# Carp and steelhead on 6 wt?



## mischif (Jul 14, 2006)

Hey guys I have always used an 8 wt for steelhead but they never seem to give me much fight unless they are over 8 lbs so this year I was thinking maybe 6 wt, but is that too light? Think a 9 ft or 10 ft rod would be better? Also, same question applies to carp since I now love them!


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## Yakphisher (Jul 9, 2013)

No, a 6wt 10' is great and perfect option for Ohio steels. 

I use a 10' 5wt 95% of the time.


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## toobnoob (Jun 1, 2010)

I've caught and landed plenty of carp and steelhead on my 9'6" 6 wt. If you know how to play big fish using the butt of the rod and apply side pressure you won't have a problem 90% of the time. You will have issues if you get into a big fish though, I've had a couple steelhead that I couldn't turn before they ran me through a log jam or down into the fast water on my 6 wt but they were pretty monster fish.

Since then I've got a 10' 7 wt setup that handles the larger fish much better.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

A 6wt with the ability to use the butt to fight a fish, along with a quality reel with a very smoothe drag (or the ability to uncannily palm a reel) and a decent amount of backing should be enough for everything this side of flatties.


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## lawa222 (Sep 22, 2013)

As long as it's 10 ft. then a 6 weight should be fine. When I spincast I use a 5 wt spin/fly combo rod (Trailmaster) and have never felt like I was underpowered.


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## mischif (Jul 14, 2006)

Thanks for the input guys! My 8 wt is just getting a little boring unless I hook into a monster.


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## jhammer (Jun 13, 2011)

I've caught and landed many big carp, buffalo, and catfish on my old 9' 6wt Echo Solo. It never had any issues. I use a 9' 7wt TiCR X now and love it.


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## mischif (Jul 14, 2006)

I'm looking at the 9' 6 wt TI CRX, looks great but a little short.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

A 6wt is fine for carp. I have used heavier, I have used lighter. My normal carp stick is a 9'6" 7wt.


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

I think a 10' 7wt is perfect for our steelhead. I went from an 8wt to a 7wt Echo last year and landed my biggest fish ever plus a couple 15#ers. The rod never failed me and I have less break offs with the 7wt. I will tell you though, my 8wt was broken in the butt section on a 12#er that I landed in some heavy water on the Rocky 7 years ago. So, be careful in the heavy water, these fish can be powerful, especially with a 6wt.


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## Bwana J (Sep 12, 2010)

rickerd said:


> I think a 10' 7wt is perfect for our steelhead.


I think if you ran a poll you'd find that the 10ft 7wgt is the most commonly used flyrod on the Great Lake streams for Steelhead. I have an Orvis Clearwater 10 ft 7wgt that I really love for Steel, light enough to enjoy the fight but strong enough to turn them when needed.


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

This thread is encouraging! I have been considering bringing my 6 wt 9' (my one and only fly rod) instead of a spinner to go for steelies this year. I was hesitant but now I think I'll do it. If there were 1 or 2 sure fire flies to tie for Ohio steelhead, what would they be?


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## mischif (Jul 14, 2006)

Egg patterns!


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

mischif said:


> Egg patterns!
> 
> 
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Really? Over a streamer like a clouser or wooly bugger? The ones I caught before on spinning gear were on inline spinners and diving minnows. I thought they liked chasing moving prey.


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

I rarely use egg patterns anymore. Mostly cause they catch too many females and it is just a personal preference. When you are confident, your fishing will show it, and you can use about anything you want. Eggs will still catch their share of fish, I just found I catch bigger fish on streamers. I learned with an egg and a nymph or streamer, but I just started to remove the egg especially in clear conditions. After a while, the egg seemed more for my benefit to know where the flies are in the water. I started fishing the streamers more like bass too and giving them some lively action which triggers a vicious strike. Eggs don't move that way naturally and I feel they hinder my presentation. 

If I had only one fly, it would be a sculpin head with a wooly bugger body on great lakes steelhead. But when it is cold or fish are negative, I do more damage on size 10-14 nymphs. But I still like using the streamers cuz the strike is exciting.


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## mischif (Jul 14, 2006)

Streamers are fun but they are not a great fly to start out with if you are new. To catch steelhead you need to know where they are and at what depth they are at. With an indicator tandem rig you can more easily figure out this depth than using different sink tips with streamers and fussing around the swing. I love streamers, don't get me wrong, but egg patterns work all season where as streamers are more fall, spring oriented. 


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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

mischif said:


> Streamers are fun but they are not a great fly to start out with if you are new. To catch steelhead you need to know where they are and at what depth they are at. With an indicator tandem rig you can more easily figure out this depth than using different sink tips with streamers and fussing around the swing. I love streamers, don't get me wrong, but egg patterns work all season where as streamers are more fall, spring oriented.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


So you are saying I probably won't have luck with wooly buggers?


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

kingofamberley said:


> So you are saying I probably won't have luck with wooly buggers?


I fished Conneaut yesterday with both eggs and small streamers(woolly buggers). Got most of my action with the buggers.....

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## kingofamberley (Jul 11, 2012)

I have been doing some fly fishing for smallies in some creeks and rivers, with streamers such as buggers, clousers, and craw imitations. Still, I am intimidated by steelhead. It would be nice to not have to get a bunch of specialty flies


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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

In my vast experience of steelhead fishing  (one week, several hook ups and one fish brought to hand) every one of my hits was on an olive wooly bugger or red and black egg sucking leech. This year I'm expanding my fly box a little but still taking the buggers and leeches.


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## ChromeBone (Oct 3, 2011)

Never Fails with egg patterns, but I always like to start out with streamers first, last choice is the single egg... Its more rewarding for me...


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## mischif (Jul 14, 2006)

Buggers will definitely work, especially right now


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

i use buggers almost exclusively. all season long and almost always olive. it works great. i see no reason to tinker with it. even when i used a drifting rod back in the day, i still used buggers under the bobbers.


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