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sagebass
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:22 am • # 1 |
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Joined: 12/23/09 Posts: 658
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Just curious (for those of you who fish warm water mostly) what your favorite bluegill rod is and why?
1. Company/Model 2. Length 3. Line Weight
Colt
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keebranch
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:25 am • # 2 |
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Joined: 11/17/08 Posts: 5497
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6'6" Brushy Creek Glass Lamiglass 3wt- it has feel and bends deep especially with a 10" fish.
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CBarclay
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:34 am • # 3 |
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Joined: 06/25/09 Posts: 3259 Location: Winston-Salem, NC
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Great question, Colt!
1. Orvis Superfine Touch
2. 8'
3. 2wt (double taper)
Why?
I like the oomph I can get with a 2wt over a 1wt when casting larger (size 8 or 6 but I usually fish size 10 to 16) and when casting into the wind. That rod is SUPER accurate so I can hit a small pocket in the weeds or by a downed tree or other structure. It's also extremely sensitive. The length is nice when reaching around obstacles and keeping backcasts above vegetation. I feel that a 3wt is a bit of an overkill in my normal conditions though it's been handy in certain conditions.
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sagebass
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:06 am • # 4 |
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Les: I take it that you tend to fish smaller creeks and more intimate water with your 6'6" glass rod, is that correct?
Chris: I assume you like your 8' for your flat water endeavors, right?
I tend to fish more flat water and right now the Sage SPL 0wt. at 8' in length has been my favorite bluegill rod. However (surprisingly) I have been using a DT 2wt. XPS line on it. It still booms out 50' casts so I don't feel like it is overloading. I am still experimenting with different lines though.
I also have a 7'6" 1wt. Superfine Touch, and similar to Chris's description of the 8' 2wt., it is likely the most accurate rod I have cast. Otherwise, it shares many of the attributes with the SPL 0wt. I tend to favor a WF 2wt. line with the SFT.
I am currently debating on whether to keep a 6'6" 3wt. 3pc. McFarland Yellow Glass blank to build out. If I keep it, I am going to be letting go one of the rods mentioned above (probably the SFT 7'6" 1wt.). But I wanted to get some opinions from others as to what types of rods, line weights and lengths they prefer for their bluegill endeavors before I make my decision.
Keep the responses coming!
Colt
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CBarclay
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:12 am • # 5 |
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Joined: 06/25/09 Posts: 3259 Location: Winston-Salem, NC
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Colt,
Yes, mainly flat water stuff but the few times I've fished it in moving water it's excelled there too. It's rapidly becoming my favorite rod for sure.
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Rockthief
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:01 am • # 6 |
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Joined: 11/27/08 Posts: 453 Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon
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Sage SLT 1 wt Sage Quiet Taper
good accurate casting with this rod. I just love the SLT.
THe other rod I fish for bluegill is a Great Bay 3 wt 6'6" fiberglass. This is maybe the best all around rod I own.
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keebranch
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:05 am • # 7 |
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Joined: 11/17/08 Posts: 5497
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Yes I do fish smaller water with this rod, and I like the fact that it packs up so small so if i want to use it on higher streams it's pracitcal.
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sagebass
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:14 am • # 8 |
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Joined: 12/23/09 Posts: 658
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Rockthief: What is the length of your SLT 1wt.....is it 8'1"? I bet that rod is pretty similar to my SPL 8' 0wt. in action. I really like mine as well. And I found it interesting that your other rod is a 6'6" 3wt. glass rod. That is a very similar to the combo that I am entertaining (i.e. the SPL 8' 0wt. and the McFarland 6'6" 3wt.). That is, assuming I can part with the SFT!
Colt
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jkurtz7
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:08 am • # 9 |
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Joined: 11/17/08 Posts: 4828
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Sage TXL, 7'10" 2wt. Does everything I need it to do, from the creeks I fish, to ponds. I haven't tried it on any of the local impoundments yet. I'll have to get around to that before November.
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sagebass
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:21 am • # 10 |
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Jkurtz: I can imagine that your 2wt. TXL is a great performer. I bet it excels even in moderate wind or casting larger sized flies. Those rods are very impressive! And at 7'10" in length you can get some distance on flat water and do some roll casting in tight quarters. The 2wt. may be the most versatile bluegill rod in my opinion!
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jkurtz7
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:53 am • # 11 |
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Joined: 11/17/08 Posts: 4828
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Yes, it has the line speed to deal with some wind and larger flies. Most of the flies I've used this year are 14's and 16's though. I do occasionally use size 12 foam spiders, but those cast funky on just about everything, since they spin in flight. I've also cast size 10 clousers and it does pretty good with those.
On flat water I can get 60' easy. It does roll cast pretty well on the creeks I fish. If the creeks were any smaller though, I would need something shorter, I guess I could use something shorter now, but I make the 7'10" length work for me.
One thing that I absolutely require in a panfish rod is sensitivity. I want to feel that fishes heartbeat when he's on the line. The TXL is pretty sensitive, many other rods are not.
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CBarclay
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:07 pm • # 12 |
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Joined: 06/25/09 Posts: 3259 Location: Winston-Salem, NC
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"feel the fishes heartbeat" - Great description (and true!), Jeremy!
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FK
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 1:45 pm • # 13 |
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Joined: 11/12/09 Posts: 65
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Sage TXL 7'11" 2wt
This rod will cast a reasonable size fly and has loads of backbone for the occasional LM bass.
Regards, FK
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jdub
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 1:55 pm • # 14 |
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Joined: 11/18/08 Posts: 3185 Location: Texas
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Depends on my mood. :-) That's like asking which of your kids is your favorite. ;-)
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ohiotuber
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 2:59 pm • # 15 |
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Joined: 11/17/08 Posts: 325 Location: Canton, Ohio
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sagebass wrote: Just curious (for those of you who fish warm water mostly) what your favorite bluegill rod is and why?
1. Company/Model...St Croix Legend Ultra (pre IPC) 2. Length...8' (2pc) 3. Line Weight...wf3f While just a 3wt, this rod is a cannon & casts great in surprisingly stiff wind, yet is very sensitive & has better feel of the fight than my 2wt. Mikey
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robgcp
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 4:14 pm • # 16 |
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Joined: 03/08/09 Posts: 2144
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Seems like every time I fish one of my rods I come back home thinking it is my favorite....tho I am pretty partial to 3# rods
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Tailingloop
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 4:37 pm • # 17 |
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Joined: 02/08/10 Posts: 1651
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I would have to say.......My Cabela's CZN 9'6" 3wt followed closely by the Sage TXL 0 wt followed closely by the Saint Croix 3wt legend ultra followed closely by a TFO pro 2wt and I have a new 2/3 wt glass rod that bends VERY well to a hand size bream. Just haven't been able to fish it enough to determine which rods it "follows closely". (I guess I like them ALL) Don S in SC............
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Backlash Larue
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 5:50 pm • # 18 |
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Joined: 07/23/11 Posts: 101
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I seem to be gravitating to lighter and lighter rods....I fished my St. Croix Imperial 4wt for years, and thought it was the greatest thing. I just got a Redington 8'6" 3wt and it feels really good.....I can see that I'll be fishing 1-2wts in my near future.....I absolutely LOVE 'gill fishin'!!!!
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frreed
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:12 pm • # 19 |
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Joined: 01/06/11 Posts: 51
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Cabela's TQR 7'6" 3wt. This rod is pretty fast for an ultralight so it can handle the ubiquitous Texas breeze. I've fished this rod so much this spring and summer that, when I got to the coast earlier this week, my 7 wt TiCR felt like a telephone pole.
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Canoeman1947
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Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 3:34 pm • # 20 |
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Joined: 01/26/09 Posts: 617 Location: Oklahoma
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1. Axisco Airrite 2. 7' 6" 6 piece 3. 3 DT or 4 WF
I didn't think I would like a slow action rod, and most that I have tried I don't like, but the Airrite is one of the smoothest casting rods I have ever used. It is definitely full flexing, which makes even a small fish seem much bigger, but I have landed bass up to about 2 1/2 pounds with it. Everybody I hand this rod to remarks on how smooth it is. I had a little trouble prying it out of Les' hands at the last fiberglass conclave.
Larry
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