Canal Bass Fly Rod

[epzamora 0]

From what i've read, fishing for carp requires a rod with some backbone. and 8wt is generally the recommended size.

 

again, from what i've read, and i must point out this is from advertising (lol) a saltwater rod is built tougher than a freshwater rod to handle larger fish. does anyone have knowledge to counter that? i'm curious.

 

when shopping for your next fly rod, it is generally recommended that you buy rod in weights that cover the bases well, not too close together. if you already have an 8wt, go down to a 6, not a 7.

 

wait, if you have a saltwater 8, MAYBE a freshwater 7 would offer enough of a difference in performance... or if you have a 9 foot 8wt saltwater, you may be able to use a medium-fast freshwater 8'-6" 7wt.... hold on, my head hurts, this is getting confusing...

 

see how the sickness of acquisition begins?

 

eric

fresno, ca.

[Brian Myers 0]

I have an 8wt. 9' Cortland Scout which is a saltwater rod and it does have a lot more "backbone" then other rods I have in the same weight. With a standard wf8f line you can drop a fly lightly enough on the water for carp. Now put on a Cortland 333 pro WF8F Pike line and it slaps the water harder. Maybe a change in line (depending on what you are using now) would be easier for the time being than a whole new setup.

[Brodrash 0]

I personally use a 5wt in my neck of the woods for bass and haven't found an unlandible fish yet. However technique and the especially action of the rod have a lot to do with the presentation of the fly see if somebody has any rods you could borrow cast them to get a feel for the one you like then purchase it.

 

IF you cant try any out I would go with a 5 or 6 wt with slow or medium action

[vicente 0]

The heft of my 8 weight doesn't bother me, being able to throw large poppers and streamers easily is also nice. I've also found I prefer the 10 ft when fishing from the shore if there is tall grass or brush around it makes it easy to shoot pretty long cast out without much room. I could see using a 6 weight just not much of a reason to want to go lighter than that.

[Poopdeck 0]

Your either over thinking the whole process or your reading to much on the Internet. I just picked up an 8 wt cause I got tired of casting bass poppers on a 5 wt. the 8 is much better and easier to cast bigger bass flies on. With the bigger, possibly weighted flies, your not going to land flies as if they are a size 22 bwo so your concern over a delicate presentation is a moot point.

 

The heft of the 8wt doesn't bother me either since I do a whole lot less false casting with it then when I used an outfit to small for the flies I was fishing.

[vicente 0]

Oh yea, on the false casting thing since poop deck brought it up I'm using the Titan taper so two maybe three false casts get me 80 ft so my line spends more time in the water and less in the air turn most.

[Poopdeck 0]

I just put rio outbound short on a second 8wt reel and as advertised it makes it cast like a spinning rod. A simple flick with no false casting will put it 40 feet out. By end of summer I expect to be able to flip it out 50 or 60 but I rarely need that distance.

[vicente 0]

Yes I have sinking Rio outbound short for it as well the are very similar lines.I get about the same distance as you do flipping it out without a false cast I think around 50 mostly do to the extra foot of rod not amazing casting skills.

[Swamp Fly 0]

I'm very familiar with South Florida Canal fishing, I just hooked up the boat for tomorrow morning. If I could only take one rod with me and my goal was to catch bass, it would be an 8wt. I can chuck a big hair bug with it and then horse a big girl out of the pads. I don't fish my 8wt with lighter than 20# test for that kind of fishing just so I can show the fish some wood (learn how to fight fish "Down and Dirty" a la Stu Apte). Now that is not to say that you can't fish small flies with one, you fish a trico hatch if you want. If you are spooking fish it is more likely your presence or your casting than anything else (that is usually the culprit with me). Do your flies slap the water or do they (along with the fly line) gently float down onto the surface after your cast is done? Most of the time I want my fly to hit the water with a little energy to get a fishes attention but if the fish feels like someone is throwing rocks in the water they will shoot away. If a fish is in really skinny water and that skittish use a longer leader (11',13',15'). Also, if I remember you caught that fish on a clouser, clousers are not stealth flies. Change to a softer landing fly if needed.

 

Having said that, I love to fish my 3wt for panfish and bass. I have caught +5lbs bass on a 3wt using a size 14 clouser, it took a while to figure out who was pulling who around but I won in the end. I rarely fish with less than 10# test so I have a better chance of keeping fish out of structure and I'd rather re-bend a straightened fly hook than loose it to lily pads. If the wind comes up I switch to a 4wt or 5wt. I also carry a 6wt because it is easier on my arm than the 8wt and I am not as likely to give a small fish "flying lessons" than with the 8wt.

 

If you had asked me which one rod size to get for S. Florida I would have said an 8wt. It's perfect for Bass, Snook, Tarpon (up to 50#), Redfish, Bonefish, Jacks, Ladyfish, and the list goes on. I would get a 6wt next, but that is just because I don't have any problems poking at small (<3-7lbs) tarpon, snook, and trout all day. If you want to fish the inlets, I'd say a 10wt. If you want a panfish rod I'd say a 4wt. Big tarpon, big jacks, or Sailfish then a 12wt. The point is that the 8wt is a great all around rod. Now go mow some lawns to buy whatever specialty rod you like best knowing that the new rod may have limited applications.

[caloosa bug 0]

I've had my 7wt. Dogwood canyon for several years and it's been perfect for all the canals I've fished here around lake okeechobee. I do also have a 4/5 wt. For bream and creek fishing, but my 7wt is my daily fisher.

[FlatsRoamer 0]

My friend has the dogwood 8wt and I like the feel of it. It also has a pretty good price for its use. I think the dogwood might be a good choice. Only question is the kind of line, do you happen to know what kind it comes with?

[vicente 0]

I've been using the Titan taper for just about all of my bass fishing throws big flys quick and easy don't really need to false cast with it. I was using it for river fishing trout today and ran a 7.5 got section of versa leader to make a sinking tip still casted super easy and cake down just the same so that makes it a cheap and easy to switch to option for a small sinking tip as well.

[caloosa bug 0]

I use the cheapest I could find. The 7wf floating white river brand from bass pro. I cheat and use the barbbed line tie that sticks into the fly line. Usually a 8-14 lb mono leader of xl trilene, depending on weed cover. Yes the line tie will sink, but not enough to pull my poppers under when it's sitting still. It makes it easy to change leader. This works fine for me , though I'm no expert.

[caloosa bug 0]

The dogwood is a little pricey, though mine was a gift. My dad just got a Martin from Wal-Mart and it ain't too bad. The main difference I can tell,is the weight of the whole outfit. I have 3 different brands of 7 wt and the others are noticeably heavier to swing.

[FlatsRoamer 0]

so a tropical line woudlnt matter?