Help with Picking Rod & Reel
I am a crappie jig tier and some flies and used a fly rod as a kid many years back, but want to get back into fly fishing some. I want to target mostly crappie, bream & some bass. As I understand it I should be looking at maybe a 5 wt? Not sure the length nor anything much else, but I have picked a combo to think about and would love to know your feeling about the combo I am looking at.
Any info you can tell me will be appreciated.
Link.... http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... hasJS=true
Thanks,
Skip
Re: Help with Picking Rod & Reel
Skip,
There are some true experts hanging around here. I'm not one of them and I didn'e even stay at a Holiday Inn last night.
This is what I've learned from personal experience in the last year's learning curve.
- First, asking fishermen for opinions will get you a lot of answers. All of them accurate, all of them honest, and all of them different. In the end, what works for me may not work for you. But listening to the varying opinions gives you a very good idea of where to start and some of the mistakes the long time fly fishers have made, you can avoid by listening to their wisdom. But you'll have to end up making your own choices and your own set of mistakes so that you can pass your wisdom along to others sometime down the road.
While I've never used the specific rod you linked to, one good thing about Cabela's is their return policy. If you don't like it you can return it. My son uses a 7'6" 4 weight Cabela's stow away (the 5 piece travel rod) and it's actually a lot of rod for the money, casts well, is well made, good fit and finnish, and quite a pretty rod.
If the one you linked to is similar quality, it'll serve you well. At least it will serve you well until you start hanging around here and with other fly fishermen and start wanting a Scott or a Winston or a Sage, or heaven forbid bamboo.
As for selection,I use a 5 wt on bass bluegill and crappie. It works well. I am in the process of shopping for a 3 weight. The 5 is a little much rod for small er bluegill and smaller bass. I also fish some very small streams and the 3 wt is going to be great there.
My son's 4 weight seems to be a very good balance between being able to handle fairly large fish (14" bass, 16" brown, 8" bluegill) and still giving a little thrill when the little guys get hooked up.
A 5 wt will serve you wonderfully. You may also want to think about a 4 wt depending on the fish you're going to be after (larger bass or smaller bluegill), the body of water you'll be fishing, the weight of the flies you plan to throw (bass bugs, weighted jiggs/wooly buggers, big nymphs, etc. go with a heaver rod & line)
The most important thing is to just get out there and start catching fish. I've been fishing for the better part of the last 35 years, and tried fly fishing when I was younger, but not seriously. Last winter, i got the bug and have been having more fun than a fellow should be allowed to have catching fish on a fly rod. Heck, I even have fun those days I go fishing instead of going catching.
Hope this is helpful.
Jeff
Re: Help with Picking Rod & Reel
Skip,
I am by no means as old pro at this, I've only been fly fishing for about a year, but I will say that I have a 3 wt from Cabelas and I love it. I fish for the same type fish you do. I believe I would go for the 4 instead of the 5.
Just my oppinion...and ya know what they say about those! :lol:
Welcome abord,
Carl
Re: Help with Picking Rod & Reel
I stayed a Holiday Inn Express...once. So I guess that qualifies me as a pseudo expert.
Go and buy the combo and get fishing. The worst that can happen is that you want something different/better later on, and have to sell it here to another new flyfisher on FAOL. I can't see a downside to the combo. Go for it.
Joe
I'm real good at spending other people's money.
Re: Help with Picking Rod & Reel
Hi Skip !
I been fishin since I was a boy. Fished with lots of kinds and styles of rods, from a 10 ft. bamboo cane pole. with braided line, a big cork bobber, a 2/0 hook fulla worms, for catfish. all the way to a 5 wt sage I no longer have. The best advice is simple, ya got two choices, Fishin'..............Not Fishin'........
That cabela's outfit is first rate, and will serve you well. Do like Joe says, Buy it and get fishin'................You're gonna love it, you'll be hooked before the fish are.......Happy flycasting !
.................Modoc Dan
Re: Help with Picking Rod & Reel
Skip, I am not anywhere near being expert but here is my $0.02 worth. I bought the same combo in a 8wt for Salmon in Alaska a couple years ago and loved it. Caught some 35 and 40 pounders with it and have no complants at all. I also have a 7 piece stowaway in a 6wt and a 7'6' 3wt Three Rivers rod and love them too. Like the others have said, get what you want to and GO FISHING.
Re: Help with Picking Rod & Reel
Go with a 6wt 9ft 4pc with medium to medium fast action with a strong butt. I figure you'll need at least that weight to throw wind resistant bass poppers.
Medium will allow you to lob those poppers, and weighted flys. Medium-Fast if your a good caster and can control your power - it'll throw a tighter loop, but if you over power it the lure will smash your rod. With this weight you'll be able to put out good distance. The length will help keep that line off the water. The 4 piece makes it nice and packable.
Go with a reel that will balance the outfit....hint...put the money in the rod.
Re: Help with Picking Rod & Reel
Skip;
I agree with Joe. The 8' 5 wt. should cover your needs well. I think you'll like a moderate/fast action for the fishing you've discribed.
IM6 graphite has been around a long time and has proven to be very adaquate.
Re: Help with Picking Rod & Reel
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silverexpress
Go with a 6wt 9ft 4pc with medium to medium fast action with a strong butt. I figure you'll need at least that weight to throw wind resistant bass poppers.
Medium will allow you to lob those poppers, and weighted flys. Medium-Fast if your a good caster and can control your power - it'll throw a tighter loop, but if you over power it the lure will smash your rod. With this weight you'll be able to put out good distance. The length will help keep that line off the water. The 4 piece makes it nice and packable.
Go with a reel that will balance the outfit....hint...put the money in the rod.
Just for the record, my 7-piece 4wt Forecast with 5wt line (you have to overline most Forecast blanks to get any performance out of them) cast a #2 Zoo Cougar 50' with an easy double haul. 6wt is overkill for what he is looking for. If he wanted to target big bass and maybe steelhead, then a 6 or 7 would be the rod. I fish steel with a 6wt St Croix Premier, and have landed many 12#-13# fish without undo stress on the fish. I think we need to stay focused on the original criteria. The bigger rod will take away the fun of catching the smaller target species. It's like taking an Ugly Stick to fish for gills and trout. Great if you're filling the freezer, but it's just meat fishing with no tussle.
Joe
Re: Help with Picking Rod & Reel
Honestly, who fishes intentionally for small fish? If you think about it, your advising to go with a lighter rod and reel combo to make the small fish feel big.
Skip, give us some insight on the size of bass your after and if your catching and releasing the crappie...
Is this the size of bass you prefer to catch...
http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/4...allbasspi0.jpg
....Or this......
http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/1491/bigbass2sn1.jpg
Do you release crappie or do you keep it (I myself tend to keep'em)
http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/2...crappiepj1.jpg