Do you take one-piece or two-piece spinning rods to BWCA/Quetico?
I have read that people take two-piece rods and disassemble them for portages but I personally can’t imagine taking apart the rods and reassembling them multiple times each day.

I have a three piece rod. I have a tube that is about three feet long and holds three rods and I put all of them in there on days when I pack up and move camp.

I usually take both, but that's just because I like the rods. I don't take them down for portaging, I just use BDBs and attach them to the crossbeams, making sure to have the tips under the front seat to make sure they don't slip out and hang up on trees.

-RW

1 piece.

Two - piece. I take three (one for a spare) and only disassemble them on travel days.

I take 2 piece rods. They stay in the rod wrap until camp is set up. When we move camp we put the rods away until the next camp. I would hate to see anything happen to one of my rods. I don't fish while I travel. I would rather just get to where we are going, set camp and then fish. I fish with just rods and tackle in the canoe. Plus travel is a lot quicker to the next camp site. To each their own. Not saying fishing while traveling is wrong, it just doesn't work for me.

2 piece Ugly Stik Elites for me. Put them together in the parking lot and disassemble when back in the parking lot. 2 piece are easier to pack in my vehicle. I like the durability of the Ugly Stiks and the newer ones are much more sensitive than the old ones (although not close to a good IM8 blank more like an IM6). My fishing rigs are the only thing I hold in my hands while portaging and they go butt first.

We used to take some 2 piece rods but, now we only take 1 piece rods. I like better feel and sensitivity of a 1 piece rod but, I like to finesse fish for Walleye and SMB. Here’s how we do it. Put rod slicks on the each rod, BDB them together in a bundle the BDB them inside the canoe under the thwarts along the outside edge basically no way to damage these rods unless you drop the canoe and cause a lot of damage to the canoe. At that point the rods are the least of your worries.

I bring both, depending on what specific techniques I'm planning to do (trolling vs. jigging vs. casting big lures vs. etc.) Whatever small increase in sensitivity gained by a one-piece rod is offset for me by the increased convenience and diminished chance of breakage of the two-piece.

PowerLizard: "Do you take one-piece or two-piece spinning rods to BWCA/Quetico?
I have read that people take two-piece rods and disassemble them for portages but I personally can’t imagine taking apart the rods and reassembling them multiple times each day.
"

I love reading theses types of questions, so here's my high-level response:

Depends on what type of gear you own and your level of fishing intensity. These trips allow the opportunity to catch a fish of a lifetime, so why not bring your best stuff? Quality one piece rods do not come apart or fail unless there's "user" error. Quality reels with solid drag systems could be the difference between slowing a fish down and a line break. And while on the topic of fishing gear, always change your line before a big trip with a quality product.

If fishing is a bi-product of the BWCA experience and you're not concerned about the other things above, then I don't think it matters what kind of gear, but quality new fishing line is still a must have, so you can have the opportunity for a few shore lunches.

We used to take only two piece rods and carry them butt first on portages. Now we take both but I don't take the two piece rods apart. We just BDB them inside the canoe making sure the tips are all tucked inside and safe. Fishing is one of the main reasons we go so we changed approaches to bring our better one piece rods along.

I switched over to one piece rods two years ago and won't look back. For the reasons BnD mentions, finesse fishing. Personal preference. That and my trips usually involve portages around moving water so regardless I'll need a rigged fishing pole to cast both ends of the portage.

Like BnD I put my rods in sleeves and slap them under thwarts or a seat. Most of my rods are 1 piece but my long rods are 2 pc. and they still get the same treatment. I have never had an issue this way and they get portaged within the boat.

I cant imagine hand carrying rods across a portage trail, especially a 1 pc. Way to many things can happen, from forgetting them to having them blow over and get stepped on to just snapping one on a fall or tangling in a tree. No way Jose'.

Always two piece rods, we base camp and don’t fish on the way in or way out. Rods are in rod tubes going to and from.

I have a combination of the 2 types. I strap them down between portages like others have said and have not had a problem so far. (spitting and shooting the evil eye to ward off bad luck now that I have said that).

Two piece and four piece. Two piece spinning rods because those actually fit in my two door Jeep. And my four piece fly rod.

We portage rods in hand, butt forward without issue, although I might consider lashing inside the canoe this year. Fly rod is cased for travel.

Two. One 6'6" medium and another at same length and fast action.

We bring both, but have them assembled without the reels attached. Use Nite-Ize wire tires to secure to thwarts with the tips in the back end of the canoe. Seems to work well and no carrying necessary.

1 pc. Way to many things can happen, from forgetting them to having them blow over and get stepped on to just snapping one on a fall or tangling in a tree. No way Jose'."

My first trip to JAP Lake a number of years ago, my partner forgot his rod case at the Seagull landing. Our plan was to base camp at JAP for three nights - the trip was all about the fishing. We were double portaging; we took the canoe and food pack across on the first trip (a delightful 520 rod portage up and over the Laurentian Divide, across a creek, up a cliff...). We noticed the missing rod case when we went back for the rest of the stuff. So we speed-portaged across, quick setup camp on the island, turned around and portaged back to Seagull, paddled the empty boat back to the landing, picked up the case and returned. Walked the portage five times that day. LONG DAY! Yes, I do remind my friend about that every year!

I bring a two piece rod, generally 7' and it gets packed in a rod tube until we arrive at camp.

As a backup secondary and travel rod I bring a telescopic rod in the 2.1M length. The telescopic rod I use can be found on Amazon, listed under the Plussino brand, but it can be ordered directly from china much cheaper through Aliexpress or Ebay. It's a cheap rod, but it works well. I like the full size line eyes and the butt of the rod has a section that can be unscrewed and extended for more casting leverage. Only downside I have found is the glue used on the guides has come loose at the tip, so either I would recommend to either reglue the tip guide or carry some epoxy/super glue with you in case it comes loose. I've landed big pike with this rod without any trouble, and it packs down really small.

Aliexpress Telescopic Rod

Same rod on ebay, though they don't have the 2.1M size

I typically bring 3 rods, two bait caster and one spin. I like to troll for lakers on the way to base camp, so just use what rods I normally use. Just as easy to carry all extended as two piece. Between me and partner, we have 6 rods, without lures and using a swivel to keep the lines from tangling, one hand when portaging works just fine. I have done the case, but that is just one more thing to store at camp and doesn't help much.

One-piece for the performance, but two-piece rods are tempting.

For those that store your rods under the thwarts with BDBs or Nite-Ize during travel days, do you leave your reels on your rods?

BobberRob: "For those that store your rods under the thwarts with BDBs or Nite-Ize during travel days, do you leave your reels on your rods?


"

That would be a negatory for me #1. To many bad things happen. Added weight in the canoe on a portage, reels swiveling around and banging against the canoe while your flipping the boat, interfering with packs, and the distinct possibility of handles falling off.

I pack reels separately.

Both get taken with me. My Shimano is a one piece 6’6” rod and my ugly stick is a two piece 6’6” rod. They stay in a rod holder until we get to camp. If we travel I remove the reels and back in the tube.

BobberRob: "For those that store your rods under the thwarts with BDBs or Nite-Ize during travel days, do you leave your reels on your rods?


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I do. I use a BDB to secure the reels to the seat to stop them from flopping. My bowmate's rods and reels are secured to his seat and facing backwards on the opposite side of the canoe, so the weight evens out.

-RW

QueticoMike: "I take 2 piece rods. They stay in the rod wrap until camp is set up. When we move camp we put the rods away until the next camp. I would hate to see anything happen to one of my rods. I don't fish while I travel. I would rather just get to where we are going, set camp and then fish. I fish with just rods and tackle in the canoe. Plus travel is a lot quicker to the next camp site. To each their own. Not saying fishing while traveling is wrong, it just doesn't work for me."

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