6wt for Reds?

[TexasFlyaker]

Hey guys. I am planning a trip to the marsh next week and just thought I would see what you thought about using a 6wt for reds in the Texas Bayou area? I always go for the 8wts but really think the 6wt would be fun. I would be using a TFO Axiom II 6wt. Its a pretty stout 6wt, but the last thing I want to do is kill a red fish. Thoughts?

[Neumie]

I use a TFO TiCrX 6wt, which is the predecessor to the Axiom II. IMO, it's more of a 6.5 wt than a 6. I actually have mine over lined with a floating WF 7wt line. This lets me load the rod quicker for the shorter cast I make at reds from the kayak.

You'll be good with the 6wt. If it's windy make sure to toss smaller profile flies, like a gotcha.

[Ron Mc]

6-wt is plenty, and my go-to wading rod is 6/7-wt S-glass.
The only time you need more is throwing bigger flies in wind.

Prof Salt goes after redfish on 4-wt.

[impulse]

Hate to concede to age, but the older I get, the lighter my favorite fly rod. (Kinda like, "the older I get, the more of my luggage has wheels")

Used to be my favorite for salt and bass was a 9' x 9wt, but those wear me out nowadays after a short while. So if it's windy enough that I'd need a 9 weight, I'll forego fly fishing and pick up a spinning rod (because a casting reel isn't much fun with backlashes throwing light lures against the wind)

Also, not so much for salt water (because leaders are hefty), I like a lighter rod to protect a wispy tippet. If I have to go to a 6x tippet to fool the fish, I'll break off a lot of fish using a 6 or 7wt rod. But I usually use a 10-12lb tippet in the salt.

If I'm throwing a small streamer, even a 4wt or 5wt is plenty adequate. If I have to turn over a bulky crab fly or epoxy minnow, the 6-7wt works better for me. It comes down to how close I can get and how wind resistant the fly is. Short answer to the OP... Give the 6wt a try. I think you'll like it.

[Kayak Kid]

My opinion is that the lighter rods in the hands of any but the very skilled fly fishermen and women may cause damage to a larger fish. If keeping your fish is the plan, then I suppose it makes no difference. I release all my fish, so I might be considered overly concerned about protecting our finned friends. I use 8wt when fishing for reds or large specs, 5wt when fishing lights from a pier.

[Prof. Salt]

It's not so much what sized fly rod you're using, it's the leader and tippet that determine whether it's a good choice for catching redfish. If you take your time moving the kayak to the fish you can usually get close enough for an easy cast. A quality heavy leader and 20lb tippet will work on an 8wt or 6wt just fine. I run that type of terminal lines on my 4wt with good redfish results as well. If you're looking to catch big bulls it's different, but slot reds can be caught (and released healthy) on a 6wt without problems as long as the gear can take the strain.

As Kayak Kid mentioned, if you're new to fly fishing it might be best for the fish to stick to a heavy setup, but if you are comfortable with how much you can lean on your gear, even upper slot fish can be landed quickly on the lighter sizes.

[TexasFlyaker]

Thanks for the feedback. I landed several reds with the 6wt but I did find the upper slots to be tough deep in the marsh. Not a lot of room to let them run in there.

[Ron Mc]

that's a good point - wading the lakes, there's lots of room.

[ben_beyer]

It's not so much what sized fly rod you're using, it's the leader and tippet that determine whether it's a good choice for catching redfish. If you take your time moving the kayak to the fish you can usually get close enough for an easy cast. A quality heavy leader and 20lb tippet will work on an 8wt or 6wt just fine. I run that type of terminal lines on my 4wt with good redfish results as well. If you're looking to catch big bulls it's different, but slot reds can be caught (and released healthy) on a 6wt without problems as long as the gear can take the strain.

As Kayak Kid mentioned, if you're new to fly fishing it might be best for the fish to stick to a heavy setup, but if you are comfortable with how much you can lean on your gear, even upper slot fish can be landed quickly on the lighter sizes.

What fly line are you using with the 4wt and 6wt if you don't mind me asking?

[Prof. Salt]

I use the SA Amplitude and Mastery lines. Can’t remember which one is on which reel, but it’s those two lines on the 4 and 6. The two is more limited and I use a freshwater trout line.