is a bait caster, Shimano curado with 7' cranking rod for deep diving plugs and pig/jig type baits for casting or flipping.

A 4th rod would be another spinning rod with maybe a spinner type lure.

I will switch from lure to lure depending on what I see in front of me and how I want to fish it. That to me is one of the neat things about bass fishing - all these different methods to try at any given moment.

i usually have 4 rods with me for bass.

1.) 7' med hvy flippin' stick w/jig & pig or plastic.
2.) 6' 6" med crankin' stick w/crank, spinnerbait, or topwater.
3.) 7' med all purpose w/any type of plastics (grubs, tubes, t-rigged plastics, etc.)
4.) 7' med spinning w/weightless plastics, grubs, or a dropshot.

Thanks guys...

Maybe I'll buy a new 6'6" rod or just save that money for gas...

let me suggest this...

come out a few times with us, check out what everyone is using. compare it to your current setup.

get more familar with bass fishing, and what type of bass fisher you are. see what rods of yours need to be changed out, or replaced.

... as for me, i have a totally different setup from what everyone else has mentioned. everyone is different, and everyone has a certain preference.



no sense in buying something you already have in your current setups.

good luck

Thanks TDot.
I'm looking forward to your outings or whatever you wanna call them...

I've never really done a whole lot of bass fishing as I'm still in school so I've had limited time and I've chosen to do a lot of trout fishing with that time and I had to use my Sevylor inflatable so even if I wanted to go bassing, it would be tough to do it out of that...
Like I mentioned in the other thread I just got a new 12' Lund and trailer with the Minn Kota so I'll be set to do a LOT of bass fishing time come spring/summer/fall and I got a pretty good tacklebox already setup with all sorts of stuff and never got to use it last year so this year I'm looking forward to figuring out what works and what I'm confident with...

T Dot does have a point. You might want to put in some time, and use what you have before you go overboard.

You can catch bass with a Ron Popell pocket fishermen, (if you had to) it just gets a little easier if you have the right equipment.

I carry 10 to 14 rod reel combo's and seldom use more than 3 on a given trip. Use what you have , it doesn't take a broom handle and a wench to land a bass. I have landed 4lbs smallies on a 5 foot ultra light with 4lbs test mono. Let the drag do its job and you won't break off. Oh I was using a crappy jig.
Bill

When I fish out of my 14 ft smoker craft I use 4 rods. the first is a 6 ft 6" rod med/hvy rigged with 12lb fluorocarbon line and a blue/black jig with a blue/black worm with a "C" tail cut down to 3 1/2 inches. the second rig is 6 ft 6" med rod with 12 lb Stren ultra braid and a spinner bait. the Indiana Blade is painted the color of a sunfish and has a small gold Colorado blade. The skirt is short Muddler white/gray/silver. The third rod is a 6 ft Med with with 17 lb Vanish Line on it and has an Original Rapala Floating Minnow in silver size F11. the last rod is a 6ft Med/hvy rod with 20lb test Mono with a plastic frog. These cover about 80% of the fishing I do during the day. Of course I may change the Rapala out for a count down or a glass minnow or even a DT series epending on the bite and the bass. You just have be flexible with the lures but 4 rods like this will cover all the bases.