7-9wt rod recommendations for steelhead/largmouth

Bocianka1

Bocianka1

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Jan 8, 2018
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Location
Philly suburbs
I fish 5wt dry and nymph rods for trout year round. I only own 2 rods, having only been fly fishing for a few years.

I would like to go try steelhead fishing some day, but i understand this will entail having a stronger rod/reel. I would also like to try some largemouth bass fishing on a fly rod. I figured the best solution would be to put together a rod/reel combo that was heavier duty than my 5 wt. that could be used for both largemouth or steelhead. Having never fished a fly rod heavier than a 5 wt, i don't know quite what i should i be on the lookout for.

I recently received a used Sage 1800 7-9wt reel from another fishermen. I'm not in a position to run out and buy the rest of the gear i need, but I thought this might be the reel to begin building my bass/steelhead rig. .... and xmas is coming.

So i'm looking for recommendations for a rod that might go with this reel to meet those needs. I recently pruchased a fly tying setup, and i noticed the seller is offering an Orvis "Clearwater Classic" 9', 8wt, 2pc. for $100. Is an 8 wt. a good weight for these applications or should i look for a 9wt?

Should i be looking for a spey rod or is that too heavy a style for largemouth fishing?

I also don't know jack about fly lines as my first two rods came as combo kits and already had backing and floating fly line included. Any advice for fly line and backing would also be welcome.

Thanks for any help you can offer.
 
A 9’ 8 weight is a very good choice for the type of fishing you are considering. I would recommend considering a four piece rather than a two piece for the convenience of the shorter rod tube. I have owned a Cabelas Three Forks 9’ 8 weight - 4 piece for 5 or 6 years and have been extremely happy with its performance. I use it primarily for bass and carp as I bought it mainly for a carp rod. However, I have also fished for stripers in the salt with this outfit. The Three Forks is a very good rod for the price. You can generally buy them for around $70 but occasionally Cabelas will run sales on them and drop them down to around $40-$45.

As far as the reel goes you will want to make sure it has a good disc drag system for Steelhead, because you will definitely be using the drag. Good luck, I wish you the best as you explore a whole new area of fly fishing.
 
Just going on you have a 5 wt and you want to fish for steelhead and bass. I’ll assume you would be fishing Erie for steel?

It’s possible to get away with fishing a 5 wt for steelhead and bass but suboptimal.

The standard steelhead rig is a 9-10 foot 7wt. I’m sure it would work for Bass as well. I have fished a 9.5 foot 6wt in Erie and that was also fine.

Have a 9 foot 8 wt it’s a tad heavy for Erie but fine- can land the Fish pretty easy. Can use this setup for lighter saltwater which is why I use it. Jack of all trades although I don’t think I thrown streams for trout on it- bit heavy.

Would consider an 8 weight if you think you might be hitting some salt or bigger warm water species.

If just fishing steel in Erie probably not enough room for Spey a lot of the time. Also no need for an expensive steelhead rod setup cause essentially your just roll casting short distances.

I got a decent reel for the saltwater and just rinse it off after each use.

The reel you have sounds fine for these pursuits.
 
Bocianka1 wrote:
I fish 5wt dry and nymph rods for trout year round. I only own 2 rods, having only been fly fishing for a few years.

I would like to go try steelhead fishing some day, but i understand this will entail having a stronger rod/reel. I would also like to try some largemouth bass fishing on a fly rod. I figured the best solution would be to put together a rod/reel combo that was heavier duty than my 5 wt. that could be used for both largemouth or steelhead. Having never fished a fly rod heavier than a 5 wt, i don't know quite what i should i be on the lookout for.

I recently received a used Sage 1800 7-9wt reel from another fishermen. I'm not in a position to run out and buy the rest of the gear i need, but I thought this might be the reel to begin building my bass/steelhead rig. .... and xmas is coming.

So i'm looking for recommendations for a rod that might go with this reel to meet those needs. I recently pruchased a fly tying setup, and i noticed the seller is offering an Orvis "Clearwater Classic" 9', 8wt, 2pc. for $100. Is an 8 wt. a good weight for these applications or should i look for a 9wt?

Should i be looking for a spey rod or is that too heavy a style for largemouth fishing?

I also don't know jack about fly lines as my first two rods came as combo kits and already had backing and floating fly line included. Any advice for fly line and backing would also be welcome.

Thanks for any help you can offer.
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A 9' 8wt rod would serve you well to fish for Largemouth as well as steelhead. I used an 8wt for both for many years and it worked out fine.

I would steer clear of the 2piece "Orvis Clearwater Classic" you mentioned. While the Clearwater rods are decent, Orvis hasn't offered a 2 piece for a long time. Classic may just mean "old" and $100 for an older rod like that is really no bargain, plus it's a 2 piece, which makes it that much less desirable.

Your reel should work fine. For $100 you should be able to find a decent used 8wt out there.

Good luck.
 
I use a 10' 7wt TFO for both steelhead and bass. They are great rods with warranty for around $150. As far as line, I just paired it with Rio gold, although I'm sure you could use something more specialized for turning over larger flies.
 
thanks for the quick responses and the useful recommendations.

i'll be looking at Erie for Steelhead initially because that's probably the closest since i'm in Eastern PA. Although i may be able to get into New York for the same drive times. Some of that will depend on who i can go with. One thing i've learned from reading the forums is that it is well worth it to go with someone who has been there before and can help guide you through your first time out.

I'll keep on the lookout for a rod, as the holiday shopping season approaches, i'm sure i'll come across something (new or used) that i can pick up along the way. An 8 wt is probably what i'll be looking for based on what you've provided so far. This seems to be a good all purpose weight. It sounds like it will work for bass, for steelhead, and for saltwater. Since this rod is for several applications (possibly including our vacation next summer to florida) i like the idea of something that could handle a multitude of applications.

I also like the recommendations for a 3 or 4 piece rod instead of the 2 piece. I have one rod that is a 2 piece and the tube is just long enough to make packing it difficult. my 4 piece rod is much more convenient and it would be nice to continue getting rods that break down into a manageable size.


Thanks gents.

 
I also used the Cabela’s Three Forks 9’ 8 weight. I have fished everywhere from Lake Erie to the surf with this rod. It is very good for smallies as well. This was one of my first rods. I bought it for the same reasons you mentioned. However I wasn’t sure if this type of fishing was what I wanted to pursue long term so I did it on the cheap. I got my rig for about $125 all included. I didn’t really care if the rod lasted forever. I upgraded the line to the Scientific Anglers Mastery Steelhead Taper Fly Line after a year or so once I started to target Steelhead and surf fishing.

Here are some things I learned:
Too cheap is not good as my Three Forks rod was a free upgrade after I beat the hell out of a Cabela’s Wind River rod. Fortunately, it was within the 1 year warranty.

On the positive side, I was surprised that I am still using this rod in the surf. Great bang for the buck but with risks.

I can’t tell you how many fish have been caught on this rod.

With that said, I would not buy another rod without a warranty. I was fortunate to get this much use without any issues. I am in the market for a 5 weight because I still use this cheap rod for everything and need a smaller rod. I would recommend looking at the 8 weight rod shoot out. It tests the best rods from inexpensive to expensive and how they perform. There are some inexpensive rods ( one under $100) that have a warranty and perform really well. The website is below.
https://www.yellowstoneangler.com/gear-review/2018-8-weight-shootout-g-loomis-asquith-best-fly-rod-comparison

I hope to hear what you decide. I always find it interesting to learn why people buy what they do and how it works out.


All the best,
 
Bocianka1 wrote:
thanks for the quick responses and the useful recommendations.

i'll be looking at Erie for Steelhead initially because that's probably the closest since i'm in Eastern PA. Although i may be able to get into New York for the same drive times. Some of that will depend on who i can go with. One thing i've learned from reading the forums is that it is well worth it to go with someone who has been there before and can help guide you through your first time out.

I'll keep on the lookout for a rod, as the holiday shopping season approaches, i'm sure i'll come across something (new or used) that i can pick up along the way. An 8 wt is probably what i'll be looking for based on what you've provided so far. This seems to be a good all purpose weight. It sounds like it will work for bass, for steelhead, and for saltwater. Since this rod is for several applications (possibly including our vacation next summer to florida) i like the idea of something that could handle a multitude of applications.

I also like the recommendations for a 3 or 4 piece rod instead of the 2 piece. I have one rod that is a 2 piece and the tube is just long enough to make packing it difficult. my 4 piece rod is much more convenient and it would be nice to continue getting rods that break down into a manageable size.


Thanks gents.
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Be smart get a 9 wt and skip the steelhead and go fish the salt its allot closer use 9 wt for largemouth also can use a salt line for the largemouth as well. If you give money for gas I may take you out for stripers
 
An 8 wt is fine for stripers for us dummies.
 
poopdeck wrote:
An 8 wt is fine for stripers for us dummies.
Click to expand...
Until the wind starts blowing and you need to get your cast to the sand bar.
 
The OP mentioned needing a rod for LM bass and steelhead.

As many have posted above, a 9' 8wt is a swiss army type rod for bigger freshwater fish and light saltwater fishing.

I'm now a FFing afishinado and own a fly rod in every weight from 3-11 and in various lengths and actions for some rod weights. But no need to go that route to have fun. I've enjoyed fishing and caught many types of fish all over on the only heavy rod I owned at the time which was a 9' 8wt (Sage RPL). Not even a complete list >

Carp
Sucker
Fallfish
LM Bass
SM Bass
Striped Bass
Bluefish
Rainbow
Steelhead
Brown Trout
King Salmon
Coho Salmon
Redfish
Bonefish
Muskie
Northern Pike
Walleye
Pickerel
Crappie




 
Cabelas has a rod called the Synch in 9 ft. 8wt, 4 pc. for $99.00. I bought the 5 wt version on sale for $70.00. Have used it alot, with no issues or complaints - very nice rod with decent components. A real bargain.
 
In the under $100 category, I'm pretty happy with my 9' #7 Echo Base I use for smallmouth. They also offer a 9' 8 wgt in the Base lineup.


http://echoflyfishing.com/project/echobase/

 
as a continued update, I put my dad onto this thread since he's looking for xmas present ideas. He looked into the Cabelas Three Forks rod. They are discontinued and no longer available through Cabela's. I don't know if that is related to the merger with Bass Pro Shops or not, but that rod is no longer an option. He has an Erie rod in 8 wt, so i imagine he will continue to pursue an 8 wt based on his own experience. Now that his new knee is healing up i might actually get to fish with him up in Erie for the first time if everything comes together which would be awesome.

Thanks for the continued responses and recommendations. Even though there are larger forums out there, i appreciate the knowledge base and participation from this more local forum a great deal. It's been really helpful this past year for me. Thanks to those of you who take the time to respond to posts like this. It's appreciated.



Frederick, i may reach out to you once i get things together. I've always wanted to try striper fishing. Paying for gas sounds fair to me. thanks for the offer.
 
thanks to all who posted recommendations. My dad ended up trying to get me a rod off Bass Pro Shops, but it got back ordered and then refunded. So, I ended up picking up a rod this weekend at the Edison Fly Fishing Show.

I now have a TFO Professional Series II 9', 8wt (in 4 pieces). Paired with my new-to-me Sage 1800 7-9wt reel and a Scientific Anglers Wavelength MPX WF-8 line. I like the feel of the TFO rod, although i only know what a 5wt. feels like inmy hands prior to this so i'm not sure how much i can actually tell what it should feel like. I especially wanted something that had 3 or 4 pieces so it will transport well this summer when we head down to Florida so i paid a few extra bucks for that option.

I can't wait to get up to Erie for a chance to break it in and see how well it lands fish. thanks again for all who took the time to post.
 
FWIW, I'm in Harrisburg area and can be at the salmon river in 4.5 hours. It's much longer for me to get to Erie. If you have never been to the salmon, don't do it blindly. You could get there and find 7' of snow on the ground. Don't have snow shoes? You're SOL.

I guess what I'm saying is buy a rod for steelheading, never go because it sucks and then use it for largemouth, smallmouth and snakeheads. LoL
 
krayfish2 wrote:

I guess what I'm saying is buy a rod for steelheading, never go because it sucks and then use it for largemouth, smallmouth and snakeheads. LoL
Click to expand...


That comment warms my heart .

FYI me 11-12 Tarpon room

https://www.flyfishingwingshootingexpo.com/seminars.html
 
I'll see you there. I'm with Nick at a booth. Look for me and Cody the fishing dog....who just happens to be the worst swimming dog .....ever
 
I was given a Sage RPL 8wt when I started fishing steelhead and it is still my go to rod. If I was buying one in would be still be an 8wt . Might be able to go down for Erie but if you decide to NY (where I would go if I was you) that 8 weight will come in handy for those big boys on the Salmon and even Oak Orchard. That being said any 6-8 wt in a 9' will work.
 
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