Ideally, how many rods?

[Grant Pearson]

Barring monetary issues, how many rods would you ideally have in your boat while musky fishing? I'm thinking 4 to 5 rods.

1. topwater/jerkbaits

2. bucktails/spinnerbaits

3. cranks

4. soft plastics

5. early season/lighter lures.

[Scoot]

With a few exceptions, I virtually always have three rods ready to go. I'll often have a fourth one rigged up too.

Depends on the time of year, conditions, etc., but I usually have a bucktail/spinner bait rod, jerkbait, topwater, and jig rod ready to go.

[10,000 Casts]

I have 4 Rods, I only need 2, a long heavy Rod and a short heavy rod, but this is what I use,

8' Heavy Avid w / calcutta 400B for Bigger Inline spinners and Bulldawgs / swimbaits / Topwaters, next year this rod will get a Garcia 7000.

8' MH Techna AV w/Calcutta 400B but it's like a heavy for Inline spinners / Spinnerbaits / Topwaters, I have thrown bigger Inlines with it with no problem.

7'2" Guide Series with a high speed Trion for throwing Boogerman Buzzbaits, I know... I have a rod just for throwing Boogermans but it has come in handy a few times and I don't want to throw on with a 5.2-1.

6'9" Guide Series with a high speed Trion that I only use for Jerkbaits.

I don't have a Jig Rod, If I ever need one, I will make one of my guide series rods work.

[10,000 Casts]

One Rod that I would like to my arsenal is a H Fenwick HMG Casting rod with a Shimano Curado 300 DSV for smaller inlines and smaller spinnerbaits. I think that would be a blast.

[cjac]

Hey John,

I'm also looking at pairing the Shimano 300 DSV up on a rod, but thinking a little longer and somewhat lighter action. Still have to consult with the rod builder again but I'm leaning towards a MH Diamondback if I lengthen it out close to 9', Med if I stick around 8'ish. Should be fun... Talk about a perfect set-up for working the 'tonka milfoil and weed edges with. Bass and muskies all in one.

Nice manufacturer rebates out there on the Curados now.

Overall, I like a few rigs ready and at hand, although I have been known to stick to one presentation all day over switching, based on conditions, time of year, etc.

Topwater/jerk, big blade bucktail, light bucktail/spinnerbait, and a throw-back rig (jig) and I'm tripping over rods.

Chris

[10,000 Casts]

Last year RK recommended that reel saying that it was the only Low Pro that could handle the abuse of Muskie Baits and he was 100% right. I have been drooling over it ever since.

[cjac]

$50 manufacturer rebate piques my interest even more....they sound like the real deal.

Heck, I'm going to get one for sure! That's what tax returns are for!

Chris

[RK]

Oh Lord. Cleaning out my rod lockers at the end of a season is a sick sight.

Most of the time, I have 3, sometimes 4 on the deck:

- a spinnerbait/jerkbait/crankbait rod

- a flipping stick for topwaters and twitch baits

- a bucktail rod of some sort

- sometimes (often) a jig rod (although a flipping stick is a good jig rod as well)

The rod lockers have spares for most of the above, plus a half dozen or so trolling rods (planer board rods with mono, flatline rods with braid, spinnerbait trolling rods...) Add live bait rods in the fall, and it gets to be a sad deal in the rod lockers.

I could probably fish the rest of my life with the first 4 on the list above though...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm