A disadvantage of having numerous rods out is that when a fish hits one rod you have to do something with all the rest...especially the extra one in that is hand. I troll with big rods, but also cast around with an ultralight. Once when I got a strike I quickly stuck my favorite ultralight into the right forward rodholder to get the rod with the fish on it. I missed putting the ultralight rod handle in the rod holder and threw it in the water. Never got it back. I did get the fish. Not a fair exchange.