Switch Rods for Landlocked Striped Bass

[Peter E.]

Hey guys,

What size switch rod do you suggest for river striped bass? This rod will get a good bit of spotted bass action too so I don’t want to feel like I am taking a 30/06 to a squirrel hunt. I’ll be casting streamers in tight quarters for the most part and occasionally over bigger water.

[Zach Matthews]

I think the legitimate average schoolie size for most landlocked striper fisheries in the U.S. is 5-7 lbs. That’s kind of the no-BS real size of most stripers. For that size, giving you the ability not to get waxed by a bigger fish, I think an 8 weight is the best all around rod.

Me personally, I choose to fish a ten weight single-hander for stripers, but when I was full on Spey fishing for them, I did use a 7 weight. Spey and switch rods have a lot more lower blank space (aka “ass”) and thus you can move fish with them which are a class or two above what you would consider the top end feasible range of a single hand fly rod.

Good luck.

Zach

[Alan Corbin]

remember switch and spey rods are usually rated differently from single handers I use a 6 wt. switch(375 gr line) often for schoolies and steelies. I also use an 8 wt. 11′ (475 gr.) for bigger heavy flies in the wind. I have landed salmon in AK with the 6 wt as well. on the Kenai River this past fall. All my striper fishing is estuaries and bays on Cape Cod and some kayak/wading th sand flats
My go to single hander is either 8 wt. or a 9 wt. fast action for windy days.
A standard 8 wt line head is around 210 gr. hope this helps

[Drew Morgan]

I also use a 7 wt. switch for stripes. This has plenty of backbone for bigger stripes. I’ll be honest though it is a lot of rod for a spotted bass. You could probably get by with a 6 wt. switch if you want the spots to still give a good tug but still handle a stripe.

Faith, Family, Fishing

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