I was kind of the same way for a long time until I found some of these forums online and learned I need all these fancy setups lol. I used to find one setup I really liked and just fish that one for everything. I didn't make a lot of money back then (don't really now) so it was usually a combo costing $100 or less. Had a ton of fun. The combo I used the last 10 years was a MH Abu Garcia cardinal combo i got at Walmart for $50 caught a ton of fish. It's still sitting on my rod rack. Nothing fancy but it worked for me.edwelch1 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 05, 2019 6:13 am2 spinning combos currently, and one of them is more of a backup. I have a baitcasting musky rig as well, but that stays at the cabin and I'll maybe use it once or twice a year, so I don't really count that. I primarily target walleye, crappie, bluegills, and other panfish, with the occasional smallmouth bass, rock bass, or northern that will hit when I'm going for the others.
Primary rig is my St Croix Legend Elite Panfish 6'4" LXF, mounted with a Daiwa Tatula LT 1000, spooled with 15lb YGK Admix PE Slow Sinking Braid and usually 6lb fluoro for a leader. I got it this spring, it covers 90%+ of my open water fishing, and I've been really enjoying it all around. It's a bit light for some of the fish I have gotten into, but the challenge of bringing in a 20+" walleye or northern on this light rig has been super fun when it happens.
Since getting that, my G-Loomis 6'10" GL2 DSR Mag-light XF, mounted with a Pflueger Patriarch 25 and Yo-Zuri Super Braid, has become a backup. It's still a good combo, it just feels heavy and sluggish compared to my new combo, so I don't care to use it much anymore. So far this summer I've only used it for a nighttime lighted slip bobber fishing over one weekend so that I didn't have to keep changing my main rig every night, otherwise it's been used more by my GF.
I do plan on replacing the GL2 with something on the level of the LEP, because the feather weight and increased sensitivity has been a game changer. I'll likely either go with a comparable length/power/action St Croix Legend X, or I really want to try my hand at custom building using high-end components. And I'll probably be putting a Daiwa Kage LT 1000 or 2000 on it, since that seems to be a slightly upgraded Tatula. Once that replacement happens, then the GL2/Patriarch will either be the GF's or my dad's if either want it, or it'll just be a cabin rod for other people to use.
For my own use, I don't see a need to have more than 2 rods, and a L/XF and a ML/F or ML/XF are pretty much perfect for covering my bases. LXF for 90% of my fishing, MLXF for when I need to use 1/4 or 3/8oz jigs to get down to the bottom in current or a fast drift.
I think that will be the most difficult thing for me at this point. I can see myself easily finding one of my setups that works well all around for me that becomes my favorite and then I'll never use the others. I do like the idea of being able to have different lures ready to go if I want to change it up quickly. Also as dumb as it may sound it feels good fishing with gear I really like to look at even though it doesn't help catch fish but most of the stuff I have now is so much more sensitive/smooth than my old $50 combos and I'm not even using high end rods.