One of the best tips I ever got on this board and one that increased my pleasure in bass fishing 10 fold, I got from Buddy. He convinced me to switch from the “conventional wisdom” propounded by Dave Whitlock and others that using an 8wt. for bass was the way to go to using a 3 or 4 wt. I took Buddy’s advice and I’ve been throwing big bass bugs on 3 and 4 wt rigs for the last 2 or 3 years and loving it. Trust me, make the switch and you’ll be happy you did. Much more fun. What do you think? Am I wrong? Right? Don’t know? Don’t care?
Robert
I use a six weight. I just use scientific anglers bass bug taper if I want to throw big flies. I’ve also used an 8 and and 10 for bass. I have caught bass from 1lb. - 4lb. on my 4 weight while fishing for crappie and gills. “As long as you know how to play the fish, ude what ever rod you want!” That is what I say.
Robert: Agree. I use my 9 foot 3 wt whenever I can on those bass. Have caught a couple that would go close to 5 lbs. They are extra fun on that rod.
Tim Anderson
I don’t find the “fight” of a LM to be especially taxing for ANY weight rod. We have tossed to’em with top-water stuff useing an ought to a ten weight. :?
We do find other challenges to LM pestering that, for us, are better addressed with heavier gear. 
However, we need to check the last box in your survey. :lol:
…lee s.
I use an 8wt.
I don’t need it to throw poppers, I need it for the waters that I fish.
I like to fish the weed choked little ponds in my area, spots where bassin’ guys fear to go.
When a bass hits a popper in these kind of places you’ve got to get control immediately. A rod with some backbone will help you turn a fish better then a light rod. If you try to “play” the fish on a light rod, you’ll end up with nothing but a ball of weeds on your hook.
I fish for river smallmouth with a light rod, but in the weeds an 8wt is the right tool for the job.
I agree. I have caught bass in clear water on a 3wt using smaller flys. But if there is any cover, or wind, which we get allot here in the Midwest, it makes no sense to me to try and throw a big fly on a light rod. I don’t consider myself any less the fisherman/sportsman when I uncase the 8wt. But to each his own.
I’ve never tried the bass bug taper on my 4 weight… but based on the comments above I think I will.
I do throw some smaller bugs and streamers with my 4 wt when I can, but I find the section of the Shenandoah that I fish is frequently windy enough to demand a 7 or 8 wt.
I use a 6 wt for small mouth. Mainly because the streams I am fishing are fairly small. Last time I was on a lake for LMB I threw bass bugs on a 7 wt. I found that it throws them pretty good. But there are some casts that I would make longer if I could. This winter, I bought a 9 wt to use for larger water LMB fishing and throwing larger bugs.
So for me it’s 6,7 or 9 depending on the water I am fishing and the size fly I plan on throwing.
wayne
Used to do the 8wt rods and lines for the big, wind resistant, ugly, deerhair bugs. Even then I felt underpowered. Started playing around with heavier lines on my lighter rods and presto. With a big wind resistant bug you need the heavier mass of the heavier line to pull it though the air, not the heavy rod.
Now I use 7 and 10 weight lines but three and six weight rods, for the largest flies. Still use lighter lines with the lighter flies. I am not concerned about rod backbone because all you have to do is point your rod at the fish palm the reel or not give the fish any line and that fish is going nowhere, unless you snap your leader or bend your hooks out.
My eight weight rarely ever comes out any more, it used to be pretty pathetic landing a sunfish on an eight weight.
http://www.byrdultrafly.com/ulmyths.htm
http://www.byrdultrafly.com/ulmyths2.htm
I use an Orvis Clear Water 9’ 8wt. There are big toothy critters like muskies in the waters I fish for bass. So, if I am bass bugging it, I use the 8wt.
Down south here, the bass tend to run to the ‘big bruiser’ stage, and are ususally in or near heavy cover. This necesitates the use of 8 wt and up. I use a Scientific Angler 8 wt with a butt extension.
Semper Fi!
No right or wrong here. It’s personal preference. I use a 6 or 7 wt, primarily because of the way I rig 'em. I almost always use furled leaders, & my 3 wt & 'boo always has 6x or 7x tippet, 5 wt has 5x, sometimes 6x, & my “big boys”, the 6 & 7 wts are rigged with 3x or stronger (steelies). I say fish with what you are comfortable & have fun!
Mike
‘tuber
Are you sayin’ that you use 6x and 7x tippet for bass?
Why?
When I am intentionally fishing for big LMB in areas with lots of brush and old trees, I use two, nine-foot, nine-weight rods. I can throw BIG flies and lures, jerk fish out of heavy cover and easily toss 70+ foot casts. That being said, I have caught a lot bass on my four weights, and on my one and two weights while fishing for brim. The bass on the lighter rods were generally smaller fish but they were a definite BLAST. I also lost a fair number of these fish because I couldn’t turn them away from brush, riprap and downed trees. There are clearly good points for either heavy or light rods—the choice is yours. 8T 
Dudley,
No, I’m sorry…I see that I didn’t explain. The rods with 6x & 7x tippet are definitely my panfish & stream trout rods. Of course, I occasionally do hook bass on them & that’s a hoot, but bass are definitely my targets when I am using the light stuff.
Mike
I regularly throw 1/0 and larger deer hair/foam bugs with my 4 weight into headwinds. I can also chunk those heavy streamers with the giant dumbbell heads a pretty good distance too; it just comes down to taking it very carefully with such a light rod. Double hauling is pretty much out of the question, as it seems to put too much stress on the rod. The trick I use is to sidearm with the fly as low to the water as I can keep it.
I only do this because I generally fish large areas for gills, but I’ll come on a spot that looks like prime bass area, or I’ll see bass rolling on the surface and quickly tie on the fly.
The biggest problem is getting the fish in, rather than casting. Good luck keeping a 4lb bass out of structure with a 4wt and 5x tippet, lol.
This is a great line of conversation. I venture out with a 5WT and an 8Wt. I generally chase BGs with my 5WT but when I see a Big Bass I bring up the 8Wt.
I have lost many bass on the 5WT because I could not control the fish. With the 8WT I have been able to land more fish and cast further.
I guess it is just a matter of what works for you. I guess I could also do do it with a 6WT or 7WT. But I was following Whitlock’s recommendation and thought I could also use it in the Salt.
Once again great comments.
biggest bass i ever caught wa on a 2 wt and a #10 Wolly Bugger. Having said that, I enjoy throwing hamster sized top water bugs into thick cover from time to time. For that a 8 wt is the right tool.
This has been interesting . . . . I will admit though that my biggest bass, a striper, was caught on a 4wt. It was 27 inches long and was hard to control. Luckily it was in a small river and it could not spool me. I was trout fishing in a tail water, and saw a school of stripers. I broke the leader back to a heavier section and tied on a clouser. The rodeo was on . . .