Fly rod Dilemma

[carrageenan]

I have a 9 wt that I use for striped bass, never used it for largemouth, it's only 2 years old and in very good condition. I'm contemplating selling and putting the money towards bass gear, but before I do I wanted to ask some advice. 

 

-I will be moving from New England to the Charlotte area, so I really won't be fishing for striper much

-Last season I used my spinning rod for stripers and picked up the fly rod once

-I suck at casting, kind of want to try a FWF line for use with bass, but I'm not sure I'll stay with it, so why spend the cash

-I would put most likely put the money towards a heavy cover rod

 

What do you guys think I should do!? I've invested a lot of money in the rod/fly tying stuff, so I don't want to take too much of a hit, but it's probably better to sell it sooner rather than later. Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks a lot.

 

 

[cyclops2]

There are very heavy fresh water fish down there. I always have kept A open mind about what I would try to catch on a 9 & 12 wt rod & reel.  When I went after a large Channel & Blue Cat in the Delaware River.  I realized why I had bought the massive reel with drag & a selectable one way clutch. It almost slowed the cats. I felt like I was catching salt water fish.

I used a spinning setup to cast the Cat baits out. A sudden yank & the 4# test broke loose from the weighted bait.  It is fatal to finger joints to NOT USE a big reel with a 1 way clutch.

I gave the # 12 to a nephew for stripers. The Winston rod &  the tan colored well known reel name slips away from my memory. 40# plus carp will tire arms quickly. The south has some big fish.  Definitely use a leader that breaks way before your backing does.

The south has powerful fish.  Enjoy them all.   

[carrageenan]

Speaking of tired arms, I’m started to get concerned about my shoulder. I don’t have a medical history of issues, but I’m sure the repetition of casting a 9 wt isn’t going to benefit my shoulder. Casting my 4 wt is a breeze, so no concern there, but in the surf a spinning rod seems to be much easier on the body and much more convenient. Does anyone in here use an 8 wt for bass?

[bulldog1935]

I use venerable 5- and 6-wt e-glass for river bass, but I'm usually imitating small bait - nickel-size crayfish and 1" minnows.  In hill country limestone creeks, it's often sight-fishing, and if you're doing this right, reading the water and sparing your casts, it's a fish every 3rd cast. 

I rarely use a 9-wt in the salt, and my best fly rod in the surf is RPLX-7. 

I've fished a 10-wt offshore - never found the dorado I wanted, but have caught suspended snapper on TS-350, mackerel near-shore (jetties) on TS-250 with the RPLX-7. 

My go-to inshore fly rod is 6/7 S-glass.  There's a lot to be said for the S-g;ass, doesn't shock your joints like shooting the RPLX-7. 

Offshore, inshore and near-shore is also sight-fishing, and the times to blind-fish are high-probability phenomena such as blackwater and tide-pass current. 

[carrageenan]

Thanks for that useful info. I probably should have gone with a 5 wt over a 4 considering I don’t always throw size 20 flies consistently. I’ve never used a glass rod, I hear the casting takes some getting used to. Do you prefer glass over standard graphite?

[bulldog1935]

Mid-length, mid-line-weight glass and small water is the ultimate training tool - you feel the rod load, learn to slow down and wait for the rod to load. 

An acquired skill that will help on your fastest graphite. 

I ran a fly fishing life-group from church for most of a decade, and every-other-weekend, took 4 to 14 people somewhere in the hill country - had 140 people on my e-mail list. 

I was buying up venerable ('70s) glass rods on ebay to outfit and teach people on the river. 

If you visit fiberglassflyrodders forum, you'll meet at least a couple of people I taught to do this. 

[cyclops2]

I am 84. Sooo My thumb joints are easily tired.  I use a 4 wt with # 8 ?   weight forward or a Torpedo weight forward to speed up the number of false casts.  Buy a spare spool for a sinking tip if you need that condition.  I know that all gamefish can see upward easily. the bottom feeders not so much.

Using a very much larger WEIGHT line is a old trick in winds & gusts. You will NOT damage the rod in any way. I still have rods made of wood to modern stuff. The fly rods are thought of as frail & weak. Many are same material as bait & spin rods. The weight of the line does most of the casting distances in wind..............Always way over weight lines.     

I troll with spin & fly rods. My joints love that combo. 3 to 4' pike on the fly ?  WAAHOOO

There are NO RULES about what you can try to conserve the shoulder. I now only do a roll cast across the stream.  Then let the current do the swinging action. Fish the water so the current holds the fly where you want it. I have had the current SLOWLY carry a wiggly Wooly Bugger into good water. The fish are not spooked by a little noise 60 to over 120' away. Wear a life vest inflated & have a Ski Pole secured to the stripping hand if the current flops you underwater.

Enjoy.    ?

[new2BC4bass]

1 hour ago, cyclops2 said:

I am 84. Sooo My thumb joints are easily tired.  I use a 4 wt with # 8 ?   weight forward or a Torpedo weight forward to speed up the number of false casts.  Buy a spare spool for a sinking tip if you need that condition.  I know that all gamefish can see upward easily. the bottom feeders not so much.

Using a very much larger WEIGHT line is a old trick in winds & gusts. You will NOT damage the rod in any way. I still have rods made of wood to modern stuff. The fly rods are thought of as frail & weak. Many are same material as bait & spin rods. The weight of the line does most of the casting distances in wind..............Always way over weight lines.     

I troll with spin & fly rods. My joints love that combo. 3 to 4' pike on the fly ?  WAAHOOO

There are NO RULES about what you can try to conserve the shoulder. I now only do a roll cast across the stream.  Then let the current do the swinging action. Fish the water so the current holds the fly where you want it. I have had the current SLOWLY carry a wiggly Wooly Bugger into good water. The fish are not spooked by a little noise 60 to over 120' away. Wear a life vest inflated & have a Ski Pole secured to the stripping hand if the current flops you underwater.

Enjoy.    ?

  Glad to see you are still getting around as I turn 74 in about 3 weeks, and it is good to know that I (hopefully) will get some use out of the fly rods I just bought.  Won't be wading any rivers or deep streams as I swim as good as any rock you've ever seen. 

 

Noticed about 3 years ago that my balance wasn't very good anymore.  Fell and twisted the ever lovin' out of my left ankle almost two years ago.  Found out last April that it was due to a brain tumor.  Therapy got my strength back, but then I put my back out putting clean sheets on the bed.  Most of the pain was from back spasms.  Spent about 80% of the first 3 weeks in bed.  Lost my leg strength again, and balance isn't the best.  Figured now that I am back to working full time that I'd gain leg strength back.  Nope.  Nor balance.

 

Kind of sucks to get old, but I've heard the alternative isn't much better. 

 

I'm thinking a 10' rod and roll casts are going to be my friends. 

[Msl819]

8 hours ago, carrageenan said:

Speaking of tired arms, I’m started to get concerned about my shoulder. I don’t have a medical history of issues, but I’m sure the repetition of casting a 9 wt isn’t going to benefit my shoulder. Casting my 4 wt is a breeze, so no concern there, but in the surf a spinning rod seems to be much easier on the body and much more convenient. Does anyone in here use an 8 wt for bass?

I love to fly fish as well and have used many number of weight rods to fish my waters.  My go to would be my 7 wt. for bass but an 8 works great too.  In reality an 8wt. Isn’t all that different from a 9wt.    
 

That said,  I fish bass much more with conventional tackle.  If I were you, unless you just had to, I would hold onto your 9 wt.  The cheapest fly rod is the one you already have.  Unless you are targeting bream, a 9 wt. will be useful.

 

I live in Louisiana so my tackle could theoretically catch anything from panfish, to large bass, to inshore redfish, trout, etc.  I find it helpful down here to have a decent selection.  Storage usually isn’t an issue with fly tackle compared to conventional

[flyfisher]

Casting a heavier weight fly rod isn't any worse or easier than a lighter one but what does come in to play is the balance.  it is easy to balance a lighter weight rod but when you get into that 7 and up range it becomes more critical.  I have reels labeled as 5wt reels on some of my 7wt rods and ones labeled 8-10 on my 8wts.  And remember too the line weight isn't about the fish as much as it is the flies you are tossing.  The goto for most of my bass fishing is an 8wt and my sage Bass II which is somewhere in the 10/11 range.  None of my roads are a chore to cast all day as I took the time to balance them.  You'd be surprised at how much a little extra backing or taking away some backing can make a difference in how a rod feels in your hand.  You can always go smaller with a heavier weight fly rod but it is harder to go heavier on the same set up.  Smaller won't give the same fight though obviously.

 

keep the fly rod and you'd be surprised at how much fun catching brown or green bass are on it

[carrageenan]

I'm starting to wonder if I should just practice casting more, or consider trying another line, the 9 wt has been tough for me. I hate using stripping baskets, so that also doesn't help...

[garroyo130]

18 hours ago, carrageenan said:

I'm starting to wonder if I should just practice casting more, or consider trying another line, the 9 wt has been tough for me. I hate using stripping baskets, so that also doesn't help...

 

If you have an Orvis store nearby, they do (or used to) free casting clinics every so often. You can bring your own rod and get some "expert" feedback. It won't be the best but hands-on instruction usually helps.

[cyclops2]

What type of TAPER is the fly line ? It can make a massive difference in casting safely & pretty accurately in minor breeze.

[flyfisher]

9 hours ago, garroyo130 said:

 

If you have an Orvis store nearby, they do (or used to) free casting clinics every so often. You can bring your own rod and get some "expert" feedback. It won't be the best but hands-on instruction usually helps.

What line is on there now?  I currently run the SA titan on all my 7 and up weight rods and it is the best bass bug casting line I have used.  

[carrageenan]

23 hours ago, flyfisher said:

What line is on there now?  I currently run the SA titan on all my 7 and up weight rods and it is the best bass bug casting line I have used.  

 

Orvis Hydros Coldwater Intermediate WF9

40' Head

1.5"/sec

 

To be honest, I should know more about line considering how long I've been fly fishing. 

[bulldog1935]

The first rule with any sinking line is begin everything with a roll cast to get everything on top, then pick up your back-cast. 

Sinking lines are smaller diameter than floating lines, and you should try to get through the belly on the back-cast, so you only need one to shoot. 

[flyfisher]

19 hours ago, carrageenan said:

 

Orvis Hydros Coldwater Intermediate WF9

40' Head

1.5"/sec

 

To be honest, I should know more about line considering how long I've been fly fishing. 

How deep are you fishing and/or how stout is the current?  I have a couple rods lined with sink tips and I use them for specific situations.  I don't have experience fishing for stripers though but I can say that for bass, I don't often use my sink tip on lakes but do on rivers when I want to get my fly down quickly.  It is nice to have a sink tip for tying flies though as it allows you to use unweighted flies "weighted" so to speak.  If I had one rod for my bass fishing, I would without hesitation go with a floating line.  I can always adjust my leader length to get flies down faster if needed.

the advice on the roll cast is a good one when needed but for me I am usually fishing streamers and fish almost all the way back to my kayak so I don't need to get the line up to the surface.  I have also found that a slow drag up and then a rapid quick backcast with a very distinct stop can lift the line fairly easily with a faster action rod.  

[cyclops2]

There is 1 outstanding FEATURE of fly casting. 

 

I can lay a bass lure in the exact same spot right under TALLER DOCKS. Or right next to a boat & dock. False casts to get distance. Then a left or right movement. Very effective. Some fish jump the gun on a false casts.    Point is I NEVER have hooked a boat cover or dock.

Spinning & docks ? many in a breeze.

[carrageenan]

Ended up selling the 9 wt, wasn't getting enough use, plus I've been more successful spin fishing the surf anyway. Looks like I'll reserve the 4 wt for drinks, and use the other gear when I need the power. Thanks to all for the helpful replies!

[VolFan]

Did you move to Charlotte yet?

[MickD]

Redfish around Charlotte?  If yes, keep it.

 

I don't understand the drama with whether to keep or sell ONE rod.  I have many rods I haven't used in years, but I'm not selling them.  If one has a new fishing experience that requires a different rod, get one.  And keep the previous one for when you might need it.

[new2BC4bass]

14 minutes ago, MickD said:

Redfish around Charlotte?  If yes, keep it.

 

I don't understand the drama with whether to keep or sell ONE rod.  I have many rods I haven't used in years, but I'm not selling them.  If one has a new fishing experience that requires a different rod, get one.  And keep the previous one for when you might need it.

Same boat here.  I've got 3 rods that it wouldn't bother me to sell.  The rest I am keeping even though many won't see much use at all.  Just never know when the urge will hit you to fish one of them.

 

OP, go by the rule of 2.  You have a 4wt so go for a 6wt and 8wt.  BUT...I see nothing wrong with owning a 4wt, 5wt, 6wt, 7wt & 8wt...each in several different lengths.  Personally I've never had a problem owning more than one rod of a certain power and action.  Just take a peek in my basement.  

[carrageenan]

2 minutes ago, new2BC4bass said:

Same boat here.  I've got 3 rods that it wouldn't bother me to sell.  The rest I am keeping even though many won't see much use at all.  Just never know when the urge will hit you to fish one of them.

 

OP, go by the rule of 2.  You have a 4wt so go for a 6wt and 8wt.  BUT...I see nothing wrong with owning a 4wt, 5wt, 6wt, 7wt & 8wt...each in several different lengths.  Personally I've never had a problem owning more than one rod of a certain power and action.  Just take a peek in my basement.  

 

23 minutes ago, MickD said:

Redfish around Charlotte?  If yes, keep it.

 

I don't understand the drama with whether to keep or sell ONE rod.  I have many rods I haven't used in years, but I'm not selling them.  If one has a new fishing experience that requires a different rod, get one.  And keep the previous one for when you might need it.

 

26 minutes ago, VolFan said:

Did you move to Charlotte yet?

 

Will be moving in August, kind of glad I sold my 9 wt, because we are purging everything to make the move easy. I'm a bit of a minimalist, and I'm much happier with a couple of spinning rods, even if fly fishing the surf is a ton of fun. 

[MickD]

6 minutes ago, carrageenan said:

sold my 9 wt, because we are purging everything to make the move easy. 

I understand.  Not having to move that 3.8 ounces of rod helps.  (I apologize for the sarcasm-I just don't get it.)  

[carrageenan]

19 minutes ago, MickD said:

I understand.  Not having to move that 3.8 ounces of rod helps.  (I apologize for the sarcasm-I just don't get it.)  

 

The rod was on sale, before I knew it I had a ton of flies, accessories, tying materials. After a trip down the rabbit hole and just wanted to reset. I could have kept it, but I was happier to make my money back, since I don't really make that much in the first place. Its a big box of stuff I don't have to move, worry about breaking/losing, or feel like I wasted my money on. I know a lot of anglers learn in waves and cycles, but I felt it was the best idea at the time. Who knows, maybe after I have kids and have time to myself I'll circle back.