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Posts: 504
Location: Ludington, MI | I read with interest the 2015 thread about how many rigged rods people had on their boat decks. I thought with some different lures, different rods, etc. in the last 7 years it might be an interesting topic to re-visit.
(I'm 5-7 and I don't like slapping the water so no 9s for me)
Most recent trip:
Slingblade w/ D10s
Mojo 8-6 w/ reg Dussa
Surgical Strike w/ light rubber/crank/small blades
Gander 7-6 w/ jerks |
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Posts: 351
Location: Vilas County, WI | I'm partial to St Croix LT Series
7'6" Heavy for jerks
8' MH for small blades, twitch, or smaller topwater
8'6 H with 65# and a 7 strand for blades
9'0 H with 80# and Single Strand leader for rubber
That 8' MH doesn't get much use after mid July. |
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Posts: 1415
Location: Brighton CO. | I think I can fit four in my home made rod case and two in the boat with me two in the cabin and pretty much throw one rod and the other a pitch back rod at any given time. |
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Location: PA Angler | Only got 3 myself 1 spin, 1fly, and 1 bait. |
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Posts: 3869
| Like in 2015...
a bucktail rod
a Suick/topwater rod
a medium action crank bait rod (also trolls medium lures)
a heavy action crank bait rod (also trolls but way bigger lures)
a glide bait rod
a jig/creature throwback rod
My rods are all St. Croix, Cortland or custom made. Length is based on the lure and how close my feet are to the surface of the water. Only one rod is over 7'6".
Happy with what I have, others should listen to the way more experienced folks to make decisions. |
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Posts: 572
Location: Germantown, WI | I carry 3 Muskie rods in my boat at all times for different lure selections.
Then i also have a trolling rod that doubles as my sucker rod in the fall... I only bring this along when i know i will be doing one or the other...... |
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Posts: 68
| I run two 9' foot rods 99% of the time.
9' xh for Topwater and Bucktails
9'xxxh for every thing else.
I use the heavier one most of the time as I'm always throwing rubber, suick/bobbie style baits or gliders. It's a little tougher to net with the longer rod, but the ease of casting and the action that can be incorporated with the longer rod is really a game changing factor. Very minor wrist movements are fairly large by the time it reaches the end of the long rod. Anyway, everyone has their preferences. |
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Posts: 2330
Location: Chisholm, MN | I carry 3 primary casting rods but really only use two. A big nasty and a 9'6" predator XH do the job for me. I have a jerkbait rod in the boat but I'd rather not dig it out so I just is the big nasty usually. |
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| Do you vary the number of rods based on fishing alone or with others on board?
I fish out of an 18' tiller and fishing by myself, don't have a lot discipline in how many rods I have on the deck. That changes when fishing with someone else. |
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Posts: 419
Location: MN | I use two rod types, and I have a couple of each. Same reel type on each (Tranx 3/400 HG). Jig rippers are installed on all rods. On a given day trip, I bring 2 or maybe 3 total. For a weekend or more, it's 2 of each in case one breaks, but I might only keep 2 in the boat at a time.
TI 10' XH
TI 10' XXH
I'd prefer to get down to multiples of just one. Some heavy lures need the XXH, but on the other hand the overall weight of the XXH rod makes it a bit fatiguing, so I've stuck with the two. I'm looking at the Chaos 20/20 10' XXH as a possible replacement for both, but buying four of those is a fair chunk of change. Same for TB Predator.
For me, familiarity, redundancy, and simplicity (lack of clutter) is more important than having task-specific rods that might provide a marginal improvement but often sit unused.
Edited by nar160 9/14/2022 10:26 AM
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Posts: 43
| Starting out a trip I generally have 4 rods rigged up ready to go if there are only 2 people in the boat. If there are 3 people we go to 3 rigs max per fisherman. My rods are a 10' St Croix with Revo Toro with a DC-10 or a DC-8/9. 9'6" Elk River (Old R&H Muskie Shop rods) with Revo Toro with a Prop Style Bait. 9'3" Elk River (Again and old R&H Muskie Shop rod) with a Revo Toro with Rubber or a Crank. And a 8'6" Bulldawg rod with a Calcutta with Rubber, or a Zig Zag style surface bait I use as a toss back at follows. That is how I start out the trip with a 8'0" backup rig only coming along in case another breaks down. My boat partner usually has something similar but with different colors and sizes. I will say that all of my combos are fairly heavy and at the end of a trip I sometimes resort to my lightest and easiest to use combo due to fatigue and not wanting to live on Ibuprofen.
However a lot of what we throw depends on where we are fishing and the time of the year. But most years the basic setup listed above has worked well for us. This year for example we started out our normal Canada trip at the end of June with the usual baits that we have always done well with but with the extremely high water and heavy current where we were at, we ended up switching up everything. There were fish shallow and in calm water areas off of the current. We also found some much larger fish in deeper slack water close to the current seam. Our boat could not move anything on bucktails to save our lives. So we had to switch it up...
By the end of the trip I had a Bulldawg on the 9'6", Fat B on the 9'3", and a Headlock on the 10' St Croix. I had a Calcutta go down on the 3rd day of the trip and just stuck with 3 rigs. I resorted to casting the Headlock and it moved a lot of fish with several good ones boated. Combining that with the 10' rod made it really fairly easy to fish. My partner had a Toad rigged up (again a slightly different approach color and size-wise to what I had on) and it was outproducing the Bulldawg like 3 fish to 1 in action, so I offset that by casting the deeper diving Headlock bait. After 8 long days of tossing those baits I was beat. It made me wonder if I should change to lighter equipment that can do a similar job for me. As I am getting a bit older I am rethinking some of my options. I'm not sure what they are yet however. If anyone has any thoughts on lighter stuff that can still toss big baits I am all ears!
I did not intend to ramble, so basically it is 4 full rigs each ready to rock. Line is checked a couple times a day and retied every morning dependent upon use. In the future when I purchase my next rig, I will probably go to another 10' St Croix XXH as it is pretty universal for what I normally do. I will also say that the older style Elk river rods have been awesome for me. But they are not light weight and can make for a good workout every day on the water. They have made some lighter weigh options but I have not used them. |
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Posts: 110
| I also have a calcutta and while the reel is buttery smooth, I feel like I make 10 rotations, look up, lure has moved an inch. Bugs me. |
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Posts: 32887
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Topwater/spinner rod
Suick/glider rod
Creature rod |
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Posts: 183
| Low gear ratio on a big nasty for big bucktails, cranks, everything. Plus a faster ratio on an 8'6" MH for smaller bucktails and such.
Then come fall swap the faster reel onto the big nasty for plastics and anything else id use.
Plus a single rod for suckers or trolling. So at most I need 3. This aint bass fishing where i can rig up rods to save time swapping. My leaders have snaps and allow for quick bait switching. |
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Posts: 1288
| I have plenty of rod storage, so I use it. I have 6 casting rods and 2 trolling/sucker rods on board.
7'6" MH with a Curado 300E, 65 lb. line
7' H with a Revo S low gear
8' H with a Revo Toro high gear
8'6" XH with a Beast low gear
8'6" XH with a Lexa high gear
9' H with a Revo Toro Rocket
I only have 2 out at a time, but I swap out frequently. I like to use a variety of lures, and like having the best set up for each bait. And this is only the muskie stuff. I also have 4 walleye rods and a pan fish rod, on board. I'll often stop and fish something else for 30 minutes or so, when I stumble on the opportunity. What good would all that rod storage be, if I didn't use it? |
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Posts: 88
Location: Wisconsin | Ninety percent of my muskie casting is done from the third week of July through the third week of September.
These three combos are always on the front deck...
Big Nasty- Double 9s and 10's
Big Dawg- Rubber and big gliders
9' Predator HVY -2"- Double 9's and smaller, top water, cranks, Suicks, etc. |
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Posts: 1247
Location: Walker, MN | I've had the same four rods on my boat all season.
Elliot 9' H w/Tranx 400 HG Topwater/ crankbait/ smaller bucktails/ jerkbaits
Elliot 9' H w/Tranx 400 HG Topwater/ crankbait/ smaller bucktails/ jerkbaits
Elliot 9'-6" XH w/Tranx 400 HG Big Blades/ Big Topwater/ Rubber
Elliot 9' XH w/ Tranx 500 HG Rubber |
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Posts: 157
Location: West Central WI | I make my own rods. Currently, I have 9 rods - 8 are MHX, 8', 8'6", and 9' in various powers/actions. One is a 9' Rainshadow XHF. I had a new Thrasher 9' XHMF that I liked but a friend liked it more so I sold it to him and will make another. Just returned from second trip to LOTW this year. I brought 6 rods each time and kept three in the boat. Depending on my game plan for the day, I choose which 3 I take. I've tried more than three in the boat, but it gets too busy with equipment. |
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Posts: 57
| The TI factory rods are heavy because of the build . If you know someone or can build yourself you can choose better components and cut back the weight . A 5 pack of blanks is $300. You don’t need size 25 saltwater boat guides on a musky rod . |
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Posts: 224
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota | I’ve cut down to usually having 3 although I’ll sub in something depending on the conditions
9’10” heavy-2 predator for small blades/topwater
10ft chaos 2020 shock and awe for normal/bigger blades/spinnerbaits
10ft xh predator for everything else
I could easily use the 10xh predator for everything but I like a different reel for bucktails than for baits I’m going to work
I have a 10ft xxh predator for giant rubber for open water or late fall and a 9ft mh legend elite for little spring baits but those two only come out when I need them, would rather have less clutter on the boat |
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Posts: 46
Location: Mississippi | I use the 8'6' MHF Long Ranger for my smaller bucktails, from double 8's under 2oz to the smaller single blade bucktails. It is also great for 8" under minnow baits. I do pair with Shimano Tranx 300 HG to burn the bucktails.
I use the 8'6" HF Sling Blade for bigger bucktails , topwater, jerkbaits and less than 8oz rubber baits. I do pair with Shimano Tranx 400A with power handle to bring them bigger bucktails in with ease and speed.
I use the 8'6" HF Legend Elite with same setups as Sling Blade and Long Ranger, for different options for hot Musky, and use with the Tranx 400 HG. This rod and reel are the bomb! So light to throw all day!
The best thing these three rods all have in common, are that they all are split grips with 16" handles. The 16" handle clears my beer gut with no problem, Lol! 18" plus handle can be little more of challenge, Lol!
I use the 9' XXH Shock and Awe for all my rubber baits over 8ozs, paired with Tranx 400A with power handle.
Edited by Handy1 9/20/2022 5:45 PM
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Posts: 398
Location: SW Ohio | I usually take 6 casting rods with me, and have 2 trolling rods in the side rod locker. One of the casting rods usually sits in the back unless I start throwing blades or rubber.
The 5 on the front deck consist of 2 TI 9' XH, 2 Cabelas XH 8'6"Predator and 1 Shimano H 8' Sojourne. 3 have 65 lb Suffix 732 and 2 have 80 lb Suffix. All have Daiwa Lexa 400 WN LH reels.
The Shimano is used for glide, jerk and large bass crankbaits.
One of the TI and Cabelas rods is rigged with 65 lb and one each with 80 lb. Since I've found our lake's fish respond better to crankbaits, all four have different size lures most of the time. Only recently have I had success with Suicks an MS Titans so they are usually tied on now.
Big blades and rubber are are rarely effective but i still carry a TI XXH 9' rod just for giggles. I have hooked up by dragging a bulldawg just above the bottom but that's the extent of it. As far as blades, tube spinners have produced on occasion, and this is the rod I cast those on.
Having been a bass tournament fisherman in LA and FL for a long time, it's hard to break the multiple rod set up habit. I have almost as many musky rods now as I have bass rods. Almost but not quite. There are limits to one's bank account.
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Posts: 389
Location: Northern Illinois | I brought 9 on my last trip, but only 3 or 4 are in the boat with me at a time. In the boat, mostly the 4 musky rods and sometimes the 8'6" St Croix Heavy Bass Rod (Bullfrogger, it rocks). I use the spinning tackle around the docks, shore, creek, whatever so I am basically fishing 24x7.
Musky
8'6" XHF Bulldogs, heavy blades
8'6" MHF Blades up to 8's, medium cranks, topwater
7'10" MHF St Croix Down Sizer, Mepps, Small to medium cranks and small topwater
7.2" XHF jerkbait rod
Bass (baitcasters)
8'6" HF St Croix Heavy Bass Rod Bullfrogger
7'5" MHF St Croix Warhorse for bass
Panfish, walleye, bass whatever bites
7'6" MHF St Croix spinning
6'6 MLHF St Croix spinning
4'10" Pflueger Ultra light spinning reel
I like to fish...
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