New Project for the New Year
- This topic has 24 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated Jan 25, 2011 at 2:32 pm by
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So with the new year beginging its good to start new projects and mine is a bit different than most folks in my neck of the woods. I want to learn to catch striped bass on using spey and skagit casting techniques.
To me it makes perfect sense in where these fish are, how they feed, at the depth they feed, just the whole nine yards. The more I watch on skagit casting for steele head the more the bells are going off in my head saying “THIS WILL WORK FOR STRIPERS!!!” Now rather it will or won’t I can’t say but I do know there is only one way to find out.
If any of you have used this technique for inland striped bass I would love to hear about it. If any of you do this for any kind of fish I want to hear about it.
Let me know what you think of the idea, what you think of the techique it self, and/or your experiences spey/skagit casting. I am really looking forward to this project because I feel that if it works it could start something big! In almost any state in the South East we have access to striped bass! Not only that but anybody that has fished these fish knows they can be found three out of four seasons at the tail waters of dams, mouths of creeks, or busting on shad around bluffs during water generation! This is our steel head! I feel that way anyway.
I’m getting off my soap box now and taking the excitement down a notch. Please excuse the caps and exclemation points.
I really don’t know anything about 2-handed casting, but I swing for stripers all spring long and have often thought spey techiques would be effective. Where I usually fish I don’t make many long casts, I like to cast upstream at times, and the area is wide open, so I’ve never felt compelled to make a move towards 2-handing. I’m sure it will work, though. Downstream swinging is far and away my best method for catching those spring run linesides.
G
Thanks guys i will be checking it out. What spey or switch rods might you suggest? Also What are the line set ups? And is there a difference in a spey reel as apposed to a normal large arbor reel?
Dave, I thought every one liked dirty @$$ nymphs
Gary I don’t mean to be too nosey but if you could what would be a breif run down on what you do?
In the few places I go I usually fish around shoals. The fish are sensitive to flow and stack up in places where lots of water is coming down a chute or drop. I use a kayak to hop around to these spots. I like to make short swings down into the whitewater below a drop. I also do well standing right beside a plunge and high sticking a fly through it. When fish aren’t in the whitewater is when I do more like a steelheader and make a lot long casts across a channel and try to mend to make different swings. I use various sink-tip lines.
This chute was very good last spring with lots of fish stacked up behind the drop.
Here was a place where a lot of long swinging worked.
G
Peter, I’ve found that tube flies would certainly work fine, I just don’t have a setup on my vise to tie them (nor enough time to get into it). I know a couple guys that do mess with them here who I think are on the board. Fly selection really wouldn’t change for us – I’ve fished my two hander for stripers, smallmouth as well as shad here in town.
My suggestion would be to find a rod that would fit your needs then match the type of line you want to that. Skagit is arguably easier to learn on a two-handed rod than a traditional spey and in my experience, if you want to get a lot of line out quick, skagit has worked for me.
In terms of a reel, as long as all your line fits, it’ll work.
Thanks guys that looks awesome and pretty similar to the areas I will be fishing, kinda like the Cahaba, Coosa, or the Sipsey. I also appreciate the perspective on how you guys play the game in your neck of the woods.
I have a couple more questions. Now looking at Rio’s website (they seem to do the most with Skagit) it looks like I need a running line, shooting head, and an interchangeable sinking tip. Am I reading this right? Also is this so that a person has the greatest amount of versatility? If so what would be the all around?
Would it be the running line, flight tip, then Mow tip? If so then any suggestions on how you guys set up your gear?
Now looking at Rio’s website (they seem to do the most with Skagit) it looks like I need a running line, shooting head, and an interchangeable sinking tip. Am I reading this right?
Yes, this is how my setup goes.
Anyone know who is making the Red Truck Deisel rods?
They also scream that it would be more reasonable to go with a more cost effective rod like TFO’s Switch Creek or surprisingly, Scott’s A3 H2 series.
Does anybody have any experience with either if these rods?
Peter,
I would check out the Redington CPX series of rods. They cast great and fish great, not to mention they have a great price.
If you are looking for versitility I would get a switch rod and a short skagit head. I would also highly recommend going with just a head and not one with the running line attached. All of my two-hander and switch rods are set up this way.
-Mike
Those CPX are sharp looking rods but I really don’t have very much experience with them. Some of my students use them, I have cast them and can vouch for their ability to sling some line. But it’s always been their combo models so I don’t know anything about their higher-end rods. i would be willing to give them a try, so any thoughts or input on that would be appreciated.
Also, is there an advantage to having a one-piece skagit line?
Also, is there an advantage to having a one-piece skagit line?
In my opinion, no. A lot of guys like using different heads, be it skagit or Scandinavian, it different grain weights on a given rod. This allows the angler to better fish in a given situation. For example I know some of the guys that like using a skagit short on a full two-hander. This allows them to fish in tight spots and fish bucket water. For example on my one of my two-handers I have 4 different heads for it.
Now that being said I would not worry about have mutiple heads. I would get a running line and a skagit head, and then whatever tips you need.
Yeah it really is alot to take in all at once. One of the biggest questions I have is just how much further can one cast with a full on two handed rod as opposed to a switch rod?
Also with what I have in mind, stripers, which rod might fit the bill better?
My mindset is that I already have plenty of single handed rods so what benefit would a switch have over a double? My main goal is to cover large expanses of water and have the ability to put a very big fly very deep.Distance really depends on the caster and the line being used. The two-hander will probably get you an extra 5-15 feet, but distance really is not the purpose of these rods. The whole idea behind a two-handed rod is to fish larger water more effeciently. You are not having to work as hard as you would with a single hander to cover that water. Double hauling a large single hander with a sinking line and a large fly can wear you out after a while.
The benefits of a switch over the double is going to be the ability to switch between two handed casting and single handed casting. You can do this if you have the right line like a skagit short. They are also easier to strip streamers with.
The benefits of the two-hander are able to cover larger water effeciently. You will also be able to throw larger flies and heavier sink tips with it.
Anyone know who is making the Red Truck Deisel rods? I looked at them online after reading Dave’s post.
Very interesting.
But, they SCREAM Sage/Redington. (grips, blanks, rod script, etc) And I am hoping to not hitch any more wagon’s in that direction.
Tim,
I can assure you Sage/Redington is not making the Red Truck rods. The finishes, blanks and especially the ferrules are nothing like any Sage. The are made offshore to Lelands specs. Where or by whom, they haven’t told me. But they are solid sticks. Really nicely built and they’ve gotten everything right for fishing. In my opinion there are fishing rods and casting rods. These rods are a great fishing rod.
For rods built overseas, these Red Truck rods are very expensive.
I’d say these rods are in the same class as e.g. Winston VSL and Passport series. These rods cost $200 and $300 which is a very nice price.Haven’t seen & cast the Red Truck rods (kinda impossible since I’m in Europe), so they might be very nice rods (both casting, cosmetics and fishing capability), but still very expensive.
For rods built overseas, these Red Truck rods are very expensive.
I’d say these rods are in the same class as e.g. Winston VSL and Passport series. These rods cost $200 and $300 which is a very nice price.Haven’t seen & cast the Red Truck rods (kinda impossible since I’m in Europe), so they might be very nice rods (both casting, cosmetics and fishing capability), but still very expensive.
All fly rods are ridiculously expensive in my opinion.
I own two of the Red Truck rods, and a closet full of top of the line gear from Sage, Scott, Winston, T&T.
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