Light rod for Panfish???

I'm looking for a new fly rod to use for mostly bluegill. Right now, I am using an 8' 5wt. I want something lighter that would make fighting the fish more fun. Does any body have any suggestions on the best weight, and length rod that would be best for me?

Thanks.

[lee s]

We kinda hop back and forth between a 3wt and an 0wt. There is an old glass Fenwick ferralite (sp) 7'6" 5/6wt that gets tossed a great deal for this too. We like'em all. Especially for BG's.
Best for you? Nope, cannot answer that....only you can.
Are you fishing from shore? Are you tubing? Are you dragging stuff thru lots of weeds? Hmmm....lots more questions.
.....lee s.

[beadleech]

Just FYI - I've gone pretty well to a 3 wgt for all my panfishing. It'll handle a fair amount of wind - a lot more than I thought. I fish from a small pram, a Hobie Float cat, and on small creeks by wading. My 8' 3 wgt handles all these areas. The only handicap I can see is excess wind or need to cast farther from shore. You have the 5 wgt for that.

Donald

[rnelson]

I use a 9ft, 3 wt and mostly fish from a float tube. We have lots of wind here in ND but I find I can cast bluegill flies without much trouble even in a fairly strong wind.

[PanFisher]

I have to agree with the 3 & 5 weights.

I like to Float Tube lakes ? sometimes these lakes are deep. I have yet to find a 3 weight that will really sink. That?s where the 5 weight comes in. When the fish are on the surface I like the 3 weight.

I like the 3 weight because sometimes I will fish a fly tied with a little lead wrapped around it. The extra weight of the fly does not cast well with anything less than a 3.

Of course then there are Dry Flies for the Gills, maybe size 16 and smaller flies. I might need to look at that 0 or 1 weight.


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Let No One Walk Alone
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Bill

[ohiotuber]

Another vote for the 3 wt..in my case, an 8 footer. It does handle wind well & it's a lot of fun. I'm sure a 0 or 00 would be unreal, but I would think any wind might have quite an effect. Of course, I'm just guessing, having no experience below the 3 wt.
Mike

[Buddy Sanders]

Gill,

I'm also a fan of the three weight as a great all around panfish/trout/bass light fly rod.

They will handle a surprising range of flies, deal with more wind than most realize, and really make the fighting powers of the smaller fish shine.

You really can't go wrong with a 3 wt. for a first light rod.

Good Luck!

Buddy

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Thanks for all the replies! I mostly fish a #14 foam beetle for the gills, so I was thinking maybe a two weight, but from what I see it sounds like the three weight is the way to go. I will look at some rods over the weekend and figure out what I want. Thanks for all of your suggestions.

Gill

[Robert McMahan]

Gill,
Don't be afraid to go with the 2 wt if one catches your eye. For panfishing with a size 14 fly as you mentioned it would be perfect. I think what the others are saying about the 3 wt is that it has a little more punch if you decide to tie on a bigger bass type fly and might be a better "all around" type light action rod for both bass and gills although I can't speak for the others. For what you describe, a 2 wt or even smaller would be fine. You're going to have so much more fun fishing for the 'gills with a 2 or 3 wt. that I encourage you to go for it. By the way, my all around "light rod" for pan fish and bass combo is a 4 wt. which I think handles the Oklahoma wind a little better than the 3 wt. When I'm tubing though I carry 2 rods---a 2 wt with a panfish fly tied on and a 4 wt with a bass fly tied on.

I have to agree on the 3wt. My main panfish rod is a 6.5 ft 2wt, but I fish a DT3 line on it for more versatility. I am also playing around with short 1pc glass rods in 4-5-6 wt for dual panfish/ bass outings. I like the soft action and the heavier lines throw poppers and mini-clousers with ease. The short length is also great out of the kayak.

Good luck with your choice and let us know what you get.

Lou