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Thread: 6wt and 8wt?

  1. #1

    Default 6wt and 8wt?

    Hello SoCal fellow surf anglers. Do you suggest I should get a 6wt? I only have an 8wt for that right now.
    Thanks
    I believe I can fly fish

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2000
    Location
    Pacific
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    Default

    If you want to get another rod, then a 6wt would be a good complement to the 8wt. Everything you can do with a 6wt, you can do with an 8wt. However the converse it not necessarily true.

    I fished the surf for seven or eight years with an 8wt before I tried a 6wt. I still use a 7 or 8 much more than the 6wt, saving the 6wt when the waves are small.

  3. #3

    Default

    Oh, I see. Somebody said you could use a 4wt (was that you?) if the conditions allowed it. So the size of the line is not due the size of the fish but the conditions out there, I'm just trying to decide if I really need it or if I should save money for a kayak one day.
    By the way, is 6' the longest leader I should use for surf fishing. What about 9'?
    Thanks for your help
    Last edited by Martin McFly; 02-05-2010 at 08:03 PM.
    I believe I can fly fish

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2000
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    Pacific
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    I know some people that go as light as a 4wt when the surf is very light but that is not common. Most surf flies used here are small and can be cast with a lighter line and the most common fish, the surf perch, is generally small so a heavier rod is not needed. However you do need to deal with the surf hydraulics and the bigger the surf, the stonger the currents that can make it difficult to lift the line out of the water to cast. Stronger currents also make it harder to land fish with a lighter rod. That's why I use a 7 or 8wt rod most often.

    I usually use a 6ft leader with sinking lines in the surf. However I will use 9 to 15 ft leaders when chasing corbina during the summer with a floating or intermediate line in the skinny water next to the sand because corbina get real spooky when they are exposed like that.

  5. #5

    Default

    I do have a 5wt with a composite reel, maybe I can load that with a sinking tip line and try it during summer. Do you fish from a kayak? Sorry if I'm a pain with all these questions but I'm really interested in learning as much as possible about the surf.
    When I get the gear figured out I will start asking questions about the conditions, I guess you just can't head to the beach without checking the weather report or the tides conditions.
    Thanks again
    I believe I can fly fish

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2000
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    Pacific
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    Not a pain. This is a place to ask questions.

    A 5wt with a sink tip or intermediate line would be workable when the surf is low -ankle breaker conditions. I sometimes use a 5wt in the bays too.

    I have fly fished San Diego bay from a borrowed kayak. I enjoyed it enough that I intend to acquire a yak later this year. A boat would be better but I can fit a kayak into my budget and I don't have to pay to store it anywhere.

    There is a pretty good book by Ken Hanley titled "Fly Fishing the Pacific Inshore" that covers surf and bay fishing strategies that apply to our local waters.

  7. #7

    Default

    Thanks much, I'll look into it. There is a lot to learn about the suds. One more question, does it have to be fluorocarbon?
    Last edited by Martin McFly; 02-05-2010 at 11:27 PM.
    I believe I can fly fish

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Ventura, CA
    Posts
    368

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    Martin,

    Have a look on the bulletin board at Fishing Network. Mostly lure and bait fishing, but you should be able to glean some info and places to fish from it. http://www.fishingnetwork.net/forum4/ Some interesting SoCal places and stuff on there.

    Beaver

  9. #9

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    Thanks a lot Beaver. I'm planning to hit the water really hard this summer, I gotta couple of good beaches near home. It has been a boring winter, I've gone fishing like twice, last time was in November I believe.
    I believe I can fly fish

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