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rod for smallmouthModerators: Thomas Steele, bombcast
24 posts
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rod for smallmouth
hello again fellas, i am going to be looking for a new stick for smallies and trout .I would prefere something in the 12-13 ft range with a lot of flex .playing fish on lighter leaders and feeling the rod bend down to the cork would be nice. my budget will be around 4 hundred.would like to hear what you guys are using and what lines are matched with the rods.thanks for any input.
I use a 6/7 Forecast with a 7wt line for smallies. Well within the budget. It's not the lightest rod for smallies but fits the bill for bigger water. I mostly use mine on the Kankakee full floating.
i have been looking at the GLoomis Roaring River Dredger Spey Rods (Skagit Style) in the 13'4" 7/8 and the 13'9" 8/9 for small mouth fishing. i think that both of those rods go for about 450. so a little over your budget. these rods are a little heavy but i am going to be using them for large water fishing
I'll be very interested in the responses to this question as I've wrestled with the smallie two-hander question and have yet to come up with a solution, though one may be on the horizon. For now I've settled on using a LeCie 12' 6" - 7/8 that's actually a bit too heavy for smallies, but since I also fish for carp at the same time, I need some muscle.
I used to own a Dredger 7/8 and it was a blast for bass except for two things: I found it a bit long, and the lines were so heavy that smaller bass could barely move them. The fish would be splashing on top, but as far as the feel on the handle, it could've been some weed. It was only when I had the back of the head on the reel and the line off the water that things really got interesting. Bigger bass were more interesting right from the hookup. If you go the 7/8 Dredger route, experiment with long belly WF-8-F lines like the Rio S/AS and a conventional casting stroke. I had the same line weight problem with a Loop 7/8 setup as well that ran about 400 grains, so it's not just a Skagit line problem. I've yet to cast it and I'm not sure if it's even available yet on this side of the pond, but Guideline is offering an 11 foot 7/8 switch rod for $389.00. That 7/8 rating is a single hander one for DT-7 or WF-8 lines, so it won't easily overpower small bass -- about equivalent to Spey 4/5s offered by other companies. I have the 8/9 version and it's a nice casting stick, not too stiff.
The CND Expert 13' 6/7 is an awesome two hander for smallies. I definitely would call Poppy @ Red Shed Fly Shop and see about getting one to test cast. Doesn't cost anything, but the price of shipping it back to him after trying it out...
Kweetech, I fish and love that Meiser 11'7" 5/6/7. It's my favorite rod, and it gets the nod for most of my medium and small water fishing for steelhead and smallies.
To the original poster, you might look at the TFO Deer Creek 5/6. Another popular stick is the Loomis Metolius, but it's just above your price range. I recommend going no heavier than a 6/7 spey, and would lean toward a 5/6. If you're fishing big water or big wind, I'd look at line design and casting technique before going to a bigger stick. The above comments about losing feel with a bigger rod and lots of line out fit with my experience. With a 5/6 you'll have less mass in the line and deeper flex in the rod. I think your length criteria are good. There are shorter rods available, but the extra length will make your rod more flexible for weight and let you keep more line off the water when you want to. Also, Kory's suggestion about the CND Expert is a good one. I highly recommend dealing with Poppy (Mike) at the Red Shed. Have fun, Red'
The only thing that has kept me from getting a two-hander for smallmouth duty is the top water bite. While I love swinging and stripping streamers, there's times where surface flies are the ticket. I don't thing chugging a popper with a two-hander would be very efficient. Now a switch rod is another story. I've been eyeing a switch for steelhead and smallies. Most likely a 7 weight.
I've run into other situations as well where the two hander doesn't do the job for smallies -- frankly, Spey casting with a popper sucks. This is why I'm looking more at the light, short switch rod, like the AFTMA rated 7/8 LPXe, so I can go overhead when needed. In some circumstances the typical, light, 13' two-hander will do the job, but not in others. This is why I was interested in the responses to this question.
think about this.. Using that 10-12' twohander/switch with a shooting head/skagit..stripping line, and punching out big flies overhead casting/shooting. A switch or shorter spey rod would kick butt in that situation, IMO... I picked up an 11' 7wt Winston last fall, it spey casts well, and can rocket line overhead..SA makes a single hand skagit line that I want to try on it (~360gr.) redneck...the last thing I need is glowing reviews for that Meiser stick, I'm already running out of money to spend this spring 
i definatly wont be in any hurry because i really want to get nice light weight 2 hander .athough it will be my summer rod for smallies i know i will also use it for some steelie action.a few that are on my radar are the 12-6 deer creek 5/6 and the new echo dec hogan 12-2 5wt. im waiting to hear some more reviews on those rods.i appreciate the input.
Not trying to be rude or anything, but reviews don't mean a thing. You need to try the rods you are considering yourself. Choosing a two handed fly rod is nothing like choosing a single hander. I highly suggest contacting a shop that carries some of these rods and seeing about getting some demo rods sent to you to try. This is the only way you are going to find the right rod for you... In my opinion the Deer Creek series of rods are a whole different animal than say the CND Expert series rods. Not saying one is better than the other just one will most likely feel better to an individual than the other. Never casted the Hogan series of rods so can't say anything about them. Just do yourself a favor and take all the suggestions from anyone with a grain of salt and cast the rods yourself. What you like the most is the only review that matters...
relax ,theres nothing wrong with talking about rods and lines that match well with them .i havent given alot of thought to the switch rods only because i dont mind fishing the short game with a 12 -13 ft spey .i have plenty of single handed rods for the nymphing and topwater .i think something that would be light enough to enjoy the 1-4 pound fish with but enough backbone to handle the occational 5 -9 pounders would be fun. im going to look into the cnd/ miesers /loomis rods ill have to save money to go that route but thats life.thanks for sharing the info guys.
No, I definitely agree that line matching, etc.... is a great thing to talk about I just didn't want you to make a decision based on another guys opinion and then not be happy with it. My first spey rod I made that mistake, and now after casting ton's of them I have found a select few that I really like. I can tell you that you don't have to drop a bundle of cash to get a really nice casting rod. The TFO rods are a prime example of that. Like I said hope it all goes well and let us know what you like. Was not trying to jump on you or anything just giving advice from a mistake I made some time ago...
Big Duke 1, Just purchased a TFO Deer Creek 5/6 this weekend at a fly fishing show in NJ. I too have been looking for a light weight spey rod for swinging for trout in the spring before the hatches start popping, and fishing for smallies when the trout waters get to warm. Had a chance to cast it for a while before buying which was nice. The rod has a nice smooth medium action, which had no problem slinging the fly plus 15' of sink tip easily. Matched it up with a 400 grain rio skagit, which seemed to be a good fit. Had a chance to look over the new echo's which seemed to feel about the same as the TFO but didnt have a chance to cast it. Tried to get an answer as to when the new echos would be available to purchase but could'nt get close enough to Tim Rajeff to ask. For 329.00 the TFO would be hard to be. Would like to have found an american rod for that money but could'nt come close. Purchased a Winston spey rod this fall so I could'nt take another financial hit like that again for a while. In closing would definitley recommend the TFO for what you are looking for.
24 posts
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