The Rod Will Cast Now!

[Icemanxxxv]

So I've been less than impressed with the performance of my TFO TiCRX 6wt casting ability. It has a wf 6wt Cabelas Prestiege line on it, and I've been stuggling to make 50 foot casts. Way to much effort to load the rod and the cast falls apart when I tried to power up my casts.
So this last weekend at the SE Kansas Fish In Tlerm and I started trying different line wts and tapers on it and trying it out.
1st up was a 6wt bass taper. It did cast better but needed more.
Next was the 7wt Bass taper. Results were better longer casts less effort and the turnover rate of a fair size Murdich Minnow was getting better.
Then my 8wt Prestige and man it came alive pounding line out to were I could actually see backing on the reel. Even less effort to load the rod and slinging line like poop through a goose.
That being said I'm thinking of taking a foot off the front of the line at a time till I achive a bass taper to turn over big bass bugs better.

[garthman]

one of my rod building buds sent me a web site for published data that says the TFO rods are typically underweighted by 2- 2.5 line weights, meaning it might take a 6 or or 7 weight line to make a 4 weight rod sing. if I find the table of data again, i'll publish it, but it may be googleable.

interestingly, TFO's two handed rods show no such underweighting; the published line weight windows for them seem pretty close

[anglerdave]

That rod is a pretty fast stick and was designed for distance casting. So unless you are use to casting fast action rods then over lining makes sense. I have cast that rod but would never have thought that you would have to go up two line weights in order to load the rod and make a decent cast. But like everything else in this sport, each person's mileage may vary. Glad you got things worked out.

[JohnScott]

one of my rod building buds sent me a web site for published data that says the TFO rods are typically underweighted by 2- 2.5 line weights, meaning it might take a 6 or or 7 weight line to make a 4 weight rod sing. ...

I don't find that with my TFO BVK 9' for 5 wt. I have it lined with a Rio Selective Trout II WF4F and it performs great with that line. And it also performs just fine with a Rio Selelctive Trout II DT5F line, which I tend to use if there is any wind and for bigger flies.

Having said that, one BB member recently commented that he and some of his friends prefer to line their BVK 9' for 5 wt rods with 6 wt lines.

As anglerdave suggested, indirectly, it has a lot to do with the individual's preference and ability. And I think the conditions you are fishing, the casting distance that is important to you, and the size flies you are using.

John

[ggh]

Re, the BVK rod--I think that rod is more of a medium action, so I would expect it to perform easier with the 5 weight line. I recently had the opportunity to discuss slow vs. medium vs. fast action rods with a fishing guide who I had been told was a "world-class" competitive caster, and he was of the opinion that many rods were "too fast". He said even he and other competitors often choose a rod for competition that is not necessarily the fastest action rod available, and he almost always overlines his rods. Interesting ideas. I can't help but wonder if many of us (certainly including me) would not be more pleased with a medium action rod rather than a fast one. I think one issue may be because the big name rod makers typically have higher prices on their faster rods, maybe we are sometimes led to believe they are "better". Maybe not.
George

[DarrinG]

I've owned a couple of TiCr-X rods. They are really fast rods, designed for distance casting. For close-in work, I have found overlining them works better. Even at moderate distances, I like a 7wt line on my TiCr-X 6wt. And at distant targets, I still like one of the 1/2 line-weight-heavy type lines like a Rio Grand or a SA GPX. If you like a ultra-fast rod, the TiCr-X is fantastic. I cast big, heavy and wind resistant flies on mine for smallmouth bass, mainly from a canoe or pontoon boat, and it excels at that job. I've not found many rods that do the job I bought the rod for any better. I am currently fishing a TiCr-X in the shorter version, the 7'6" 6wt from my river boats, and the rod is a real cannon for casting big flies. Picking the right line for the distances you are gonna encounter the most is important on these rods, but once you hit that "sweet spot" on a line for the distances you fish most, they are superb rods. I've got rods that cost way more than the TFO TiCr-X and when fishing for river smallmouth bass, it's my "go-to" rod.

[billyspey]

TFO 's cast like a broom handle to me. Bought a bvk and returned 3days later, had no personality, no feel, who need's a 5 wt have to over line it 2 sizes .