The Birth Of 10-Foot Bass Rods...

[Further North]

On 9/27/2016 at 10:23 AM, J Francho said:

9' Fly rods (mayfly hatches have happened during tournaments)

I'll bet...I was in Canada the last week in June one year...ran into the mayfly hatch...and the mayfly hatch up there leaves rafts of mayflies everywhere...

Id' brought along a 6 wt. fly rod for poppers...happened to have some decent sized mayflies in a fly box tucked into the bottom of a bag I had along...

I caught a lot of smallies...Most people didn't catch much of anything...

On 9/27/2016 at 2:36 PM, J Francho said:

They did.

I know quite a few kayak bassers that catch pigs on the fly.  Generally, they're using at least an 8 wt (not a buggy whip!) fast taper rod to put a big popper frog right in the same spot in a field of slop or pads.  Drop it on the spot, twitch it, false cast, drop it back.  There's no other way as efficient.  A conventional casting rig has to be reeled in, bait cleaned off, re-cast past the spot, and reeled into the target area, rinse, repeat.

SSSSHHHH!   Don't tell anyone...but you're dead on here.  I can hip more spots faster with a surface fly on a fly rod than anyone with casting/spinning rig can.

Not having to crank it all the way back is huge...and with smallies in particular...after you move the fly about ft. without a hit...it's time to pick it up and put it back down.

To be fair, fishing a fly subsurface is a whole 'nother animal.  You have to strip it most of the way in, false cat to get you line back out, then cast again...for toothy fish you need to be even closer....

...but you can do stuff with a sub-surface fly than you can do with any lure.

[Further North]

On 9/27/2016 at 2:39 PM, Turkey sandwich said:

Even with my 8wt, I see myself cursing A LOT trying to do this.  

Practice, practice, practice...

For me the key was learning I didn't have to throw every cast a mile and a half....

On 9/27/2016 at 2:46 PM, Turkey sandwich said:

Punching is a lot of fun, but I would love to have that kind of confidence growing big flies.  Big flies hate me.  (Read: I suck at casting big poppers and giant streamers)

Two things:

Use enough rod, and use the right line.

Your 8 wt. is just fine, but get a line designed for big flies.  A short head, designed to turn over big poppers is killer...

...and for streamers in particular, dump the idea of a long tapered leader.  Most of my bass/pike/musky leaders are 4 to 6 feet of level line (often heavy line - 20# - 50# fluoro leader) with a couple feet of lighter line or tieable wire.  You don't want or need finesse with bass or pike, you want to make that fly look like it fell off a cliff...

I've been known to to use 6 ft. of 16# fluoro tied right to a fly...

On 9/27/2016 at 3:14 PM, Turkey sandwich said:

I had no idea this was done.  I would love to see some for, of this happen again - with legit fly anglers.  

Are you implying there are illegitimate fly anglers?

[Further North]

On 9/27/2016 at 4:29 PM, blckshirt98 said:

I fish with a couple of 8'6" and 9' salmon/steelhead rods mainly for the surf, and the extra length definitely comes in handy. Not sure what the new "bass specific" long rods will have that current salmon/steelhead models don't already have but I'm sure there's going to be plenty of people opening up their wallet for a shiny new rod.  Punching/flipping? I also bet they go two piece with an offset ferrule point closer to the handle (like the St. Croix Mojo Surf or Shimano Expride) so that you have an 8 foot blank with a 2 foot base/handle it attaches to.

Interesting sidebar: St. Croix just introduced a new fly rod (the SOLE) that is the inverse of that.  Two piece with along butt section and short tip section.  I am anxious to try one...

[Further North]

On 9/28/2016 at 9:40 AM, J Francho said:

A 13' Avid centerpin rod (for salmon and steelhead) weighs 5.9 oz. and is rated for baits up to 4 oz.  The 15' version (I've used this rod, and its extremely well balanced with the reel about 9" from the end of the butt) is 6.8 oz.  I have no doubt rod builders and mass manufacturers will no problem applying what they know about these longer rods to bass fishing rods.  I think as bass anglers, we live in a bubble.  Our rods are short, even at 8' by many other standards.

Yup...I've got a 9 ft. !0 wt. St. Croix Legend X fly rod that weighs 5.6 oz.  The Legend Elite 10 wt. is only 4.7 oz.

I have a 9 ft. Scott 8 wt. that is under 4 oz.

The technology is there.

[Turkey sandwich]

1 hour ago, Further North said:

Practice, practice, practice...

For me the key was learning I didn't have to throw every cast a mile and a half....

Two things:

Use enough rod, and use the right line.

Your 8 wt. is just fine, but get a line designed for big flies.  A short head, designed to turn over big poppers is killer...

...and for streamers in particular, dump the idea of a long tapered leader.  Most of my bass/pike/musky leaders are 4 to 6 feet of level line (often heavy line - 20# - 50# fluoro leader) with a couple feet of lighter line or tieable wire.  You don't want or need finesse with bass or pike, you want to make that fly look like it fell off a cliff...

I've been known to to use 6 ft. of 16# fluoro tied right to a fly...

Are you implying there are illegitimate fly anglers?

Well, until I stop sucking at the streamer thing... 

 

My 8 tweet is an Orvis Recon and I'm using Orvis's Bass floating line.  Without the larger streamers and poppers, I'm able to shoot a solid 55-65' consistently.  I should also be using a short leader for my poppers, right?

[Further North]

Just now, Turkey sandwich said:

Well, until I stop sucking at the streamer thing... 

 

My 8 tweet is an Orvis Recon and I'm using Orvis's Bass floating line.  Without the larger streamers and poppers, I'm able to shoot a solid 55-65' consistently.  I should also be using a short leader for my poppers, right?

That's what I do...but it's a short, stiff leader.

...I almost hate giving specific advice because it's likely my casting style is different from yours.

I tend towards fast fly rods, and I tend to try to throw too hard.

55' - 65' is fine.  Little need to throw any further than that in fresh water.

[Turkey sandwich]

Off to practice casting tomorrow morning, then...

[soflabasser]

On 9/28/2016 at 11:10 AM, hunterPRO1 said:

I have never in my life even considered over 7'6" for a bass rod.

 

As has been said already about the money.

^^This^^

[Further North]

10 minutes ago, Turkey sandwich said:

My 8 tweet is an Orvis Recon and I'm using Orvis's Bass floating line.  Without the larger streamers and poppers, I'm able to shoot a solid 55-65' consistently.

I just looked up that line (if you're using this one: http://www.orvis.com/p/hydros-bass/2ase   )

I've never tried an Orvis Recon, so I can't speak to how the rod would feel to me.

Some rods are "finicky" and the right line will make all the difference in the world, others seem to be happy with about anything.

I look for a solid, positive load so that I'm less likely to start the forward cast to soon...but again, everyone is so different...it's hard to explain.

[soflabasser]

On 9/28/2016 at 6:03 PM, Bass Turd said:

 

I have seen this video before,the main guy in the video is known for catching lots of big bass with this style of fishing. 

[Turkey sandwich]

39 minutes ago, Further North said:

I just looked up that line (if you're using this one: http://www.orvis.com/p/hydros-bass/2ase   )

I've never tried an Orvis Recon, so I can't speak to how the rod would feel to me.

Some rods are "finicky" and the right line will make all the difference in the world, others seem to be happy with about anything.

I look for a solid, positive load so that I'm less likely to start the forward cast to soon...but again, everyone is so different...it's hard to explain.

That's it!  The Recon feels to definitely be on the faster side.  Teaching yourself to fly cast is a trip, lol. 

[Further North]

10 hours ago, Turkey sandwich said:

That's it!  The Recon feels to definitely be on the faster side.  Teaching yourself to fly cast is a trip, lol. 

Then I'd consider going to a heavier line.

The Rio Outbound intermediate I have on my TFO Axiom is a 330 grain, I think.

EDIT: Just confirmed: The line on my 8 wt. Axiom is a 330 grain intermediate sink line.

Again, not being familiar with Recon, I can't comment, but the Axiom I throw that I would not care for with a 250 grain line.

I have a Scott 8 wt. that would probably be fine with the 250 gr. line, and I have a Cabela's L-Tech that likes a lighter line as well.

[Robert Riley]

We've got quite the rod at F&S haha. It's a whopping 15'

[.ghoti.]

A ten foot rod is going to have to sport a four foot handle to keep everybody from whining about it being tip-heavy.

[andywbass]

On 9/27/2016 at 9:22 AM, J Francho said:

Oh boy, that trolling topic is a good one.  I used to catch a TON of smallmouth trolling.  It was the primary tool with nothing more than a flasher, and the giant desert that is Lake Ontario.  Find some reasonable breaks, catch three or so in the same spot, and anchor up, start dropping tubes.

Oh yeah, the 10' rod thing....  bring it on.  Dee just raised a fist through into the air from the grave!  Jigger poling!

Wow, I am so sorry, I did not even know Dee passed away.  Where can I read an obit?  Thanks.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

On 10/1/2016 at 1:36 PM, .ghoti. said:

A ten foot rod is going to have to sport a four foot handle to keep everybody from whining about it being tip-heavy.

No, they can hang a down rigger weight off the back end. Then it will be "light in hand"

[Hot Rod Johnson]

BASS The birth of 10-foot bass rods what are your opinions for or against and why?

They unanimously decided to increase the length to 10 feet. I didn’t suggest a length but asked the question. After the discussions, they all voted unanimously to adopt longer rods, and they settled on 10 foot as the length. Here’s why I’ve thought about this for so many years.

http://www.bassmaster.com/skeet-reese/birth-10-foot-bass

 

[roadwarrior]

Hmm...

[long island basser]

I say let them use any size rod they want. As for me, no Thankyou, I'm not interested.