3 wt bitch creek

[GeorgeMcFly]

I am interested in a 3wt rod for summer panfishing since I hear there alotta fun. I seen this bitch creek prowler fly rod and there teflatech adjustable drag reel. the rod has a unconditional warranty. anyone have one of these? are they any good?
Bitch Creek
Bitch Creek

 

[GeorgeMcFly]

ok I can't help myself with fly stuff and I am always looking for a bargain! I had to act "and spend" fast! on ebay I found the bitch creek 3wt combo I was talking about and its from the full creel. you get the brand new prowler rod 8 foot 3 wt with unconditional warranty. you get the teflatec reel in 3wt. you get a rod and reel case with bitch creek logo, some 3 weight floating line and backing and a 5x leader. then you get a free how to cast better book and a fly fishing cd. all for 123 bux! wow Happy new year to me!!!! the combo on the full creel is 199 bux without the book and cd! hope this is a good combo. I always wanted a 3wt. can anyone with a 3wt tell me what are the advantages and disadvantages of a 3wt? I am gonna use this for summer gill and bass fishing. I now have a 3 wt, a 5/6 weight and a 8wt

 

[GeorgeMcFly]

so anyone have a 3wt? if ya do whats the differences between the 3 wt and say a 5 or 8 wt? I mean I kno its lighter line. but is there like better sensitivity? is it easier to cast drys and small flies softer than a bigger weight rod? whats the advantages and disadvantage? do I got to be real easy with it or something? just want any tips and stuff from a person with a 3wt.. kinda wanna knwo what to expect since i gotta wait till spring or summer to try it out.

 

[BigCliff]

I've got a 7' and a 8'6" 3wt. 3's are great for throwing small/light flies to smaller fish on days without too much wind. If you're going to be fishing flies size 10 or smaller, and don't expect any fish to be over 3 lbs, there's no more fun stick to grab.

That said, I've landed a 8lb carp on my short one. TONS of fun.

 

[Piscator]

GeorgeMcFly,
I also have a Bitch Creek 3wt and it does everything that Big Cliff says it will do. Although, mine has only caught some skinny bass and bream of late. You can pick one up at The Full Creel Fly Shop. Also, check out their line of Echo Rods. The Echo Classic 3 wt is a peach of a rod.

Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Terry

 

[GeorgeMcFly]

thanks good to kno! the full creel is the seller on ebay too. so its from them but I just got it through ebayinstead of from there site. glad someone else has one! I can't wait to try it out now! too bad I got to wait till spring or summer . basically I was gonna use this 3wt for top water fishing with dries and foam bugs prolly size 8 and smaller.

 

[zerolimit]

George,

I use my 3wt. just as you are describing. In addition to bass and panfish, it is the rod I prefer to fish for trout unless fly size, wind, or big fish prohibit. But note that I'm only referring to top water in both cases. If I am nymphing, I typically won't fish the 3wt. Just my preference, take it for what it's worth.

It might be due to my limitations as a caster and fisherman but there are two things I noticed this year when fishing bass with the 3wt. and 5wt. I had problems with the weight and wind resistance of some of the bass bugs with the 3wt. where the 5wt. would throw them well. I also missed more hooksets on bass takes with the 3wt. There were a few times on the float tube where I had both rigs on the boat and missed fish after fish with the 3. Switched over to the 5 with the same fly, presentation, and retrieve and started hooking up.

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Mike,

A three weight is a fairly soft rod and you may need to strip-strike instead of striking with the rod tip. From what you said this may help you get more hook-ups. You may also be getting too much slack in the line and the 3wt doesn't have enough back bone to over come the slack.

Frank

 

[zerolimit]

Hi Mike,

A three weight is a fairly soft rod and you may need to strip-strike instead of striking with the rod tip. From what you said this may help you get more hook-ups. You may also be getting too much slack in the line and the 3wt doesn't have enough back bone to over come the slack.

Frank

Thank You Frank. That makes a lot of sense. I knew it was most likely a problem with the mechanic and not the tool. Can't wait to work on that come Spring. I love fighting bass on the 3wt.

 

[GeorgeMcFly]

when I set the hook I lift the rod up and strip it and the same time. I am not lifting the rod that hard tho. usually it sets it right in the corner of the mouth that way, unless they engulf it. I have missed my fair share also though so don't feel bad. one time I kept missing strike after strike , then I switched and I used a smaller size bug and started catching um. guess the fish were too small for the hooks. lol

 

[GeorgeMcFly]

got the rod combo in the mail today! not bad for the price! man o man it is smaller and thinner than my other rods! can't wait to try it out! I bet you could feel a minnow take the fly with this thing!

 

[GeorgeMcFly]

received that combo! not sure if its good or not as I gotta wait till summer! but its crazy small compared to what I am used to! kinda cool tho. I kno it will make landing a fish way more harder and the strikes way more sensative! wow. the reel isn't much tho. maybe a cheap one? it seems like its good for the price. but I don't know if its jacked up or not cause now that I look at it more its supposed to have adjustable drag but the knob don't really turn much at all?. it just makes one click sound either way you turn it??? the drag changes a lil but barely noticeable? if the reel isn't broke and really has good adjustable drag it would be a good reel. the rod is reel nice tho!! comes with a case and rod sock. the rod looks worth the money for all I paid in my opinion. plus u get line and a leader and I got a leader loop but have no idea how that works? is that worth loop thing worth it? if so how do you set that up? there was no directions?

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi GeorgeMcFly,

Now you can see why the 3wt is so good for catching Pan Fish.

I don't understand what you mean by a "leader loop". If no one else knows what it is you might have to post a picture.

Frank

 

[steely]

thanks good to kno! the full creel is the seller on ebay too. so its from them but I just got it through ebayinstead of from there site. glad someone else has one! I can't wait to try it out now! too bad I got to wait till spring or summer . basically I was gonna use this 3wt for top water fishing with dries and foam bugs prolly size 8 and smaller.

Oh my god McFLy, you made me spill my drink all over my keyboard!! A beginner who has never cast a 3 weight buys one, and for fishing for bass with a big ol size 8 foam bass dry fly!!

2-3 weight rods: small streams up in the mountains with 6 inch trout, Can cast 40 feet but if any wind starts blowing you are in for it!

4 weight, nice trout rodcan handle bigger trout up to 20 inches as long as they are resident, although I have caught 22 inch steelhead on a size 20 trico on 4 weight and wasnt undergunned, but it was slow water.

On the same river a couple hundred yard away had a 25 inch winter run steelhead make me feel undergunned on a 7/8 weight spey rod with 8 pound tippet.

5 weight rod: classic trout rod.
6 weight rod: good for smaller steelhead, can be used for bass and throwing the big bugs.
7 weight: classic steelhead rod.
8 weight: great for bass, smaller salmon

Find a nice stream at 8000 feet with some 7 inch brookies that are just suicidal to jump out of the water at your dry (brookies love to act suicidal for a dry) and you will be very happy that you have a 3 weight rod.

Did you get a bargain? Sorry. You can get a tfo nxt outfit with rod, reel, line in a 5/6 config that will be closer to what you need to for bass for $175. Cant comment on Bitch creek, saw that they have a machined large arbor 5 weight reel for $89 that I thought was awesome, but TFO is WORLD RENOWNED for have korean made rods that cast like the best rods in the world. I cast a deer creek, a sage z axis, and a cnd at a spey clave, and the $800 z axis did not cast 1 iota better than the deer creek (I am only a beginner tho). The CND did cast a bit better tho. The CND was only $350.

The TFO Axiom for $350 casts as well if not better than the sage z axis.

Plus, TFO is the LEADER in warranty satisfaction. Are you in Texas? If you are and your rod breaks, take it to the factory, give it to them, and they will hand you a new one for FREE. Send them a rod, and the turn around is one or two days.

 

[steely]

Hi Mike,

A three weight is a fairly soft rod and you may need to strip-strike instead of striking with the rod tip. From what you said this may help you get more hook-ups. You may also be getting too much slack in the line and the 3wt doesn't have enough back bone to over come the slack.

Frank

You aren't going to say anything about a beginner getting a 3 weight rod to throw size 8 bass dry flies for Bass??!?!??! We aren't talking about 5 inch sunfish, we are talking about large and small mouth bass.

 

[steely]

got the rod combo in the mail today! not bad for the price! man o man it is smaller and thinner than my other rods! can't wait to try it out! I bet you could feel a minnow take the fly with this thing!

George, do yourself a favor, send it back. Or prove me wrong, and put the rod together and attach a size 8 bass dry fly and tell us how it casts.

Seriously, a 3 weight is great for small trout and panfish, but for smallmouth and largemouth bass??

PS: as far as the leader loop, it is to do a loop to loop connection.Hold fly line in left hand. Hold leader in right. WIth right hand insert loop of leader through loop of fly line. Double up leader, insert in LEADER LOOP, pull all leader through loop. Your leader is now attached to line and can easily be de attched wihtout using knots

 

[steely]

Hi GeorgeMcFly,

Now you can see why the 3wt is so good for catching Pan Fish.

I don't understand what you mean by a "leader loop". If no one else knows what it is you might have to post a picture.

Frank

Hi Frank. The end of some leaders are straight. Others have a loop. His has a loop. His fly line has a loop. So he will attach his leader to fly line using a loop to loop attachment. Insert leader loop through fly line loop, take end of leader and pass it through leader loop, squeeze. But you already knew all this

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi GeorgeMcFly,

Just to clarify, you said: "plus u get line and a leader and I got a leader loop but have no idea how that works?" Did you get a leader with a loop on it or did you get a leader and a leader loop. I guess I miss read your post and thought you had two separate leader items.

As I said you will enjoy catching Pan Fish with your 3wt. Steely is correct that it is not a good choice for Bass unless the fish are small.

Frank

 

[GeorgeMcFly]

sorry I made you ruin you keyboard. seeing as I am so new I shouldn't buy a 3wt cause I might not cast it right or something lol.?? um hold on people r way confused I think. this is not a bass rod. 1st I will be using this 3 wt for basically gills. I have never caught a bass over 10 inches so far so I am not too worried about that.. also I am not gonna use size 8 bass flies to target bass. more of less I will use small spiders,beetles and hoppers and drys. although some foam hoppers I made were size 8 as to why I said size 8 or smaller flies. basically this is a top water panfish rod. as for the leader loop. it came seperate. its not attached to the leader. here is a pic. I have a 5/6 weight for windy and bigger fish and a 8 weight for steelhead. I got a 3 weight to round out the mix. plus I heard its great for panfishing. so why should I send it back? there don't seem to be nothing wrong with it really? heres the pic of that leader loop thing. know how to use it?

 

[BigCliff]

McFly, you did fine.

Bass can definitely be landed on a 3 wt, though its not quite the ideal stick for them. Casting size 8 foam bugs will be pretty tough, but it also can be done. You've got other rods when big flies for big fish is the MO.

I'm not big on those braided leader loops, as I've heard too many accounts of them sinking, spraying, and failing. They work basically like a chinese finger trap on the end of the line.

Steely, your flurry of posts has inspired me to invent a new term:

Typing
+Hyperventilating
TYPERVENTILATING