Fly Rod Outfit For Bass ?

[ChrisD46]

Anyone fly fish for bass - poppers , or streamers ?

Years ago living in Florida I used a heavy fly outfit to throw deer hair poppers and streamers with success for bass - then got away from it due to work , relocation , etc.

Providing you have room for a back cast and not too windy - could DEFINATELY be a little used tactic for bass they never see !

Back in the day fly fish pros like : Joe Brooks , Stu Apt and Lefty Kreh were pioneers of  fly fishing for salt water game fish with GREAT success mainly due to the fish never seeing such lures before presented in that fashion  ... I'm just saying .

[flyfisher]

I know i do  I have two primary outfits for bass, a 7wt and a Sage Bass II largemouth rod which is somewhere around a 10wt or so with a specific line that is more like a shooting head than your traditional fly line.  Both serve their purpose for me and do a good job.  I prefer the Sage rod when I am fishing anything super wind resistant, it is windy or I am fishing heavier cover like lilly pads but the 7wt is nice in almost all the other situations i encounter.  I also have an intermediate sinking line that i use on the 7wt for when i want to go a little deeper than about 5-6 feet or want to use non weighted flies with a deeper presentation.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

For bass in and around cover an 8' 8wt with floating line is a good setup. Add a split shot to streamers if you need to. It works. I catch them on an all around 5wt but avoid real heavy cover.

[flyfisher]

Cover and fly size will definitely dictate what size rod you want to use as well.  I used to fish for everything from native brookies to smallies and carp on my 4wt and while it worked, it makes it much more enjoyable and not as much "chuck & duck" type casting when using the bigger weighted flies, to have the appropriate weight fly rod. Only you will know that though

[Flywatersmallie]

I have a closet full of fly rods and fish them hard for bass. A 7 or 8 weight is about perfect to throw those bulky bass flies. Lately I have been experimenting with a switch rod. Smallies get most of my fly rod attention and there is often not a lot of room to make a back cast on some of these rivers up here. The switch rod is ideal, I am surprised more aren't doing this as well

[LMB KING]

I love fishing for bass on big fly's. I use 8wt outfit. The sage bass 2 rods that is 7'11 foot and any good reel.

[ChrisD46]

Thanks for the replies !! Yes , a 7 or 8 weight line is what I was expecting .

Would love to hear line , rod and reel opinions as a :  "best value / best buy" under $200 ~ $250 as I am on a budget and can't afford the really nice $450 - $500 outfits . Lastly , where you buy your supplies online ?

[LMB KING]

Ebay or craigslist. Redington makes cheap priced but high quality products. They also have combos in the $200 or less. Comes with flyline, leader and backing.

[ChrisD46]

Back in the day , Cortland floating weight forward fly line was all I knew and threw ...Time to ask for updates !!

 

* What are good , easy care floating fly lines with good ratings today in a #7 or #8 weight  ?

* Suggestions for a good , two piece ,   bass action fly rod (approx. 8 ft.)  that will be in the $100 ~ $150 range ?

* Suggestion for a decent fly reel in the $50 ~ $75 range

* What to use for backing ?  Braid , mono or some special backing just for fly reels ?

 

Thanks in advance ...

[LMB KING]

theirs a good deal deal right now on cabela's L-Tech rods for $160, cant beat that price for a high quality rod, it even has recoil guides. TFO also makes probably the best performance per the money rods on the market. The TFO signature 2 rods are about $130 Lifetime warranty. Reels - you can get any brand you desire. I prefer redington reels or cabela's wind river reel on sale on for $19.99. I personally use Regular original 20 pound PowerPro braid. Note - i use my reel in saltwater as well thats why i use 20# but you can use lighter backing. In my opinion an 8wt is very versatile. I also use weight forward floating fly line - very versatile with a 8 to 10 foot mono 10 to 20 pound leader depending on what i'm targeting. For my higher end expensive fly reels, i only use TIBOR REELS. 

[Kevin22]

Check out cabelas, a month or so back they had almost all of their fly kits on sale. Great rods, I have one in 3wt and it is fantastic. I wanted to get an 8wt for bass but I decided that was a hobby that i just could not take on this year. 

[Flywatersmallie]

Orvis Encounter combos... Come with everything but the flies for $159.

 

http://www.orvis.com/encounter-fly-rods

 

I've got a few of them, the reel is fine with a reasonable drag but the rod and line perform well beyond their price point

[ChrisD46]

Thanks for the replies to date (LMB King & others) : So far I have found a decent reel in the Okuma Large Arbor SLV series for $45.

Next a TFO , Cabelas or *Redington would make the short list to consider . What brand of fly line are you using ?

 

*Redington RS3 gets a lot of praise as a "best value" #7/8 rod but it appears to be discontinued ?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

In fly fishing you're casting the line as opposed to the bait so don't scrimp on your fly line purchase. I'd start with a modest rod until you develop your own casting style and stroke. Then you can pick a rod with a complimentary action. No need for an expensive reel but I like one that allows for interchanging cartridges so you can spool it with different line and not need multiple reels.

[LMB KING]

Yep, Its discontinue. On rods i would pay more that a reel unless your fighting fish that makes long runs. A rod is very important so try to spend more on a rod. I would consider the cabela's L-Tech rod on sale now for $160 or redington voyant or TFO Lefty Kreh signature series 2. for $130. You can still go on ebay or craigslist and search for high quality rods for cheap just make sure that they come with lifetime warranty.

[ChrisD46]

Yep, Its discontinue. On rods i would pay more that a reel unless your fighting fish that makes long runs. A rod is very important so try to spend more on a rod. I would consider the cabela's L-Tech rod on sale now for $160 or redington voyant or TFO Lefty Kreh signature series 2. for $130. You can still go on ebay or craigslist and search for high quality rods for cheap just make sure that they come with lifetime warranty.

Thanks - I will look into these options !

[F14A-B]

I used a 6 but a 3 w would really make it a battle!

I saw Roland M. Catch a over 10 on the big o in about 80...I really enjoyed catching bluegills with it... But my 6 weights were overpowering to me.(for gills & average bass) my opinion only...

Good luck...

[Mike2841]

What size leaders are you guys using for bass

[LMB KING]

I use a 20 to 30 pound fluorocarbon leader for bass.

[WV Mojo]

I use a Cabelas LSI 8wt, Scientific Anglers bass line, Cabelas Prestige reel. For a leader I use 30" of 50# mono, 30" of 30# mono, 24" of 15# mono as a tippet.