# 6wt for reds?



## josh_rennie

i was just wondering how many people on the forum would use a 6wt for redfish I'm thinking about getting one because I'm all about light tackle fishing but on a windy day it will not be the best. just wondering what you guys think i know the typical is an 8wt but I'm just curious as to how many people use 6wts for saltwater


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## ifsteve

I use a 6wt for redfish on occasion. Its all about the conditions expected, the location I am fishing, and the size of fish I expect to see. If I am expecting to be fishing to small slot sized fish then by all means. If I am expecting to see upper slots and bigger then its the wrong rod. Can you catch a 10# or bigger red on a 6wt? Sure. Should you? Not as a matter of course.

A lot also depends on the 6wt you are talking about. I use a Sage Xi3 6wt. A fairly stout 6wt. But I also have a 6wt I use for trout out west and I would not use it for redfish. Not enough backbone. Light tackle is fine but only to a point. You want to be able to quickly land a fish and release it to fight another day. If you fight a fish to exhaustion then its has a lower chance of making it.


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## rustyj40

In my experience (South Texas) the reds that occupy the shallow water creeks and back water salty lakes off the main bays are smaller and can be landed with a 6wt. They fight a little, but give up rather quickly. One thing to remember, especially in South Texas and other areas along the Gulf Coast, is that the water gets down right hot in the summer and fighting a fish longer than necessary can put them in a situation where they cannot recover/survive. Having a 7wt or 8wt certainly helps with this when fishing in the summer.


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## Capt. Eli Whidden

In the right conditions a 6 wt can be a blast. I love to bring along a 4 wt on those slick calm summer days in flamingo where the smaller redfish tail all day long in shallows. These little guys seem more educated than they should be. The 4wt is a perfect finesse tool to get em! 

With a 6wt, I'd throw a standard 9ft tapered leader with a ft or more of 12lb fluorocarbon shock.


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## Shadowcast

I love using a 6 wt in the winter time in Tampa Bay when the water is gin clear and the tides are super low. I will go down to 12 or 8# tippet and use small bonefish flies. Reds are a blast on 6 wt gear.... or under.


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## paint it black

> I love using a 6 wt in the winter time in Tampa Bay when the water is gin clear and the tides are super low.  I will go down to 12 or 8# tippet and use small bonefish flies.  Reds are a blast on 6 wt gear.... or under.



Wait, you don't always throw a 12lb tippet??


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## Backwater

I agree with all these guys comments and SkiffinIdaho is spot on.  Not sure if it's necessary to go to a 4wt like what Capt Eli said tho, although I know someone who goes beach snookin with a 4wt.  So I personally a 4wt is a little too lite.  But his other points were great.  So I've even used a 6wt for smaller dock light snook and those football trout under the docks as well, but have broken them too when a big snook runs out and grabs the fly and decided he had enough of me.   ;D

Love a 6wt. for beach snook on a still quiet morning, also for sea trout on a flat, ladyfish, small jacks, micro tarponnies in the canals, smaller spanish macks, etc.  I also think it's an ideal size bass rod and still fun to catch bluegills on.  I've even used my saltwater 6wt for rainbows in NC and TN and never felt over gunned.

Like these guys said, wind condition has got to be good.  But what they didn't say is the flies size and weight are key to being able to throwing the right fly on a 6wt that the fish will take.  I love throwing small flies at fish and sometimes that will be the key to get them to eat when they are not feeding, or the water is gin clear, or they are just edgy and spooky.  But even tho the winds lay down and are ideal conditions to throw that 6wt, doesn't mean that a smaller or lighter fly will do the trick.  Sometimes the fly needs to be heavier to get down there where they are or bulker and a bigger profile fly to push water to get their attention.  That's when you need to step up to the bigger rod (aside from the other reasons stated above) to throw those bigger flies.   

For me, a good 6wt is a must have in your quiver!   

To find what 6wt you might get, look at some of the recent threads here on this board about 6wts.


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## josh_rennie

thanks guys for all the input, i will defiantly be investing in a 6wt very soon, i agree you don't want to fatigue a fish so much that it slims its chances of surviving. and the thought never crossed my mind about using smaller flies for a six weight but it makes sense now that i think about it. 

what's your favorite reel on a 6wt i would think you should have a reel with some stopping power so you can turn those fish and get them in quick and not fatigue them as much plus if you hook a big snook or red then you can turn him as well. 

I'm thinking about getting a scott s4s 6wt i used my buddies last week and i loved it. it felt great and had some backbone to her but not too much.


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## ifsteve

An Abel Super 6N s my favorite 6wt reel.


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## paint it black

I just picked up a 6/8 Nautilus CCFx2. This reel feels great. I have an 8/10 and a 10/12 CCFx2 so I am giving this 6/8 a shot. I also use a 7/8 FWX on my 6wt(for bonefish) and love it.


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## josh_rennie

i actually ordered a nautilus fwx with all red components a little over 2 months ago and am still waiting on it...they told me it'd be like 4 to 5 weeks and its still not here i think thats a little ridiculous. i was looking at the ccfx2 6/8 for it, but I'm just not sure if i want to order with them again. but if i do I'm buying one from a fly shop on the spot and driving home with it. or i will go with an orvis mirage or tibor signature 5/6. I'm just not set on any reel yet. but i did pick up a scott s4s 6wt from a buddy of mine and i got royal wulff triangle taper 6wt fly line for it. so i need to decide on a reel now.


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## ifsteve

> i actually ordered a nautilus fwx with all red components a little over 2 months ago and am still waiting on it...they told me it'd be like 4 to 5 weeks and its still not here i think thats a little ridiculous. i was looking at the ccfx2 6/8 for it, but I'm just not sure if i want to order with them again. but if i do I'm buying one from a fly shop on the spot and driving home with it. or i will go with an orvis mirage or tibor signature 5/6. I'm just not set on any reel yet. but i did pick up a scott s4s 6wt from a buddy of mine and i got royal wulff triangle taper 6wt fly line for it. so i need to decide on a reel now.


The Nautilus lovers on here will pooh pooh this but it is a well known fact that Nautilus routinely misses their promised delivery date .....and a lot of times by a lot. Good luck.


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## josh_rennie

yeah i mean i like nautilus and all but i would've just figured they would have had it out in time for me. but the guys at the fly shop said the same thing when i call up there and ask about it, they said they miss there date a lot. i don't mind waiting for something that i want but don't tell me 5 weeks then it be 10 weeks to get it, just tell me how long it will be from the beginning. idk and how people can just go there and get stuff made on the spot but mine takes over 2 months i understand they don't have them in stock but does it really take 2 months to get them? idk i don't hate nautilus or anything or think they're a bad company i just don't understand what the hold up is.


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## ifsteve

There are tons of real choices out there. We can debate all day about how good brand x is versus brand y. Me I like a brand that when I want it I can get it in less than a week. 10 weeks and waiting? I'd be looking elsewhere.


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## coconutgroves

The main challenge with a 6 wt and reds is the size of fly you need to chunk. Some red flies are pretty burly and better suited for an 8. We use a 6 for throwing seaducers and small shrimp patterns at reds. I love using 6 for bones when given the opportunity (Belize or Mexico bones, not the big bruisers). 6wt is also a great bass and carp rod.

One of my favorite rods is my Winston B2-MX 6 wt. Might upgrade to a B3-SX soon.


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## Backwater

Guys, guys....  He doesn't need a $400 to $700 reel for his 1st 6wt fishing around SW FL for 6wt fish there (i.e. trout, reds, snooklets, micro poonies, ladyfish and small jack, not to mention freshwater bass and bluegills).  Most of those fish you're going to hand strip it in with the fly line to land it and wouldn't even get the fish on the reel.  At best you'll get a fish on the reel and manage to get the thing to peel off line and hopefully he's big enough to get the whole flyline out of the tip top and run a lil backing out there.

What's the point here?   :-?   Will he need a reel priced over $250?  Absolutely not.  Sure it's nice to use nice equipment, but not necessary in his case. Definately has to be saltwater proof. Anything over that price range for a 6wt in S.W. FL is for show and ego.  I can catch 6wt bones all day long on a reel priced that or less.  He's not flying to the Seychelles, he just wants something to handle pup reds or any reds for that matter that he can get to eat a small 6wt size fly.


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## Guest

4wt.???? I'd rather be a bit overgunned with a 7wt. or even an 8wt. Don't let your ego get in the way of fairness to the fish. Just sayin!


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## Guest

One more thought. I agree with Backwater, you don't need to spend a fortune for a great reel. Nautilus unfortunately has a deserved reputation for being slow to deliver. You can look at Ross, Hatch,Galvin just to name a few, quality brands.


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## paint it black

It is what it is, buy online, or at a fly shop if you can't wait. I understand some may not want to wait. Luckily I have been able to grab some reels at Fly Shop of Miami and Mangrove Outfitters in Naples that they had in stock. Again, these reels aren't mass produced overseas, they are made 100% in Miami, FL. It's not like they're sitting around doing nothing, every time I've been to their facility they are cranking out reels. 


As for the more affordable reels comments, I started off with a $60 Redington reel that I picked up at Bass Pro. I caught quite a bit of Bonefish, redfish, snook, small tarpon on that reel with zero issues.


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## Capt. Eli Whidden

Park,

In Flamingo and Biscayne Bay,  there are many places, especially during the summer months, where undersized redfish show themselves finning in the extreme shallows during even the hottest times of the day.  These redfish are actively feeding on small minnows.  You'll seem them from far finning, then kerplunk.   There's goes the minnow.  These fish are extremely sensitive to any wrong doing.    A well placed size 8-10 minnow fly with anything more than a 6 wt and there gone.  An 8-12lb leader and there boatside within minutes.  

A cheap alternative to today's high priced reels would be an old Ross canyon 2-3.   No need for all the unused backing.  Most redfish of any size, don't abuse you enough to need more than 100yrds of backing. And that's going out on a limb. There runs are fast and short lived.  The hard part is the last 50ft.


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## Net 30

> Guys, guys....  He doesn't need a $400 to $700 reel for his 1st 6wt fishing around SW FL for 6wt fish there (i.e. trout, reds, snooklets, micro poonies, ladyfish and small jack, not to mention freshwater bass and bluegills).  Most of those fish you're going to hand strip it in with the fly line to land it and wouldn't even get the fish on the reel.  At best you'll get a fish on the reel and manage to get the thing to peel off line and hopefully he's big enough to get the whole flyline out of the tip top and run a lil backing out there.
> 
> What's the point here?   :-?   Will he need a reel priced over $250?  Absolutely not.  Anything over that price range in S.W. FL is for show and ego.  I can catch 6wt bones all day long on a reel priced that or less.  He's not flying to the Seychelles, he just wants something to handle pup reds or any reds for that matter that he can get to eat a small 6wt size fly.


Plenty of World Record fish were caught on Plueger Medalists.


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## Backwater

Paint it Black, I haven't held a Nautilus for some time now.  I won an 8/9 Nautilus back in the late 90's at a small tarpon tourney in the Keys.  It seemed like a nice quality reel but what I didn't like was the clicker noise was only when you reeled it in and the drag noise was completely silent.  I hate that!  I don't want a bunch of noise when I'm reeling it but I love to hear the drag sing with a fish rips off drag.  So I gave it to one of my fly fishing buddies who wanted one.  I'm not sure if they changed that.  Abel does that too, that's why I never bought one, not to mention the fact that I've never felt the need to buy a $700+ reel for anything, tho I know they have them in the mid $400's now for a 6wt reel.  

I'd rather invest that extra money in a better rod and line.  The drag systems and bar stock 6061 aluminum machining we have today in reels from about $150 to $300 are equal if not better than some of the higher end clunkers we had back years ago.  And we even use the cheaper of those back then and still caught plenty of fish without worry of a poor drag.  Heck, for the newbies out there, you can get away with a... (here comes the gasps from the crowds...)...  $39 Okuma or Redington large arbor graphite reel      on a 6wt for about everything here in Florida other than bonita, tarpon, bonefish and permit, all of which are not really 6wt fish.  Just sayin!

That being said, I've owned a 6wt Redington Delta for a 6wt I had (retails for $249) and it was a fine reel and butter smooth drag.  The "Rise" is another good reel for even less.  Orvis Hydros LA III or for less price, an Access, clearwater or LA Battinkill.  Lamson has some good mid range reels and some they are discontinuing which they will still warranty.  TFO BVK, Sage 3200....  There are guys on this board who like the Allen Reels.  Haven't used them so idk.  But the Kraken is in that price range as well.  And the list goes on and on!     Also, look for deals on-line and on ebay.  But it's always good if you have a local dealer who is treating you right and you can give them the local business.   

Remember, don't skimp on fly line!


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## coconutgroves

Lamson makes a light, affordable reel. I use the Litespeed for most of my 6 and 8 wt rigs, but the Velocity is a good choice too. Not many reels that are that light and have a durable drag in that price range.


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## deerfly

I would first caution by saying not all 6wts are created equal, but for the most part modern 6wt rods have plenty of power for slot reds and bigger ones too under the right conditions. They don't run far regardless of how big they are and tend to just burrow at lot too. I throw a 7wt line to help with larger flies. Here's some reds and a sorta' red looking creature caught with my 6wt...



release shot of the one above


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## josh_rennie

deer fly, those are some very nice fish on a 6wt I'm jealous lol

coconut groves, i have a lamson guru 3.5 that was my first "good" reel i ever bought I've had it for about 3 years now and i like it, it does the job very well.

paint it black, i ordered mine through mangrove outfitters actually, i could've just got a stock nautilus ccfx2 6/8 for about the same price and drove home with it, i really wish i would've done that now lol, but its fine I'm sure ill be happy with what i got, i was actually leaning toward the ccfx-2 6/8 for my 6 wt it is a little pricey but it does have a sealed drag and all and I'm sure it would last a long time and if anything i could always get another spool or re-line it and use it on a different rod later on down the road if i thought it was overkill.


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## Shadowcast

> I love using a 6 wt in the winter time in Tampa Bay when the water is gin clear and the tides are super low.  I will go down to 12 or 8# tippet and use small bonefish flies.  Reds are a blast on 6 wt gear.... or under.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wait, you don't always throw a 12lb tippet??
Click to expand...

Sometimes I have a tapered 16# tippet that I throw. Just depends on what I grab out of the bag. But on a 6 wt. I will usually throw something lighter.

And as far as a great reel for a 6 wt. outfit....Allen Kraken or Trout 2. You cannot beat them for the money.


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## pt448

> Paint it Black, I haven't held a Nautilus for some time now.  I won an 8/9 Nautilus back in the late 90's at a small tarpon tourney in the Keys.  It seemed like a nice quality reel but what I didn't like was the clicker noise was only when you reeled it in and the drag noise was completely silent.  I hate that!  I don't want a bunch of noise when I'm reeling it but I love to hear the drag sing with a fish rips off drag.  So I gave it to one of my fly fishing buddies who wanted one.  I'm not sure if they changed that.  Abel does that too, that's why I never bought one, not to mention the fact that I've never felt the need to buy a $700+ reel for anything, tho I know they have them in the mid $400's now for a 6wt reel.
> 
> I'd rather invest that extra money in a better rod and line.  The drag systems and bar stock 6061 aluminum machining we have today in reels from about $150 to $300 are equal if not better than some of the higher end clunkers we had back years ago.  And we even use the cheaper of those back then and still caught plenty of fish without worry of a poor drag.  Heck, for the newbies out there, you can get away with a... (here comes the gasps from the crowds...)...  $39 Okuma or Redington large arbor graphite reel      on a 6wt for about everything here in Florida other than bonita, tarpon, bonefish and permit, all of which are not really 6wt fish.  Just sayin!
> 
> That being said, I've owned a 6wt Redington Delta for a 6wt I had (retails for $249) and it was a fine reel and butter smooth drag.  The "Rise" is another good reel for even less.  Orvis Hydros LA III or for less price, an Access, clearwater or LA Battinkill.  Lamson has some good mid range reels and some they are discontinuing which they will still warranty.  TFO BVK, Sage 3200....  There are guys on this board who like the Allen Reels.  Haven't used them so idk.  But the Kraken is in that price range as well.  And the list goes on and on!     Also, look for deals on-line and on ebay.  But it's always good if you have a local dealer who is treating you right and you can give them the local business.
> 
> Remember, don't skimp on fly line!


Many of the lower cost reels mentioned are made in China :-/ or Korea. They're all fine reels; I'd just rather my $200-400 go to a company that supports American workers. Lamson, Colton, Ross, and Galvan have quality American made reels for much less than a Nautilus (except for the FWX which is priced lower), Hatch, or Tibor; which are all excellent reels as well.


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## josh_rennie

Alright guys well I got my custom nautilus fwx 7/8 in the other day and I went and picked it up at the fly shop and I think it was worth the wait if you don't mind waiting it is Avery nice reel and I must say it is pretty gorgeous and I ordered the ccfx2 online the other day and got it the day after I got my FWX and I must say that ccfx2 is really nice the drag on it is amazing. I ordered the fwx for my 7wt and the ccfx2 for my 6wt but I think I'll probably put the fwx on my 6wt and sell my 7wt and buy a new 8wt for the ccfx2 since I'm going to be selling my other 8wt, when I have time to sit down and figure out the picture thing and get it all posted up.


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## Guest

Used to routinely take a #6 weight overlined with a #7 weight intermediate fly line for snookin' on the beach. On those days when the winds were churning up the surf with grasses, went to the backside of a barrier island & fished there. Rat reds & beach snook are about the same size & play not getting into the backing 99% of the fishing; while swapping out the WF-7-I for a WF-6-F to cast mangrove shorelines & oyster bars instead.


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## PBLucas

So i just recently broke my Loomis Crosscurrent (non GLX) 6wt redfish rod and lo and behold, they dont make them anymore. When I called Loomis to get the expeditor program for the rod, they tried to replace it with a fresh water 6wt. Needless to say, this wasnt going to work so I made them send me a 10 wt bc i needed a backup and now im back to the drawing board for 6wt redfish rod. After doing some research and not finding what i want for under 800 bucks I think i may try to build one, but on a 10' 6 wt blank. Anyone have any experience with this size rod in salt?


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## BayStYat

Routinely catch 32-35 inch reds on my 6. 

Only fish my 8 in Biloxi Marsh


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## CurtisWright

I killed 2 with my 8 WT in Delacroix last week. I originally intended to tag and release them, but I had to pull the tag out and put them in the cooler after I couldn't get them revived. Switched to the 10WT and was good after that. Was able to tag a few.


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## Capt. Eli Whidden

> So i just recently broke my Loomis Crosscurrent (non GLX) 6wt redfish rod and lo and behold, they dont make them anymore.  When I called Loomis to get the expeditor program for the rod, they tried to replace it with a fresh water 6wt.  Needless to say, this wasnt going to work so I made them send me a 10 wt bc i needed a backup and now im back to the drawing board for 6wt redfish rod.  After doing some research and not finding what i want for under 800 bucks I think i may try to build one, but on a 10' 6 wt blank.  Anyone have any experience with this size rod in salt?


I learned how to fly fish as a young boy with a sage RPL 10' 6wt.  The extra height was a must when wading up to your waist or floating in the tube on the Greer Lakes in AZ.   It was a fun rod to learn on and I could cast it a mile. 

In the last few years I've been playing with a few other 10' rods here in Biscayne Bay.   We do a lot of wading  in the summer time, especially during the evening lows when bonefish tail just before dark.   I don't throw a 6wt, but I do have a 10' 8wt and a 10wt(it's currently for sale).    If you've never cast a 10' before it will take some getting use to, but the extra height does come in handy sometimes.  Only downfall is most skiffs don't fit 10' rods, unless your willing to partially break them down.


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## PBLucas

Good point on the rod holders, hadn't considered that.


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## paint it black

I was throwing a 9'6 8wt for a while last year and loved it in windy conditions, when it was glass calm, it wasn't so effective.


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## Backwater

CW, how is Delacroix these days? Haven't been there in years! How's the fishing?


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## pt448

> CW, how is Delacroix these days?  Haven't been there in years!  How's the fishing?


You mean Delacrowded?  The fish are there, so is everyone else.  Kidding aside, the fishing's great.  My cousin goes regularly.  I just prefer quieter waters.


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## CurtisWright

> CW, how is Delacroix these days?  Haven't been there in years!  How's the fishing?
> 
> 
> 
> You mean Delacrowded?  The fish are there, so is everyone else.  Kidding aside, the fishing's great.  My cousin goes regularly.  I just prefer quieter waters.
Click to expand...


x2.  There was a tournament and a million of those stupid tower boats burning up the marsh.  All the fish were super spooky and knew what was up.  


FISHING FROM A 10'FT TOWER WITH A SPIN ROD AND IPILOT IS CHEATING!  ITS A PERVERSION OF FISHING.  Its the same thing as going to Texas to "bow hunt" over a corn pile.  

I use to be nonchalant about the red fish tournaments, but I am officially a hater.


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## Backwater

CW, you purist you!!! [smiley=bigun2.gif] ;D ;D JK


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## CurtisWright

> CW, you purist you!!!    [smiley=bigun2.gif]      ;D ;D JK


At a young age, I too was a googan.  I have to have patients and understand that they are young fisherman,  still to come of age.   In their own time they will accept the power of the fly.  Only then will they see the light.


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## Backwater

Thanks Obi Wan...  I think they can be converted over time from the dark side!


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## Steve_Mevers

CurtisWright said:


> x2. There was a tournament and a million of those stupid tower boats burning up the marsh. All the fish were super spooky and knew what was up.
> 
> 
> FISHING FROM A 10'FT TOWER WITH A SPIN ROD AND IPILOT IS CHEATING! ITS A PERVERSION OF FISHING. Its the same thing as going to Texas to "bow hunt" over a corn pile.
> 
> I use to be nonchalant about the red fish tournaments, but I am officially a hater.


Agree, they lost my support when they started pre fishing every tournament by running around every island in Pine Island Sound in a tower boat for two days just sight seeing and blowing out the flats. Courtesy is everything, I was working my way down a shoreline the other day, standing on a casting platform, casting basket next to me, trolling motor down, and a guide in a tower boat pulled right in front of me (100') put down his power pole down and then looked back at me and said sorry, didn't know you were fly fishing down this shoreline....WTF... he saw me, he just didn't give a shit, told him no problem as he as throwing bat fulls of shiners out. I trolling motored past him and put my power pole down just past the bow of his boat and fished the snook he chummed up. He never said a word, I think it embarrassed him in front of his clients.


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## crboggs

Forgot about this thread. 

Picked off my personal best 6wt red a few weeks ago. Just a tad over slot. Spotted him belly crawling on a low tide and got ahead of him with a small baitfish pattern. First fish on the old Tibor Freestone. No issues at all. Swam off strong.

View media item 1902


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## SC Bill

I ordered a Ron Hickman 8' 6WT last week. I received Ron's 8' 9WT last week (from Ron in CHS) and found it to be a much faster action rod then my other 9' 9WT rods. I had a chance to fish (no catching) the 9WT before a thunderstorm ran me off the water. I was very impressed with the rod. So much so, I ordered up a 6WT for my 1999 Abel .5 reel. I look forward to targeting Reds in coastal marshes and creeks around Cape Romain (SC) with the .5 and 6WT. 

First thing I noticed about Ron's 8' rod, much easier to cast and target fish when the wind is blowing!


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## FlyBy

6 wt. BVK with BVK reel is my go-to for tailing reds unless it's windy, then I use 8 wt. And I don't see any small tailers here.


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