On the general BB, we were joking about Royal Wulff showing up for a bluefish blitz with his beloved one-weight outfit. The mental picture has tickled me for days but it did start me thinking (again).
I was wondering how light an outfit my fellow pirates have fished in saltwater and what species you were trying to catch at the time. I’ve gone as light as a nine-foot, #4 weight when fishing for flounder, sand dabs, and sand sharks. How about you!
You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it’s a real short camping season.
8 wt. is as light as i’d go where i fish. though we catch mostly schoolies, i want to be prepared if that 48 inch striper takes the fly (which has happened to two friends, both of whom landed the fish!)
In the mid/late 70’s I use to fish with an old beat-up glass 6wt with a medalist reel. I “knew better” than to use a good fly rod in the salt.
At the time I hadn’t heard of anyone seriously fly fishing salt water. I only did it because I always fished with a fly rod.
7 wt. Caught quite a few nice redfish too. But as my partner in crime stated, I’m just waiting for that fifty pound red to whack the devil outa my light rod, so I primarily fish my 9 x 9.
From the beach a 5-wt Lamiglass Glass rod to chase resident Coho and Sea Run Cutts with. Only do this on occations And that is due to the fact that rod is often in the truck and ready to go. I also use a St Criox SW-6WT for the same type of fishing, when the trip is more planed out as well as chasing Pink Salmon. Most of the time from the boat or kayak its the 8-WT for those times just in case I hook into a large King or Tyee to take me for a ride.
I’ve gone as low as 7 wt. and will not go any lower. Most all of my salt water fishing is on shallow water flats and the fish are always released. I take no pride at all in fighting a prized flats fish on a too light rod only to release it to a certain death to sharks or the elements in a weakened condition…get them in and release them to fight another day, that’s my opinion.
On any trip to the flats, I take along a 3 or 4 weight. During the evenings it’s fun to play around the beach and docks, catching snapper, ladyfish, pinfish, etc.
There is a guide down in texas who specializes in pursuing redfish with ultralight rods. Can’t remember his name, but ESPN did a story on him a few years back.
Use an “ought” sometimes for jacksmelt. Otherwise I guess it would be a 3wt we tossed together. Pestered halibut, rays (incidental to the halli’s), Carcinero, baby roosters, bonito, chicken dorado, ballyhoo, small yellowtails, blue rockfish, schoolie stripers, and maybe a few other forgotten stuff on the 3wt.
…lee s.
Most of the time I use a 9 wt,but I do use a 5 wt RPLXi with a fighting butt for early season schoolies. Then I bump up to the 7 for a while.
When the chance to hit the big one Micus talked about is possible then I use the 9 almost exclusively unless it is one of those small fish days on a flat then back to the 7 if there is no wind.
On the beach it’s fun to catch pompano, ladyfish, jacks, snook & sea trout on a #6 Orvis Trident. Has to be a 5 to 10 mph wind forecast or less, otherwise it’s too much like work. For the probability of larger fish & 10 to 15 or 20 mph winds, only an #8 or #9 will do ! Considered taking the #4 or #5 weight for fun because they are short rods, just never got around to it; primarily couldn’t decide what reel would balance with 150 yards of backing !
If RW would loan me his 1 wt I would try it. But for the most part I am 9x9 and larger.
We have some grunts and pinfish here that would be a lot of fun on small tackle, but they are the major bait fish around here. I once caught a small pinfish and before I could land it he grew into a huge snook, took about 20 minutes to land that monster.
I saw a man fishing once in brackish water. He was bass fishing, a huge tarpon decided his bass lure looked good enough to eat and the fight began. I learned a lot of new words that day. The tarpon destroyed the peace on that boat and I had the time of my life sitting about 75 yards away and watching this poor over matched fisherman try to land this huge fish with bass tackle. The fish won and the fisherman
lost his patience, his lure, about 100 yards of fishing line, and I learned a lot of words I cannot use. But man was that fun to watch. Poor guy sat down and looked like he was crying. That must have been the largest fish he had ever had on his tackle.
Yup I’ll use ole RW’s one wt if he will let me.
I wonder if I could cast one without breaking it. I might have to borrow some 4 wts and 3wts and 2wts to work my way down. Oh well maybe one day.
Break out your 3-5 weight take a sabiki rig and cut it into eight or ten flies then fish these for pin or pig fish. your bait asting buddies will love the supply of frisky bait and you’ll have a ball. Keep an eye out though since at times a biggger and much too frisky Mullet will hit these and then it’s an all out war for a few.
Second is to a small but flashy fly for Ladyfish and for them no smaller than a five seems to work best.
Good Fishing
Chuck Scheerschmidt
“I’ve traveled a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.”
I use a 5wt Winston XTR for Croakers and Weakies in the back but usually my out front I use 10wts and higher mostly. I don’t like wind and forage size to stop me from fishing effectively.