Just a poll to see what rod weight most use for all panfish(bream,crappie,white bass)and the size flies you use with the rod.I have been using a four for some time mostly with beadhead nymphs in a size 10-16 and poppers to a size 10,small clousers in a size 10 for crappie and white bass.As you see in the for sale forum i have a five weight setup that i was going to try with flies to a size 6 but i simply have too much right now to use and i have to make a decision as to keep it and line it up or buy another 4 and look to sell the outfit later,i have been eyeing that sage vt2 7’9" 4 weight on sale nearly everywhere but am not sure of the action of that rod,i prefer a med-fast to fast rod.
Hello Thomas,
When I panfish I generally use my 8 1/2 ft 4 wt or my 7 ft 3wt.The deciding factor is how strong the wind is blowing and whether or not the area has heavy weed/aquatic vegetation.
regards,
Gerri
I use rods 2 through 5 weight depending on how much wind there is and how snaggy is the water. I prefer to go with a nine or ten foot rod.
As far as hook size for gills 8 - 14 and for crappie 2 to 14.
Tim
2-5wt rods. My go-to setup is a 7’6" 3-wt. I fish size 8 to 12 for gills and 4 to 12 for crappie and whites. White bass and crappie will eat stuff bigger than size 4, and I wouldn’t hesitate throwing bigger stuff at them at all!
My fave for pans is my 8ft 3wt, but I always drag my beloved 9ft 5wt with me everywhere too. I fish either depending on water, wind, etc. Though I have an extra spool with full sink on it for my 5wt and that makes switching out easier too.
I generally use a 5 or 6-weight rod, I generally use size 8-12 flies. I don’t usually go smaller than size 12 in an effort to keep 'gills from swallowing them completely.
Ed
I have Superfine 3wt and 4wt rods, but recently got a Hexagraph 6’-6" 2wt, and it is really nice. Action similar to a full flex Superfine, but slightly slower. Lots of power, and will throw a #8 (have not tried bigger) wooley with authority. Also has the backbone to pull an 18" bow out of Taneycomo (obviously not exactly the normal rod to fish Taneycomo) but had to try it.
Reason mainly for the post as i don’t get as much free time now with my 3 year old daughter,i pulled out my issues of flyfisherman magizine and was reading the article on big bull gills and the author stated his friends used 2,3 weights but he felt these rods were for minisual bream and he used a 6-7 weight for the flies he used!i would have always said that i felt a six weight was for smallies and a eight for bass.I have always had the rule,8 weight heavy action,7 med-hvy,6 med,5 med-light,4 light and 3 weight ultralite.As you can see i am judging these in relation to conventional tackle rods so to speak,rods 2 weight and under i feel are more intended to small streams for trout rather than warmwater panfish.
Here’s an older thread you might enjoy looking through:
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/showthread.php?12447-Rod-wt-for-Bluegill-and-Crappie
I just happened to read that same article a couple of nights ago. He had also narrowed his flies down to one (pretty much.) It was a sinking fly similar to a girdle bug.
To get a better fight from the fish, I go with a longer rod rather than a lighter rod.
My usual go to rod is a 4wt, but I love using my 2wt and 3wt with a popper on any of them.
TT.
I have a loomis glx in 7’ 3weight and have used it for bream but have since stopped because this model loomis is no longer made and hate for it to get broke due to a bream
but when using it with a rio grand line it would barely turn over a #10 popper and was much better with a small palsa indicator and small nymph,now the 7’6" glx 4 weight i
have will turn over same said popper alot easier,but again this rod is also discontinued and i rarely use it panfishing either.If my St Croix outfit does not sell i will go ahead and
line her up and try it,the time for bream in the south is quickly approaching and if it sells i will look into that sage vt2 4 weight as its replacement.
The majority of my rods (and certainly the ones that get used most) are 5wts. Its overkill for some places I fish, but in places where the bluegills average at least 8", sometimes it barely seems enough!
I generally throw #12-#8 flies for bluegills, and #10-#6 for crappies. For white bass I’ll go up to a #2, and…I haven’t really decided what my biggest would be for bass is yet…but typically I’ll go with #8-#2 for them.
Since most places I fish for bluegills and crappies ALSO have bass and channel catfish (and some have white bass too), its nice to have a rod that can handle most of those. Plus, the 5wt can cast a fairly broad range of fly sizes. I move up to a 6wt for casting heavier/wind resistant bass/white bass flies, and a 7 or 8wt for carp.
I’m considering a shorter 4wt for trout streams in NE Iowa, but will probably just use a 8’6" 5wt for that, too.
Normally have used a 4 weight, with a 2 weight as a close second. I just got a 3 weight, and think I’ll use it more once I get it set up to fish.
I have 3 rods I like:
- 6’ 6" 2wt for small panfish close to shore usually in the local urban ponds
- For shore or wading and medium to large panfish I like the 7’ 9" 5wt
- In the larger impoundments I pull out the Float Tube and 9’ 5wt.
I use any fly that seems appropriate - If I see surface action then small dries, Shallow lake I go to a slow sink, Deeper lake I move to a faster sink line.
It’s all great -> main goal is just enjoy the good gifts God gives us 
I use a 6’6" 3 weight fiberglass or a 7’11" Orvis superfine 4 weight the most. If I am fishing where I know I’m going to get hit a lot by big bass I do take a 6 weight.
My “go to” is my St Croix pre IPC 8’ 3wt Legend Ultra. Then it’s a virtual tie between my Joe Valencic gifted 6’6" 2wt & my St Croix pre IPC 8’ 4wt LU. Those old LUs are absolute cannons in the wind, yet they are sensitive as can be. I overlined my “Joe 2wt” with a 3wt double taper line & it handles like a dream on calm days. My flies of choice generally range from size 8 to 16 with 12 & 14 being the sizes most often fished on the 3 & 4 wts & 14 & smaller on the 2wt.
Mike
I use a 6wt most often. 1 to 2lb bluegill are quite common in the waters I fish most for them and those waters also have a lot of brush, stickups, tules to get wrapped up on. Too many fish hooked on 3 and 4 wts have been lost in that type of structure due to an inability to quickly turn the fish from cover. These rods are fine in more open water. I run into quite a few bass also in the same water. Were smaller fish are common I will use a 2, 3 or 4wt.
My favorite 'gill rods currently are a TFO TiCrX r 7’6" 6wt. Also the Cabelas GGR 5/6wt. Another is an old Sage 7’9" 6wt “Youth Rod” and a St. Croix Premier 7’6" 6wt.
I have a 1 wt that works if the wind is not blowing. Go with 3 wts or 5 wts for the rest.
Flies for gills are size 10 to 22. Crappie size 6 to 14.
Rick
My got to rod is my Manchester custom 5’2" 2pc 5wt bamboo but I also have a7’6" 4wt glass, a 9’ 7wt wright mcgill (old one) glass, 9ft 5/6wt graphite and a 9’ 8wt that I use. If in the canoe or on open banks I use the 9’ rods quite a bit. I like the 8wt for tossing bi hairy bass or musky bugs.
For panfish my flies range from 2-20. You guys who are not fishing #16-#20 dries like the black gnat or moose main mosquito for gills are missing a lot of fun especially with the lighter rods. Try it and see how many fish you catch when the evening rise is on. If you don’t have a ticker on you loosing count is almost a sure thing.