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as i contemplate my next rod, i am trying to decide what weight to get
i have a 9' 9wt, and 8'6" 5wt
i am debating between a 7'6" 4wt or 3wt
looking for a small stream/panfish rod, but dont want to limit myself.
never know when that bluegill will turn into a bass.
help me decide, i dont know enuff about the limitations of each weight
thanks
Hey Mdram,
Here is my take. I like to fish bluegills as well as bass. But when I'm
fishing for bluegills, I prefer to play them on a 3 wt. It's a great match.
When I go bassing, I normally fish a 4 to 6 weight. When a bass hops
on my gill rod, I'll test him. If he feels too strong and I'm concerned
for the rod, I can sometimes lose him by giving slack. Otherwise I just
point the rod at him, hold the line and let him terminate the connection.*G* Warm regards, Jim
I agree with Jim completely! I use my 3 weight for bluegill and they give me a better quality fight on it than my 5 weight.. If a bass hits it and they're too big, they can usually get off without damaging your rod. I started out using my 9 weight (the only flyrod I had at the time) on freshwater and decided real quick that it was way too big for what fish I was looking for. I bought a 5 weight and the fishing was much more enjoyable. I then moved down to a 3 weight and it's a blast, even with smaller fish. I'm now thinking about a 1 weight to add to my arsenal! :shock:
Regards,
Doug
sound like i might want to go 4wt, im thinking wither st croix or tfo. i have a soft spot for croix, lol
I would opt for the three very strongly. One line size system is NOT much variance. You can fill the gaps in your quiver later.
It was not our intended target, but we have landed steelhead to 12+lbs on a three wt. Rooster fish to 6#, stripers to 8#, halibut to 8#, yata yata. Learning to fight a fish with the butt of the rod and taxing your tippet to it's fullest, works wonders and provides the short fight/quick release desirous for many. :wink:
.....lee s.
hhmmmm, ok thinking again
I'll second Lee's thoughts, dropping one line weight isn't going to be much difference, then of course after the three weight, you're going to set yourself up for the 1 wt if you so desire and like Lee said, "you can fill in the gaps later".
Right now I've got a 5/6 wt and a 7/8 wt and going to get a 3 wt for the smaller trout streams we have here in the white mts. I had contemplated just going to a 4 wt and then talked to a few friends and they all said the same thing as Lee. I have since decided on the 3.
-Pemi
I'm going to throw a wrench into this thread.
IMO the best small stream/fish rod ever conceived in the mind of man is the Orvis 7' 9" Far and Fine. Although a 5 wt. it does nearly everything there is to do on smaller water. It will throw some weight, a long line if need and is soft enough to preciate small fish.
It was introduced by Orivs over 30 years ago and is still in production....what other rod can say that? The longivity of the rod says volumes of its fishability.
The best part.......they are on sale right now.
3Wgt 7 1/2 or 8 foot. ;) Ron
I have a 7'6" Superfine 3wt I never use. Contact me if you are interested.
What Ron said.
Jim Hatch, just curious, when that 'bigun' disconnects, where's the break?
Jim
Hi mdram,
I was in your situation, thinking the same thing. I opted for the 7'6" 3 weight for the reasons most have listed here; greater difference from the 5 weight I had that I didn't want to replace, rather get a rod to fish different situations. I bought mine from an FAOL'er so recently it's still "on order" waiting for my cheque to reach him, then the turn around time, sigh. Patience ....
- Jeff
Hey Jim,
It doesn't happen all that often, but when it does about half the time the
hook pulls out and the other half is at my fly knot. Warm regards, Jim
Forget about what waters , wind, fish are your general fishing situation. Round out your rod set with a 3 wt.
Winston makes some really finesse 3 wts.
Your going to like it.
Being a Far and Fine owner also, I like that reply.
I have a three weight that I don't use very often either. I opt for the Trout Bum, the One Ounce 4wt, Glass 7' 4wt, or my Bamboo 4wt.
I agree a 7 foot full flex 4 weight is a rush, but still a backbone. I have more fun with the 4's than I did with my Scott Eclipse 3wt. For a real challange, I break out the LL 2wt.
I say if you are not going to be buying another rod real soon, then go 4wt.
Then in the future think 2.
okokokQuote:
Originally Posted by FrankB
i guess it didnt come out the way i meant. im just afraid of a wt and big fish and equipment damage. and yes i know big fish and small rods can be done, ive caught plenty of large rock, stripers, on perch tackle.
roger,
I caught a 15" LMB on a 6'6" 2wt this weekend. Yeah, it was a good fight, but not unlike using ultralight spinning gear. Got it to the boat in under a couple of minutes.
marty
PS I'd opt for MikeL's 7.6' 3wt. He probably has no use for it on the Gunpowder anymore :wink: And if you pass it up, let me know...
I fished the Gun for a few hours Friday and did well.
But your right, I havent fished that rod for a year and a half, ever since I started fishing a 7'6" Payne 100 clone.
I fish that Payne in the Gun and all the little brookie and brown streams in the county. Its a perfect little rod for nearly every situation.
If mdram doesnt want the superfine, Ill let ya know.
hhmmmm, ya know i was thinkig of a rod for the gunpowder
It's your money so get the rod that YOU want - weight and brand. But it seems to me that a 3 wt. would fit in nicely with what you have. After using the 3 wt. for awile I'm willing to bet a 1 wt. will enter the picture. I know - been there done that.
The difference in rod material/ action in sizing your tackle for smaller fish is far more important than line wt. I once had a Scottt glass 3wt, medium fast, and probably equilivant in power to the average grafhite 2 wt. I have a glass 4/5 wt, very full flex, that is more fun on smaller fish than the Scott. Maybe it is something you have to experience for yourself.Quote:
I agree a 7 foot full flex 4 weight is a rush, but still a backbone. I have more fun with the 4's than I did with my Scott Eclipse 3wt.
I have a 9'-8wt., a 8'6"-5wt. and a 7'-3wt. The 8wt is a mid-flex, the 5wt. a tip-flex (Fast) and the 3-wt is a full-flex (slowest of the three). The 3-wt is the most fun to fish with, because even a small fish is a battle. I use up to 2X with the 3-wt and it works fine. Last weekend I landed a 2-1/2 lb Smallie with it - WOW, talk about fun!! I've only been flycasting for 4 years and last week I was tossing that baby over 50' to get to an overhang of trees. The two things that I would change in my next 3-wt is to go longer, 7'6" to 8', and go with a fast action rod. The action is really a personal preference. Go with a 3 because you won't feel that much difference with a 4 from your 5.
I have a 9'-8wt., a 8'6"-5wt. and a 7'-3wt. The 8wt is a mid-flex, the 5wt. a tip-flex (Fast) and the 3-wt is a full-flex (slowest of the three). The 3-wt is the most fun to fish with, because even a small fish is a battle. I use up to 2X with the 3-wt and it works fine. Last weekend I landed a 2-1/2 lb Smallie with it - WOW, talk about fun!! I've only been flycasting for 4 years and last week I was tossing that baby over 50' to get to an overhang of trees. The two things that I would change in my next 3-wt is to go longer, 7'6" to 8', and go with a fast action rod. The action is really a personal preference. Go with a 3 because you won't feel that much difference with a 4 from your 5.
Go with a 3 because you won't feel that much difference with a 4 from your 5.[/quote]
Just my opinion, but I so disagree with this. As you mentioned the different flexes. You could fish a tip flex 3 and a full flex 3 and there is a big difference.
I am not saying 3 is a bad thing, your choice. I have ONE and 5 different 4's. The nice thing about a 4 is you can revive the fish easier in most cases, but still have the fun of a 3.
I don't feel that a 4 is that close to a 5, as a 3 is that close to a 4, it is all in the flex, weight, length, etc.
I just feel if you can only get one light weight for brookies, or other small species, a 4 is more versitile, cause it can take on the bigger fish with a lot of fun, but the fight comes down to the butt, doesn't it and in that case a 1 would work. Bigger flies------4
I agree with FG - between my 4 and 5 wt is a world of difference. Heck, maybe even a solar system. They're certainly different actions, but the 4 is much better suited to small trout and panfishies. The 5 is more of a western trout rod and sees occasional bass duty (plus spring and fall trout here in the mid-atlantic for the fat boys). I fish the 2-wt exclusively for super small trout streams and small ponds for little panfishies. I'd go with a fast- or medium-fast 3-wt.
Marty