FS Digest

I just recently moved back to the South after 7 years in Alaska. I picked up fly-fishing up there and have never fly fished for bass but I love fly fishing, so I am now. Question is, what weight rod do most of you guys to with. I was thinking a 7-8wt, but wanted to hear from some people who have experience fishing for bass on the fly. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

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by thumper360

FS Digest

I caught a few bass on my 5wt nothing over two pounds yet but it was a lot of fun.

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by _macnchee

FS Digest

I like a 6wt for smallmouth. Paired with an aggressive front taper you can turn over fairly large streamers no problem.

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by Streamerstripper

FS Digest

Thanks man. I'm researching it and my favorite rod has came up more than once. A 7wt BVK! Been looking for a reason to buy that rod.

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by thumper360

FS Digest

I have an 8 weight that I use for saltwater, but also use it for bass in the summer throwing big poppers and dahlberg divers.

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by huckBELLy

FS Digest

I think I'm going to go this route. I love an hour away from the Mississippi/Alabama/Florida coast, so if I can is it for some inshore or saltwater fishing, it would be great.

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by thumper360

FS Digest

I've lived in the US SE most of my adult life and fish for bass as a primary pursuit. I like an 8wt for most bass fishing. A 6 or 7 wt will do for river smallies, but an 8wt will carry large bass bugs and baitfish even in the wind, and if you fish on lakes or coast, there is usually wind.

Fly fishers usually, eventually wind up with some variation of a quiver consisting of a 5 wt and 8wt if they happened to start out with a 5wt, or a 6wt, 8wt and a 4wt for panfish and trout. A less popular but also interesting quiver could consist of a 4wt, 7wt and 10wt if you eventually will chase muskie, pike and blues. I'm solidly in the 4, 6, 8wt camp for veratility of catching just about any fish in North America fresh or inshore salt.

The 8wt is the general all around concensus for bass, striped bass, redfish, speckled trout, etc. Where it comes into play is chucking oversized baitfish and deerhair poppers and dealing with wind. Depending on your needs, I'm increasingly a fan of the 8ft 8wts for bass fishing from boats. 9ft medium fast or even fast iwts may be more general purpose, but the crop of 7'11" 8wt "tournament rods" offers good handling accurate casts even if you never enter a tournament. That said, for a single 8wt to rule them all, I'd pick a moderate fast 9 footer.

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by Independent

FS Digest

I appreciate the input. I really do. So most of my fishing will be in rivers and from the bank. So could I get away with a 9ft 8wt? That's what I used for salmon fishing in Alaska, and I'm very comfortable with that size. That would be awesome.

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by thumper360