I have the following rod&reel combos and I was wondering if they would work well for a Bone fishing trip to the Bahamas. As you can see my current rods are 9'6" and 10' -considering that 9'ers are always recommended are these too long?

Sage Z-AXIS 7100-4 (7wt 10' 4pc) + Sage 3400D reel (I use this setup for pike, steel head)

Sage TCR 697-4 (6wt 9'6" 4pc) + Vision XLA 89 reel (I use this for sea trout)

Are these combos really good or just serviceable. I'm just about to get a Waterworks Vanquish 8LT reel and I a Sage Xi3 8wt or a Scott X2S 8wt to go along with the reel but I am wondering if it's really needed? It's not a question of money -I just don't want to buy anything unnecessary.

In the back of the closet I have a really old but mint R.L. Winston XDLT 9wt 9', which is stiff as a broom stick. Should I bother to take this rod with me?

Depends on the wind. The shorter rods help punch line in to the wind.
If room is not a problem then take the 9' 9weight, it might save the day if it's blowing a hoolie

Chris

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I should think the Z Axis will be perfect! It is plenty powerfull enough to deal with any wind.
All the best.
Mike

You don't think the 10ft length is an issue?

You should stay with an 8.5 to 9 foot rod. I used 8 weights for bonefish for many years until I went to a 9 weight to help with wind issues. We are on the flats 300+ days a year and I feel a good rod at a reasonable price is the Echo2. As far as reels go you really do get what you pay for. Try to stay away from reels that use one way roller bearings. Their place is freshwater, not saltwater.

I just bought an 8wt Sage xi3 and a Waterworks Vanquish reel so I am set. I was wondering if I should be also taking my 7wt even tough it's a 10ft rod?

Sorry, only just looked at this thread for the first time, so it might be a little late now.......I note that nobody has mentioned reels, and i see that you have an XLA 8/9.......That will be absolutely perfect for bonefish, and certainly will not let you down.

I have 3 XLA 10/11 reels plus 5 spare spools, and up until some 6 or 7 years ago, several of my pals used these for GT's in the Seychelles without any problems at all.....So if all you are gonna use the XLA for is bonefish, you will have no problems at all....Forget all these mythical tales of bonefish running 200 +yards......The only way they will do that, is if you let them, or if you don't know how to control your reel/drag allied to the fighting strategy the fish is employing. So 200yds of backing plus your fly line will be way more than you will ever need for any bonefish (well maybe a 20 pounder might give you a few anxious moments)

I still use my XLA's regularly for fairly substantial salty spieces to this day, and apart from the fact that the handle once fell off whilst I was playing an Albie, they have stood up to whatever use I have put them to in the past, and continue to do so to this very day.

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Brian G

No I don't think so, I use mine in Auckland for Snapper and Kahawai with no problems and intend to take it to Aitutaki later this year for a crack at bones.
The wind is almost always blowing here in NZ, I mostly use my 9ft CD #8 when conditions are calm and when fishing close in but as soon as the wind gets up or I need to cast that extra 20 ft my sage comes out to play!
The only thing with the extra length is it does not have the same lifting power, but unless you are fishing in deep water it does not come in to play.
All the best.
Mike

I found it very hard work trying to punch a line out using a 10' Sage RPL+ when I tried it whilst bonefishing.
There is a fare share of B/S surrounding bonefishing, especially wading for bonefish. I found out for myself that when sightfishing most fish are spotted and therefore caught within 40-50ft or nearer of you. Forget ideas of 80ft+ hero shots. Learn to cast accurately and stealthly at these distances and you will catch.
With this in mind my favourite setup is a 9ft 7wt GLX (the old one) which has a medium fast action by today's standards. I would even overline this by 1 if it was very windy. I never needed to go heavier.
In fact I had to lend a rod to a Swedish chap in Cuba as he couldn't load his CC GLX 8wt without 50ft+ line in the air so couldn't get a fly anywhere near a fish.

For fishing in a skiff I would use an 8wt with the option to overline again. The heavier rod to cast larger/heavier flies to fish the deeper water. The Xi3 is a lovely rod (this is from someone who doesn't normally like Sages) but there are many many rods that would do the same job for less money.

bonefishing is easy once you can see 'em!

PS. The Winston might be useful if you want to fish for reef fish but no good for bones.

Comming from NZ were it is always windy, I am not sure where the idea that a longer rod is harder to cast in the wind comes from? The simple fact is a longer rod has a little more power than a shorter rod of the same weight, if you dont think so ask yourself how much more powerfull a 15ft spey rod is compared to an 8ft rod? I know that is taking it to an extreme and comparing a 2 hander to a single hander is not comparing apples to apples but the basics remain the same.
If the argument is that the line travels slightly higher with the longer rod and is therefore subject to more wind then simply cast with your wrist at a slightly lower angle. My own experiance here is when the wind picks up change to the slightly longer rod, it will give you higher line speed and more power to punch through the wind. Indeed when the wind really picks up you can continue fishing with the longer rod by adopting single hand spey or switch casting style. This style will also allow you to change direction without false casting, another bonus in windy conditions.
Anyhow that is just my experiance.
All the best.
Mike