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what weight rod???

2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  mcutchin 
#1 ·
Hi everyone, I'm a newby looking for some supreme wisdom.
I got hooked on bonefishing and cuda's last year in the bahama's. Bought a medium action 8wt. and a Big Game #4, Worked Great. Now I want to also try for Permit, Baby Tarpon Jacks and the such. I am trying to decide between a 9 or 10 wt Sage In the RPLXi or the XP. The XP is a little faster like I like but has small guides?? Also getting another reel and thinking of the Big Game #6. I have been flyfishing all my life in Montana but am a blue water beginner. Whats some helpful hints to help me decide. I have a trip planned for belize this jan-feb.so I am really stoked and getting ancy.
Thanks for your time
Jim
 
#2 ·
The RPLXi is being replaced by the RPLXi2. Fishing for permit in Beliize, the xp series was good. I really like the 10wt. It will be interesting to see what the new RPLXi2 is like.
As for what weight...depends on the wind, what fly, and I think...how quiet you want to be. Del Brown caught hundreds of permit on a 10wt with an 11wt line. I would go with the ten xp with a ten lie.
searchs on this site will yield much info.
 
#3 ·
eddie

Eddie
Thanks for the response, that is the way I was thinking also, what about a reel, is my big game #4 adequate for a 10wt rod or should I upgrade to a big game #6 which is a 1/2" diam. larger @ 4 1/4"and holds about75yds more backing.
thanks
blueh20
 
#4 ·
Jim

Welcome to the forum!

I like to have as much backing as I can and I tend to keep my lines sizes consistent on different spools for the same reel. Its a personal thing - just makes it easier for me to remember what's what.

I do 90% of my saltwater fishing with a 9wt outfit - probably a bit overgunned for most bones but its nice to have the extra backbone when the trade winds blow which is pretty much all the time. It makes landing fish quickly easier which is a good idea when sharing the flats with pother predators ( lemon sharks, cudas etc.). Permit are generally an "opportunity" shot for me and I wouldn't feel undergunned using the 9wt with the right technique. If I was planning to target them exclusively then I might go up to a 10wt ..

My next size up is 12wt which I pull out when seriously targetting tarpon, tuna, mahi-mahi etc.
 
#5 ·
Jim,

I've spent some time throwing at Permit in Belize, and I used a 10wt Sage, RPLX and RPLXI. If I were to do it again I would go to a fast 9wt, either XP or RPLXi. The 9wt because it would help save your arm. I always fished 15 day trips and the 10wt killed my arm.

I would also probable line size up one size to be able to power cast quickly with gusty wind conditions and of course have as much backing as I could get! Take extra lines and backing! You can loose a lot of lines if you fish around the coral islands like they have in Southern Belize.

Mel
 
#6 ·
Jim,

Although I fish for permit with a 9-weight mostly, I would recommend a 10-weight for most anglers. The reason is that most good permit flies are large enough to require the extra line weight to throw long distances. For example, this spring I took a good angler fishing in Key West and he fished with a 9-weight; problem was, the fish were very spooky and a 50-60 foot cast wouldn't do the the job; with a 10-weight he could've gotten the fly to the fish easily.

Marshall
 
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