Fly Fishing Rods

I recently wrote an article about fly fishing rods. I wanted to continue to discuss fly fishing rods as a lot of largemouth bass fishermen also like to fly fish.  Since flies for fly fishing are a lot lighter than lures for bass, fly rods typically are lighter and not as sturdy. For example, the average rod for fly fishing is 7 to 8 foot rod. However, a river 45 feet wide might well call for a rod of between 8 and 10 feet. But if you want to limit yourself to only one rod for all types of fly fishing, including salmon, sea trout and trout, you should choose a medium-action 10-footer.
If you want to fish on still waters, you have to decide whether  you will spend the bulk of the time fishing from a boat or wading along the shore line: boat rods can be slightly less substantial than bank ones.
Ideally, you should have access to a more powerful 9 1/2- or 10-foot rod for bank fishing, but you should avoid those over-stiff devices that need the strength of a gorilla to flex them properly. They may be fine for the tournament caster who wants to throw a line into the next county, and who will only use it for a five-minute session anyway, but they are not nice for prolonged fishing. Also bear in mind that the stronger and stiffer the rod, the stronger your leader will have to be to avoid breakage on the strike.
If you are fishing a river for brown trout, trout rods range from the little 6-foot brook rods up to the 17 -foot models for fishing still waters and large rivers.
Unlike rods for largemouth bass, with all singlehanded rods it’s preferable to have the reel fittings near the butt. Various fitments are available, and those that are the lightest are usually the best. Screw fittings offer greater security than those with a friction hold, although you’re unlikely to have a reel fall off whichever type you choose.
Despite the great variety of rod actions to suit different fishing situations, to some extent there is room for personal preference. It is usually said that a slightly stiffer-actioned rod is better for dry-fly fishing, and a soft-actioned rod is better for wet flies. But beware of a rod that is truly limp; these might be able to handle very light lines in calm conditions, but they often lack the stamina to cope with contrary winds and longer-than-average casts. Even though a fly rod shouldn’t have too soft an action, when it’s flexed it should have a good all-through action down into the butt. Tip-actioned rods with stiff butt sections may work well with lures for bass, but they have little use in fly fishing.
If you can afford it, get a rod in graphite by one of the more reputable manufacturers. There is much dumping of foreign overproduction and these rods, while exceptionally cheap, may not represent very good value.

Drift Fishing for Catfish

Most of our articles usually deal with largemouth bass fishing using lures for bass. This article won’t discuss bass baits, as we will be discussing drift fishing for catfish. Drift fishing is the title of a famous technique used for catching all kinds of fish, and catfish are no exception. Actually, as catfish live mostly in moderate to top water conditions, drift fishing can be a very amazing means of catching catfish.
If you enjoy fishing in very long stretches of water and are not sure as to the location of the fish, or in cases of questionably bottom cover where large bottom rings are continuously snagging, drift fishing is a great solution to enjoying a relaxing float along the waterway. Once the right fishing depth is ascertained, there is a very low chance of snagging on the bottom due to the rings.
Most catfish need to be accustomed to “odd” baits. We consider odd baits any artificially manufactured baits. If you are going to drift fish, don’t expect great results from artificial baits. However, larger catfish will often hit artificial baits by chance as the bait glides past them.
Like largemouth bass, once they are larger, Blue Catfish and Channel Catfish are both almost always cooking size. However, the larger blue and channel catfish are extremely difficult to catch as there’s a reason they were able to survive long enough to grow that large. To catch larger catfish, it takes time, dedication and certainly, a lot of patience.
Drift fishing for catfish is best done at night or late evening, though it is not impossible to catch one during the day. Like bass baits, if catfish bait are in the right location at the correct time, you certainly increase your chances of catching a large catfish. To drift for catfish, you will need a boat, obviously, and a very small automatic trolling motor to slowly drift down the waterway at a moderate pace. When done correctly, you want the bait to float and fall in a misleadingly lifelike fashion. This lifelike action of the bait will bring more attention from the catfish. If you start to drift too quickly – which will allow the bait to start to drag – it is the same as allowing the trolling motor to drift you too fast, thus decreasing your probability of catching a catfish.
Using a weight on your line for catfish fishing is an interesting topic. Depending on the type and size of bait you are utilizing, the tendency of your bait to sink or float will obviously depend on the weight of the bait (or if the line is weighted). Also, the speed at which you are drifting will influence the depth with which your bait will drift. Like lures for bass when largemouth bass fishing, larger catfish baits tend to drop quite quickly all by themselves, but little or light weight baits that are not as heavy will require some weighting to force them to fall where they can be seen/found by the catfish.