Setting up 8wt for bass....how much backing?

[Whitewolf]

?I have fished one little area for trout with a 5-6wt. Now live in a different territory. How much backing do I need to put on a fly reel with 8wt fly line? I have no idea how to fish for bass. Would 25 yards be enough? or 50? or should one do a 100 yards of backing on a reel for fly fishing for bass?

[FishnDave]

100 yds is the "standard" for backing. I'd recommend at least 50 yds just to be safe....but for bass you probably will not need it. An 8wt is, IMO, overkill for bass. You might wear yourself out casting that all day. I use a 6wt. It'll cast everything but perhaps the biggest/heaviest flies. One trick some bass guys do is to overline a 6wt with either a 7wt or 8wt bass line. Usually one backcast is all you need to fire out a good-sized fly.

That 8wt would be very handy if you find time to get over to New Mexico to chase some Tiger Musky.

Good luck!!

[idlerick]

The old socks in your sock drawer have but one purpose: to hold the new ones you wear up where you can find them.
Backing also has a main use: to hold your fly line up to where it's near the rim and you can retrieve line at a decent rate, and to not have it coil due to a small storage diameter.

Bass are not known for long runs like bonefish or permit. Trout run a lot more, and I haven't seen my backing more than once or twice in the last 10 years. And then usually on tail-hooked fish in a current.
I'd say get the largest size backing you can find (30#; 50# is hard to find) and put just enough on the reel to bring the fly line to the rim, or near it. That takes less backing using a larger diameter, and 100 yds of 30# costs about what 100 yds of 20# does. Your reel's manual should tell you how much that will be.

[sagefisher]

Whitewolf,

I have never used a furled leader for bass. Not saying it isn't good, just haven't. I usually use a very heavy and short leader, rather mono fly line, in the 15 to 20 pound range. Bass, especially smallies, are pure predator hunters. They either cruise around looking for a victim or hang out around structure and wait to attack or ambush anything that happens to come by that catches their fancy. They are not really known to be very leader shy.

You are really going to enjoy hooking up on smallies.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[Kaboom1]

5 foot to 5 and a half furled section with 2 feet of 12 pound as a tippet. Tie on a fly and go fishing. Quit overthinking the process. it ain't that hard!
Brad

[BigA]

You hardly ever actually use backing or the drag on your reel for smallmouth or largemouth bass. You need enough backing so the reel is close to full when you spool a fly line on your reel. You do need backing if you get a good sized carp on the line or if you want to use the same reel for steelhead fishing. When steelhead season comes around, I take the warm water bass line off of my eight weight reel and replace it with a fly line that I use for steelhead.

An eight weight rod is great for largemouth bass when you are fishing with big flies or when you are fishing where you need to pull the bass out of heavy cover. I fish for smallmouth bass a lot in Wisconsin rivers. Eight weight rods allow me to fish big, heavy flies and to deal with trying to land fish in heavy current. They are also better for fishing in heavy wind conditions.

I really like Feathercraft furled bass leaders. Just loop on a three to five foot tippet to the ring at the end of the leader and you are in business. I have one that is still going strong after three years. http://www.feather-craft.com/feather...-furled-leader

[jcampbell]

FishnDave has it right. 8Wt is not necessary for largemouth bass. 6Wt would be OK and probably right, but I have landed 6 to 8 pound largemouth bass with a 5Wt. However, plusing up the line size to handle bass bugs is advisable. As far as backing, 50 yards will be fine. Largemouth are going to jump more than run. In my experience they tire pretty quickly as a result. There are ways to prevent too much jumping, but I won't get into that here.

[Whitewolf]

Appreciate the comments. I tried to find "how much backing" needed for bass on the internet and failed. It finally occurred to me to just fill up the reel and then the line put on the reel. I was thinking about 8-9wt rods in order to throw those big wind resistant spun deer hair deceivers and such. But my upcoming trip is about smallmouth bass on a river in Maine. I would love to fish for Tiger Musky but am now 3,000 miles away and home in AZ up for sale and has a contract on it. I am now a permanent Maniac. Anywhoooo.....I was not going to use an 8wt to horse in a bass. Intent was to throw the big flies. I think big flies will not be necessary for smallmouth. So I may downsize the rod. I initially was going to set up a 9wt with a lot of backing just so it would handle bass, pike, etc. One rod for all other than trout. But 'methinks that is overkill for bass.....
Now....what leader....? If I were to furl a leader for uh...an 8 or 9 wt rod what material would I use.....what thread....that would indeed roll out those big flies? Using Kathy Scott formula for making leaders.

[sagefisher]

Whitewolf,

You would be surprised at the total power the smallmouth bass has. Lots. A baby smallie will eat a 6 inch streamer. Most of my smallmouth fishing is in the larger rivers of WA and MT. That means that not only are you fighting the power of the smallie but the force of the river. When I hook a smallie, I prefer to get them in fast to release then as soon as possible. So, I use a 7 wt fly rod. It handles the huge flies that you may cast and you can cast even when there is a strong wind, which happens a lot out west on the rivers. Regarding backing, the only time I got into my backing while fishing for smallies is when a 12 pound carp grabbed my streamer and headed downstream at great speed. My poor rod was bent double the whole time but we get the fish in, took a quick picture and released it. Most of the time you will not be releasing any line at all, but I suspect if you use a 5 wt or a 6 wt you may have to let out some line, but not a lot.

Enjoy the hits, when the smallies slam your fly you will know it.

Larry ---sagefisher---

[Uncle Jesse]

Consider the wind in chosing the weight of the rod. If you are still up on the Mogollon Rim I know lots of the lake are very windy, especially Sunrise. Bass flies tend to be more wind resistant than trout flies and a strong rod is needed or much better technique. Wherever you will be fishing the wind is a factor. Here in the deep south, wind is rarely an issue on lakes with bass, the remainder of the USA I have found to be much more windy. Another thing to think about.