I use the Tite Lok Ultra rod holders. I don't recomend them for a couple of reasons. 1. They are big & bulky & hard to store. 2. The "T" top screws break & strip off. If I had done a little more reasearch I woulda gone with B-ready, Hitech, or driftmasters.
I use the Wally Marshall 12' signature series & the 14' Tightline specials. The Silstar rods that someone mentioned earlier are good spider rigging rods. They are pretty reasonable pricewise & hold up well. I don't like anything shorter than 12' but I guess that's a personall preferance. I run 8 off the front & can run 6 off the back. I use the Wally Marshall Bait cast reels. Not the little ones, the full size. I got a garage full of those little bait casters that I have stripped out. I like the good drag cause I often catch big drum, bass, & catfish while spider rigging. I also like the bait casters cause I can thumb the spool & pull off exact lengths of line as needed to adjust depth. I spool with 6# or 8# Vicious hi-vis yellow line. That Wally Marshall line is hard to beat for the price though. You can buy enough to go around the earth twice for less than $10.
I lay a piece of high quality orange electrical tape long ways between my first 3 sets of guides. I just cut it to measure, lay it long ways with the rod & roll it over on the rod nice & smooth. This helps me see the tips & also strengthens the tip. I have never broke 1 of my tips. I also put a piece of orange tape at 1' & 2' from the reel seat. This way I can quickly measure off line to adjust depth. Just pull to the tape line. I also put a big plastic/glass bobber stop bead between the first & second guide back from the tip. Some of my buddies showed me this. If you're looking away & get a hit it will click on the rod & guides, after a while you''ll almost be able to tell which rod is getting hit.
I usually use a 1 jig setup. I use a 1/8 oz jig with a 3/8 to 1/2 oz egg sinker about 18" above the jig. I usually tip with a minnow in the winter & spring. I like to try & keep my speed around .5 mph. I will slow down or speed up as the fish dictate. Just remember, as you speed up your presentation wil ride higher in the water colume.
