I was wondering how many rods do you guys take out open water fishing for walleyes. How long, what action, what kind of line and how used? Jig fishing, trolling crank baits and bottom bouncers etc.. Just curious because first year fishing walleyes from boat. Thanks, Ray
On the river 2-4. All my 2-4 rods will work for what I need. Live bait and long line trolling.
They will also work for jigs or anything else. You just need to cut the line and change the set up.
Keep it to a minimum. Go with some good mono line on the river 8#. Start easy and cheap.
You can change those rods out that have 8# mono on for panfish as well.
My wife says I bring too many. It depends on where we are fishing, but I typically have 2. In Wisconsin you can have two lines so I typically have one ready with a slip bobber and then one for jigging. Both are medium to medium light action just over 6 feet long. 8lb mono.
In my boat, I will have 6-8. 4 with different depth crank baits and different colors (2 up river, two downriver). Then a couple different jigging rods ready to pitch if something looks promising. I would have more, but I only have a 15′ boat!
If I am hopping into someone else’s boat, usually just two. No need to clutter up their home with my junk.
Twice as many as I usually need.
1 for live bait jigging.
1 for plastics.
1 for pitching cranks.
1 for trolling with a quick snap.
1 for bottom bouncing.
Then a couple backups for good measure. Constantly re-tieing on the river is a pain so I like rods rigged and ready to go. Most of mine have 6 or 8# braid with flourocarbon leaders.
2 ML jig rods
Snap jig rod
2 slip bobber rods
Crank pitching rod
Bottom bouncer rod (I pray daily I don’t ever have to use because I’d rather watch golf on tv)
2 crank trolling rods
That’s what I have unless I’m going with someone then I downsize to not clutter up some else’s boat
Depends on the body of water, but my general arsenal includes the following:
2 jigging rods (one braid, one mono)
1 live bait rigging (braid)
1 slip bobber rod (mono)
1 baitcaster/bottom bouncer rod (braid)
If my wife comes along than there can be a couple more in the boat.
At the most if I’m by myself at the cabin and plan on being out all day:
2 bouncer/longline trolling 10lb XT mono
2 leadcore trolling
1 6/6 MLF jigging 6lb braid
1 6/6 MF swimbait/rippin rap 6lb braid
1 6/6 MLF slip bobber 6lb braid
1 5/6 ULF panfish 3lb braid
I (so far) have 4 rods
1. 7 ft med/fast for bottom bouncers 10lb braid
2. 7 ft ML/fast for snap raps 10lb hi vis braid 8lb floro leader
3. 6’6″ Lt/fast for bobber 8bl floro
4. 6’3″ Md/extra fast for jigging 10lb braid 8lb mono
5. maybe one for leadcore trolling. (still thinking about it, probably will)
You don`t really want to know. 
I probably have between 22-26 rods in my boat… tournament day… up to 32.
Do I need that many?? NOPE, but I don’t like wasting time re-tying my lines for different stuff. So I have many of the same rods just with different colors of the same thing.
Wow and wow!!! I have too small a boat.
1 to break
1 to get pulled out of the boat
And enough others to urine off my buddy since he only usually has 1 that works or isn’t tangled up in a mess.
I generally have 2 rods tied up with 1/4oz jigs, 1 with an 1/8oz jig, another rod with a bucktail jig, 1 rod with a jig/moxi tail and 1 rod with a blade bait or Rippin Rap. If its early May thru mid July, I will also have 4 trolling rods too
My last boat could store 15 rods up to 10′ long in rod lockers.
There were 15 rods.
Now I have much less locker storage. So I tend to keep it around 10 rods.
Can’t provide “actions” because there’s over 50 rods that see the boat throughout a year.
I tend to prefer guests don’t bring rods and they use mine and my tackle. Allows for more space.
Everytime I consider fishing inland Minnesota Waters I stop when I realize I only need to bring 1 rod for each application rather than 3 or 4. Then I go to the river 
I almost always have 8-10 rods in my boat and i almost always only use 2-3. I’m a lazy fisherman
I probably have between 22-26 rods in my boat… tournament day… up to 32.
I like this guy ^^^^^ 
“How many rods….” is such a loaded question and can easily get ya 100 different answers. I have some days I pull 1 rod out of the locker and that’s all I need. Other nights I might rotate through 12-16. Then are we only looking at a single trip out fishing only a part of a day…or one trip out and maybe fish 2 to 4 days consecutively? If I’m on the river fishing pre-spawn is completely different than post spawn. I’ll have anywhere from 10′-6″ UL/fast tip to 6-6 mediums in triplicate and everything I need in-between
Do think that having so many rods is a sickness or a necessity? I was just wondering how many because I know that a person needs/ uses rod setups for different situations. If I see a lure that or shirt that I like, I buy and tell my wife that I didn’t have one. The fishing industry as whole is attracting fisherman not so much as the fish. Let’s face it we are addicted to stuff. I wouldn’t call it a (loaded) question. We need it because we don’t have it.
If I’m hopping in a buddies boat, 2-3 and a tackle box. In my own boat (assuming enough storage room and you want to setup someone jumping in with you) 2 Trolling, 2 lead, 2 bobber’s, 4 jigging/rigging and that’s just for walleye, and double it for a bigger boat.
Do think that having so many rods is a sickness or a necessity? I was just wondering how many because I know that a person needs/ uses rod setups for different situations. If I see a lure that or shirt that I like, I buy and tell my wife that I didn’t have one. The fishing industry as whole is attracting fisherman not so much as the fish. Let’s face it we are addicted to stuff. I wouldn’t call it a (loaded) question. We need it because we don’t have it.
This question and your first are very different.
I have scattered thoughts at times. My thinking drifts every now and then. I guess being new to boat fishing, I wasn’t sure if 5 rods was too much compared to other boat/walleye fisherman. I guess 5 is not too many by all the answers you guys have told me. Thanks for all responses.
5 is just getting started if you are using them all.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ray Gylsen wrote:</div>
Do think that having so many rods is a sickness or a necessity? I was just wondering how many because I know that a person needs/ uses rod setups for different situations. If I see a lure that or shirt that I like, I buy and tell my wife that I didn’t have one. The fishing industry as whole is attracting fisherman not so much as the fish. Let’s face it we are addicted to stuff. I wouldn’t call it a (loaded) question. We need it because we don’t have it.This question and your first are very different. Very True
My “addiction” has nothing to do with industry products, latest/greatest, or the next flashy little toy. It is 100% about efficiencies, having what I need, and maximizing my time. I hate with a passion stopping everything to re-rig, or sacrificing using the right rod or line for an application. Yes, I’m picky on what and how I use things, and that’s the way I’m wired.
From taking people in my boat and observing their use of time, I see one thing come up over and over. We make a drift down a run and get snagged up. Both of us break off. I grab the “other” rod, drop and continue. Guy in the back is digging for gear, re-tieing…. goes to drop in and were ready to motor up for another drift. He lost 200yrds of water to drift screwing around while I was combing water. Wonder who catches more simply by having a presentation in the water more???
Guy in the back is digging for gear, re-tieing….
I consider this kinda stuff a power play in my favor and I let the person know it. Maybe do a quick turn back on the “good” spot with them out of the game. 
I think I keep 4 in the boat for myself.
1 Lindy rig set-up
1 Trolling set-up
1 Slip bobber set-up
1 Jigging set-up
If I had more storage I’d opt for 1 more Lindy rig and 1 more jigging set-up.
very different for the weekend fisherman and the guy who is guiding clients for a living. Not trying to frustrate you Randy or get defensive, just was curious about my new adventure in the sport.
The answer to this , as Randy alluded to depends on the time of year and which water.
If I am guiding I will have 2 main rods for each client, pre rigged with extras in the rod locker.
Personal fishing w friend(s)… I have 5 rods rigged; Early season river fishing
an LES610 MLXF for ringworm type plastics on 1/8-1/4oz jigs
a LES70ML for hair jigs
an AVS70MF for vertical blades 1/2-5/8oz
an LES70MF for paddletail swimbaits and K grubs
an LES76MLXF (my fav) for pitchin small blades and anything else up to 1/2 oz
I also pre rig several tried/true colors of jigs/plastics in a “go” box…I am not going to thread on plastics in freezing temps unless I have to…also maximizes time spent actually fishing.
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