Memorial Weekend-Panfish Frenzy....HELP

[gaeronf]

The weekend of memorial day I get off of school the friday, monday and tuesday. I am going down to RI to my grandparents house on a little lake. It has panfish (sunnies, bluegill, large mouth), perch, pickeral, and maybe one or two others. Here are the questions, I have a 4, 5, and 8 weight rods. Which species should I go for, what weight rod, and what flies should I be using. I know you guys will know, you are pros! Thanks in advance,

Gaeron

 

[Fishidiot]

I'd take the 4 and the 8.
You can use the 4 for sunnies and save the 8 for throwing big streamers or poppers in the weeds for bass or pickeral.

Or you could just take the 6. If it were me and space were available, I'd take the 4 and 8.

 

[gaeronf]

We have plenty of space. I'll take both then. Any flies you think I should use?

 

[gfen]

gurglers and buggers. a few misc dry flies if the gills are slurping at the surface is good practice for trouting.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear gaeron,

If you take the 8 weight you can always throw a decent sized popper like a size 2 or 4 with it. Just tie a beadhead prince nymph or hare's ear in size 12 to the bend of the hook. Make the dropper 18 inches or so long and you'll be able to pick up bluegills and sunnies on the dropper while you fish for bass.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[gaeronf]

Ok...I remeber last time we went my dad got two bass, one 22in and one 24 in. I was there and we had a tape measure. Now only to get popper bodies....Thanks for all the great advice guys!

 

[BrookieBuster101]

In my opinion the 5wt would suffice for both big bass or pickerel, and panfish. Thats what I use. Then you dont have to worry about switching rods to adapt to conditions. However if you were to ONLY throw big streamers, then id say fish the eight weight.

As for flies...

Bass/ Pickeral:

-BH woolly buggers
-clousers

-Premade foam poppers
-Or my personal favorite the STEALTH BOMBER!!!


Panfish/ Perch:

-mini version of the above

- plus high flotation drys like elk hair caddis, wulff, or humpy

 

[gfen]

A sheet of 99c craft foam from sprawlmart and gurglers. Just as efficent as hair poppers, no trouble to make.

edit: or upon perusal, the stealth bomber. foam is neat.

 

[jdaddy]

I caught a 6.5 lb lmb when I was down in NC on a gurgler. Jay had tied it for WW jam last year so obviously it was way over sized. Lol

 

[gfen]

FL was an awakening at just how massive a LMB's mouth is, and just how gung ho they are about smashing 4/0 flies on the surface.

 

[gaeronf]

Help! I'm down here now and nothing is biting anything! I've tried everything. Maybe it has to do with the chemical they put in to kill the algae. It has made all the algae die and be suspended; fogging the view from the bottom to the top and vice versa.