# Fly fishing for Bass



## benjaminrogers (Jul 11, 2011)

Question: I have a Reddington 9ft 5wt and wondered if this would be strong enough to go after largemouth and smallmouth or am I looking at needing another rod?

Thanks,

Ben


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

Hey Ben,

That should be good for most of the bass here in Ohio. That is actually the largest flyrod that I would use for bass, but I'm typically throwing a 2wt - targeting bass and gills. Having said that, it is also difficult - if not impossible - to throw the bigger flies with the 2wt, so to do that, for bigger woolybuggers and such,...5wt for me. Some will say a 6wt, but there's really not that much difference between a 5wt and a 6wt.

I hope this helps!


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## jhammer (Jun 13, 2011)

It should be alright for most fish. The question is: How big of flies are you planning on tossing? A bigger rod will help when it comes to chucking out those big nasties.

I always used a 9 foot 6wt. I caught everything from 4 inch bass to Fish Ohio worthy bass and everything in between. However, I don't chuck big flies to them. On rare occasions I use an 8wt, but I'm a finesse man.  :B


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## benjaminrogers (Jul 11, 2011)

I prefer the finesse also. I don't really want to haul these fish right out of the water.

Thinking of throwing some size 6 wooly buggers I've tied in orange and olive so simulate craws.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I use 2 rods for bass fishing: a 9'6" 7wt for streamers and a 9' 9wt for big topwaters. I could use my 5wt for some streamer fishing and be fine with it, but the larger/bulkier streamers are easier to toss on the 7wt. The big topwaters that are really wind resistant, throwing them on my 9wt is so much more effortless than fighting them on a lighter setup. I'm sure they can be cast on a 5wt, but I'd rather do it in comfort and not fight casting all day long.


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## ThunderHawk7 (May 3, 2004)

TheCream said:


> I use 2 rods for bass fishing: a 9'6" 7wt for streamers and a 9' 9wt for big topwaters. I could use my 5wt for some streamer fishing and be fine with it, but the larger/bulkier streamers are easier to toss on the 7wt. The big topwaters that are really wind resistant, throwing them on my 9wt is so much more effortless than fighting them on a lighter setup. I'm sure they can be cast on a 5wt, but I'd rather do it in comfort and not fight casting all day long.


+1 except mine is an 8wt for those heavy poppers and large "craw" immitators.....


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## copperdon (Jun 3, 2011)

As mentioned, the heavier the rod, the easier it is to throw the bigger patterns.

But, a 5 wt should be just fine for most any bass fishing here in Ohio.

You might need to adjust your casting technique a bit when throwing heavier patterns, but the weight of the rod should be fine for retrieving fish.


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## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

5 wt is the heaviest stick I throw for bass. I don't throw big flies but that has not been a problem fo me getting big bass either. I am with breech, I like lighter rigs. My 3 wt has caught a fair share of bass too!


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## brodg (Sep 6, 2010)

I'm very interested in this thread as well. I usually use 6wt for bass but pull out the 8wt if I'm going top water. Even with the 8wt I have trouble getting any distance with the heaviest frog patterns. The guys at chagrin river outfitters told me to use a 10wt for the big flies just too get decent distance. Seems like overkill to me. What do you guys think?

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## ThunderHawk7 (May 3, 2004)

brodg said:


> I'm very interested in this thread as well. I usually use 6wt for bass but pull out the 8wt if I'm going top water. Even with the 8wt I have trouble getting any distance with the heaviest frog patterns. The guys at chagrin river outfitters told me to use a 10wt for the big flies just too get decent distance. Seems like overkill to me. What do you guys think?
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Could you just move up 1 line size and look at a species specific fly line designed to throw heavier or wind resistant baits? Just a thought...I have been thinking about the same thing and am going to experiment next spring...Curious as to how the Rio 8/9 switch line will do on larger poppers...


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

works great! I use a 5wt for bass


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## Live2Fish (Apr 7, 2004)

I have a 3,5 and 7 wt rod with the 5wt getting the most use. When fishing a river I will use larger flies on the 5wt and drift the down the river. It seems to be a very effective method. With still water or high fast moving water I lean toward the 7wt.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

ThunderHawk7 said:


> Could you just move up 1 line size and look at a species specific fly line designed to throw heavier or wind resistant baits? Just a thought...I have been thinking about the same thing and am going to experiment next spring...Curious as to how the Rio 8/9 switch line will do on larger poppers...


This is a very good suggestion. A lot of rods can have their line upsized by 1wt and cast very nicely. And, as luck may have it, Cabelas has their Sage lines marked down from $80 to $30 in their bargain cave, so now is the time to buy if you want to try that option or if you just need new fly line.


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## brodg (Sep 6, 2010)

sbreech said:


> This is a very good suggestion. A lot of rods can have their line upsized by 1wt and cast very nicely. And, as luck may have it, Cabelas has their Sage lines marked down from $80 to $30 in their bargain cave, so now is the time to buy if you want to try that option or if you just need new fly line.


Thanks for the tip, just ordered. good deal.

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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

brodg said:


> Thanks for the tip, just ordered. good deal.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


You're welcome. Deals like that are too good NOT to share. Their nymph lines are marked down the same. These are closeout prices since all Sage lines will now carry the Rio name. Prices this low on lines this good will not last.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

I like a 6wt. I enjoy throwing large poppers around lilly pads though. 5wt is good for everything else bass related though.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

I use my 6 for river work, the 8 for ponds and bigger flies, and I'm probably going to get a short 12 (sage Largemouth) for biiiiig popper work lol.

that said, I've had lots of fun catching them on my 4 weight as well. They put up a great fight that way.


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## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

Clayton said:


> I use my 6 for river work, the 8 for ponds and bigger flies, and I'm probably going to get a short 12 (sage Largemouth) for biiiiig popper work lol.
> 
> that said, I've had lots of fun catching them on my 4 weight as well. They put up a great fight that way.


 A 12 wt for bass? Interesting... For me there comes a tipping point where the heavier line wt does not justify using fly gear versus switching to a light spinning setup.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I can't say I'd ever go all the way up to a 12wt for bass, but I do not think the 9wt is overkill. For me it's a matter of what I am trying to throw. Even some of my larger streamers that use a lot of rabbit or marabou, especially the ones with both and a weighted head, get heavy enough that it's a little too "chuck and duck" on the 7wt for me. Some topwaters are the same. I can cast 80% of my topwater flies just fine on the 7wt, but some of the super large versions and the ones I built last year with dual large-sized glass rattles are infinitely easier on the 9wt. It also helps that my 9wt reel has a Cabela's Warmwater taper line on it, the 7wt is a standard WF floating line.

I've landed big bass on my 5wt and my personal best on the fly (4lbs and change) came on my little 3wt, but I'd never target bass on the 3wt. I like landing fish too much, and a 3wt in heavy cover would be pretty iffy, IMO. The only way I landed that personal best was wading waist-deep in the lake and grabbing the fish after it tangled itself in weeds. I couldn't pull it free with the little 3wt rod and 5X tippet!


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## oarfish (May 12, 2004)

Use 8-9 weight for pond bass to throw the heavy rabbit fur leaches and top water hair bugs. But the past few years I switched to plastic worm and spinning or baitcasting gear in weedy clear water ponds. For me it is the way to consistently catch more and bigger bass then ever before on flies.


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## ducman491 (Oct 31, 2011)

Why do you guys use the heavier rods for top water? Is it just the size of the flies? Do you use a sinking line when fishing the streamers?


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## zachxbass (Jun 23, 2011)

I'm no expert by any means, but i think they use the heavier rods for top water because of the larger, more wind resistant flies, as you mentioned. I'm getting my first fly rod soon and am torn between a 5 or 6 weight for just that reason. I like using light gear for catching big fish as its funner, but most of the patterns i tie for bass/ other fish are fairly large, like size 6-4 buggy things and clouser minnows with large- medium lead hourglass eyes. I'm hoping that using wf6f line on a 5/6 weight rod will be big enough to throw those patterns. I've seen some leaders on cabelas that are advertised to make throwing bass bug patterns easier. We'll see this spring if they really help or not.


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## brodg (Sep 6, 2010)

ducman491 said:


> Why do you guys use the heavier rods for top water? Is it just the size of the flies? Do you use a sinking line when fishing the streamers?


Yes, big flies (heavy or highly wind resistant) are cast better with heavier gear.
Sometime I'll use sinking line or sink tip line for streamers, it depends on where the fish are holding and on the fly action you're looking for. For example if you use a sinking fly with floating line, the fly will rise when you strip line. If you use full sinking line and a floating (or bouyant) fly, the fly will dive when you strip line. This can sometimes be the difference between a strike and a rejection. If you're just looking at it from a playing the fish angle, a 6wt can handle almost any LMB or SMB. However that 6wt may not get the bug, frog, mouse, etc... where it needs to be.

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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Casting, yes, and I also look at it as far as matching up my gear. I use pretty light tippet and leaders with my 3wt. I can't recall going heavier than about 5X on the tippet with it, sometimes dropping down to 8X for mountain trout. When I am bass fishing, I usually don't drop below about 8lb fluorocarbon for tippet, which would be about like 3X tippet at the lightest. In heavy cover I've gone up to 0X fluorocarbon which is 16.5lb test in the tippet I use. If I am using 2X tippet on my 3wt, it sort of defeats the purpose of using light gear, in my opinion. It would be like using 12lb mono on an UL spinning rod/reel. 

If all you throw for bass is small streamers for small fish, I think you can use a 5wt and be just fine. Casting big, bulky flies into heavy cover would not be a good application for a 5wt, in my humble opinion.


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## ducman491 (Oct 31, 2011)

By the time bass season rolls around I will have a 5wt and 8wt. I'm just wondering if I should get a sinking/sink tip line for one of them or use the floater and big tippet/split shot to get the streamer down.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

why not

_________


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## oarfish (May 12, 2004)

ducman491 said:


> By the time bass season rolls around I will have a 5wt and 8wt. I'm just wondering if I should get a sinking/sink tip line for one of them or use the floater and big tippet/split shot to get the streamer down.


Just get the floating 8 weight line for starters and fish the shallow weeds in the spring. You will have a blast. Try a weedless streamer just bellow the surface on a warm windy day. Or a popper on a quiet late evening.
Cast it into a pocket and let it sit.


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