Bass fishing rod question

[Fish For Life 0]

Ive never really done any bass fishing with a fly rod, but me and my dad are preparing a bass fishing trip to BC this summer. My question is regarding rod size. So here are my options. Ive got a 9ft 5wt fly rod, which seams like it would be okay, but it would struggle with some of the bigger flys. And an old slow action 8ft 7wt rod, with no fly line; what i would do with this rod is use it with 10wt line, not the best but its better than nothing. So ive got to choose between those. Im worried that the 5wt is a bit to small but it may still be better than the 7wt. Like i said it is an old slow action rod, im not sure if this is good or bad, especially when overloading it with 10wt line.

So what do you think would be better? 5wt rod, or slow action 7wt rod with 10wt line.

What do you guys use for bass rods??

 

Thanks

[onceahoosier 0]

Ive never really done any bass fishing with a fly rod, but me and my dad are preparing a bass fishing trip to BC this summer. My question is regarding rod size. So here are my options. Ive got a 9ft 5wt fly rod, which seams like it would be okay, but it would struggle with some of the bigger flys. And an old slow action 8ft 7wt rod, with no fly line; what i would do with this rod is use it with 10wt line, not the best but its better than nothing. So ive got to choose between those. Im worried that the 5wt is a bit to small but it may still be better than the 7wt. Like i said it is an old slow action rod, im not sure if this is good or bad, especially when overloading it with 10wt line.

So what do you think would be better? 5wt rod, or slow action 7wt rod with 10wt line.

What do you guys use for bass rods??

 

Thanks

Well, neither sounds ideal but depending on the flies you'll want to use, there could be a place for each. Are you fishing for smallmouth or largemouth, and what size/what kind of water (stream/lake, open water/heavy cover)?? The 5 wt will be fine with smaller flies, up to size 4/6 or so. The 10 wt line will throw any bass fly, but with a slow action 7wt rod you probably won't be able to throw it very far. So if you're casting short distances with big flies it will probably be OK. All I can suggest is take both and see what works for you. A lot of people on these sites seem to fish 5 and 6 wt for bass, I fish mostly for largemouth in heavy cover with pretty big, wind resistant flies and I use 7 and 8 wt rods for that; for the occasional smallmouth fishing I do a ligher rod/smaller flies is fine. Good luck.

 

Tom

[Fish For Life 0]

Sorry i forgot to mention the fishing conditions. I will be fishing for large mouth bass in an open lake that doesn't get very deep, so i wont be casting any fly with much added weight. Im planning on bringing both rods just in case, just want to see what you guys think is the better of the two.

[mikechell 0]

You're fishing the "North" ... where a 5 pound bass is considered a big fish. You MIGHT get into something close to 10 pounds, which you can land on a 5 weight rod ... if your leader will take it.

I love Large Mouth Bass. I have to admit, though, that the fight doesn't last very long. LMB are ambush predators. They are not built for long distance chases, so they tire out quicker than more streamlined fish. But, Oh My, what a fight for the first few seconds or minutes.

Your 7 weight with 7 weight line, will throw anything big enough to entice a LMB bite. But so will your 5 weight. If you were going after Pike, with 7 to 12 inch lures, then you'll definitely want the 7 weight. Take both ... if the bass aren't hitting, the Pike might be.

But take heavy mono for leader material. These are line shy fish that need 4# test leaders ... 10# for LMB ... 14+ # mono for Pike.

[Fish For Life 0]

Your 7 weight with 7 weight line, will throw anything big enough to entice a LMB bite. But so will your 5 weight. If you were going after Pike, with 7 to 12 inch lures, then you'll definitely want the 7 weight. Take both ... if the bass aren't hitting, the Pike might be.

But take heavy mono for leader material. These are line shy fish that need 4# test leaders ... 10# for LMB ... 14+ # mono for Pike.

The problem is that i don't have the 7wt line. If i were to use the 7wt i would have to use it with 10wt line. For the pike i will be using my 10wt so that shouldn't be a problem.

Really bass are line shy?? I would have never though of that.

[ditz2 0]

I have never fly fished up north. The best option for bass up there would be the 7wt with a cheap 7wt wf line. Take your 7wt out in the back yard and throw the 10wt line. I doubt you will like it. Even an 8wt line on a slow rod IMO is not a pleasure to cast and I like glass. The 5wt will work but you will be limited on fly size and the SMB up there do like poppers. We always fished CreeK Chub Plunkers up there with a lot of success. Never went up without at least a half dozen in the box. We also did well on 1/4 oz and smaller crank baits. The water was tanic colored but clear and deep. There should be some nice pike up there too so it would be nice to be able to fish some larger flies. ....You should have a fun trip and take some warm cloths and something to break the wind such as a rain suit. You may not need it but the odds are .......

[flytire 0]

 

For the pike i will be using my 10wt so that shouldn't be a problem.

 

if the 7wt cant handle the 10wt line then yes that could be a problem

[flysmallie 0]

Buy a cheap 7wt line. It will be a lot better than trying to throw a 10wt line on a 7.

 

 

http://www.basspro.com/White-River-Fly-Shop-Hobbs-Creek-Fly-Line/product/1202220500584/

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

First off if you are going to BC i would not even bother with bass, head straight to the coast and target pacific salmon with the 5wt for pinks and the 10wt for springs or coho. A similar sized pink would pull a bass backwards. One of the largest forecasted runs of salmon for years.

 

Next if u do go for bass? The 5 if there is weed around/structure it might be too small. If u string a 10wt line on an already moderate action 7wt rod it is going to slow it down even further. Might be worth grabbing a 7wt line for the 7wt rod. If you are a proficient caster the 5wt line could go on the moderate 7, it just might make it a faster action, or not load up until u have say 40ft of line out.

 

I'll say it again, head to the coast

 

*edit* hmm or are u fishing for kelp bass in the salt?

[vicrider 0]

Just pm me your addy and I'll send you an older but still very functional 7wt. line. Got a few around, hopefully in weight forward but even a DT would be better than overpowering a rod with 3 line sizes higher.

[Fish For Life 0]

 

 

For the pike i will be using my 10wt so that shouldn't be a problem.

 

if the 7wt cant handle the 10wt line then yes that could be a problem

 

I have a 10wt rod with 10wt line for the pike. Its just for the bass that i don't have the line for, so im going to try the 7wt rod with the 10wt line.

 

First off if you are going to BC i would not even bother with bass, head straight to the coast and target pacific salmon with the 5wt for pinks and the 10wt for springs or coho. A similar sized pink would pull a bass backwards. One of the largest forecasted runs of salmon for years.

 

I'll say it again, head to the coast

 

*edit* hmm or are u fishing for kelp bass in the salt?

Were going to BC to target large mouth bass specifically. It is only a couple hours drive to get where were going. There are no bass in Alberta and i would really like to catch some. So me and my dad are just going to take a short trip to fill my crave.

[mikechell 0]

 

Your 7 weight with 7 weight line, will throw anything big enough to entice a LMB bite. But so will your 5 weight. If you were going after Pike, with 7 to 12 inch lures, then you'll definitely want the 7 weight. Take both ... if the bass aren't hitting, the Pike might be.

But take heavy mono for leader material. These are line shy fish that need 4# test leaders ... 10# for LMB ... 14+ # mono for Pike.

The problem is that i don't have the 7wt line. If i were to use the 7wt i would have to use it with 10wt line. For the pike i will be using my 10wt so that shouldn't be a problem.

Really bass are line shy?? I would have never though of that.

 

Oops ... that's supposed to read, "These are NOT line shy fish that need 4# test leaders." Of course, the next statement should've cleared that up ... sorry for the omission.

[Fisherboy0301 0]

You could also just use the 10wt for bass fishing too, as this would allow you to toss pretty much any fly you'd need, plus a pike mixes up an evening of bass fishing, you'll be able to handle it better than on a 5 or even 7wt

[Troutbum11 0]

vicrider offered you 7wt line...... I would take that offer if I were u..

[vicrider 0]

Vicrider reneged. I forgot I sent several older but good lines and a couple of reels and a bunch of flytying vises and materials to a cyber friend starting up a Church youth tying and fishing group in Colorado. That's what I get for letting myself get old.