Need help picking out a G-Loomis Fly setup

[Icefisher15]

Ok I have a very old bad conditioned fly rod at the moment and think it is time for a new nice setup. I get Very good deals on G-loomis rods and reels, I will be purchasing a rod and reel from them very soon and need all of your help with picking the rod out. This will be my only fly rod to start out. I would like to use it for everything, be able to get fish from northern and bass to trout and panfish as well. Also the reels would be between the venture and eastfork, As for the price of the rod, I would like to keep the rod price under $700 which most rods on the site are below besides the spey rods. I would also like line recomendations as well for this setup, line that would usually be carried at stores such as Gander Mountain. Thanks in advance to all of you.

[JustinNJ]

6 weight glx

[SenkoSnack808]

Rod : depending on water you fish, 9 foot 6 weight. FR1086-2 in GLX is good, but too be honest this is what I wanted when I started. I was looking for a rod to do it all, I have now found it is near impossible to do. Try and look into to rods that are on the middle end scale, like the GL3 and Metolius lineup. Trying to have the same fun with a bluegill and pike on the same rod is not the best. I would get a nice 4 weight, and nice 6 or 7 weight. The eastfork reels are awsome for the buck, and line anything from S-Anglers, like the Mastery series.



Good luck, Corey

[Icefisher15]

Yah im limited to a certain amount of rods per year though, and right now for this year I can only get one more rod and two more reels, i see myself going more towards bigger fish first even though they may not bit as much as panfish i still would like to target bass and northern more then the panfish to begin. Would the 6 weight be too heavy to target trout along with bass and northern?

[da house of hardy #1]

weight 6 is IMHo not the best weight for northern pike... http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... hasJS=true
these look nice

[SenkoSnack808]

No I have caught a few northerns on my 6, and they handle them with power. They are good for bass, the problem is the flie sizes you use, bass bugs, and pike streamers are big on a six weight. Those flies require more of a heavy punch, like a 7 or 8 but you can do alot of a 6.




I understand the rod amount rule, do you have a friend in a tackle shop?



Corey

[Icefisher15]

No I have caught a few northerns on my 6, and they handle them with power. They are good for bass, the problem is the flie sizes you use, bass bugs, and pike streamers are big on a six weight. Those flies require more of a heavy punch, like a 7 or 8 but you can do alot of a 6.

Ok, im kind of leaning towards a couple rods right now. Including the following FR1086-4 or the FR1086-2. Is there an advantage of having a 2 piece rod over a 4 piece rod. Will the GLX be significantly better for me over the GL3?

I understand the rod amount rule, do you have a friend in a tackle shop?

Nope, I actually work at a tackle store (Gander Mountain) and this job is awesome for me because of the great deals from many company's.

[SenkoSnack808]

Oh okay, thats a sweet job! The only differnence in the 2 form a 4 is the smoothness of the cast, which to some is hardly even felt. If you do not travel ( on planes ) alot, then a 2 is cool, but a 4 is good for travels.




The GLX is a better rod, but to be honest it's the caster, not the rod, if you are a awsome caster, then I'd go with the GLX. I myself am not a awsome caster so If I had the chance to save a few bucks, I'd go GL3 with nicer line, and reel.



Just some thoughts man, Corey

[FK]

I also suggest two fly rods, an 8wt or 9wt for Northerns due to larger wind resistant flies. This could be a GL2 or GL3 and would be a tough rod that could take the stress of larger fish.

My choice for Trout and Panfish would be a 4wt or 5wt rod in the 9ft length, here the GLX would be excellent.

Regards,
FK

[Questor]

Icefisher15:

That's a very tall order because to get a really enjoyable panfish rod, it should be relatively light (in line weight), but for bass and northerns you really should have a 9weight. The reason is the size of the flies you need to get the most out of northern and bass fishing. They are very big. Panfish on a 9wt are no fun to catch, relatively speaking.

Personally, I use 5, 7, and 9wt rods. 5wt is the favorite for panfish, unless the wind is up and the 7wt makes more sense.

For your budget, you may want to consider a pair of TFO brand rods, one light, one heavy. Really, you don't need to spend a lot for a good rod anymore.

But if you really desire one rod to do it all, I believe you can do it. The compromise will be in fly size. I would pick a 9 foot 7wt rod with a fast action. I would limit myself to bugs that are of the #2 hook slider style that is used for smallmouth. These will work for northerns and largemouths. I would consider making my own such bugs, using a long-ish tail of hairabou because it increases the size of the fly without increasing the weight or wind resistance significantly.

Alternatively, you can do what I did, and got the 5wt first because panfish were my first priority, then I got the 9wt because I wanted to go for bigger fish. The 7wt came later and it has been a great go-to rod for all kinds of fishing where fly size or wind made the 5wt unadvisable, but the 9wt was too big. Smallmouth bass fishing is a great application for the 7wt. It's a good rod for panfish too. Doing it this way, as budget allows, is a good way to acquire the rods of your heart's desire.

[Icefisher15]

Well I just read the TT review on the GLX FR1086-4, it seems to me that I really feel this is the rod for me, it may be higher up there as my skill may not be up to par with the rod, but I can get this rod for a price that is cheaper then the GL3 1086 and think I should take advantage of the offer. I will be putting a Eastfork 5-6 reel on this rod and as far as line goes, I need to see what my store carry's and then I will let you guys know so that I can get a little help on the line. As far as the main apps that I will be using this rod for, seem to fit the TT review well, Smallmouth bass will be top priority being that the waters I fish most are full of them. Yes I will use it for northern as well, but I wont be running into those too often, one trip this summer will involve those creatures. As far as panfish go, im sure ill try getting some here and there on my rod but panfish will not be my main target. Thank You all for the help, and please let me know if you think this is a big mistake for me.

[Questor]

The general method of picking a rod is to start with the fish and work backward. I don't see how you could have gotten from a northern pike to a 6wt rod. Must be a low priority. Good luck.

[Icefisher15]

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[Icefisher15]

Hmm, this is hard just picking one rod, I think i should bump up the rod wt. now. Ok if I give you guys a species to go off of would it be easier to get a better response? Ok smallmouth bass in rivers will be the thing I use this rod for the most, I see myself wanting to use the bigger tackle that may be more difficult to cast with wind. I think i can get the best response saying that the rod will primarily be for smallmouth bass along with some largemouth, and yes I will still try for northern with this rod as well. Im sorry that ive been all over the place and I greatly appreciate each and everyone of you trying to help me out.


So Questor what would you say, you said the 7wt worked well with your smallmouth fishing, should I get a 7 wt, or should I go even bigger to make it easier to get nicer bass with bigger tackle and even go for northern a bit but not the fish that this rod would be for.

Seems that if you go above a 6wt you cannot get a 4 piece, or am i just not seeing it, the the FR1086-4 is everything id like just I guess its not heavy enough to target smallies...

[SenkoSnack808]

I have caught Bass ( LG's ) over 4 pounds on my 5 weight, that is ponds though with no wind. If you are fishing rivers, how big are they in general, if you could let me know how far your normal cast will be then that would help. After you know how far you want to cast, you can decide. If the casts are over 60 feet and upwards of 75 which is hard with any rod on a river, you would be good with a 7 or maybe if the river is bigger and wind is knarly a 8. A 6 is not unpowered just not used for 75 foot casts in wind.


Good luck, Corey