3wt or 4wt for bluegill.

[southflflyfisher]

I'm looking to get a nice 3/4 wt reel for under 150. Also wanted to know if i should go with a 3wt or 4wt rod.

 

[rockriver]

I'd go with a 3 wt., full flex, 8 or 8 1/2 ft. I'd also be hoping to hook up with some smallmouth.

 

[moucheur2003]

You can reel 'em in on a 3 weight, easy peasy. But if you want to throw poppers and foam spiders at 'em, especially in the wind, you might be happier with a 6. It's more about the casting than the fighting.

 

[keithsz]

Look for a fiberglass rod and an inexpensive reel. You'll be able to go up and down at least one line weight and you'll be able to cast in wind. Grab an Eagle Claw Featherlight in 4/5wt. or 5/6wt.
As far as the reel, you don't need any incredible drag for bluegills.
Check the big box store or online. Look for a combo.

 

[mbchilton]

A 4 weight rod will be more than enough for bluegill. No reason for you to get a 6 weight. Plenty of reel options in that range to meet your needs. The Lamson Konic is a popular choice. I'd consider the Taylor Type 1 or the Allen Trout II.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[caseywise]

Allen ats-all you will ever need for panfish. or ramp it up and get the trout II for a bit more. both great reels, perfect for your needs.

Casey

 

[Rip Tide]

A 4 weight rod will be more than enough for bluegill. No reason for you to get a 6 weight.

I use a 6wt
The only reason is because I have a bunch of them and they need the exercise.
They're all fiberglass
Glass rods are more responsive than graphite so using a heavier line is not as noticeable.
It's not a matter of "needing" a 6wt, it's only that such a rod is just as appropriate as a lighter line graphite

 

[mdraft1]

i like to fish a 2 or 3wt. for gills. loads of fun.

 

[boogeyklat]

I fish for bluegill all the time when I can't get away from the city. A 3wt is more than enough. Get a 4wt if you are gonna ever use it for trout.

 

[horsehead]

Here's exactly what I would get if I were in your shoes,

Rod: Klassic Glass Fiberglass 7 ft, 3 pc, 3/4 wt Rod | The Angler's Roost

Line: DT 4 F | The Angler's Roost

Backing: A.R.E. Fly Line Backing - White | The Angler's Roost

Reel: Aluminum Fly Reel for 3/4wt lines. 2 Stage Drag Clicker | The Angler's Roost

Or ebay deal of your liking.

If you got all of the above, you'd still be under the $150 goal, and you'd have a great set up for gills or trout. If you want to spend a little more, upgrade the reel to something a little classier. But in all honesty, you're never going to put a gill on the reel, it's just there to hold your line.

A 3-4wt glass rod just makes so much sense for your intended use. I would not consider going above 4wt. 6wt is more of a bass rod in my mind.

 

[huntschool]

I do all my blue gill and small bass fishing with a 2#. Its a fun set up. I will sometimes take my 4# just to get it out some.

 

[wolfglen]

I'm waiting for some company to market a really good two weight fly rod.
That is one which has a true #2 tip and enough butt in the rod so that the rod works as a fly rod should and not like a piece of rubber.

Think about it, when a rod bends way down to two feet above the butt you have more leverage in torque against the fish than if it were stiffer. That's the principle of a stand up rod.

However when you flex a rod and the bend goes way down into the butt section you really have no lever to accelerate the cast, the rod flexes up and down when you finish your stroke and it throws sine waves in the cast requiring a longer stroke just to get them out.

When the rod bends that far down into the blank during the loading, you can minimize the "wobble" after the rod unloads by releasing the pressure on the handle, but this requires a lot of concentration.

Loomis made a 7'9" #2 which was pretty good back 15 years ago but their 6' one was way too limber in the butt section.

I've made some pretty good 9 and 10' 2 wts but combining a 2 wt tip and a 4 or 5 butt section, but it requires using two blanks to do so and a lot of thinking about where to cut and splice.

 

[bob3700]

A 3wt does it for me. I have a 3 acre pond in my back yard and can fish for bluegill and crappie any time.

Have a 3wt. Sage Circa that is 8'9" and is a blast to catch bluegill. It casts wonderfully out to 50 ft (Just havn't tried further) even in a mild breeze. WInd is a different matter though.

Everyone says the reel doesn't matter. I will beg to differ on one point. WHile true, you don't fight bluegill on the reel, it is important as a balance tool. Too small or light a reel and the rod is very nose heavy. A bit larger reel and viola' , it balances perfectly at the front end of the grip.

Using a little black wet fly with a gold bead and orange rubber tails. It is like catnip for em, they can't resist.

Best way I can think of to make an afternoon or evening go by.

Bob

 

[wee hooker]

This thread would get more attention in the Warmwater discussion ( vs, articles) section.

That said, there is no wrong answer. Either weight rod will suit you well. Bluegills are unpretentious like that.

 

[markfrid]

I also am in the fiberglass #5 or 6 camp for an inexpensive bluegill set up. Something in the 6'6" to 7'6" for line 5 or 6 would be very light and be a blast to catch bluegill on. For your target of $150, you can buy the Eagle claw or any number of older glass rods from the Auction Site, a vintage Martin 65 reel and have money left for line and an assortment of poppers and flies.

Also, if you fish the lily pads out of a boat, glass is pretty bulletproof (gunwale-proof?). Graphite definitely is NOT.

Good luck!

Mark

 

[tpo]

I have both 3 and 4 wt rods and lines. My 3 wt is a 7.5' while my 4's are 8.5', and the 3 wt feels a lot smaller/lighter, its a great rod for bluegill and small bass (I posted something on this in the last day or two, "3 wt joystick") and it will handle bigger fish than you might think. If I'm throwing small flies (nymph's, etc) a 3wt line is fine, but for flies with beadheads, bead chain eyes, etc, or if a wind kicks up, a 4wt line is a lot easier to fish with (my 3 wt rod casts it just fine). As far as models/manufacturers, there are so many I think its a matter of your budget and personal style/taste. My two cents, good luck.

Tom

 

[bigjim5589]

I see the OP has not posted since Feb., but to the original question about reels, you don't need anything special for Bluegills. A basic single action reel will do a fine job as all it really does is hold the line. Of course we each buy based on what we like and are willing to pay.

I have both 3 & 4 wt rods & use Okuma Sierra & the now discontinued Cortland Rimfly reels on them. The Rimfly is a very basic reel, but for the application it's fine & was not an expensive reel. The Sierra is a fine reel too particularly for the price, again not expensive.

IMO, there's not a lot of difference between the 3 wt & the 4 wt I have as far as fishing for panfish goes, so either will certainly serve the application well.

Your best bet is to go somewhere that has a variety of both weights & give them a try & see what you like best for casting. That way you can have a better idea about a specific rod model & choose one that could serve other applications should you need it to.

I don't do much trout fishing, but either are fine for what I do & I have used both for tiny streams & Smallmouth bass. Generally I might choose one over the other for these uses depending on the size flies I feel would best fit the situation & whether or not I might need the slightly more delicate presentation that my 3 wt provides compared to the 4 wt.

 

[bob3700]

I personally like the 3wt for panfish. A nice 3/4 lb bluegill will give you a heck of a fight and a lot of fun to boot.

Have also used the 3 wt. for Trout up to 3 lbs or so. Not that is some real fun.

You cant just reel em in, but that is not the design of the rod.

I do use a 5 wt on occasion for gills, you can yank em out of the water just lifting the rod. Good on windy days like today here in the midwest.

 

[risering50]

I've very seldom if ever have fished for Blue Gills where LM or SM Bass are not lurking. For that reason, and the fact I mostly use a Gaines Sneaky Pete popper I use a 5 or 6 wt. Lotta times the BG's and bass get down in the plant life and structure so I like a rod with backbone. The sooner I get the fish released (except when I'm hungry for BG) the better. Plus it's always windy where I fish.

Small flies, ants, alder flies, etc. will catch fish on every cast but they take the fly way to deep, so I pretty much stick with poppers.

 

[wee hooker]

I'm waiting for some company to market a really good two weight fly rod.
That is one which has a true #2 tip and enough butt in the rod so that the rod works as a fly rod should and not like a piece of rubber.

Think about it, when a rod bends way down to two feet above the butt you have more leverage in torque against the fish than if it were stiffer. That's the principle of a stand up rod.

However when you flex a rod and the bend goes way down into the butt section you really have no lever to accelerate the cast, the rod flexes up and down when you finish your stroke and it throws sine waves in the cast requiring a longer stroke just to get them out.

When the rod bends that far down into the blank during the loading, you can minimize the "wobble" after the rod unloads by releasing the pressure on the handle, but this requires a lot of concentration.

Loomis made a 7'9" #2 which was pretty good back 15 years ago but their 6' one was way too limber in the butt section.

.

The Sage RPL 7' 9" 2 wt is perfect in this regard. I wrapped one for myself some years back and it has become my "go to" panfish rod. Light and alive like a good 2 wt should be but throws foam spiders on a wf3f with authority. I once landed a largemouth well over 8 #'s on that rod. ( Guess I wont get to test that again though

To the OP, I would go with a 7'9" to 8'6" mod fast/fast 3 wt and load it with a wf4F line. No need ( unless you like too;-) spending allot on a line and reel as most of your fishing will be close in to fish that will never test your drag. The most important part is to assure the set up is balanced correctly.