Hey guys so I do a majority of my fishing for bass and panfish and pretty much always on a lake or pond. Where I live there aren't any rivers or streams to fish close to my house. Anyways would it be better for me to use floating or sinking line? I am very new to fly fishing and heard floating was better for the beginner, but how low can I actually get a fly if it is on floating line? Also what is a good length to make my leader? thanks guys!
Best line for lake and pond fishing?
- Thread starter cjam93
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grassonfly
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well if you really want to know a precise number you can use some fluid dynamics and do upthrust vs gravity. realistically you can get a clouser down to about 10 feet. need it further down? up the dumbbell size
grassonfly
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Yes also fluoro leaders get you deeper
akruss
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I use to fish nymphs in small lakes for trout and generally used a slow sink tip unless I was fishing very shallow water in which case I'd go with a floating line. I'm about to try Clouser deep minnows for bass and am planning on using floating lines and probably 9 to 10' fluoro leaders. The difference is the nymphs were small and mostly unweighted. My Clousers are fairly heavily weighted with barbell eyes. Also the up and down diving action is more pronounced/faster with Clousers which is probably easier to do with a floating line unless you really want to get down deep.
I've fished a number of sink tips including Steelhead Vs, that sink very quickly, and full sinking lines. While they get things down deeper, you pay for it as it's more difficult to get the line and leader out of the water to begin a new cast. Sinking lines cast with much higher line speeds and can play havoc with your casting in general. However, if you need a depth charge to sound the bottom, a full sinking line is the way it's done. I use much shorter leaders with sinking and sink tip lines, often just 3 or 4' in fast moving rivers and will probably use 7 1/2' leaders on the now local bass lakes.
I've fished a number of sink tips including Steelhead Vs, that sink very quickly, and full sinking lines. While they get things down deeper, you pay for it as it's more difficult to get the line and leader out of the water to begin a new cast. Sinking lines cast with much higher line speeds and can play havoc with your casting in general. However, if you need a depth charge to sound the bottom, a full sinking line is the way it's done. I use much shorter leaders with sinking and sink tip lines, often just 3 or 4' in fast moving rivers and will probably use 7 1/2' leaders on the now local bass lakes.
I fish lakes all the time. I've used sink lines, but they are no fun at all to fish.
In 15' or deeper, a UL spin rod is so much better. Try the new super thin "NanoFil" line and you can fish any depth with ease.
I caught a few crappie with a sink line and small streamers, but I can catch ten times as many, and a lot less work, with a UL spin outfit.
In 15' or deeper, a UL spin rod is so much better. Try the new super thin "NanoFil" line and you can fish any depth with ease.
I caught a few crappie with a sink line and small streamers, but I can catch ten times as many, and a lot less work, with a UL spin outfit.
So do Kevlar furled leaders, and longer leaders. :thumbup:
But this is a fly site. :banned: Kinda like telling a guy on a race car site to take the bus.
Joni
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This summer I have been fishing ponds and pools a lot for Bass, Bluegill, White bass, and Carp.
I bout the Sage 230 grain line at Sierra Trading post for $30. They don't carry it anymore, but I did find some on e-bay.
This line shoots like a rocket on an eight weight. I am a Sharkskin girl, but love this line and the price is a big bonus.
I use a 6' furled leader with the Kevlar in it. Been using it all summer and still using it. With that leader I am adding 3' to 6' of fluoro tippet.
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The fact you catch more with spinning is just your ability to use sinking line correctly is lacking. Not trying to be rude, just the fact.
Fly fishing does require putting the practice time in. It is possible to flip a fly out and catch a fish, but to do it anywhere, anytime, any species with fly gear requires time spent.
I have out fished many a spin fishers on local ponds.
I bout the Sage 230 grain line at Sierra Trading post for $30. They don't carry it anymore, but I did find some on e-bay.
This line shoots like a rocket on an eight weight. I am a Sharkskin girl, but love this line and the price is a big bonus.
I use a 6' furled leader with the Kevlar in it. Been using it all summer and still using it. With that leader I am adding 3' to 6' of fluoro tippet.
---------- Post added at 08:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:32 AM ----------
Dude you are definitely not doing something. Sinking lines on stillwater are a must! All sinking lines will hit bottom including Intermediate, it is all about how quickly.
The fact you catch more with spinning is just your ability to use sinking line correctly is lacking. Not trying to be rude, just the fact.
Fly fishing does require putting the practice time in. It is possible to flip a fly out and catch a fish, but to do it anywhere, anytime, any species with fly gear requires time spent.
I have out fished many a spin fishers on local ponds.
theboz
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Time spent, Practice no truer words have been spoken. To learn is to do! Joni you nailed it! You want to become a good flyfisher follow those two simple rules and you can outfish any gear guy! Especially with crappies !
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chuck s
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Get a floating line. For getting deeper use a long leader, or use a couple of feet of fast sink line to make a short section to loop to loop between your floating line and leader. Or as I've also seen, use six inches to a foot of lead core, looped in. This rig allows you to use the floating line which for fishing floating flies and flies where you don't need to hug bottom or then add that fast sink section to get down. Here's a thought: http://www.flyfisherman.com/2011/09/23/product-review-rios-mow-tips/#axzz2AGKehpn2
If you really are serious, floating, intermediate, type II, type III, and a V or VII.
That way all bases are covered for all waters and you won't have any money left to do anything else but fish.
Then when the bank book is back to normal(?), it's time to think about a float tube or kickboat. Expand your horizons young man.
That way all bases are covered for all waters and you won't have any money left to do anything else but fish.
Then when the bank book is back to normal(?), it's time to think about a float tube or kickboat. Expand your horizons young man.
Joni,
Thanks so very much! I needed that encouragement!
I have a $800 Helios, but I have been using my $50 UL spin most of the time.
I already have a float tube (I just got my Scradden Flip Fins) and I'll be giving the crappie a shot in a couple days when this storm is done.
I'll put my sink line on tonight, and use a short flouro leader and see what happens.
My best success with a UL spin was: Gulp Alive 1" minnows on a 1/64 oz jig head with 2lb NanoFil line. Do you think a Gulp Minnow nose hooked or maybe a small white streamer would be the ticket?
dillon
Well-known member
My favorite stillwater line is a full sinking camo intermediate. I use it primarily for stripping streamers. The line sinks at a rate of 1 inch per second. I think a slow sink is better than a fast sinking line. In my opinion the intermediate line keeps the fly on a horizontal plane longer than other lines in the zone I want to fish. I count down before stripping and strip at different lenghts and pauses until I find a pattern that works. The line does not create a surface disturbance as it is full sinking. I keep the rod tip close to the water when stripping and strip strike when I feel a fish. I usually have a second rod in the boat with a floating line for midge fishing. I recommend reading books and articals by Denny Rickards and Brian Chan.
Joni
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I like Type II. I use that more than anything else. I do use an intermediate, and as you said you can count down. but most times I need to get down quicker. I say most times. Fall and Spring is Intermediate all the way, but in the warmer months, Type II, III and even that Deep Six and Type VII.
I just think if I could only have one sinking line, it would be Density Compensated Type II. Just me and my style. Fore shallow runners, a Floating line with a long leader.
I just think if I could only have one sinking line, it would be Density Compensated Type II. Just me and my style. Fore shallow runners, a Floating line with a long leader.
Well said. A few years back I had someone bet me they could get far more Smallies with a spinning rod than I could on a fly rod. I lost count of the ones I caught at a number I am not going to share because you would think I was telling fish stories. I beat him by multiples of what he caught. In fact if you get to know what you are doing, in many situations, it's pretty hard to beat a person good with a fly rod. I do not say this to brag up fly fishing, or denegrate gear casters. I say it as a person who knows both very well and it's a fact. A pond and panfish is one of those instances.
That's if the fish are in the first few feet of the water column. Intermediate is good to about 6'. Fishing into shore where it's shallow and they're feeding, morning and evenings. Later when it warms up, they'll go deeper where it's cooler. Joni and I fish a lot of Idaho stillwaters, and will pick up fish using chironomids using floating line, slip indicator, and up to 30' of leader. Keeping the fly about 18" to 2' off the bottom.
Same chironomid, same lake but using a type VII sinker, casting out the amount of line equal to the depth you fish, and a slow figure 8 retrieve after the line has sunk and is straight below you. Now this is from a tube, toon or boat. The takes are jarring.
When using streamers, buggers etc. if the target is 15'-20' down, it'll take quite a while for an intermediate to sink to that level. That's where a type II or III excels. Streamers, buggers etc.
An intermediate, type I or II will eventually get down deep, but it takes a long time which takes away from fishing. Match the sinking line with the depth the fish are, and you'll be a more effective fisherman, not a lucky one.
Todays density compensated sinking lines are supposed to keep the fly at the same depth through the retreive, no matter what the depth ( within reason of course). These lines will keep the fly in the zone same as your intermediate.
My biggest b1tch with the Cortland Clear Camo is the memory it has. You have to stretch it damn near every time you use it.
I went out today with some class III sink tip line. A Cabelas cheapo, but it worked fine.
Hurricane Sandy raised this lake a few feet, but it was clear like it always is. I was smackin' the crappie pretty good today. They were about 3' off the bottom in 15' of water.
I tried a small jighead with a Gulp Alive 1" minnow, but the most hits came from a unweighted white woolybugger size 10. I left the hackle pretty long and a bright red thread head.
The line would sink pretty fast (about 4" per second) and the unweighted streamer would pulsate and suspend with a killer action.
This made me a believer again! The small feather fly was outfishing the stinkin' scented soft plastic!!
PS- These Dave Scadden "Flip Fins" are really neat. They are big like diver fins, and they flip up so I can walk without falling in the lake! LOL
Tight Lines
Hurricane Sandy raised this lake a few feet, but it was clear like it always is. I was smackin' the crappie pretty good today. They were about 3' off the bottom in 15' of water.
I tried a small jighead with a Gulp Alive 1" minnow, but the most hits came from a unweighted white woolybugger size 10. I left the hackle pretty long and a bright red thread head.
The line would sink pretty fast (about 4" per second) and the unweighted streamer would pulsate and suspend with a killer action.
This made me a believer again! The small feather fly was outfishing the stinkin' scented soft plastic!!
PS- These Dave Scadden "Flip Fins" are really neat. They are big like diver fins, and they flip up so I can walk without falling in the lake! LOL
Tight Lines
dillon
Well-known member
That's good to know. The reason I like a slow sinking line is so that it will not sink much on a slow retrieve or on the pause. Frankly, it's kind of hard to believe a high density line won't sink on the retrieve though. I prefer fishing still waters when the Trout are actively feeding in the shallows from the surface to about 6 ft. I can't stand counting down past 30. When the fish go deep I am off fishing the rivers for Trout and Steelhead both winter and summer. However, when the rivers are blown out I may give one of the high d lines a try on the pond. It's nice to have it all... Thanks for your info.
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brucerducer
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Hey cjam:
Wanted to clue you in on something.
Lots of the commercially made flies you buy, cut their own costs by eliminating Lead Wraps on their Nymphs, Streamers and flies that are supposed to be Wet.
I recommend you tie your own stuff, and get it down, with at least 6 or more wraps. A Scientfic Anglers Full Sinking VI (full sinking 6) will get stuff down for you pretty quick.
Wanted to clue you in on something.
Lots of the commercially made flies you buy, cut their own costs by eliminating Lead Wraps on their Nymphs, Streamers and flies that are supposed to be Wet.
I recommend you tie your own stuff, and get it down, with at least 6 or more wraps. A Scientfic Anglers Full Sinking VI (full sinking 6) will get stuff down for you pretty quick.