If I had my druthers, I would fish my 3 wt all the time, because I just enjoy it. However, when I’m on a “big fish” water, I tend to go to the heavier rod, less because I am concerned about playing the fish too long as I am afraid I might break the rod trying to get the fish in. I also fish the heavier one in a faster current, because that makes the fish heavier on the rod. Have any of you broken rods playing fish? Can I just treat my 3 like a 5 and pull them in without worrying?
herefishy, you might want to check out Buddy’s Bass Tidbits…in one of them he discusses fighting fish with light rods…
Mr. Bass Tidbit…Buddy…just talked to me about the same issue. He explained it very well. Simply put, your tippet is your weakest link. If you are using 30 pound tippet…you might could break the rod. But…with a fish on and a normal tippet…it is going to break the tippet before it breaks the rod. He has horsed in some 8 pound plus fish on a 2 wt rod.
I can’t find a thread about bass tidbits - could you give me an approximate date?
They are all over the WarmWater forum…
Here’s the one you want…
This might change your mind about using light rods.
I’ve talked to bill a couple of hours on the phone. He’ll convince you that your 3wt is not even light enough.
Herefishy,
As Jim pointed out, it’s the tippet that determines how much ‘pressure’ you can put on, and thus how ‘quickly’ you can land, a fish (given YOUR skill level, of course). Rod weight is irreleveant given equal tippet strengths and that you can BREAK the tippet with the rod.
Your three weight is fine for places like the San Juan or similar streams and rivers.
With the small flies and light tippets used there, I doubt you’d feel any difference in how you ‘fight’ a fish between a 3 and a 5. In many ways, the lighter rod is superior in such circumstances, as it flexes more easily to protect the lighter tippets.
Lots of the guides up there are going to 9’ 3 wts. for just that reason.
If you are going to be throwing #2 streamers on 0X tippets to big browns from a drift boat, then you may want a bit heavier rod.
The ‘key’ is making sure that the tippet is the weakest link, NOT your rod.
Good Luck!
Buddy
IMHO broken rods = operator error
Ceiling fans. Car doors. Nicking the rod casting clousers leading to structural failure down the road. Are the leading causes, but sometimes they break on fish too.
Most of the rods I’ve seen broken on fish occur when an angler brings the rod handle past 90 degrees relative to the fish (either vertically or horizontally) and/or when gripping the rod with the off hand too far up on the blank (if you’re trying to apply max pressure to turn a fish your off hand should be on cork, or as close to the handle as possible, not half way to the stripping guide). A lot of the breakage occurs when the fish is in close, maybe because the angles get more acute and there’s less line to stretch and absorb shocks.
As long as you watch the angle of the handle relative to the fish (keep the pumps short, not long sweeping ones) and keep your hands on cork you shouldn’t have a problem regardless of weight rod. Hooks may pull out, tippets may break and you may end up with the occassional pigtail where your knot was supposed to be, but your rod should live to fight another day.
Uhhhhh… and here’s a suggestion… when your buddy has a big fish at the boat, and you have an underwater camera and think it would be really cool to take an underwater picture by holding the camera underwater and snapping a close up of the fish… don’t use the flash… don’t ask me how I know this. Doh!
peregrines
When I pull on a 6x tippet to see how much force it takes to break it. I can’t believe any rod would break before that tippet unless you some how tried to break it by jerking it.
I fish light rods all the time, and have been scolded for using too light of tackle for the fish I am chasing. And yes, I have broken rods on fish. But every rod I broke on a fish was a result of my stupidity, not some inherent inability of the rod to deal with the size of the fish.
And if you can find a trout in NM that is too much for a skilled operator with a 3wt, let me know, I will come down and try to catch it!
But, like Buddy said, sometimes it is more appropriate to use a heavier rod, just to get the flies out to the fish.
Dennis
I should chime in on this one since I’m a light line affectionado (sp?)… I routinely fish my 3wt boo on the Deschutes and have taken redsides up o 21" on it.
There was however, one day when the hooked fish ran at me after being stung. I was backing up pulling in line as fast as I could and fell over a rock at the moment the fish chose to change direction. I lost about 3" of the tip. The fish was still attached, but my heart was in my boots and I pointed the tip at him and broke him off.
It should be noted, though, any fish can be released long distance if the angler feels a threat to his/her equipment. Simply point the stick at the fish and clamp down.
Another day, again with the 3wt, a large chinook took a #16 dry caddis (it had absolutely no business messing with a fly that small). It was along the shore, under the alders. I struck as though it was a trout. The salmon sped across the full width of the lower D in less time than it took to type these words. My reel was absolutely screaming! It was maybe 6 - 8 jumps before I pointed the rod at it, clamped the line and bid him ado. It continued jumping perhaps 5-6 more times before I lost sight of it around a bend in the stream.
I can share countless stories of large fish on light tippets in big rivers and small streams - with awareness of the consequences of lactic acid build-up and intelligence and experience from the angler, no harm will come to fish or equipment.
Did anybody read the link I posted above? Bill catches 12lb bass on his 0 weight all the time.
He says he breaks off all the time if he uses a heavier rod.
Pete,
Not to cast aspersions on Bill, as I agree with him about rod weights, but NOBODY catches 12 pound bass ‘all the time’, regardless of tackle (I know he’s caught a few, over a lifetime, but…).
Bass just don’t fight that hard. Nice to think so, since I love the darn things, but carp pull harder, so do most saltwater gamefish.
A moderately skilled angler with ANY rod wieght can land ANY bass in open water. As far as heavy cover goes, that depends on the tippet strength, skill, and luck.
Good Luck!
Buddy
I consider a three weight a “light” line rod. Lighter weight rods are ultra light (00-0-1-2)IMO. For me at least a 3 wt is about a light as I go and feel confident I can make a cast, throw some weight and fight a decent fish.
I got in trouble for making a post like this a year of so ago but a 3 wt is a more versitile rod than anything lighter, at least of the rods I own.
Where were you when we had a discussion of how hard bass fight compared to trout? The majority agreed the bass fought harder. I’ve been catching bass for over 50 years, and I always though they put up a pretty good fight.
Pete,
Bass do fight harder than trout. Especially smallmouth.
Neither compare to a carp, or any of tuna species.
A two pound tuna can swim hard enough to break 20 pound mono. Little 2 pound skipjacks have done it to me.
I can jerk and swing a 6 pound bass with a flipping stick loaded with 20 pound test, and it’s not even a contest.
Stick a 6 pound trout with a 5/0 jig hook and it will likely just roll over and play dead… 
Good Luck!
Buddy
I thought you were saying it wasn’t impressive catching a 12 lb bass on a 0 wt rod with a 6x tippet.
I believe the point he was making is if he was using a 3wt rod, he would have broke off.
I’m very tempted with a TXL 0wt rod for my type of fishing. It sure would be easy casting for my bum shoulder.
Where were you when we had a discussion of how hard bass fight compared to trout? The majority agreed the bass fought harder. I’ve been catching bass for over 50 years, and I always though they put up a pretty good fight.[/quote]
I fish for Trout primarily, but I have to say, I think trout fight A LOT harder than bass and yes I fish for them often. Bass just dive and stay down, but trout will run, shake head, jump. Pound for pound I think Trout! 
Depends on the trout. Stockers don’t impress me.
Okay I’ll bite
Smallmouth fight harder than either trout or LMB
Between trout and LMB I’d say it just different