Why do people use the same rod/reel combos fishing??

A quick glance at my casting tackle and you might think I have several of the same bait casting rigs and several of the same spinning rigs. But remember that you can get the same reel in different ratios and the rods come in weight classes. Then comes the different line weights.. So my rigs look the same but are all slightly different. Having said that, they mostly "feel" the same. I have the same spinning reel in several different line classes but the rods (same model) they are loaded on give me the same balance from one rig to the next. I put a lot in being "familiar" instantly with what I am picking up to throw.

The odd rig out was my Buck tail casting rig. But if I am throwing that, I will probably not be throwing anything else.

Thank you ALL very much for the insight, advice and ideas, these responses could not be gotten anywhere else in the world, and come with as much credibility. I apprecaite the time everyone has taken to help me understand, learn, and grasp a knowledge of the benefits and such of this approach to the waters. Take care and God Bless.

Rob

PS. HAPPY VETERANS DAY!!!

My rod and reel set ups look like a mix and match masterpiece. I can see the advantages of having the same set-ups, especially the same reels. However, I shop for a rod for a specific purpose. There is a big difference in the rod I will throw a finnesse jig on that one I would throw a 1 oz. football head for ledges. Some of my rods have slow actions and soft tips - like for crankbaits, some I want a extra fast tip - jigs and t-rig. All my rods, except a few are over seven feet. I like shorter rods for topwater and skipping, pitching.

My main point there are many rods that can pull double, triple duty, or even more. But when buying a rod you need to have in mind what it will be used for, and then go from there. I used to buy rods that were on sale and try to make a use for them. It is much better to have a specific use in mind then go shopping. I shopped for almost a 6 months for the perfect deep water/heavy jig rod. It took me that long because I knew exactly what I wanted in rod, and I had to compare and comprimise until I found one that suited my needs.

If you were buying new set-ups on a budget, especially still learning the art, I would put more money into the reel than the rod. Nothing will make your day miserable any quicker than using a cheap reel. In terms of casting reels, you really get what you pay for. A cheaper rod, for the time being will still get the job done. However, a cheaper reel will backlash easier, not cast as far, and not be as versatile as a higher quality one.

I watched Rick Clunn talk about this EXACT same thing on the Art of Angling portion of the Bass Pro shop fishing show that is GREAT. He had maybe 10 rods on deck and EVERY ONE of them was the same rod, same reel, with the only slight difference was the line size. His answer was pretty simple. He said even the best of pros it takes a few cast to get used to switching between rods that are different rigs. He says that one or two extra cast that he is not hitting the "sweet spot" because he has picked up a different balanced or different weighted rod can be the difference between a keeper or two that wins the tourney. Made sense to me. I fish with 4 baitcasters on deck, 2 each of identical setups. 2 Curado Loomis, 2 Accurist Extreme setups. I would rather have all 4 of the Curado Loomis but only so much money to go around.