You've got to use an 8 wt to throw bass bugs. Myth, reality?

One of the best tips I ever got on this board and one that increased my pleasure in bass fishing 10 fold, I got from Buddy. He convinced me to switch from the "conventional wisdom" propounded by Dave Whitlock and others that using an 8wt. for bass was the way to go to using a 3 or 4 wt. I took Buddy's advice and I've been throwing big bass bugs on 3 and 4 wt rigs for the last 2 or 3 years and loving it. Trust me, make the switch and you'll be happy you did. Much more fun. What do you think? Am I wrong? Right? Don't know? Don't care?
Robert

I use a six weight. I just use scientific anglers bass bug taper if I want to throw big flies. I've also used an 8 and and 10 for bass. I have caught bass from 1lb. - 4lb. on my 4 weight while fishing for crappie and gills. "As long as you know how to play the fish, ude what ever rod you want!" That is what I say.

Robert: Agree. I use my 9 foot 3 wt whenever I can on those bass. Have caught a couple that would go close to 5 lbs. They are extra fun on that rod.

Tim Anderson

I don't find the "fight" of a LM to be especially taxing for ANY weight rod. We have tossed to'em with top-water stuff useing an ought to a ten weight. :?
We do find other challenges to LM pestering that, for us, are better addressed with heavier gear. :wink:
However, we need to check the last box in your survey. :lol:
....lee s.

I use an 8wt.
I don't need it to throw poppers, I need it for the waters that I fish.
I like to fish the weed choked little ponds in my area, spots where bassin' guys fear to go.
When a bass hits a popper in these kind of places you've got to get control immediately. A rod with some backbone will help you turn a fish better then a light rod. If you try to "play" the fish on a light rod, you'll end up with nothing but a ball of weeds on your hook.
I fish for river smallmouth with a light rod, but in the weeds an 8wt is the right tool for the job.

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Originally Posted by dudley

I use an 8wt.
I don't need it to throw poppers, I need it for the waters that I fish.
I like to fish the weed choked little ponds in my area, spots where bassin' guys fear to go.
When a bass hits a popper in these kind of places you've got to get control immediately. A rod with some backbone will help you turn a fish better then a light rod. If you try to "play" the fish on a light rod, you'll end up with nothing but a ball of weeds on your hook.
I fish for river smallmouth with a light rod, but in the weeds an 8wt is the right tool for the job.

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I agree. I have caught bass in clear water on a 3wt using smaller flys. But if there is any cover, or wind, which we get allot here in the Midwest, it makes no sense to me to try and throw a big fly on a light rod. I don't consider myself any less the fisherman/sportsman when I uncase the 8wt. But to each his own.

I've never tried the bass bug taper on my 4 weight... but based on the comments above I think I will.

I do throw some smaller bugs and streamers with my 4 wt when I can, but I find the section of the Shenandoah that I fish is frequently windy enough to demand a 7 or 8 wt.

I use a 6 wt for small mouth. Mainly because the streams I am fishing are fairly small. Last time I was on a lake for LMB I threw bass bugs on a 7 wt. I found that it throws them pretty good. But there are some casts that I would make longer if I could. This winter, I bought a 9 wt to use for larger water LMB fishing and throwing larger bugs.

So for me it's 6,7 or 9 depending on the water I am fishing and the size fly I plan on throwing.

wayne

Used to do the 8wt rods and lines for the big, wind resistant, ugly, deerhair bugs. Even then I felt underpowered. Started playing around with heavier lines on my lighter rods and presto. With a big wind resistant bug you need the heavier mass of the heavier line to pull it though the air, not the heavy rod.

Now I use 7 and 10 weight lines but three and six weight rods, for the largest flies. Still use lighter lines with the lighter flies. I am not concerned about rod backbone because all you have to do is point your rod at the fish palm the reel or not give the fish any line and that fish is going nowhere, unless you snap your leader or bend your hooks out.

My eight weight rarely ever comes out any more, it used to be pretty pathetic landing a sunfish on an eight weight.

http://www.byrdultrafly.com/ulmyths.htm

http://www.byrdultrafly.com/ulmyths2.htm

http://www.byrdultrafly.com/redefineul.htm

http://www.byrdultrafly.com/fishlev.htm

I use an Orvis Clear Water 9' 8wt. There are big toothy critters like muskies in the waters I fish for bass. So, if I am bass bugging it, I use the 8wt.

Down south here, the bass tend to run to the 'big bruiser' stage, and are ususally in or near heavy cover. This necesitates the use of 8 wt and up. I use a Scientific Angler 8 wt with a butt extension.

Semper Fi!

No right or wrong here. It's personal preference. I use a 6 or 7 wt, primarily because of the way I rig 'em. I almost always use furled leaders, & my 3 wt & 'boo always has 6x or 7x tippet, 5 wt has 5x, sometimes 6x, & my "big boys", the 6 & 7 wts are rigged with 3x or stronger (steelies). I say fish with what you are comfortable & have fun!
Mike

'tuber
Are you sayin' that you use 6x and 7x tippet for bass?
Why?

When I am intentionally fishing for big LMB in areas with lots of brush and old trees, I use two, nine-foot, nine-weight rods. I can throw BIG flies and lures, jerk fish out of heavy cover and easily toss 70+ foot casts. That being said, I have caught a lot bass on my four weights, and on my one and two weights while fishing for brim. The bass on the lighter rods were generally smaller fish but they were a definite BLAST. I also lost a fair number of these fish because I couldn't turn them away from brush, riprap and downed trees. There are clearly good points for either heavy or light rods---the choice is yours. 8T :D

Dudley,
No, I'm sorry...I see that I didn't explain. The rods with 6x & 7x tippet are definitely my panfish & stream trout rods. Of course, I occasionally do hook bass on them & that's a hoot, but bass are definitely my targets when I am using the light stuff.
Mike

I regularly throw 1/0 and larger deer hair/foam bugs with my 4 weight into headwinds. I can also chunk those heavy streamers with the giant dumbbell heads a pretty good distance too; it just comes down to taking it very carefully with such a light rod. Double hauling is pretty much out of the question, as it seems to put too much stress on the rod. The trick I use is to sidearm with the fly as low to the water as I can keep it.

I only do this because I generally fish large areas for gills, but I'll come on a spot that looks like prime bass area, or I'll see bass rolling on the surface and quickly tie on the fly.

The biggest problem is getting the fish in, rather than casting. Good luck keeping a 4lb bass out of structure with a 4wt and 5x tippet, lol.

This is a great line of conversation. I venture out with a 5WT and an 8Wt. I generally chase BGs with my 5WT but when I see a Big Bass I bring up the 8Wt.

I have lost many bass on the 5WT because I could not control the fish. With the 8WT I have been able to land more fish and cast further.

I guess it is just a matter of what works for you. I guess I could also do do it with a 6WT or 7WT. But I was following Whitlock's recommendation and thought I could also use it in the Salt.

Once again great comments.

biggest bass i ever caught wa on a 2 wt and a #10 Wolly Bugger. Having said that, I enjoy throwing hamster sized top water bugs into thick cover from time to time. For that a 8 wt is the right tool.

This has been interesting . . . . I will admit though that my biggest bass, a striper, was caught on a 4wt. It was 27 inches long and was hard to control. Luckily it was in a small river and it could not spool me. I was trout fishing in a tail water, and saw a school of stripers. I broke the leader back to a heavier section and tied on a clouser. The rodeo was on . . .

Hi Weehooker,

OK, I'll bite. How large was the bass that you caught on a two weight? I gots ta know! 8T :D

Here's nine reasons why using a heavier rod with Bass is generally recommended.

(1) The line casts the fly and poppers are usually either or heavier and more wind resistant than normal flies or both. Bigger Line, bigger fly, easy! Mismatch and general castnig requires adjustments and work. Bass like a mouthful--hence bigger flies, requiring a bigger line/rod as a usual modus operandi.

(2) I love fishing small farm ponds and pond Bass get smart. My usual method is to sneak in up over the dam, crawling at times, peeking over and casting close first, then working further and further out. Casting big flies far requires rod! I can cover about half of my cousins pond from center dam with a five weight but can cover the entire pond from that same place with my eight.

(3) Setting the hook become more difficult when setting it through pads, weeds and snags. Even a good slip strike fails at times as the line isn't laid out there nice and straight as it is when fishing other big fish. You need a rod with backbone to do all this.

(4) A solid strike is needed, especialy when fishing weedless poppers and you need to get past the guard and set the hook in a basses hard lip. Again bigger is better as a general rule.

(5) Some waters hold big bass and a smaller rod prolongs a fight unnecessarily. A 10 lb plus fish deserves to be landed in a timely manner.

(6) Bass love salad and oten you are catching the fish and the greens at the same, again bigger is best.

(7) Bass loves snags and in a day of hot Bass fishing I've often pulled Bass and snag in or more commonly had to exert some pull to pull a Bass away from a snag as he lunges toward it suddenly. Speaking of snags, last time I fished, I had a Bass wind around and into a snag and while I may have been able to pressure him out with a lesser rod, my 8 wt did a fine job of getting him unwound.

(8.) With any wind at all using a smaller rod and wind resistant flies doesn't lend itself to accuracy. Accuracy requires a rod, and line matched to the size, weight and wind resistance of the fly. Lastly I get to ten.

(9) Where I fish there's most always something bigger, stronger or meaner out there. Again bigger fish, bigger rod. Carp, Channel, Flathead and Blue Cats, Pike, Bowfin, Gar, Grass Carp, Musky, Stripers, Wipers, and even a 6 ft Cottonmouth :shock: have all been landed with the 8 wt and many of these weren't five weight fish.

You can always find situations, waters and fish where you can certainly use as small a rod as you would like so go for it. In general however the 8 wt has a lot of solid reasoning by generations of fly rodding, Bass anglers, behind it.

Waiting for the water to get soft in Wyoming, the wind to die some and for the sun to shine. 8)

My biggest on either my two or three weight was around 5 lbs and caught in Santiago Pond in Orlando the day I caught my World Record Tilapia. I was fishing for Big Gills with a Deer Hair Caddis when the Bass hit.

I agree w/ Chuck for all those reasons...

I chuck some pretty big stuff w/ my 8wt, bass bug taper line w/o any extra muscle. And I've had to use the fighting butt on my rod a few times too :P

I use an 8 wt Pfluger rod, and a Martin Multiplier reel to pick up the slack line quick on fish I need to put on the reel. Works for me...

very nice post Chuck

Thanks llRanger. Appreciate that. I cut my teeth on both the fly rod and Ohio farm pond bass in the late 40s. The rod an old Montague Bamboo three piece and the reel a South Bend Auto. Caught my first five lber there and was hooked for life. The USAF saw fit to send me to Orlando in the early 60s and there I found more Bass than a midwest kid could imagine. In town with the hundreds of lakes and out they all held fish. A couple Ten lb plus fish later and I was addicted for many years. Now I've spread out to most everything that swims as far as the fly rod and go to it unless things are just non doable as far as flies go.

Chuck,
Great post!
I use the 8 wt to be able to get the fish in without over-stressing it. I read an article written by Stu Apte that states that you should be able to get the fish in quickly. Of course, he was talking about tarpon, but I liked the idea, and apply it to freswater also.

Ok Eight Thumbs, since you asked, and we likly have time before the ice thaws, I'll tell you my ultimate fish story.

As was common in the early 2000 time frame, I had stopped by my in-laws house ((which is on the shoreline of a local RI reservoir.) to cast to bluegills for 20 min before supper one still summer evening. As usual, all I brought was a film canister with a couple of flies and a 2 wt rod. ( One of the joys about gill fishing to me is the shear simplicity of it.) As was also usual, the fish were cooperating well as I cast to them off the 20x50? finger of land that sticks out into the shallow , rocky cove.. However, on about the 3rd small Gill, things got interesting. While I dallied with a mid sized gill tugging on my leader some 30' out, a HUGE boil encircled the fish. Instantly, the little gill flew out of the water and almost beached itself at my feet in it's panicked attempt not to be eaten by what was obviously a BIG fish. In an equal panic, I quickly unhooked the gill an cast the little yellow foam Indestructible Bug back but could not get any reaction from the decent sized bass I knew was still there. Remembering that a missed bass will often take a quickly cast/ slowly offered subsurface pattern, I opened the canister and selected my one ragged #10 Black Wooly Bugger. I quickly tied it onto the wind knotted 3# leader (cursing myself the whole time for letting it get so bad and how much time I was wasting getting back to that fish.) I finally took a cast (from my knees) and let it sink in the 3' of water before starting a SLOW 2-3 crawl of the WB back. Just as I was convinced the fish was long gone, I lifted the rod to make a back cast and found HEAVY weight on the end. I actually thought it was bottom but gingerly set the hook anyway. ( and waited for that fragile leader to pop.) It didn?t, and as if in slow motion, the ( Sage RPL 7'9" )rod doubled as "the bottom" turned towards the mouth of the little cove and submarined for open water. It wasn?t what you?d call a fast run, but it was long and steady enough to test my tackle and nerves. As I followed the fish up the finger of land , I watched that willowy rod bend to the corks and that little graphite ( Berkley 554) reel whine line a blender full of clam shells. Amazingly, everything held and the fish finally stopped about 10? or so into my backing and began a slow RH turn parallel to my position at the end of the point. I held the rod high to clear a rock pile and began a slow pumping motion to try to turn the fish my way. (After the first run, I was thinking it could be a big cat fish.. I had never had a bass show me my backing before, although I had never hooked anything bigger than 2# on a 2 wt either. At this point I started praying that I?d just get a look at the fish before it broke off.) Anyway, I did manage , after a few more short runs/spurts of the drag, to get the fish to quit fighting and come right to me. The combination of the constant pressure from that little 2 wt and the warm water temps had it beat!
As she came into view at my feet, I was floored. This was easily the biggest LM bass I?d ever seen, never mind caught in my 30+ years of serious bass fishing in the NE. I reached down and gripped her lip not with one hand but with two! As I hauled her out, I marveled at not just the shear size of the fish but her overall appearance.. She had very pronounced colors and features as well as one long branch shaped scar her upper lip down the back of her head. As I held her up, a neighbor came running out and after some excited gibberish, asked if I was going to ?keep it.? Elation turned to woe as I realized that I had to decide right NOW. I had been so concentrated on landing this lifetime fish that I had not given any thought as to what to do with it. On the one hand , this was THE fish of a lifetime on any tackle for me. The fact that it came on a 2 wt was even more the reason to have it mounted. On the other, It was just too magnificent to kill just for bragging rights. I just couldn?t do it. It was such a great fish that I just felt like dung at the thought of killing it. So I sent the neighbor to find a camera, while I waded In ( fully clothed, to revive the fish.) He returned with his daughters Pink Barbie 110 that had two shots left on the roll and took the pics. I then quickly measured her length with a dollar bill ( it?s all I had.) and waded back in and worked water through her gills until she seemed strong and then opened my hands. To be honest , I still had mixed emotions watching her fin away. Part of me still wanted it on the wall! In the end, the fish measured 4 bills (24?) and about 2-2 ?? to spare. That?s 26+? of largemouth. I estimated at the time that it was well over 8 ? # and maybe over 9#. Latter comparison of her length to online weight estimators, puts her near 10. In any case, I guess I?ll never know. Maybe it?s even better that way. As for the pics, I PLEADED with him to let me take the film for developing but he insisted he do it as there may be some ?embarrassing pictures? on the same roll. We?ll as luck would have it, his wife caught him in an affair 2 days latter and despite multiple promises from both of them to get me the pictures, it was low on their list of priorities . Bottom Line is that I never got a one , ( They?ve since divorced and moved away.) To this day, I?m Ok with releasing the fish but bummed over not having a single lousy picture to retire with the WB to my wall. ( And some proof that all this actually happened.)

In any case, this I a good example that big bass can be caught on light fly tackle IF the fish has plenty of room to run and you don?t try to land the fish with too much speed or force. In this case, I believe it was the willowyness (is this a word?) of the rod that protected that fragile tippet. However, given a choice, the right way to play a fish like this is to use a rod stout enough to avoid over playing it.

Hope you enjoyed the recap.
Dave

Flat River Resevoir?
Some nice fish in there

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Flat River Resevoir?
Some nice fish in there

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Yes, there are some NICe fish there. No, this was Stafford Pond ( which supplies drinking water for Tiverton and some of Aquidneck Isl.)

Dave,

That was exciting to hear about second hand. Your pulse must have been pushing 200 beats per minute. By any standard that's a fine fish on a fly rod and by New England standards it's even more impressive. Thanks for the recap. 8T :D

I was really surprised to find out a 5 and a 6 wt rod easily handle bass.
They seem to fight different when you aren't yankin' on them ;)

Yup.

Sometimes it is easier to give than take.