Hey guys! Just moved to Denton from Harlingen, Texas. Used to saltwater fly fish and now have to move into freshwater fishing for carp, bass, or whatever gets on. Looking for advice on a fly setup for mostly bass and carp. Looking at an eight weight setup because we have some 8lbers over here and it is always windy. I am looking at either a TFO Mini Mag or the TFO BVK series. I understand the mini mag is a shorter rod but I would like to hear reviews about wade fisherman using the shorter versus the longer rod. I am only used to nine footers. Thanks in advance for your help. Oh and here is a shot of a tarpon I caught of the jetties down south.

Hey, welcome to the forum. That looks like a huge tarpon, was that near/in south padre? Stinks you had to move lol. An eight weight will work perfect for both fish. As a wade fisherman I use/ only have 9ft rods. The length of your rod really depends on your situation ( if there is heavy cover all around or if your in an open lake ) The mini-mag seems to be perfect for fishing tight cover with big meaty bass flies, and I bet it will work just fine on carp aswell. Check this out http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...ime_Bass#UNREAD
Hope it helps. They both seem like good rods, so personally, I would go with wichever is cheaper

By posting that pic you have proved Your awesome.

PM me if you want to chase carp...anything more then a 5wt for local carp even the big ones is overkill.

my 2 cents, a 5 weight may work 99 % of the time for carp but it wont work 99% for big bass, I say get the mini-mag & use it for both, carp dont require long casts and you can put 6 line on that mini mag and be good with the subtly part

Off the Jetties?! That's awesome. I have seen them rolling there, but catching a tarpon off hard ground in deep water is a world away from shallow flats and boats. Welcome to Denton. I feel your pain - leaving such good salt behind.

Welcome to the TFF and the fly flingers section!

I'd say if you want ONE rod to cover both of those i'd get a 7wt BVK, you still might want to just get 2 rods, have a 5wt for carp, smaller bass, bluegill, and stuff like that then a big rod for chucking big flies for bass.

Welcome to North Texas CellGuy - you got my attention with that tarpon!
I am very familiar with both the TFO MiniMag and BVK series.

The 8-10 MiniMag is my fly rod of choice if horsing big bass out of heavy cover, but very fond of the 6-8 for all around utility useage. You may be familiar with the MiniMags, but for others interested, they are a 8ft, 3 pc rod with the butt section high modulus �S� glass, the mid-section hybrid �S� glass/carbon fiber, and the tip section carbon fiber.
An almost indestructible rod with a �sweet spot� like no other fly rod IMO.

If you are interested in �sweetness and lightness�, the little 7wt BVK is my favorite of the BVK series.

Tell us about your S.P. experience � especially tarpon �

Ok, looks like Iam getting the Mini Mag cus I will probably be fishing for bass more often. Which one though? The 8-10 sounds too big, the 6-8 maybe the right choice for me. My biggest bass will probably be under 9lbs.

South Padre was a blast and such a little fishing jewel hidden away from everyone. I have caught small Tarpon in the channels and monsters at the jetties. I tried to pursue the large ones with fly rods but just felt undergunned. I wouldnt want to fight a fish that long with all that boat traffic. If the job I had was better down there I would still be there. I do look forward to chasing some carp on the flats, so if anyone wants to show me some spots I am game. Thanks for the help.

This - http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/6365282#Post6365282 - "may" be a good start.

Welcome to North Texas! I came from Houston about five years ago to Fort Worth and have loved it here. Be sure to visit the "Pond Reviews" thread and search for posts about your area.

I recently bought the 6-8 Mini Mag and have been super impressed with this rod. I am by no means a master fly caster, but wow this rod matched with Sage Smallmouth Bass Taper line has helped me perform so much better out there on the water. TFO does not rate the Mini-Mag on the high end for casting distance, but IMO the Sage Smallmouth picks up the difference. This super weight forward line was punching my foam popper through 10-15 mph wind like it was a still summer day last week on the pond!

I also felt that the 8-10 was a bit too stiff for my taste. The 6-8 responds well and still gives you a nice fight with Bass even in the 1.5-2 pound range.

Me and Texasflycaster are from those parts. I grew up in McAllen. My parents, brother and his family and my sister still live down there. Though I did move away before I was into fly fishing I have gone back and fished the LLM with some luck. So welcome. I don't have either of the rods you are asking about, but if I were getting the mini-mag I would go with the smaller of the 2. My opinion is that we are always looking for that lunker bass but 99% of the time we are catching his little brother, and fighting his little brother on the bigger rod is boring.

Welcome to the forum, I to am a saltwater fishermen and target tarpon and other pelagic species from the jetty. I can also say go with the mini mag 6-8, I really like mine with a 7wt or 8wt line if I am fishing the flats. If you ever make it toward Corpus let me know and we'll try to get together.

Thanks for the welcome guys. Looks like its the Mini Mag 6-8 with sage line.

excellent choice I believe you will be happy