ECHO BAG Quickshot

[rod1]

Has anyone thrown this rod? I'm interested in reading a review but can't seem to find any online.

Bad Ass Glass Quickshot | Echo Fly Fishing

Thanks

 

[karstopo]

I'd like to know, too. These rods look so new and maybe just coming to market. I don't think many people have laid hands on them just yet. I'm glad you posted this because I hadn't heard of them beyond the 9' models. The 8' rods look right up my alley. Also, not a bank breaker on the price.

I'm thinking the seven weight for inshore salt and big LMB/carp. I really like my 5/6 weight CGR so maybe I'll go for the 6 weight BAG Quickshot. Sometimes, I crave a fiberglass rod that is slightly less noodle-ish than my CGR's.

 

[rsagebrush]

I too am interested in these Quickshot rods as the 9 footers were a bit too much for me weight and balance wise. Not crazy about the colors but maybe it grows on you. I think I shall give the 8 weight a try when they become available.

 

[karstopo]

I got a nine weight BAG Quickshot as a Christmas gift. I can’t imagine casting the 9’ model for long, the 8’ rod swings heavy enough. I paired the nine weight with a Nautilus X XL Max spooled with 9 weight SA Saltwater Titan taper. The line seem like a good fit for the rod for the brief amount of time I made casts off the dock. I might try a heavier reel next time as the set up with the Nautilus felt noticeably tip heavy.

The nine weight BAG Quickshot really seems powerful. I can only do sidearm casts off the dock with the tree canopy, but it was very evident this rod is one that can really blast out a lot of line. Next, I need to take it fishing. It would appear to be too much rod for the run of the mill marsh redfish I run into. I could see this rod be a good fit for those boat nearshore cruises I’ve done where I’ve run into anything from bull reds, Tarpon, jacks, and large triple-tail.

 

[del gue]

It almost sounds like you are calling this rod in 9 wt a light heavy rod in terms of application.

 

[flntknp17]

I recently got an 8wt BAG Quickshot as a birthday present to myself. It being winter in the Midwest, I haven’t actutfished it yet, but I did have a calm afternoon and took it out to a local soccer field and played around casting several different lines. As with other glass rods I have, it is very forgiving of line selection and I cast 7, 8, and 9wt lines with good success. I am really excited about this rod becoming my go-to pike rod in the coming year because I casts SO well and SO easily. It’s just a very pleasant and simple rod to cast. I did not find the weight objectionable at all, but I also know what to expect from a glass rod. I do think the balance would be off if a person put a modern, super light reel on it. I put an old Ross Canyon on mine since this reel is relatively heavier than newer reels.....thus the balance point ends up ideal and the “swing weight” is much nicer. I used a traditional WF, a Rio Outbound Short, a pike/musky taper, an integrated skagit, and a WF sink tip for my test casting. I will be using the Outbound Short for pike I believe. With decent timing, I was able to shoot the entire line.....not something I’ve done with any other glass rod I own. Glad I got the 8’ version.

Matt

 

[karstopo]

It almost sounds like you are calling this rod in 9 wt a light heavy rod in terms of application.

Yes, much of the year, I’m in the marsh and bay in my kayak slinging size 4 somethings to five pound whatever’s. I think the 9 weight BAG Quickshot on first impression seems to be more rod than I want or need for that, I’ll just likely keep using the 7/8 weight CGR or if it’s windy, the 8/9 g. Loomis Short Stix.

Sometimes we go out in my buddy’s Blue Wave and run into schools of bigger redfish, schools of Jack Creavelle, schools of Tarpon, etc. King mackerel might come into the mix. Last year, we ran into some 30” or better snook. I’ve been taking either the 8/9 weight Short Stix or a 9’ TFO ten weight. I see the 9 weight Quickshot shot being more rugged and more able to handle bigger flies and fish than the 8/9 Short Stix. A 9’ rod just gets in the way on the boat, so the 8’ Quickshot would be a better choice than my 10 weight.

.

These are the sizes of redfish we run into.

Or jacks like this.

Sometimes, in my kayak I’ll find bigger fish than what might work well on the CGR set ups.

I see the 9 weight Quickshot being a better choice for these fish than what I had previously used.

 

[del gue]

Dude, those are some VERY nice fish!!!! That Quickshot looks like it would be perfect for fish of that size.

 

[deceiverbob]

That's definitely not a fly in that tarpon's jaw

 

[karstopo]

That's definitely not a fly in that tarpon's jaw

Yes, it's a gold rapala twitch bait using a revo Sx baitcasting reel and medium 6'6" rod. I run into this size of tarpon in some years while in my kayak. I was putting the photo as an example of the size of fish I tend to encounter. That fish and one about a foot longer are the only tarpon I definitely have hooked, but it was a year or two before I started fly rodding. The other bigger tarpon busted a 15# leader on the second leap. The one I brought to hand jumped 10-12 times and mostly wore itself out.

Maybe when and if these tarpon show again, I'll be ready with the 9 weight BAG quickshot.

 

[ikankecil]

I have the 8' BAG Quickshot rods in 6/7/8. I have very little experience with other glass rods so I'm not really much help in how they compare to others with the exception of the BAG 6wt compared to the Epic 686. I initially bought the 6wt BAG after casting the Epic 686 and in my wee little opinion, the BAG will easily cast further than the Epic with the same amount of effort when comparing the 6wt version of each. Due to having the opportunity to cast those two rods several days apart, I bought the 7 & 8 BAG rods as well and now have those three. If I still lived near the ocean, the 10wt would be fun on a number of potential targets but I'm too seldom around saltwater for that to make sense anymore.

As I may have written in a different thread, if I was headed to a saltwater flats destination for bones and permit and only had the 8wt BAG, I'd be completely content. I've fished these rods in WY wind and if they can handle the usual breeze in WY, a windy day in Belize or Islamorada would be totally fine.

 

[duker]

I had no plans to buy a new fly rod, but I've had my eye on those BAGs and this thread is really making me want to pick one up. Never fished a fibreglas rod before, but these look like a good intro to casting with glass.

Scott

 

[karstopo]

I really enjoy fishing fiberglass. Can’t wait to put the 9 weight Quickshot into action. I’d like to get a 6 or 7 weight Quickshot just based on the dock casting of the 9 weight.

I have several fiberglass Cabelas CGRs. I like them a lot, but they can be touchy casting and it is not difficult to overpower the middle of the rod on the cast. The 9 weight Quickshot has a different feel about it, with a much more powerful mid section. I think you’d really have to try very hard to overpower the cast with the 9 weight Quickshot. Yet, it seems sensitive to a light touch on a short cast. Glass is heavier than carbon, but the shorter length of the Quickshot helps to compensate for the added weight if you were to compare it to swinging a 9’ graphite rod of the same line weight rating.

 

[duker]

Most of my fishing is freshwater, not salt, but I do manage the odd saltwater trip from time to time, mostly for bones. What's your opinion of the BAGs for freshwater species like salmon or steelhead? If I use a single hand rod for those these days it's a 9'6" one for better mending/line control, and wonder how one of those 8 foot 8 weight BAGs would work.

I could also see picking up one of the 6 weights for smaller stuff up here--grayling, whitefish, smaller pike and trout.

Scott

 

[karstopo]

I have zero experience with salmon or Steelhead. I really couldn’t guess on how the BAG Quickshot would do in those situations.

 

[karstopo]

Got out in the kayak with the 9 weight BAG Quickshot yesterday afternoon. According to the various NOAA gauges in the vicinity, the wind was between 10-15 knots during the time I was out fishing. The wind and waves kept me pinned in to a little pocket close to the launch that at least offered some protection from the waves if not the wind.

The Quickshot proved to handle the wind well. I used my Allen Atlas III at 6.35 ounces and a 9 weight SA freshwater Titan taper line. I’m not sure that reel is heavy enough to counterbalance the rod. I didn’t notice the weight issue casting as much as when I was stripping in the fly. My hand kept wanting to move up the rod handle to account for the heavy rod.

I think it’s hard to judge the rod on just one brief outing in windy conditions. The 9 weight Quickshot is a viable glass alternative to graphite for handling the wind, that I can say for sure. I’d like to try the Quickshot on a less windy day to get a better feel for the reel and line I was using. I might put on a Ross CLA the weighs 8.1 ounces and see what that does for the balance.

 

[ikankecil]

I'm using a reel that weighs 8.3oz and a Rio Bonefish 8wt line on the BAG 8wt and it seems to be decent enough in terms of balance. I haven't experimented a ton with other lines as that ones seems to work well for my purposes so far...

 

[mjkirshner]

I am thinking of adding a BAG in 6 or 7 as a second rod along with my Shortstix 8/9 for kayak fishing, or to carry on my SUP. I bought a 6-wt Colton for that purpose, but while the rod cast nicely, I just never "clicked" with it. The glass rod looks like fun, and it would be something different from all the graphite rods I have. I just sold the Colton, and I am now trying to decide if I should get the BAG in another 6 or go to 7. I have some 7-wt SA Warm Redfish line that is right between the grain weights recommended by Echo for the 6- and 7-wt BAG. I'm thinking that a touch heavy is okay, as I can shorten up the line outside the tip if the rod is overloaded, which could be good for fishing close to the mangroves anyway, while under-loading the rod would be a bigger problem. So I am leaning toward the 6-wt. Any advice would be appreciated (although it is just as likely to be ignored ).

 

[ikankecil]

I own the 6/7/8 BAG Quickshot rods and if I could only own one, it'd probably be the 7. Not because it's between the 6/8 but it just really seems to be a nice casting rod. The 6 is a tad soft as a 6, the 8 is great and I'll probably own a second one soon enough, but the standout in that trio, for me, is the 7. YMMV, and that isn't even worth $.02 . (and I will probably have the BAG 10 before summer is fully in gear)

 

[mjkirshner]

I own the 6/7/8 BAG Quickshot rods and if I could only own one, it'd probably be the 7. Not because it's between the 6/8 but it just really seems to be a nice casting rod. The 6 is a tad soft as a 6, the 8 is great and I'll probably own a second one soon enough, but the standout in that trio, for me, is the 7. YMMV, and that isn't even worth $.02 . (and I will probably have the BAG 10 before summer is fully in gear)

Do you think the SA Redfish Warm 7-wt line will be too light for the BAG 7? It is a little lighter than the line that Echo recommends for the 7, and a little heavier than their recommendation for the 6. I'd like to use the line that I already have, but on the other hand, I don't want to get the wrong rod just to avoid buying a different line. On the other other hand, I don't own a 7, and I have at least one of every other from 4 to 9. I have been obsessing (do fly-fishers really obsess over gear?:shocking about getting a 7-wt, so maybe this is the time.:rockon: