On Aug 13, 3:16 pm, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:
mdk77 wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
mdk77 wrote:
snip
What would you recommend that I consider for a 2nd
fly rod/reel that is a step up from the KPOC, but still affordable
(something around $300)?
I bought a 6wt Redington CPS for smallmouth fishing and I'm
quite pleased with it. It fits exactly in your price range
at $299 and for the money it's a very nice fly rod.

...
Also, what size rod/reel would you think I should go with?
That depends on what you want to do most. If it's catching
bluegill in the ponds go with a 3wt, bass get another 6wt
or to fight the wind and toss deer hair a 7 or 8wt.

Ken, it sounds like you are from Central Illinois too. I'm curious,
do you fish around here for Bass, and if you do, then what size do you
fish with the most? Thanks.

I live in Urbana and most of my local bass fishing is
smallmouth fishing in the streams of Vermillion county.
I'll put my canoe in the ponds at Kickapoo State Park
and a few other small lakes fishing for largemouths but
I avoid Clinton and Shelbyville, too many metal flake
bass boats.

My bass rod is a Sage RPL 690-4, that's 9' 6wt 4 piece
that's long since been discontinued by Sage. As I said,
I recently bought a backup rod for bass fishing and I'm
really pleased with the 9' 4 piece 6wt Redington CPS,
it's almost as nice as my Sage and at $299 a good value.

Most folks targeting largemouths in the bigger lakes
that I avoid would use 7 or 8wt rods but the 6wt works
fine for me targeting smallies and fishing ponds from
the canoe. Mostly around home, I'm a bluegill fisherman
using a 9' Winston 3wt, that's the most fun for me.

--
Ken Fortenberry

I discovered Kickapoo while a student at Chanute AFB in spring-summer
of 1971, and it saved my sanity. I caught some nice fish there, but
the solitude and lack of motors were the attraction. I could sneak in
my canoe and discovered many new (as my home was The West) kinds of
wildlife.
I hope it is as nice today as it was then.

cheers

oz, who saw the best July 4th fireworks ANYWHERE in the tiny town of
Rantoul