# Ultralight smallies next spring.



## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

As most have seen me and my buddies have caught some nice smallies in the black recently this pas season. 

I caught a few on the fly rod with simple surface spiders and such. I'm going to up my game for next season and try to get some bruisers on the fly. I want to purchase a 3wt 5'9'' or 6' 6'' llbean rod and reel. Any suggestions on the flies? I'm thinking same types I used last season and maybe some nymphs for gills and rock bass and maybe some poppers. 

Any suggestions will be thanked!


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## Steelie.B (Mar 9, 2010)

Clousers, crayfish, and baitfish patterns in sizes 1 to 8 work great on smallies, but I would suggest a bit stouter rod for throwing those kinds of patterns. A 6 weight is ideal for throwing streamers. 3 wts are good for dries and nymphs, but struggle with heavier streamers like Clousers.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Steelie.B said:


> Clousers, crayfish, and baitfish patterns in sizes 1 to 8 work great on smallies, but I would suggest a bit stouter rod for throwing those kinds of patterns. A 6 weight is ideal for throwing streamers. 3 wts are good for dries and nymphs, but struggle with heavier streamers like Clousers.


I'd agree. I own a 3wt, it's great for panfish and small stream trout. It's one of my favorite rods to use. I even landed my personal best fly rod bass on it at 19.5". That being said, it's too light for bass. That big fish I caught on a night I was gill fishing and it came up through the weeds chasing a bluegill I had hooked, then sat there watching like it was waiting to get an easy meal. I tied on the biggest streamer I had on me, a #6 olive zonker, and flipped it out there on 5X tippet. Hooking that fish was no big deal but it went where it wanted to go, period. That was the closest I have ever been to the backing while bass fishing. Then the fish got hung in the weeds about 8' off the bank, and the only way I landed it was to wade out to almost waist deep water. How the 5X held that long I will never know. It makes for a fun story, but showed me that 3wt was no bass setup! Smallies fight like a largemouth that's 4" bigger than they are (if not bigger), so if you're in any kind of cover a 14" smallie will give you all kinds of fits. It's going to go where it wants. On top of that, I am trending now towards fishing bigger flies than I used to for bass, and a 3wt simply won't cast them with any efficiency. This is that bass:










The lightest I go for bass is a 9' 5wt that I use when I fish a few small creeks that have smallies up to maybe 14-15" tops, and when I wade the Hocking for smallies I am using a 9'6" 7wt.


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## gahannafly (Aug 11, 2012)

I agree-a 3 wt is cool to catch a small mouth on but limits what you can cast.
I have a 6 wt with floating and sink tip lines. I think a 5 wt would be perfect.
For the sink tip line a scientific angler will do the job.
Also, my main three small mouth flies are a chartreuse and white clouser, a devil bug, and a foxee clouser.
My first rod was a 5 weight Cabella's Cahill-I bought the outfit because it was the cheapest I could find. It did a fine job though I do not use it any more.
Check out the Fly Fish Ohio website-he also has a book out called "Fly fishing warm water rivers" which is very helpful.
I have a 3 wt, 7'6, Redington rod with a cheap fly reel and some orvis wonderline on it. It is very fun on small creeks but gets tasked when a nice size small mouth gets hooked.


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

I have a 6wt pflueger starter rod that I was using last summer. I like using it but I want more of a fight. That may limit my patterns I throw but I am purchasing a smaller rod for the creek and for trout in PA. I'm gonna have to reline my bigger rod.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

LilSiman/Medina said:


> I have a 6wt pflueger starter rod that I was using last summer. I like using it but I want more of a fight. That may limit my patterns I throw but I am purchasing a smaller rod for the creek and for trout in PA. I'm gonna have to reline my bigger rod.


You will enjoy the 3wt. Any more, in 99% of all situations, a 4wt is the largest I will consider. Steelhead will get me throwing a 6 or 7wt, but not much more.


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

The smaller weights are great for the smaller waters, but if you plan on doing any traveling, I'd suggest a 6-7 wgt. for bigger faster rivers like the maumee.I've some 18+ in. fish in heavy current and have to just hold on for dear life with my 9ft. 5 wgt. Gives you an excuse to go out and get another rig.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

For smallies I usually use a 9ft 6wt, but before I got that I used an 8.5ft 5wt and a 7.5ft 5wt. I think the 6 is perfect for the rivers I fish. It handles the big ones but the little ones still put a bend in it. 

The lightest I would go would be the 7.5ft 5wt only because it is a little on the light side for the bigger fish and the more than occasional carp. That being said I do want to get a couple decent smallies on my 6.5ft 3wt this spring and summer just for the experience. No way I'd be tossing big streamers and poppers with it though.


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

I got my 3wt 7' 6'' today. I'm gonna use it along with my 6wt this upcoming spring.


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