How many Rods?

[Carp Angler]

How many rods do you fish with?
Do you fish the limit set by the controllers of the water or do you set your own limit, and is this dependent on the size of the water and the number of other anglers present?

Personally, I only ever fish with a maximum of two rods when I'm coarse fishing.

 

[GrahamM]

One rod on a river, usually two on a stillwater, but will go to three when I'm in the mood.

 

[vince battams]

two maximum at all times ,i certainly cannot see the advatage to the angler of fishing 3/4 rods,what happens if all go at the same time,the safety and well being of the fish is then being affected.
A call should be made to change the law to a maximum 2 rods.
people asked for three rods when there was a maximum two rod limit,they got three then four where is it going to stop.

 

[Carp Angler]

I think to be fair to most guys who fish with four rods, it's on the type of venue that you don't get many runs.
But what do you do when they are under the rod tips?
It's OK if all the rods are backleaded straight under the rod tip, but not many people I know do that.
That's where I see the problem, especially as I fish on my own most of the time.

 

[vince battams]

so they fish four rods on venues where they don't get many runs,if they fish two rods then instead of four surely they won't feel half as bad if they blank then ?

 

[Carp Angler]

lol

 

[paul williams]

It depends on a number of factors, if i am fishing a tightly baited area i have found that two rods is enough if i want to fish effectivly, but if i want to fish to different swims then i can handle three.
The same applies in non-carp fishing situations, Although on rivers two is my max, there are times on big rivers when two rods can be an advantage, on small rivers though two would not work out and could even hinder a days fishing.

 

[vince battams]

firstly have you ever been in a situation where all three rods have gone,if not how do you know you can handle three without affecting the fishes well being.
Secondly you say in non carp fishing situations you fish three surely bites here would be more regular thus enhancing the chances of three rods going at once more often thus the fishes well being again put into doubt.
Do you not feel that you are taken the art out of trying to catch a fish by fishing so many rods.

 

[Carp Angler]

I don't think that bites in non-carp situations are more frequent, well not on the bream venues that Paul fishes.
I'll let him discuss the other points.

Presumably everyone else on the forum just fishes with one rod.

 

[Philip Inzani]

Vince, sorry mate but I think you are talking a load of cobblers ;-)
If you think fishing with multiple rods takes the art out of fishing why dont you fish with just one rod instead of two as you mentioned you do?
The number of rods I use depends on what I am doing. If I am roving for chub/Babel it will be one rod if I want to cover lots of swims, or sometimes two if I am fishing a little more static. If I am Pike or Carp fishing I will regularly use three rods and have on many occasions used four. I would not use that many in swims where I think that this could be a potential problem for example near snags.
I will also only use multiple rods if the swims I am fishing has multiple producing areas. I do not see the point of using four rods in a swim with only two areas that produce. All you are doing is adding more lines going through your swim for the fish to detect/snag.

 

[paul williams]

Vince, I would like to add that there are numerous occasions when i fish with one rod, i don't use two or more for the sake of it! angling is a very simple art or as complex as we like to make it, i use two or more rods to (hopefully) increase my chances,but they still need to be used a skilful as i can manage, yes i have had takes on more than one rod and in a lot of years fishing i can honestly say that it has not been detrimental to the fish, just my results for the day, i realise there may be methods that may need to be watched carefully but that in my opinion is all part of the skill and of course responsibility.
In reply to your question "Does it take the skill out of angling" then the answer is most definetly NO! I have seen guys fishing with one rod and not having a clue, the number of rods is irelavent to skill or lack of it.
Vince, it is obviouse we differ on some of our outlook's and that is our privalage, but you are always welcome to join us to see if you can see our point of view.

 

[GrahamM]

I'd like to add that although I hate using two rods on rivers I will use two on a big river when the baits can be placed well apart.

I think what most of us are saying is this: there are circumstances when the use of more than one rod is sensible and can enhance your chances of catching. There are other circumstances when more than one rod doesn't enhance your chances and could result in damaged fish.

And the bottom line: make a sensible judgement and fish one or more rods accordingly. That's what responsible anglers do all the time, and it makes no sense to make a blanket statement that any user of more than one rod is irresponsible.

 

[Andrew Miller]

What annoyed me when piking especially if I am roving is seeing 2 or 3 pikers each with 4 rods covering a hugh area of the river. It because of this selfisness which make me think 2 should be the max.

 

[Carp Angler]

This is the sort of point that I'm trying to get at.
Understocked venues of 60 acres with 3 anglers and 3 or 4 rods seem OK.
It's when we get onto smaller, more crowded venues that problems and tensions arise.

 

[Andrew Miller]

What concerned me is that the rods being spread over a large area, how can Anglers justify the well-being of the fish when the anglers may be at one end of the 12 rods spread out and the fish took the rod at the other end resulting in a very badly hooked fish.