Rod for the North East?

[grouch]

Hello all,

I am about to pick up a new rod for NE stripper. I am thinking either a 9wt or 10wt and I would like a little insight as to which one to get. Right now I only have a 7wt that I am thinking about selling to free up some funds. I have been told for the big striper, I absolutely need a 10wt but others have said a 9wt will do and is more versatile for other fisheries such as the Bahamas. Part of me says the 9wt because it is closer to what I know and will work better for reds and bones but the other side of me says just get the 10wt. Any suggestions?

 

[Guest1]

I may be the wrong one to answer here because I always opt for the biggest rod in any situation. But if it was me I'd hang on to the 7 and get the 10. Someday you will want the 7 again and you will have to fork out the big bucks which the rod you sold won't cover.

 

[swirlchaser]

Will you be wading or boating? In the surf or bays? I've landed 30+lb Stripers on a 7WT but the problem will be the wind and the size of the fly. You want a 9 or 10wt to be able to reach the fish not so much for the fight. If I'm fishing a single handed rod from the surf I always take a 10wt, boats and back bays I can get away with a 9 or even lighter based on the conditions. Here are the two extremes in my waters:
1. CinderWorm Hatch - Happens on muddy flats in protected bays. I use small cinderworm flies size 2-6, floating line and a 7wt
2. Bunker schools in the surf - rough surf, wind, big baits. I use big bait fish flies 1/0-3/0 int or sink tips and a 10WT.

 

[Rip Tide]

I normally use an 8wt rod with a 9 or 10wt line, but when the wind is howling I switch to a 10wt rod with 10wt full sink line to better power through the wind.
My fishing partner almost always stays with his 9wt rod, 9wt line, only going to a 10wt when the wind is above 20 knots
You don't necessarily need a big rod to land big fish. But you do need the heavy line to cast the big flies, especially in the wind

 

[theboz]

Good advise Dan. As far as Stripers go it really depends on where and what size fish are expected. I've caught Stripers on rods ranging from a 5wt all the way to an 11wt. A few guys on this forum use Spey/switch rods that are even heavier. It's a situational thing. In the surf the switch and the 10 and 11wts have the advantage. From a boat unless your into real cows 8,9,10 wts work fine. I fish a river estuary and a back bay harbor and my favorite rod is an 8wt for fish up to 25lbs. When I was a kid that same harbor used to load up in the spring with 16 to 18in. Schoolies and we used 5wts all day long and had a blast. Dans right go big but save the 7wt. It may be your rod of choice in many situations!

 

[grouch]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Lots of good info. For the most part, I don't see myself fishing from a boat. I guess I'll be in the estuaries or surf mostly. So the 10wt is primarily used to get a bigger fly or a heavier line that will sink below the chop faster?

 

[swirlchaser]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Lots of good info. For the most part, I don't see myself fishing from a boat. I guess I'll be in the estuaries or surf mostly. So the 10wt is primarily used to get a bigger fly or a heavier line that will sink below the chop faster?

Yes, moving bigger flies in wind is easier with a 10, or an overlined 9.
I use a 10 and a 30' T14 Rio sink tip. A full sink line will be more difficult to bring back to the surface for a cast. The full sink lines will serve two purposes:
1. The will get below the chop
2. Like Rip said they have a smaller diameter which allows them to cut through the wind better

Almost forgot, if your going to hit the surf buy or make a stripping basket. Rip posted a step by step around here somewhere...

 

[Rip Tide]

So the 10wt is primarily used to get a bigger fly or a heavier line that will sink below the chop faster?

Most guys use an intermediate line to get below the chop. I'm a floating line guy myself and only switch to sinking lines if I really need to.
In this picture I'm using a 10wt floating line on a 10', 8wt rod
I like that rig in the surf because I have the line control to make long mends over the breakers. Not the style that most people use, but it works for me

Here's an excellent post by Mark in the FAQ sub-forum http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/fly-fishing-gear-faq/173904-gear-fly-fishing-surf.html

 

[grouch]

Good stuff. Thanks again guys. I cut my teeth in the salt years ago when I lived on the Texas Gulf. Since I have moved to CT, I haven't fish for anything other than trout and I am starting to feel that I am missing out on something great. I got a lot to learn, things seem pretty different. In Corpus, all a guy needed was a 7wt or an 8wt with a floating line and a handful of Clousers and Deceivers.

 

[Rip Tide]

. In Corpus, all a guy needed was a 7wt or an 8wt with a floating line and a handful of Clousers and Deceivers.

You could do that here.
I live in eastern CT myself. Here's a good resource to help you find a few places to fish.
Connecticut Coastal Access Guide - Home

 

[swirlchaser]

Good stuff. Thanks again guys. I cut my teeth in the salt years ago when I lived on the Texas Gulf. Since I have moved to CT, I haven't fish for anything other than trout and I am starting to feel that I am missing out on something great. I got a lot to learn, things seem pretty different. In Corpus, all a guy needed was a 7wt or an 8wt with a floating line and a handful of Clousers and Deceivers.

Like Rip said, you can do that in the NE. The only difference is we refuse to stop fishing when the wind starts howling. In those conditions you need to make a few adjustments. If you wait for a day on the surf with no wind your gear won't get much use...

 

[grouch]

Don't get me wrong, it got windy in Texas as well. I was just able to beat it most of the time by fishing early in the morning or just at sunset. Ahhh the memories!

 

[grouch]

Well I think I have my solution. I plan to get both an 8wt and a 10wt. I plan to get the 10wt first then a couple of months later, pick up the 8wt. That will let me cover what I need to cover on both the lighter side and the heavier side depending on my mood or where I am at. Now I just got to start the fundraising!

 

[swirlchaser]

There you go. When in doubt, buy 2! :thumbsup:

 

[Rip Tide]

I see you're in Middletown.
Last weekend's reports are that the stripers are in the river to there and beyond. There's very few places in that area that are fly rod friendly from shore, especially when the water's up, but there will be legal sized fish along the coast about the same time the lilacs come into bloom
(next week:thumbsupu)

 

[grouch]

I never would have thought that. Interesting. I know of a place a bit further south that has access to the river with some decent casting room. Maybe I'll have to check that out. I just always had the mental picture of the coastline in my head.

 

[Rip Tide]

The stripers follow the alewives (river herring) all the way up the river to the Enfield rapids
Around the mouths of tributaries where the alewives spawn are can be very good and supposedly the alewife run this year is strong.

 

[swirlchaser]

I never would have thought that. Interesting. I know of a place a bit further south that has access to the river with some decent casting room. Maybe I'll have to check that out. I just always had the mental picture of the coastline in my head.

You'd be surprised how far they travel. Hudson river Stripers will swim all the way up to the Troy dam. That's over 170 miles from the mouth of NY harbor. If the dam wasn't there I'm sure they'd go farther...

 

[grouch]

Well I did it today, I picked up a nice little 10wt. I still have to wait a couple of weeks before I get a reel for it though. Decided to keep the 7wt too. All in all a good day. Now it's time to tie up some clousers and deceivers and start learning as much about this salt game as I can. In no time at all I will be standing out on the tip of a snot-slick jetty shooting line into a gale at crashing fish.

 

[Rip Tide]

......and start learning as much about this salt game as I can.

You might want to pick up a book.....
IMO the best on the subject is Fly Rodding the Coast by CT author Ed Mitchell
You can get a signed copy from him HERE