to switch or not to switch?

[mar]

My interest level has increased after seeing the two-handed guys in action this shad season. I can see the effectiveness and efficiency of the switch rod and am thinking about getting into it, primarily for shad fishing. Here’s a set of switch rod noob questions:
1. Should I do it?
2. How steep is the learning curve? Some of these guys on the water sure make it look effortless.
3. Does experience with single-handed rods help in any way?
4. How big of a money pit is it? (I know, raid the kids’ college fund). I’m the stereotypical gearhead when it comes to single-handed rods, but can you realistically get away with just 1 switch rod for a year or two?

I’ll visit the good folks at Kiene’s to get the basic technical info and gear recommendations. Lots of good info on this board as well. I’m sure there will be more noob questions if I decide to take the plunge.

Thanks for the info.

[Larry S]

Mar,
You are in the perfect place for this move. Lots of water nearby and loads of
opportunities for learning. Besides the organized sessions, you can probably
sweet talk someone reasonably proficient into some stream time experiences.
Many switch rods/reels will not break the bank and you can overhead cast them
if necessary. Don't try to save money on a good line or two. Kiene's is the place
to start.
Best,
Larry S

[Tiger]

Don't waste your time or money. Get a 6119 TCX... Believe me it'll be worth it.

[Jed Peters]

1. Take a lesson to get started the right way
2. Get a Ross Reach 6113 from Kiene's, and a Rio Skagit Flight head (375)
3. Fish

RE: (2) there is really no reason to buy a high dollar rod. I have a Sage TCX and the Ross is every bit as good, honestly.

[Tiger]

I'd listen to Jed. He fishes a lot more than me and knows what he's talking about. I really don't have as much experience fishing as him or with switch rods. I'm gonna sell my TCX and get a Ross cause it's just as good. Gotta go now. I've got a date with Carmen Electra.

[Jeff C.]

Mar, I love my 6119 TCX. I'll let you try mine if you want to test drive one. Take a lesson from one of our local two-handed gurus. You have enough casting experience to get it in one class. A 5 wt switch can be casted single handed with shooting heads very effectively. Let me know it you need help. Jeff

[Grampa Spey]

Buy a new one from Kiene's as they close out the ZA two handed rods, or buy a good used one from someone trading up to a new Sage One or TCX.

Put a Rio Steelhead & Atlantic Salmon WF10F line on it and cast it overhanded with the leaders and flies you own.

Then, take some Skagit lessons from Jeff Putnam or other good guys and put a Rio Skagit or Skagit Flight on it. Then, buy a set of Rio T11 MOW tips, and you can handle any water and fish in our area.

You can shad fish with this rod, Steelie and Stripers from shore and a boat. It is a good surf rod.

After your short learning curve with this rod and catching fish, you can try more expensive and less expensive rods to see if they offer any advantage based on you experience with this rod.

I'm not knocking more or less expensive rods. I own a TCX Deathstar where I can't reach the fish with my ZA7111. I own a Meiser 5/6 and a 9/10 Switch Rod for lighter fish/waters with the 5/6 and big fish with the 9/10. The 9/10 isn't used here.


My interest level has increased after seeing the two-handed guys in action this shad season. I can see the effectiveness and efficiency of the switch rod and am thinking about getting into it, primarily for shad fishing. Here’s a set of switch rod noob questions:
1. Should I do it?
2. How steep is the learning curve? Some of these guys on the water sure make it look effortless.
3. Does experience with single-handed rods help in any way?
4. How big of a money pit is it? (I know, raid the kids’ college fund). I’m the stereotypical gearhead when it comes to single-handed rods, but can you realistically get away with just 1 switch rod for a year or two?

I’ll visit the good folks at Kiene’s to get the basic technical info and gear recommendations. Lots of good info on this board as well. I’m sure there will be more noob questions if I decide to take the plunge.

Thanks for the info.

[DAVID95670]

Get a copy of Skagit master I (II is pretty darn amazing as well worth getting cuz it will open your eyes to what these rods can be used for) watch and cast. I started in Oct 2011 and I am reasonablly proficient at casting a 450 g skagit with up to 12.5 feet of t-14 and a tube or intruder on the end. Albeit I am not as skilled at the perry poke I mainly use the snap t or whatever everyone is calling that cast these days.

As for a switch I too have been thinking about it, however I am very unclear about the difference between a spey and switch. I can say that my 6wt spey with 450g turns a shad fight into hauling in the dead weight. It was unbelievable on a 10 lbs steelie :-)

I have been fishing the yuba swinging soft hackles and think that a 5 or 4 wt spey/switch vs my current 9 6 5wt one would be nice to cover more water.

Is the lighter switch (and single hand casting ability) better than a spey?

Are we not using spey rods because we do not want the over hand casting and saving the labour?

Aaron reviewed the switch in a post about the MFAR but really would it not be better to have a 5 or 4 wt spey with the backbone to toss larger sink tips because in every outing I have there are times when a heavier tip was needed for a run.


all that said what are peoples thoughts on the Beulah Classic Switch Rod 10'6" #4/5 4 piece

[Jed Peters]

I'd listen to Jed. He fishes a lot more than me and knows what he's talking about. I really don't have as much experience fishing as him or with switch rods. I'm gonna sell my TCX and get a Ross cause it's just as good. Gotta go now. I've got a date with Carmen Electra.

Probably, along with Keith Kaneko or Jason Hartwick, who would both say the same thing.

Oh, and I own a TCX 5119.

[DAVID95670]

I SAY TAKE THAT SAGE ONE OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE TODAY..... THAT REVIEW THIS WEEK BY DENEKI OUTFITTERS SAID IT WAS THE BOMB THAT IS IF YOU ARE IN THE $855 PRICE RANGE FOR A TCX THEN GET A $980 ONE

http://www.deneki.com/2012/06/sage-one-spey-rod-review-8136-4/

I CAN NOT FEED THIS ADDICTION IN SUCH A MANNER RIGHT NOW BUT I HAVE TO SAY I LOVE MY SINGLE HAND ONE

[Tiger]

Jed,

Like I said you are right. You're always right...End of story...Gotta go Carmen's on the phone...

[aaron]

If you can afford it the One and TCX switches can't be beat. The Ross is nice but not on the same level.

[Jed Peters]

Jed,

Like I said you are right. You're always right...End of story...Gotta go Carmen's on the phone...

Glad we see eye to eye.

[Jed Peters]

If you can afford it the One and TCX switches can't be beat. The Ross is nice but not on the same level.

When is the report The the demo day coming?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We have the St.Croix Switch rods that are very nice @ $249.

You need an 8 weight reel...nothing fancy.

To get started a running line, head and a tip is a around $100.

A two-handed fly rod is really great for swinging soft hackle flies or streamers on a large trout stream or medium river the size of the Lower American.

You can cast where there is no back cast room with a two-handed fly rod.

There are more Spey casters every year.....

Switch rods are just smaller, lighter Spey rods for most of us.

.

.

[Tiger]

Thanks for all the pms and emails...

[mar]

Thanks for all the replies and insights.
brand x vs. brand y? Chevy vs Ford?
If this switch thing is anything like the single-handed stuff, it may all come down to personal preference. I have a couple of highly-touted, expert-loved high-$$ rods that sit on the shelf while I happily fling some discounted and mid-priced rods. Personal preference.
I'll do a bit more homework on this stuff. I stopped by the shop yesterday and got some basic info and insights from Andy. Also got to wiggle a couple of rods. I love wiggling rods :-)

Lessons first, test cast a few rods, do a bit more research and go from there.

Thanks again.

[Jed Peters]

If you want to try out a 5119 some time, you can try mine. It ain't really a Chevy vs ford thing....more like a Chevy vs BMW.

Yes, my sage tcx has more "ooomph" and backbone than the Ross. But it is almost 2.5x more money! And it is NOT 2.5x as good.

I don't fish as much as some, but get in about 100 days a year for the last couple years. I have fished the Ross, and if I had to do it over again would buy that over the sage.

[Terry Thomas]

And drive the Chevy over your Audi? This thread is so much fun that I had to "shift it into another gear."

[Jed Peters]

And drive the Chevy over your Audi? This thread is so much fun that I had to "shift it into another gear."

Coming from a guy with an mtech 335i.....ha!

And we love our new GMC kid-mobile as well. (More than the X5, and almost half the cost)

[Rick J]

I'm just curious what the One or the TCX can do for me that the rods I already have can't. I converted a single hand 10' 7 wt fisher into a little switch rod - I would not trade this rod for any switch out there!

Rod manufacturers keep designing new rods - they need to to stay in business. I would venture that an average caster will not be able to tell a huge difference between a rod that cost $800 and one that cost $300 or $400 as long as it has an action that they like.

How many single hand 4 wt rods have been developed since the original Scott G series and yet I would put the Scott G 904 single hander up against any 4 weight - can it throw a full line - likley under ideal conditions but throwing a full line or a laser loop is not what I want a 4 wt for. It absolutely will do anything I want a 4 wt to do and do it extremely well

I would also put the Scott ARC 1287 up against any 7 wt spey rod - And again, I would not trade this rod for any other on the market.

[Jed Peters]

This was kinda my point...the tcx switch rods are sweet--but $840 sweet? Compare the Ross at $349?

It's not like golf clubs, or even rods of 5 years ago. Today's Chinese made rods are catching up with American goodness all day long.

That said, I have a tcx switch, and a hatch reel. I have to admit that I am a but of a gear whore, and when I get into an obsession I want to have the most "drool worthy" rig.

The fishing reality, kind of like golf, is that when i do it a lot, I quit whoring gear and start worrying about my game.

[mar]

I switched. Thanks again for all the info and offers to test cast some rods.
Took an hour casting lesson and fished later in the day. No better way to practice than to actually fish.
I caught some shad on a spot impossible to fish with a single-hander:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh134/mar224177/DSCN0501b.jpg



I'm sold. If you see a dude hooking himself while 'practicing', feel free to give some pointers after you're done laughing.

[ZWhit]

My two cents... Ignorance is bliss.

I have a tfo 7wt switch. I was happy until I demoed the Orvis Helios.

It amazing the difference. The feel and sensitivity of the orvis blows away the TFO as you'd hope a rod of that price would. The Helios provides feed back to your hands at all times, seems easier to learn with this kind of sensitivity too. The TFO is an over priced stick now that I know the difference. If you can afford it, spend up. If not go with a good entry level rod, see if you stick with it then upgrade later.

True, I can catch fish and bomb line with my tfo now that i've learned but I wish I hadn't tried that Helios. Ignorance was bliss.