Hello, first posting after a bit of lurking. I need some recomendations on a 6wt that will serve me well for gills, large mouth and smallies.
I would like to pick up somthing used via message boards or feebay so I’m not ruling out any older model rods either.
I like throwing larger pattern crawfish, clousers…but the smallies in are local rivers run 12" to 14" so I’d like to steer clear of the whole 7wt thing.
Mike
I’ve hauled in," Things From The Deep" with much less than a 6wt.
You should be able to pull to shore what you want with any brand of 6wt. Given your parameters. And yeah, the smallies are great on a fly rod.
What are you lookin’ for in performance etc…
I’m just making sure I can chop it in the car door or leave it in the forest (yeah once…but I was chasing after the kids too…) and not worry about the replacement cost. 
You might want other things your fly rod can do?
Welcome aboard Mike. Might I suggest that you fill out your profile a bit more? You might find someone from this site that lives close and can offer a loaner till you make a final decision. For me, I have a champaign taste with a beer budget. I would choose a Sage Z-Axis but I bought a W. W. Grigg, 9’ 4 piece 6 weight GPX. The rod works just fine and only cost $59 about 2 years ago.
Again, welcome aboard.
If you can find a good used Scott Heliply 6wt, it is a great smallie rod. Good backbone and is tough as nails.
Take a look at the revamped Orvis Clearwater II series. I have the 9’, 4-pc, 6wt and absolutely love it. New it’s $189.00.
Welcome to the board!
I do quite a bit of smallie fishing and i’ve gone to using the two-hand rods for them. The main reason was that I could use a slightly, lighter rod (since the average fish in my favorite river is around 12") but I can use a heavier line, to help propel the larger heavier patterns I use. It’s worked out extremely well. The two handers I use are an 11’9" 4wt Echo DH series and a TFO Pro 11’ 5wt. You don’t have to “spey” cast them. Overhead casting works with them just fine.
As far as single hand rods go…there’s a ton of them. Especially, if you’re also looking at discontinued models. The Sage’s are my favorite. LoTech mentioned the Z-Axis, which is an amazing rod, as was the XP. Give us an idea what price range, style of rod, etc., and we can probably be more specific.
Hey Airborn Mike, I got a 1rst shirt brother in the Marines who just started to e-mail me with similar concerns…lol If I come across a stash of rods I’ll let you know, other than that, let me welcome you aboard, great place here, I’m sure you’ll find everything you need…
Tim
I’m a smallmouth bass junkie…and routinely fish them w/ a 6wt too.
I’ve went thru more 6wt’s than I care to mention but only 1 has stayed in my boat, the St Croix Legend Ultra 906-4. Far-n-away my favorite 6wt. Enough backbone to throw some big poppers but will double as a big river trout rod with enough sensitivity to lay a #16 dry fly out there (with the right line for both).
USA made and affordable (around 300 bucks).
Good luck!
As Daniel J said, you should be able to pull in 12 - 14 in. smallies with any 6 wt. I’ve pulled in much larger smallies with a Sage SLT 6 wt. and I’ve pulled in 12 - 14 in. smallies on rods down to 3 wt. (haven’t tried anything lighter). When I am specifically targeting smallies in that size range or slightly larger, I prefer to use my 6 wt.
My favorite 6wt for SMB so far is a Sage 690-4 RPL.Great casting rod that also does fine for light saltwater.I can echo what dunfly says about the Scott Heliply 6wt.Picked one up this spring and its a very capable rod.Hasnt seen SMB yet but does great in the salt.
I’ve been using a Scott A2 9’ 6wt for a lot of my smallie fishing when wading around NC/TN. Super sweet rod. Broke it a few weeks ago and just got it back yesterday. I’m heading to the water this weekend and it’s coming with me.
I’ve got a line on aused one right now, thanks Darrin.
Mike
I’ve got the Decho 4wt its still not out of the case, what line are you tossing with it, Ive heard airflo 40+ in 6wt? The Dechos 11’9" length has me concerned as far as stripping streamers in, I’ll try it out this evening.
The Beulah switch I have is an 8/9 I enjoy casting it for bronze but its way overkill. I was think’n of getting there 4/5 switch for this.
Ive got a line on a couple used z-axis 6wts just wait’n to pull the trigger. Never owned an XP hows it measure up compared to the z-axis? theres a lot of used ones on the market right now tempting me.
mike
price-$300.00-$500.00
Used fairly new one to two years old examples.
I’m throw’n around an old Orvis Rockymountain so anything will be an improvement.
I like the idea of a fighting butt for what I’ll be using this for.
Great site thanks for all the help.
Mike
I’ve been using a 340 grain SA, Skagit line on it and it handles that very well. I haven’t tried any WF’s on it, yet but I will be soon. I think it’s the 7wt. 40+, that people have been using on it. That, plus a 10’ sinking poly is suppose to work very well. I haven’t found stripping streamers with it, to be a problem. It’s a little more awkward than a single hander but not bad at all (provided the reel balances it out).
I’ve heard great things about the Beulah’s but I agree that an 8/9 would be a bit much.
IMHO, the Z-Axis is a better casting rod, than the XP, although I did prefer the feel of the XP’s. Both are great rods, able to handle a wide variety of flies and conditions. You can’t go wrong with either series.
If you decide to go new, in the price range you mentioned, I would check out:
Sage’s FLi and VT-2, St Croix’s Ultra and Avid, Loomis’s GL3, East Fork and Experience. That should give you a good starting point.
i use a 10’ sage XP for my stream smallie action as well as light steelhead. it works great and has plenty of umph!!! to land just about anyhting i throw at it
I also have had quite a few smallmouth flyrods.
What I have found:
A CPS Redington is the best value for a high end X Fast rod. $300 but it is lighter than the LU of the FLi
A 4pc 9’ 6wt CPS is only 3.4oz. A beautiful green color with the best cork of any rod.
A Orvis Clearwater II 4pc 9’ 6wt is only 3.25oz. But the cork isn’t as good and a med fast action. $189!! A beautiful black grey finish and very forgiving to cast.
I have several St Croixs, a Sage FLi, a Redington CPS and one Orvis Clearwater II. Even though the cheapest, I like my Clearwater the best.
Only prob when you purchase used rods… they don’t have the new technology. I bought a new Avid when they came out with IPS… my old style Avid was half price… for a new one.
Orvis has come up with a new scrim technology to make the rods lighter than any other. Light is good IMHO! The lighter the better!
They are my two favs for sure. If I had big bucks to spend, I would get a Z-Axis or a Helios… Now those rods are so light you can’t feel them in your hand!!! And both are fast action with a wonderful cast.
7 beans for a rod is a bit much… maybe next year.
Thanks guys lots of good recomendations here, much appreciated.
take a look at the sage smallmouth bass series, i use it as a streamer rod for bull trout in alberta, and it’s awesome
I posed the same question last year here on this forum. The answer that worked for me was a 9 foot 6 weight built on a matrix blank, lined with a 7 weight bass taper. The rod isn’t too much to fight the little guys, plenty to fight the big ones, and the heavier line will launch even the heaviest clouser minnow, deceiver type, or deer hair diver. It truly is a cannon. I have fished this setup all season, it fits the bill for river fishing for smallmouth to a tee. Swap out the bass taper, for an intermediate 6 weight line for deeper water, or a 6 weight floater for big river trouting.