Thinning The "Herd?"

[NathanDLTH]

I've seen a couple videos on this subject where they talk about having a handful of versatile rods to cover multiple techniques, I like this approach because less feels like more for me and that means I don't have to spend a ton of time deciding what rods to grab.

Here is what I am thinking 'IF" this is the path I decide:

1) Spinning: Steez 7'6 m/ml, Windbuster, DRX723
Kage MQ LT

2) Spinning Orochi XX Whipsnake or Addermine (new model)
Tatula LT SS (gotta love limited reels)

3) Casting Medium 6'10-7'ft
Z-crank, Legend X, Steez Moving Bait Special

4) Casting MH/Med or Fast 1/4-1oz 7'-7'6
Steez Utility Player or Legend X MH/F

4) Casting MH/Mod or Medium
Madbull or Javelin

5) MH+ or H/Fast Jig Rod
Steez Bottom Contact II, NRX+ 873, Steez Power Pitch, Perfect Pitch

6) Heavy Fast
Dragoon, TB, TS Poker, Evergreen 7'8 XH, Conquest 905(ultra bougie lol)

7) MH or H/F Dock or skipping rod
Super Destroyer or BLX 7'MH/F

[City17Banner]

Ok, so are you indicating that for each of the numbered options you are going to choose a single rod, two rods or all three rods?

I had a fellow board member ask me a similar question via PM, but he listed specific techniques and asked me to select my top two or three JDM rod choices for each technique and I found the exercise (both mentally and performing a physical inventory) to be extremely interesting since I am at my lake cabin this week in NW WIS where I store the majority of my JDM fishing tackle, so I spent quite a bit of time thinking through each JDM rod selection/choice and how I apply them to our Northwoods bodies of water as opposed to a fellow board member who lives in a different part of the country.

I found it to be a great thought exercise and it made me realize yet again that I have far too much JDM fishing tackle that I'm not currently using!

Including fantastic gems like this very special reel!

[NathanDLTH]

[QUOTE=City17Banner;12461418]Ok, so are you indicating that for each of the numbered options you are going to choose a single rod, two rods or all three rods?

I had a fellow board member ask me a similar question via PM, but he listed specific techniques and asked me to select my top two or three JDM rod choices for each technique and I found the exercise (both mentally and performing a physical inventory) to be extremely interesting since I am at my lake cabin this week in NW WIS where I store the majority of my JDM fishing tackle, so I spent quite a bit of time thinking through each JDM rod selection/choice and how I apply them to our Northwoods bodies of water as opposed to a fellow board member who lives in a different part of the country.

I found it to be a great thought exercise and it made me realize yet again that I have far too much JDM fishing tackle that I'm not currently using!

Including fantastic gems like this very special reel!"

Interesting and I am indicating the options for each category that set combo.
Example: 1) Spinning and then possible rods to fill that role.

[City17Banner]

Ah, thank you for the clarification. So, you would end up selecting one rod for each numeral and end up with seven total rods you would use for the majority of your fishing then?

That's a really interesting premise and I'm interested in what techniques you would choose to cover with a given rod selection and what quantifiable criteria you would use to make this selection.

For example, #6 in your list is a very interesting range of rods you have listed with similar lure weight ratings but some quite different tapers, and while I don't own an Evergreen Combat Stick, I do own both the Evergreen RSR and Grand Stallion so I'm quite familiar with the listed lure weights and tapers on paper and how they actually perform in the wild, in addition, I own the TS Poker, TS Black Jack, and the TS 775 spinning rod, and used to own the Conquest 905.

So, I'd like to understand your thought process in more detail and thank you in advance for sharing this intriguing idea/concept and how you intend to apply it to your given rod choices and selections to cover multiple techniques.

Please have a great day!

[NathanDLTH]

Ah, thank you for the clarification. So, you would end up selecting one rod for each numeral and end up with seven total rods you would use for the majority of your fishing then?

That's a really interesting premise and I'm interested in what techniques you would choose to cover with a given rod selection and what quantifiable criteria you would use to make this selection.

For example, #6 in your list is a very interesting range of rods you have listed with similar lure weight ratings but some quite different tapers, and while I don't own an Evergreen Combat Stick, I do own both the Evergreen RSR and Grand Stallion so I'm quite familiar with the listed lure weights and tapers on paper and how they actually perform in the wild, in addition, I own the TS Poker, TS Black Jack, and the TS 775 spinning rod, and used to own the Conquest 905.

So, I'd like to understand your thought process in more detail and thank you in advance for sharing this intriguing idea/concept and how you intend to apply it to your given rod choices and selections to cover multiple techniques.

Please have a great day!

Yes, one rod for each numeral then pairing a reel with a correct gear ratio to fit the majority of those techniques covered by that combo.

My inspiration comes from a youtube video The Hook Up Tackle did on this subject and got my wheels spinning. I've spent a lot of time gathering rods, picking up reels then making combos only to gravitate towards the same 5 or so rods all season long. The other part of my thought process is: less is more and what I mean by that is I have x rod paired with y reel(flouro), change to z reel(braid) and the combo is just as capable but limiting my time deciding/assigning reels to rods for specific techniques. While I love the rods I've acquired through the years the last two or so, it's become a bit of a slough rigging rods. So how do we minimize that? For me, that looks like more universal rods that can do a variety of techniques. Whether or not I go through with this has yet to be determined.

Number 6 is an interesting choice because it allows for bigger baits, but can toss heavier jigs and so forth, these rods were mentioned in the video above which talks about their versatility. I decided on my own to look at rods in my arsenal and possibly other rods that could do what they intended, but no quite a complete line up of the original intent.

Thank you, you too!

[new2BC4bass]

I'd love to get down to 10 rods vs 100, but only have about 4 that I could let go without crying.

[NathanDLTH]

I'd love to get down to 10 rods vs 100, but only have about 4 that I could let go without crying.

It's been a constant battle for me since I've gotten more into bass fishing and I am finding less is more actually because I use the same 5 or 6 rods all season. Basically, I want to spend more time fishing then tying on baits that don't get used and less time spooling reels.

[City17Banner]

Yes, one rod for each numeral then pairing a reel with a correct gear ratio to fit the majority of those techniques covered by that combo.

My inspiration comes from a youtube video The Hook Up Tackle did on this subject and got my wheels spinning. I've spent a lot of time gathering rods, picking up reels then making combos only to gravitate towards the same 5 or so rods all season long. The other part of my thought process is: less is more and what I mean by that is I have x rod paired with y reel(flouro), change to z reel(braid) and the combo is just as capable but limiting my time deciding/assigning reels to rods for specific techniques. While I love the rods I've acquired through the years the last two or so, it's become a bit of a slough rigging rods. So how do we minimize that? For me, that looks like more universal rods that can do a variety of techniques. Whether or not I go through with this has yet to be determined.

Number 6 is an interesting choice because it allows for bigger baits, but can toss heavier jigs and so forth, these rods were mentioned in the video above which talks about their versatility. I decided on my own to look at rods in my arsenal and possibly other rods that could do what they intended, but no quite a complete line up of the original intent.

Thank you, you too!

This approach does remind me a great deal of the video Ben and the THUT folks put out two months ago and the premise is quite interesting, and I can see the appeal for helping to down select to a fewer but more flexible number of rods without giving up too much overall fishing capability. I admit to being dubious of some of the rod selections that were presented in this specific video, but I always enjoy it when Ben takes some time to teach simple but often misunderstood concepts such as rod power and rod tapers or actions. The other thing that I always keep in mind is that Ben can only present what he is able to access so I have to consciously refrain from "mentally scoffing" at some of the rod selections he recommends in this or any other THUT video but overall, the drive to consolidate and simplify your rod/reel selection makes sense if you are finding it onerous to setup your rod/reel combinations for your fishing trips.

I hope you continue on with this thought exercise as I am truly curious about what criteria you might potentially use to make your rod selections to cover a presumably wide variety of techniques and what factors or indicators of success might indicate your rod selection was a good decision to use for those myriad techniques.

If I can be of assistance in sharing my personal on the water experiences with some of the rods on your list (both good and bad since no rod is perfect), please let me know and I will be glad to assist further as I find the exchange of knowledge to be both valuable and interesting as no two anglers approach the same fishing situation exactly the same since, we all have diverse fishing backgrounds and experiences that have shaped us as anglers over our lifetimes.

Please have a great day!

[krindgen]

To me MH/Med 4) and 7) could be the same rod. The more efficient you become with this rod the better you'll be when using it to skip docks with. Then the 3) and MH/Mod 4) could be the same rod. I've tried purging a 6-10 bastard length rod out of my arsenal but tough once you throw jerkbait fishing into the mix.

Other thing, I'd try to use the same rod line if possible for all applications. I use primarily Powell Endurance rods which are blue and then Lews' TPs and BB1s. When laying on the deck each combo looks like a clone of the next. I like that.

[NathanDLTH]

To me MH/Med 4) and 7) could be the same rod. The more efficient you become with this rod the better you'll be when using it to skip docks with. Then the 3) and MH/Mod 4) could be the same rod. I've tried purging a 6-10 bastard length rod out of my arsenal but tough once you throw jerkbait fishing into the mix.

Other thing, I'd try to use the same rod line if possible for all applications. I use primarily Powell Endurance rods which are blue and then Lews' TPs and BB1s. When laying on the deck each combo looks like a clone of the next. I like that.

I can see how you think 4 & 7 could be interchangeable but chatterbaits are a main stay here and having a rod dedication to reaction baits ie spinnerbaits, chatter, topwater etc is almost a necessity for me. Your point is valid about becoming more proficient.

Three and four are again designed to be speciality rods with the ability to perform other duties. The Steez Utility player n Legend X are both fast actions designed for jig n worm fishing but can toss a spinnerbait or chatter, the madbull or javelin are designed to be reaction rods thus handling those duties completely. So that’s my thinking.

[NathanDLTH]

This approach does remind me a great deal of the video Ben and the THUT folks put out two months ago and the premise is quite interesting, and I can see the appeal for helping to down select to a fewer but more flexible number of rods without giving up too much overall fishing capability. I admit to being dubious of some of the rod selections that were presented in this specific video, but I always enjoy it when Ben takes some time to teach simple but often misunderstood concepts such as rod power and rod tapers or actions. The other thing that I always keep in mind is that Ben can only present what he is able to access so I have to consciously refrain from "mentally scoffing" at some of the rod selections he recommends in this or any other THUT video but overall, the drive to consolidate and simplify your rod/reel selection makes sense if you are finding it onerous to setup your rod/reel combinations for your fishing trips.

I hope you continue on with this thought exercise as I am truly curious about what criteria you might potentially use to make your rod selections to cover a presumably wide variety of techniques and what factors or indicators of success might indicate your rod selection was a good decision to use for those myriad techniques.

If I can be of assistance in sharing my personal on the water experiences with some of the rods on your list (both good and bad since no rod is perfect), please let me know and I will be glad to assist further as I find the exchange of knowledge to be both valuable and interesting as no two anglers approach the same fishing situation exactly the same since, we all have diverse fishing backgrounds and experiences that have shaped us as anglers over our lifetimes.

Please have a great day!

Do you have any personal experience with the following rods:
P5 Madbull, Dark Sleeper
Steez Utility Player, Power Pitch

Talk me through the TS Poker? This rod interests me, but not as a frog rod.
You mentioned owning the Conquest 905-talk me through this rod from positives and negatives, what it does well vs what it doesn’t.

This is idea of mine comes from Ben’s video. I really like the idea of 6 or 7 rods that do everything I need them do and not spending hours rigging rods, spooling line, and tying baits.

[City17Banner]

I completely understand your desire to simplify your fishing rods/reels to streamline your fishing efforts and you alluded earlier to circling back to the "same" 5 or 6 rods you used over the course of a fishing season, so I can see the appeal of paring down your rod selections to achieve this goal of being more efficient on the water.

I've owned or still own the P5 MadBull, the Conquest 905 MBR and the Destroyer TS Poker so I'll provide my input and focus on those rods.

P5 Madbull:
Pros:
Absolutely stunning aesthetics with the carbon fiber handle being the gem in the overall grandeur of this rod.
Plenty of power to set the hook for almost any presentation required when using this rod.
Casts most reaction baits well for its rod length.

Cons:
The taper is too fast on the MadBull and I found that much of the time, I would get smallmouth bass up to within about 20-feet of my bright Sapphire Blue Vexus hull and then the fish would "wake up" and throw the crankbait when it leaped out of the water since the rod doesn't have much give to it.
The MadBull does not cast crankbaits as far as the Javelin due to being a shorter rod overall, and in addition, it has a stiffer tip section, so it doesn't load up as well as the Javelin does, and the result is relatively poor casting distance compared to the Javelin.
Conversely, I found the rod length of the MadBull (7') to be too long for presenting larger jerkbaits such as the Megabass Kanata (1oz) or LC Pointer 128SP (1oz) so that technique did not work out for me either. YMMV since I am only 5'5" tall, I struggle with any jerkbait or topwater walking bait rod that's longer than 6"9".

Conquest 905:
Pros:
Has a great guide train without the Recoil guides and it reminds me a great deal of the original GLX model line.
Great all-around rod and presents the Hog Farmer MOB Deuce A-Rig really well in the NW Wisconsin waters I fish around my lake cabin.
Decent 3/4-1oz football jig rod and certainly has enough power to set the hook with authority on smallmouth bass in 20-25ft of water.
In a pinch, the 905 has enough power to punch up to a 1.25oz Dirty Jigs No-Jack punch jig with a sizeable trailer.

Cons:
It's indicative of all MBR rods in that it is ok at many techniques but isn't great at any of them. I think almost all the Conquest enthusiasts prefer them primarily because they are such flexible rods.

Destroyer TS Poker:
Pros:
The Poker is the lightest and most versatile of the Destroyer TS models, I have used it for presenting Megabass MagDraft 5" & 6" soft plastics for smallmouth bass with great success all the way to slow rolling a 1oz OSP High Pitcher spinnerbait over deep rock humps in 20+ feet of water. Since you are not interested in using the Poker for a frog rod (I share the same thought process) the true sleeper presentation that I like to use the Poker for the last two fishing seasons is to grind the heavy 1.25oz Jackhammer with a 5" Deps Death Adder on deep rock structures like offshore humps or isolated boulders and reefs. The commotion caused by the big Jackhammer really moves the smallmouth bass in those deep-water areas especially during the "dog days of summer" when it's hard to generate good bites on a consistent basis.

Cons:
I don't find the fast taper on the Poker conducive to how I prefer to fish medium sized (2oz) glide baits like the Megabass I-slide 185 or Deps Slide Swimmer 175, the fast taper throws off my rod movements enough that I find I prefer the Evergreen Grand Stallion GTX or TS Black Jack much better for presenting these larger lures for trophy smallmouth bass along with the nuisance pike and muskie bite that sometimes overshadows the bass bite.

I hope my long diatribe about these three rods was of some use to you as you move further towards your goal to streamline your fishing efforts.

Please have a great day!

[NathanDLTH]

I completely understand your desire to simplify your fishing rods/reels to streamline your fishing efforts and you alluded earlier to circling back to the "same" 5 or 6 rods you used over the course of a fishing season, so I can see the appeal of paring down your rod selections to achieve this goal of being more efficient on the water.

I've owned or still own the P5 MadBull, the Conquest 905 MBR and the Destroyer TS Poker so I'll provide my input and focus on those rods.

P5 Madbull:
Pros:
Absolutely stunning aesthetics with the carbon fiber handle being the gem in the overall grandeur of this rod.
Plenty of power to set the hook for almost any presentation required when using this rod.
Casts most reaction baits well for its rod length.

Cons:
The taper is too fast on the MadBull and I found that much of the time, I would get smallmouth bass up to within about 20-feet of my bright Sapphire Blue Vexus hull and then the fish would "wake up" and throw the crankbait when it leaped out of the water since the rod doesn't have much give to it.
The MadBull does not cast crankbaits as far as the Javelin due to being a shorter rod overall, and in addition, it has a stiffer tip section, so it doesn't load up as well as the Javelin does, and the result is relatively poor casting distance compared to the Javelin.
Conversely, I found the rod length of the MadBull (7') to be too long for presenting larger jerkbaits such as the Megabass Kanata (1oz) or LC Pointer 128SP (1oz) so that technique did not work out for me either. YMMV since I am only 5'5" tall, I struggle with any jerkbait or topwater walking bait rod that's longer than 6"9".

Conquest 905:
Pros:
Has a great guide train without the Recoil guides and it reminds me a great deal of the original GLX model line.
Great all-around rod and presents the Hog Farmer MOB Deuce A-Rig really well in the NW Wisconsin waters I fish around my lake cabin.
Decent 3/4-1oz football jig rod and certainly has enough power to set the hook with authority on smallmouth bass in 20-25ft of water.
In a pinch, the 905 has enough power to punch up to a 1.25oz Dirty Jigs No-Jack punch jig with a sizeable trailer.

Cons:
It's indicative of all MBR rods in that it is ok at many techniques but isn't great at any of them. I think almost all the Conquest enthusiasts prefer them primarily because they are such flexible rods.

Destroyer TS Poker:
Pros:
The Poker is the lightest and most versatile of the Destroyer TS models, I have used it for presenting Megabass MagDraft 5" & 6" soft plastics for smallmouth bass with great success all the way to slow rolling a 1oz OSP High Pitcher spinnerbait over deep rock humps in 20+ feet of water. Since you are not interested in using the Poker for a frog rod (I share the same thought process) the true sleeper presentation that I like to use the Poker for the last two fishing seasons is to grind the heavy 1.25oz Jackhammer with a 5" Deps Death Adder on deep rock structures like offshore humps or isolated boulders and reefs. The commotion caused by the big Jackhammer really moves the smallmouth bass in those deep-water areas especially during the "dog days of summer" when it's hard to generate good bites on a consistent basis.

Cons:
I don't find the fast taper on the Poker conducive to how I prefer to fish medium sized (2oz) glide baits like the Megabass I-slide 185 or Deps Slide Swimmer 175, the fast taper throws off my rod movements enough that I find I prefer the Evergreen Grand Stallion GTX or TS Black Jack much better for presenting these larger lures for trophy smallmouth bass along with the nuisance pike and muskie bite that sometimes overshadows the bass bite.

I hope my long diatribe about these three rods was of some use to you as you move further towards your goal to streamline your fishing efforts.

Please have a great day!

Thank you!

I actually like the MBR action but never fished one.

[Mark Perry]

I am pretty sure I could do most all of my fishing with a Megabass Perfect Pitch and a Diablo Spec R in either Levante or Orochi XX lineups. One thing I truly appreciate about Megabass rods are their versatility but you do not sacrifice anything on specific techniques either.

[Turtleiron]

Great thread!

I've done a similar effort to focus on the type of fishing I enjoy and then pair setups that provide the most versatility.

You've got some nice rods/reels selected as options. Make sure you have one (or two, or three) for backups. :)

[BoatBuggy]

I am pretty sure I could do most all of my fishing with a Megabass Perfect Pitch and a Diablo Spec R in either Levante or Orochi XX lineups. One thing I truly appreciate about Megabass rods are their versatility but you do not sacrifice anything on specific techniques either.

I probably could too but I'd also add a P5 Dark Sleeper to the mix. It quickly became one of my favorite rods to fish with.

[NathanDLTH]

Thank you, I like some of the higher end gear. I just enjoy fishing it.

[NathanDLTH]

I am pretty sure I could do most all of my fishing with a Megabass Perfect Pitch and a Diablo Spec R in either Levante or Orochi XX lineups. One thing I truly appreciate about Megabass rods are their versatility but you do not sacrifice anything on specific techniques either.

Thank you Mark, great reply and it’s probably true for most of us.

[NathanDLTH]

I probably could too but I'd also add a P5 Dark Sleeper to the mix. It quickly became one of my favorite rods to fish with.

What do you like the P5 Dark Sleeper for aside for Dark Sleepers.

[BoatBuggy]

What do you like the P5 Dark Sleeper for aside for Dark Sleepers.

Surprisingly the thing I use it the least for are Dark Sleepers..... But that's because I tend to throw 3/4 oz and 1 oz Dark Sleepers and swingheads up here on the St Lawrence and the top end of the DS weight range feels a bit overloaded to me so I use my Daemos for these. On the DS I mostly throw small swimbaits on Flashy Swimmers, Su-Spins and plain jig heads but I've also used it for the Duo 90 and 100 spybaits when the smallies abandon the shallows and head to the deeper stuff. It's probably a really good 3/8 Jackhammer rod but I haven't really tried that.....yet.....

Since you said you like to fish with the higher end gear, its really easy to leave the Perfect Pitch behind for a P5 Tequila Baccarat - it will do for everything the PP does and then some. This past winter/spring at Toledo Bend was the first time I used the TB for "the big and heavy stuff" and it was a champ. I used it for a-rigs, S-Waver 128 and 168s, football jig, c-rig, 8XD, 10XD and Whopper Plopper 110s and 130s. I have 2 reels and 3 spools setup for use with the TB. I wanted to see how much under the 3/4 oz weight rating I could go and a 3/8 Jackhammer was OK but a 1/2 oz was fine. I'll use it this summer for a frog.