Anyone fly fish for Crappie / Panfish?

[Cajuntec]

I’ve always wanted to learn, and the urge to try this year is pretty strong. I’ve read up quite a bit and opinions seem to swing between 3 wt and 5 wt for Crappie.

But I have something that’s not mentioned in most articles - fly fishing from a kayak in a lake or tidal river.

I’ve been considering a 5’9” 3wt fiberglass rod, due to its length. But now I’m wondering if it’s too light. I almost always catch other fish while crappie fishing. I’m not sure what a 18” Alabama Spotted Bass would do to that setup, but I have a feeling I’d be overwhelmed. So I look at the 5wt version, but it’s 7’, or the 5/6wt at 7’6”. I’ve picked them up. They are all whippy, but it seems the longer they are, the more whippy they become.

Any suggestions for a newbie fly angler would be appreciated - especially from a kayak.

All the best,
Glenn

[happycaster58]

Whichever rod you choose, I would put a 1000 series spinning reel on it instead of a fly reel. You still get the fly rod feel during the fight and get much longer casting distance. I have used this setup for decades and have caught trout up to 5 lbs. on it in moving waters.

[JUNGLEJIMJIGS]

I have a 6'6" 3wt fly rod and it's fine for gills, redear, crappie and trout. Fly rods in 5wt or less tend to feel whippy but that's normal. If you catch many 18" bass than a 5wt would be the way to go but a 3wt will hold them. Takes practice but if you keep at it they are a lot of fun.

[Cajuntec]

I’ve tried my smallest spinning reel (Pflueger President 25 series) with an ultralight 7’6” rod and I couldn’t cast the little Betts popper more than about 10 feet. That’s why I was looking into fly fishing setups. Maybe I’m wrong in my assumptions, but I was thinking that UL spinning rod was about as whippy as a fly rod of similar length, and the guides were similar. My lure has almost no weight. I was told that by using a weight forward fly line, I should be able to cast it.

i guess it wouldn’t hurt anything to buy the rod first and try that same reel with the fly rod, and then if it doesn’t work, then just buy the fly reel and line as well. Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll give that a try.

All the best,
Glenn

[jimp]

A 4wt might be a good happy medium between the 3 & 5 for panfish (gills & crappie), but I have caught a 14-16" bass on a 4wt this past June at a campground lake. It was a battle to get it to the bank but did it.

Some fly rod blanks are a bit stiffer/fast er than other blanks, but a 5 wt will serve you well for gills, crappie and even the smaller size bass. The rod will bend quite a bit with the larger fish, but even the small gills will be fun.

[JUNGLEJIMJIGS]

If you want to cast poppers forget the spinning tackle and get a fly rod and reel with either a weight forward or floating line. Ask questions before you buy.

[P Nut]

Have you tried using a clear bobber? Its a bobber that you fill with water for weight and leave some air in there for buoyancy. They have different sizes and I bet the smallest one will help you cast the distance.

[Cajuntec]

Have you tried using a clear bobber? Its a bobber that you fill with water for weight and leave some air in there for buoyancy. They have different sizes and I bet the smallest one will help you cast the distance.

I saw that. “Casting bubbles”. I haven’t tried those yet, but they are on the list of possibilities. Just wondering how much they would mess up the action of a topwater popper. Those Betts poppers are super light. I’d bet the bubble makes more of a splash at each pop than the actual popper does.
All the best,
Glenn

[Cajuntec]

If you want to cast poppers forget the spinning tackle and get a fly rod and reel with either a weight forward or floating line. Ask questions before you buy.

Yep. That’s what I said was recommended to me in the above posts. And that is the purpose of this post - asking questions before I buy.
All the best,
Glenn

[rich mc]

ive caught many panfish on the eagle claw sweetheart rod . best has been a mop fly under a styrofoam indicator.. one tip is to stick the toothpick into the float on the bottom side , less tangles