Dual Purpose rod ?

[FishingIdiot]

Hey,

I was wondering if anyone had found what they consider to be a fly rod suitable for crappie/sunfish - Largemouth for use on lakes where they are likely to encounter both. Probably 5/6 wt.

I'm sure it would not be ideal for either application but may suffice when you're unsure what's there or you are lazy and wanna pack light.

Responses appreciated.

[Trout Guy]

I usually use a 5/6 weight in a nearby lake where I fish for sunfish and largemouth. I have not had any problems and the rod seems to work for both, although the bass I have caught have not been very big with the largest being about sixteen inches.

[FishingIdiot]

TG,

Thanks for your response.

Could I ask you which brand/series? Some that I have looked at don't seem like they would work well for both, although you never know until you thread a line and cast.

Thanks again

[Questor]

For that broad a range in fly sizes, I prefer the 7 weight with a WF line. You'll need to be able to cast pretty large bugs for bass fishing, and I consider the 7wt minimal. Any good brand of rod will do. There's no need to spend a great deal. I'm not up to date on what's good today. I recommend going to a fly shop. It may cost just a few dollars more, but they will get you set up with what matches your stated needs so there's less likelihood of getting the wrong equipment.

[FishingIdiot]

Hey Questor,

Wouldn't that heavy of a rod(7 wt) take away the fun action of fighting a sunfish? I usually use a 3 or slow action 4 wt. Yet, I understand what you said about casting bigger flies.

Maybe no such animal exists, I don't know.

[so haaad]

I think a 5/6 wt fly rod is the all-purpose rod. I have an older 9' 5/6 wt St Croix that has caught everything from brookies to walleye, smallies to steelhead, catfish to carp. You may want to look at the Gander fly rods, if you are looking for a cheaper price tag. They look surprisingly nice for the price, and Gander's return policy is unbeatable just in case you ever slam it in that car door.

If I had just one rod to fish with (luckily I have more!), I would go with a 5/6 wt in the 8'6" or 9' range.

[FishingIdiot]

so haaad,

Thank you. I have other fly rods - I'm just looking for one that I can fish the whole day with instead of worrying about changing rods.

Thanks for your suggestion.

[DEADhead]

I second the 5/6 wt idea. I don't know how cheap you're going for, but a rod like a TFO professional series, or Redington redfly2 are good $100-130 rods that come with a lifetime guarantee. I believe the majority of the guide series rods were made by Albright.

If I'm out chasing sunnies on a lake, I'll grab my 5/6 weight rod, knowing that I'll catch crappies, largemouth bass, rock bass, etc, and the occasional pike. Pretty good all around rod. Not a problem when you tie in to a bigger fish.

If I'm on a river like the Otter Tail, I'll grab my 9 wt. You can still catch crappies and bass no problem, but if you tie in to a redhorse or buffalo with a 4x tippet on your 5/6 wt, just be careful. I caught a redhorse on my 9 wt this spring that I thought was going to snap my rod in two. It flexed all the way down to the grip, and it took everything I could do to pull him up to the surface. Turned out to be just an average sized redhorse (about 18-20") that got turned downstream. If I had my 6 wt I would have lost him for sure.

[FishingIdiot]

Thanks DH,

Yes, I have an 8 wt for the river so a 5 or 6 is what I had in mind for panfish & Bass on lakes. Thanks for suggesting those brands with a lifetime guarantee.

So the action of those rods is suitable for both classes of fish?

No, I haven't had the pleasure of catching either of those 2 but it definitely sounds like a good time.

Thanks

[rushing]

You could always use a 5wt fast action rod and load it with a 6wt line so you can still have fun fighting the sunnies but still be able to throw a bit bigger flies when needed. Sometimes you have to sacrifice by using a heavier rod and line to fight windy conditions that you will sometimes have to deal with when fishing lakes.

[DEADhead]

I believe the action of the TFO rod is a moderate/fast. The redfly2 actions are now fast actions, last years models (redfly) were previously moderate/fast. I personally think a moderate/fast or fast action are perfect for panfish. I know some guys like the slower actions, IMO I think they are good for slowing down your cast for a more delicate presentation when fishing dries. This isn't the case when fishing for panfish.

Of course, there are many other rod manufacturers out there who can offer a similar rod for the money. The ECHO rods made by Tim Rajeff intrigue me, especially the ECHO2 rods with two different action tips. In my experience, and from comments echoed by other anglers, TFO and Redington are one of the better deals out there for a solid "economy" rod. Yes they are made in Korea, but the quality of their craftsmanship has greatly improved over the last decade, especially over the last few years. Even the big name rod manufacturers are sending over a few rods overseas for production. With a lifetime guarantee it's pretty hard to beat.

Good Luck?

[FishingIdiot]

Thanks guys,

I ended up with the TFO 6 wt. as DH suggested.

I hope to be able to break her in, soon.

[DEADhead]

let us know how it fishes!

[Muddog]

You should be happy with it.

When looking for a rod you need to know how big of a fly you are going to fish with. A 6wt may have a hard time with a Bass popper. If you do have a hard time getting poppers out try using 7wt line on your 6wt rod it will load a little quicker but should help with bigger flys and you will have the 6wt rod for the fight.

How does it go? It's somthing like this.

5wt line---the first 30 feet is 5 grams.

6wt line---the first 30 feet is 6 grams.

7wt line---the first 30 feet is 7 grams.

8wt line---the first 30 feet is 8 grams.

and so on. So using 7wt line on a 6wt rod is no big deal. It will load up with just a few feet less of line out.

[DEADhead]

or you could buy a bass or clouser taper fly line. Most of these new specialty lines are basically one weight heavier in the shooting head, which makes casting larger flies easier than on a traditional 6 wt taper.