Pike fly rod setup

[Whaledriver]

Hello,

Headed up north (Reed lake) Grass River Lodge. Was looking to try my luck with a fly rod on some pike. Sounds like a 9wt would work pretty well. Any input on that? Any rod recommendations? Probably use it for a bass rod too. Thanks in advance.

 

[wyogoat]

9 wt will definitely work. I’ve always used a 9’ or 10’, 7 wt and that is plenty of rod for big flies and for fighting big pike although a 39” is my biggest. I personally think a 9 wt would be more rod than needed and less versatile for other trips you may have coming up than a good 7 or even 6 wt.

 

[Windigo]

8-9wt, more depends on the flies you’re throwing than the fish. It’s a good excuse to pick up a decent saltwater in whichever weight you choose.

A floating bass fly line will probably do you. I’ve packed a sink tip before but never really needed it.

Tie your own leaders, joe cermele has some good “recipes”. I think I went 2ft of 40lb to 3 feet of 20lb to a foot of tieable wire that terminated in a loop with a snap. After you finish your knots, hit them with some super glue for good measure.

You can spend $800000 on pike flies or you can get some buck tail, bunny strips and feathers and make your own monstrosities that catch fish. I like deceivers, double deceivers and pike bunnies, but depending on your ability to spin deer hair some poppers or dahlberg divers would be cool.

The pike in my profile pic was on an 8wt with that leader setup and a shitty pike bunny I threw together.

 

[dtrkyman]

I you are sticking to freshwater I would go 8 weight, good for pike, bass and carp. Big enough for some inshore saltwater as well.

Big ugly articulated streamers for Pike!

 

[Ferrulewax]

How much are you looking to spend? What other fishing do you do? I will agree that an 8wt is probably a slightly more versatile choice. But that depends on the size pike flies you want to fish as well.

 

[Whaledriver]

Like to stay under 500 if possible. I would do some largemouth bass and redfish, on occasion. I don't think it will be used like my 5wt.

 

[Meshnasty]

My advice would generally mirror most everything above, but if I’m casting a big heavy fly all day give me a fast 10wt with a shooting head. Add any head wind with a big saturated fly and the 8s will leave you wishing for more.

I have a 9wt that hasn’t been casted in 5-6 years as it overkill for most things my 8’s can do and underkill for anything I’d use one of the 10s for.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Echo Bad Ass Glass in an 8' 8 or 9 wt, with a cheap redington or Lamson reel and a heavy front taper line like the scientific anglers bass bug taper would get you in the game. I like the Echo fiberglass for slinging big stuff because it is fast enough to cast them well, and is a super durable rod.

 

[bigsky2]

9 wt would be perfect. I'd also recommend an intermediate line. As mentioned above, keep it simple with the flies (bunnies work great). I'd also recommend bending your barbs down....way easier to unhook fish and will also extend the life of your flies. You will also appreciate barbless if a pike thrashes and sinks one of those big hooks in your hand.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Echo Bad Ass Glass in an 8' 8 or 9 wt, with a cheap redington or Lamson reel and a heavy front taper line like the scientific anglers bass bug taper would get you in the game. I like the Echo fiberglass for slinging big stuff because it is fast enough to cast them well, and is a super durable rod.

I would highly suggest the Echo 84B in either an 8 or 9wt over the BAG, otherwise this recommendation is pretty much exactly what I was going to say. The 84B is the same price, 4" longer, and 1.5 ounces lighter (35%). 4 ounces for the 84B vs 5.5 for the BAG in 9wts.

I think I would also suggest the titan taper over the bass bug, the shorter head and longer running line will shoot slightly better, and there is really no need for mending line for pike- but the bass bug is excellent as well, it's really splitting hairs between the two. The Titan taper is available in a floating or intermediate line.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I would highly suggest the Echo 84B in either an 8 or 9wt over the BAG, otherwise this recommendation is pretty much exactly what I was going to say. The 84B is the same price, 4" longer, and 1.5 ounces lighter (35%). 4 ounces for the 84B vs 5.5 for the BAG in 9wts.

I think I would also suggest the titan taper over the bass bug, the shorter head and longer running line will shoot slightly better, and there is really no need for mending line for pike- but the bass bug is excellent as well, it's really splitting hairs between the two. The Titan taper is available in a floating or intermediate line.

Titan taper is the one I couldn't remember. Great call! As for glass vs graphite, it's just a trade off of swing weight vs toughness. I personally lean toughness.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Titan taper is the one I couldn't remember. Great call! As for glass vs graphite, it's just a trade off of swing weight vs toughness. I personally lean toughness.

In all fairness, the titan and bass bug are pretty much the same thing- the bass bug just has a little longer raper to the head to help with mending line for fishing poppers in rivers.

As far as glass vs graphite- I won't agree with you there, but I understand where you are coming from. There is a reason there aren't many glass rods anymore . Luckily echo has a great warranty either way, and you can purchase a spare tip section as well.

 

[Macintosh]

Big fuzzy fly into the wind I’ll take the heavier rod. I have an 8wt and a 9wt and I reach for the 9 every time for both pike and bass.

 

[307]

I don't generally make a big deal out of buying American, except maybe in fly fishing equipment. Echo is made China/Korea if that matters to you/anyone.

I really like the feel of glass rods, but have only fished them in 5 weight, so I'm not sure if my appreciation would hold trying to fling much bigger flies.

Pike/muskie are on my list of species to pursue with the fly pole sometime soon.

 

[Rusty Shackelford]

I don't generally make a big deal out of buying American, except maybe in fly fishing equipment. Echo is made China/Korea if that matters to you/anyone.

I really like the feel of glass rods, but have only fished them in 5 weight, so I'm not sure if my appreciation would hold trying to fling much bigger flies.

Pike/muskie are on my list of species to pursue with the fly pole sometime soon.

Any US manufacturers you recommend?

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

In all fairness, the titan and bass bug are pretty much the same thing- the bass bug just has a little longer raper to the head to help with mending line for fishing poppers in rivers.

As far as glass vs graphite- I won't agree with you there, but I understand where you are coming from. There is a reason there aren't many glass rods anymore . Luckily echo has a great warranty either way, and you can purchase a spare tip section as well.

There has been quite the resurgence in glass rods actually. Echo and Swift (out of New Zealand) have been making much faster glass tapers with S-glass instead of the traditional E-glass. There are a handful of other glass makers, and you will find that Orvis and Redington have reintroduced glass tapers to their catalogs as well in the last 10 years. My casting skill went way up just by picking up a good 6wt fiberglass rod. They are tools in the quiver, and I fish graphite when it's more suitable (heavy nymphing for instance), or chucking grasshoppers in high winds.

 

[307]

Any US manufacturers you recommend?

I have rods from Scott, Winston, and Thomas & Thomas but there are many others.

I do have cheaper rods made overseas but recently, I am tending to have a definite preference for US made rods, which is not a consistent ethic across many/most products.

Also a big fan of glass rods.

 

[cnelk]

To the OP

I have a 9’ 9wt graphite Cabelas fly rod that just sits in the corner.

You’re welcome to give it a try - see if you like a heavy rod (free of charge) you’ll need a reel and line though.

Let me know

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Titan taper is the one I couldn't remember. Great call! As for glass vs graphite, it's just a trade off of swing weight vs toughness. I personally lean toughness.

I use the titan taper on my Scott sector which is what I’m using for pike right now.

Before that rod, I had a redington predator 8wt with a behemoth reel, cortland pike line and steel leaders. I got a lot of fish with that rod. I think you can get them new for about 350.00, I bet they might have one in the used section at trident fly fishing.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Any US manufacturers you recommend?

I’m a big Scott fan, I think pretty much all of their stuff I great. I have a lower end Thomas and Thomas 7wt which is nice. You could also look at Winston, those new air 2 max rods are amazing but $$$$. G loomis is made in the USA, sage is ok too.