Some folks like to just have 300s to pull and push, but all depends on lake depth and time of year/how deep fish are holding. Some folks use all 12' or 14' rods, some use staggered rods, some push directly off the front, some like me off the side. All a matter of personal preference. I fish water a lot shallower than most, so some things work better. I like fiberglass poles with the heavy weights, the pst's work well also. Just need good backbone to em. If ya get hung break it off or circle back to pull it off since tangles aren't as common with this message. But be warned, if one pole is hung and you turn around, almost certainly another pole will get hung.