If you could only fish four rods for bass, What would you take?

As an occasional non-boater fishing with a 225 km radius of the GTA, I am often debating which rods to take wondering how I can minimize the amount of gear that I take.

In a recent magazine article on shore fishing, one pro angler suggested using the following set-ups:

1. Popper
2. Spinnerbait
3. Texas rigged worm
4. Wacky rigged fluke

If YOU could only fish four rods/set-ups for bass, what would you use?

Nice question, I’d start by making sure I cover all water levels, I’d probably take:

1. Topwater, probably a popper or frog
2. 3/8 or 1/2 oz swim jig
3. 4-7 inch senkos
4. Crankbait or jerkbait rod

Yes and various retrieval speeds: there's a saying, "high, low, fast, slow."

Smallmouth or largemouth?

Good question!

What would you use if you were fishing an area that had:
(1) Just smallmouth;
(2) Just largemouth;
(3) Both species?

If you're fishing as a non-boater, I think it will partially depend on how the boater will fish.
Do they like to throw jigs in the reeds, fish deep etc?

When I fished from the back of the boat, I generally had a couple of main rods ready to go, and would modify a couple of other depending on the style of fishing the boater was anticipating.

1. Good rod with a wacky rig
2. Baitcaster with spinner bait (but also good for top water)
3. Jerkbait rod
4. Tube or dropshot style rod if we are going to fish deeper
5. Maybe a heavy action for flipping reeds/pads etc. - as a boater, if my non doesn't fish this style, I will normally skip this structure (especially if they don't have the gear).

I'll bring a variety of tackle with me, and consider retying if we are trying different techniques.

a small spinner with a jig head and twistertail or similar. I fished with a guy who swears by it and he outfished me with my crankbaits.

I will stick with my Cotton Cordell deep walleye Divers and bounce them off the rocks in 6 feet of water.......or the Rebel Crayfish. Both SM killers for me.

Arnie

Are you asking for four bait set ups?

If you’re asking four rods? Why would anyone really need four rods? I get it switching pre set up presentations is quicker with pre set up rods like in tournaments but many of those rods are the same action so not different rods.

For rods I am not on the band wagon at all with the manufacturers. They will tell you you need a drop shot rod, then a flipping rod, then a frog rod…. The list goes on and on.

For Bass I use two different action rods pretty much. My stick bait rod is also my top water rod. My drop shot rod is also my finesse rod, crank bait rod and vertical jigging rod. I do have one purpose flipping rod for flipping jigs. It’s a heavy action stiffer rod for flipping the junk and docks. This is the only single purpose rod I own.

You guys are all to good for me i have only one rod and buy another went she broke lol

In the past two decades, 95% of the bass have been caught on a 10 inch Zoom worm or crank baits. Other than that, minnows and a few other baits. I only use two rods for bass fishing, spring until fall. I do use three rods at night for walleye and crappie fishing, targeting both species simultaneously. Even then, that is excessive, when only two rods are necessary. I just hate changing crank baits in the dark, so two rods are used for the crank baits (gold & silver) and one rod for the plastic baits under a slip bobber.

Four bait set-ups.

I use all spinning rods with nothing over 20 pound braid,,,,the others are mono/flouro

1 topwater

1 float set up

1 for cranks and or ned rigs or platics


use for smallies and largemouth.......I never fish the slop, but I do get into a lot of trees and or logs

I find this plenty for my style


my bad I forgot a dropshot stup......so 4 in total lol

1. Jerkbait
2. Dropshot/Ned
3. Jig
4. Topwater

6' 10" - 7' Med Light XFast Spinning Rod - Dropshop / ned rig and popper duty.
7' Med Fast Spinning Rod - all around, lighter baits
7' MH Moderate - topwater, treble hook baits
7'-7' 5" MH Fast - all around, jigs, texas rig, heavier baits, frogging

If I was beating the bank, I'd consider a max of two rods. On my kayak, I carry anywhere from 3-10 rods depending on the time of year and species. For bass specifically, I generally carry 8-10 and that's because my rods are based on technique, not a jack-of-all-trades.