smallmouth setup?

[thesmayway]

Guys, I've done a lot of smb fishing in PA and Canada with spinning gear but i'm ready to chase them with a fly rod. I got an 8wt for dual purpose salt water and bass fishing. However, someone mentioned on another thread that an 8 wt is overkill for small mouth and they typically use their 5wt. I know i've struggled throwing big zonkers with my 5 wt and i'm going bigger on fly size so i thought it would be an appropriate size rod... anyway that's not my main queston

When you're fishing for them subsurface with streamers would you approach it the same way you do with trout? Meaning, would you add weight above the fly as need to get it down? Or would you use a sink tip? I do have a sink tip if that's recommended

Whats your typical leader setup? I've got plenty of flouro to tie my own

I also bought big pike/muskie flies last year. Some are 6-7" long... overkill for smallies?

Thanks guys!

 

[cricketontherun]

6-7" flies are not totally overkill, but not necessary. 3-4" is usually plenty. Honestly it comes down to the size of forage in the water you're focusing on.

Leaders: I subscribe to the Lefty school and start with 50lb/3' fluro and step down accordingly 40/2',30/1.5',20/1',15/1',8lb tippet.

I tie flies with the necessary weight like dumbell eyes, and I have spare spool for each reel with an intermediate line, and another with a sink tip streamer style line to keep the fly at the strike depth.

As for rod weight and style: a fast action rod paired with a heavy weight froward front taper will turn flies over much easier. I do fish a 5wt most often. I do think an 8wt is a bit overkill, but a 6/7 would keep you from wearing out your arm without a good double haul.

Most importantly have fun, because there isn't a fish that swims in PA's waters that is more fun to catch!!

 

[codym21]

you should be fine with the 8wt, I like fishing the 8wt because you never know what your gonna get and if they wind kicks up the 8wt is nice. I have fished a 5wt before but prefer the 8wt for smallies

 

[dc410]

I also enjoy fishing with an 8wt for smallies. I am using an SA magnum taper line and throw some decent size flies (many of them weighted with dumbell eyes). My 8wt outfit handles these types of flies nicely, especially under breezy conditions..

I keep my leaders real simple. 3' of 40 lb. Maxima Chameleon, 2' of 20 lb. FC, 3' of 10 lb. or 8 lb. FC tippet. Double surgeon knots or blood knots as connecting knots.

Also, I never pass up the opportunity to tangle with a carp if I come across one while smallie fishing. The 8 wt. comes in real handy and affords a lot of confidence when dealing with a 15-20 lb. carp.

 

[Crotalus]

An 8 wt is not overkill if you are throwing big flies - poppers, mice, streamers.

I am starting to feel like a broken record, rod wt is not always equal to fish size. I have landed 18" + smallmouth on my 3 wt, but it will not throw a 2/0 popper.

 

[afishinado]

Agree with above. I fished an 8wt for big river SMB for a long time. It worked just fine to catch thousands of smallies.

I recently picked up a new rod, a 10' 7wt. and I really love it, plus it does double duty as a steelhead rod.

Anyway, a 5wt works, but can bog down with bigger flies. A 6 is better and a 7 should be able to handle any kind of bass fly.

With that being said, some rods will cast and fish better than others, even in the same weight. I would test out as many rods as possible before you make a choice.

 

[BrianMyers67]

I fish a 8-1/2' or 9-1/2' 7wt. most of the time. My flies aren't larger than 4", usually half that but are weighted. I don't fish top water much but usually dredge the bottom with crayfish or streamer patterns. Your 8wt. will be better if your throwing a lot of weight or wind resistant flies unless you can double haul well , I can't double haul to save my life but single haul ok. If you are only going to have one line (floating) then look into add on sink tips. They served me pretty well last year and will be using them more in the future.
The only reason I have settled on a 7wt. and not an 8wt (which I have if needed) is that I also like to take a shot at carp when I come across them and with the 8wt. I slap the line into the water too much which sends carp running for cover. I also don't fish until I can comfortably wet wade and most years it seems I don't get out until we are into summer low water levels. At that point, in the places I fish (along the Conestoga) , the bass seem to want a quieter approach and smaller flies .
Depends on what you want , small bass and panfish don't offer much on 8 wt. , you just drag them out of the water before they know what hit them. 15-17" fish are fun and 18"+ even more. An 18" fish on an old glass rod is a ton of fun and puts a nice bend in the rod. This year I hope to get a few carp and break the 18-1/4" smallie mark. Don't pass up a shot at channel cats if you are in an area for them, would love to get into some larger ones on a fly rod.

 

[JerryC]

I do all my smallmouth fishing with a 9' 6 wgt. I can toss a 4-6 inch fly with it, and have landed them up to 20 inches on it. Generally, I steer away from heavily weighted flies. I have three spools for my reel, one with WF floating, one with an intermediate sinking line and a third with a fast sink tip.
My set up for Canada, a lake in Northern Ontario, is pretty simple, a straight tippet on 20 to 30 lb fluorocarbon about 8 feet for the dry and 4 to 6 feet for the intermediate and fast sink tip. That at least gives me a fighting chance if a pike takes a liking to my fly

 

[ratgunner]

I have an 8 weight but for most of my stream and small river fishing for SMB I use an 8 1/2 ft 5 weight. It's a TFO Pro Series 2. And it's loaded with a SA magnum taper.