For someone who doesn’t get to fish nearly as much as I’d like, I have a lot of fishing rods: Some that are in the regular rotation, some that rarely get used, and others that I’ve forgotten even exist. I’m not sure even roughly where the count stands, and I’d probably be embarrassed if I did.

While there are plenty of workhorses that I’ve bought off the rack like the rest of you, there’s a trio that I use all the time that each have their own stories. They’re as much about the people who made them as they are about what it says on their labels.

Gary Klein perfecting the dropshot technique at the Bassmaster Classic using a custom spinning rod from Rich Forhan

Rich Forhan Dropshot Rod

I was Gary Klein’s media observer on the first day of the 2005 Bassmaster Classic on the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh. He was dropshotting, a technique which was just starting to gain widespread attention in the east, and certainly had not yet made it to my boat. Even in the midst of the sport’s most prestigious tournament Klein loves to talk details. He’s a self-proclaimed tinkerer and perfectionist, and since being introduced to the technique by Aaron Martens he’d spent hundreds of hours trying to dial in the details. In particular, he’d been working on a dropshot rod with his long-time friend and confidante Rich Forhan. After seeing Klein catch more fish than anyone in the field that day (although few made the 12” minimum size limit – remember, this was Pittsburgh) I was convinced in the value of dropshotting, and if I was going to take the leap I figured I might as well start with the same rod. Klein gave me Forhan’s phone number and after a bit of cajoling, along with an interview for the now-gone Bass West magazine, I purchased a rod from Forhan. While I’ve added several dropshot rods to my arsenal in the ensuing decade-plus, it’s still my go-to.

Performance Tackle in Los Alamitos California made me a custom spiral-wrapped crankbait rod

Performance Tackle Light Cranking Rod

In 2007, I attended the ICAST trade show in Las Vegas with my good friend Terry Battisti. Terry had been brought up in the Southern California fishing scene, and knew all the players there, including master rod builder Marc Higashi of Performance Tackle in Los Alamitos. Marc built rods for the pit boss at one of the Vegas casinos, and thus he was able to get several rooms comped for the show. Making it even better, later that year he built me three rods – a light spinning rod, a bait finesse rod, and a 7’4” cranking stick. They’re all exceptional, but it’s the latter one – with spiral-wrapped guides, top quality EVA foam, and the perfect taper for cranking, that is in my boat literally any time I’m on the water. I use it to throw a Shad Rap, a Baby One Minus and a SPRO Little John, among others, but in addition to those favorites it’s a stalwart for any light cranking applications. It throws small baits a mile and has the perfect amount of give to prevent lightly-hooked bass from spitting your cranks.

Kevin Short's signature boat wrap color on his Bass Cat was pink.

Pink’s St. Croix Squarebill Rod

One of the most iconic moments in Bassmaster Elite Series history occurred during Kevin Short’s 2010 Elite Series tournament win at Pickwick, when he popped his crankbait free from a cypress knee and had a big bass engulf it. Without the right rod, he might not have short-lined that sucker into the boat. When it comes to throwing a square bill, I may not be Kevin Short, but I’m glad that I have him as a resource any time I have a question. He must’ve tired of my questions about rods, but finally he generously sent me one – complete with gen-you-wine K-Pink hand sweat. It’s a St. Croix blank, but there might be a few special modifications to help the average angler/writer cast more accurately and avoid boogering up the strike of a lifetime.