Fly Fishing for BASS

[ryan2202]

Alright, So I love fly-fishing. And I've found a new love for Bass fishing, now I want to combined the two! Any good tips? Good flies? Advise from anyone on type of line/leader? I know how to fly fish for trout, is the technique any different. I'm trying to be as specific as possible so this topic doesn't fly off in weird directions. Basically I'm looking for the flies/lures to buy and different ways that are useful/helpful on placement and/or casting techniques to deliver the right presentation...I know practice practice practice...but what am i practicing...Side arm? The original 10 o'clock, 2 o'clock? Should I cast and troll? Techniques on jerking the line to attract attention? Fly fishing for trout is such a freaking rush whether on the river (ESPECIALLY STEELHEAD) or in a lake whammin' those triploids. Now that I got into bass fishing last season, all I could think about is how a 3-5lb bass would feel on my fly rod trying to reel that hawg in! Thanks for the help guys!

[sharpshooter223]

personally i find it more fun when i use spinning gear for bass, but for flies i know that sneaky petes and other poppers are the common go to. you can also use wooley buggers and clouser minnows effectively. The pig boat is on fly anglers online under the fly of the week archive and it resembles a bass jig, except for the fly rod.

[deepbuzzer]

Anything that the hardware guys can throw we as flyfishermen can do better and catch more fish if the right flys are used and you are where the fish are, and know their habits.. Fly selection can be anything from matching the hatch type streamers to flys that look like a plastic worm. ( and they do work)

Do a google on bass fly fishing and u will find plenty of sites to wet your whistle.. For myself I have been flyfishing for trout since 1973 and flyfishing for warmwater species since 1998,, I will take the warmwater over trout anyday,, now don't get me started on saltwater,, thats a whole other topic I love..

[bpm2000]

Anything that the hardware guys can throw we as flyfishermen can do better and catch more fish if the right flys are used and you are where the fish are, and know their habits..

LOL

[A9]

I've heard fly fishing with poppers in the shallows in the summer at dusk/dawn for bass can be a hoot....

[aaron42ash]

I LOVE fly fishing for bass. My personal fav. is a popper, or a bumblebee. If i go with the popper, I usually use a yellow or red anyway. I think they attack these colors a lot on the surface. Ya, just way till late may/ early june and you can nail a few on the beds on some light gear and a fly. Good luck!

[ryan2202]

Yeah thanks for the great advice guys! I'll definately be setting up here for some Bass Fly fishing...

Idaho-fishhead- I do agree, Salt water fly fishing is a whole other topic...another I love too! Knuckle bruisin' at times;-).

[HillbillyGeek]

Anything that the hardware guys can throw we as flyfishermen can do better and catch more fish if the right flys are used and you are where the fish are, and know their habits.. Fly selection can be anything from matching the hatch type streamers to flys that look like a plastic worm. ( and they do work)

Do a google on bass fly fishing and u will find plenty of sites to wet your whistle.. For myself I have been flyfishing for trout since 1973 and flyfishing for warmwater species since 1998,, I will take the warmwater over trout anyday,, now don't get me started on saltwater,, thats a whole other topic I love..

Watching the latest episode of the Scott Martin Challenge may change your mind. Scott went head-to-head with a world class fly fisherman and beat him BIG-TIME. They each caught a limit of bass, but Scott's bag was more than double the weight of the fly guy's bag.

The show is running on Versus this week.

Don't get me wrong -- fly fishing for bass can be effective, but many "big fish" lures just don't work with a fly rod. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, football-head jigs, and swimbaits are good examples.

[deepbuzzer]

[quote]Watching the latest episode of the Scott Martin Challenge may change your mind. Scott went head-to-head with a world class fly fisherman and beat him BIG-TIME. They each caught a limit of bass, but Scott's bag was more than double the weight of the fly guy's bag.
The show is running on Versus this week.
Don't get me wrong -- fly fishing for bass can be effective, but many "big fish" lures just don't work with a fly rod. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, football-head jigs, and swimbaits are good examples.
[/quote


I would enjoying seeing that episode if the fly fishermen is goin on the bottom or he is just fishing the old stand by type bass flys,, I now tie a 4 inch bluegill pattern with a billl,, I know, is it fly fishing anymore,, tell it to this fish I causght with it..

[sharpshooter223]

let me add the the list of effective flies bunny strip leeches.

[ryan2202]

WOW, SWEET FISH! Thats my goal! Again, keep the ideas floating guys, I'm writing these down and plan to use them this season, I will post my success and share the wealth of knowledge I've learned. Thanks for all the help!

[deepbuzzer]

check out Chad's website for some excellent patterns for warm water.. I use his salamander quite frquent,, and also look at 5 days website,,

http://www.emergefishing.com/index.php? ... g_Articles

http://www.day5flies.com/

Now it is with patterns like these you can keep up with or beat those hardware slingers.

[Anglinarcher]

LOL, got to love the comments. For the record, the fly fishermen on verses was a fool IMHO. He fished hardware water, with a hardware fishermen; he had the odds stacked against him from the beginning.

Now please don't get me wrong. I love to fly fish for all fish, and Bass can be just plain fun. But I keep preaching that our rods, and lures, and flies, and ........................... are tools, and each tool is best used for the right job.

Want to out fish the hardware guys 10 to 1, fish for bedding fish. Placing a double bunny in front of a big old female, with the rabbit strips twitching and suspending in front of her, and she will take your arm off. I have seen guys fish for an hour for such a fish, with jigs, cranks, rubber, etc., and if they are lucky, and don't spook the fish, they think they are kings. With the fly, it is almost too easy.

Want to get beat up by the hardware guys, then fish for them on rock walls, when they are taking crayfish out of the rubble. Sorry, no fly will move fast enough, or cover enough water, to keep up. You will catch fish, and it is fun as heck, but don't try to go one on one for numbers or size.

Still, like I said, the proper tool, at the proper time. Just keep in mind that sometimes the proper time is when you just want to have fun, and at that time, the proper tool is whatever makes you happiest. There is something relaxing about a smooth cast with a fly rod, that gentle breeze on the back, and the sight of a fish taking your fly.

[Smalma]

Ryan -
Fly for bass can be a blast. Somethinig to keep in mind is that largemouth like large food items and it you are interested in catching decent size fish one needs to fish bugs larger than what is typically used for trout.

Fishing poppers on the surface during summer evening is great way to spend some time on the water. I really like deer hair poppers and prefer them to be thumb size with rubber legs and a tail material that is capable subtle action. Often the best fishing is among the pads and weeds and I like to put weed guards my many of the bass flies. I like mono loops to protect the hook and usually use 30 or 40# for the loop.

For sub surface fishing I really like large (5 inch) woolly buggers. Have had good luck with buggers that are black/purple and dark olive/brown. Again if fishing in cover a weed guard is a must. In shallow water I fish with a floating line and for deeper water (more than 3 feet) a sinking line.

Because of the large flies and heavy cover associated with largemouth bass fishing I like at least a 7 weight outfit. I also have found that heavy leaders are a big help. I would recommend at least 10# tippets with a leader lengths of less than 9 feet with shorter ones for the sinking line.

In many ways fishing for smallmouth is easier for the trout angler to adjust to than largemouth. The are more trout like in their food preferences. Again surface poppers are fun expect the best action to be in May and June and then at dawn or dusk the rest of summer. Much of time rest of time the best approach is to fish fast sinking lines (your best luck with be in that 15 to 25 foot depths). Look to fish on those deeper points and flats. With the more open water that often is clearer weed guards aren't needed and you probably want lighter leaders (6 or 8#). For flies on the sinking lines use your large trout flies (dargon fly nymphs, 3 inch streamers, muddlers, and woolly buggers).

Largemouth bass are found in virtually every lake with a public access in western Washington while have largemouth and fishing those smaller waters (especially those with lily pads etc) are great for a quiet day of fishing. Smallmouth are typically found in larger lakes requiring larger boats and often have more boating activity.

Enjoy
Curt

[deepbuzzer]

You have to think a large bite full for these guys even though I have caught bass up to 5 lbs on a 14 GRHE..

these are the type of patterns I use,, I will also nab a pike or musky with these depending where I am fishing.

[deepbuzzer]

Here is a couple of bluegill patterns I throw and worm patterns,, you need to learn how to present you fly with a underhand cast to be able to get tight to structure or under docks,,,, now someone will say why not use conventional gear,, because a fly rod is just plain damm fun... and that is the only way I have fished sinceI was 13 now I am 49..

And the new sage bass rods are a blast....

[Anglinarcher]

Good looking flys fishead, and that worm, well I'd love to examine that one closely.

[ryan2202]

WOW and they keep on coming, GUYS THANKS FOR ALL THE SWEET ADVICE...I do have to agree with the fly fisherman vs. the bass hardware fisherman...The odds were stacked, and you can't deny that! Either way he still did a hell of a job with what he had to work with!

ALL of the website links, pictures, help and techniques are great guys, I will definately post later on my trials and successes so all you who've helped so much can enjoy as much as I have learning. Thanks again!

[HillbillyGeek]

WOW and they keep on coming, GUYS THANKS FOR ALL THE SWEET ADVICE...I do have to agree with the fly fisherman vs. the bass hardware fisherman...The odds were stacked, and you can't deny that! Either way he still did a hell of a job with what he had to work with!

ALL of the website links, pictures, help and techniques are great guys, I will definately post later on my trials and successes so all you who've helped so much can enjoy as much as I have learning. Thanks again!

I hate to burst your bubble, but that wasn't "hardware water". They were both fishing close to shore in a canal -- using topwater lures. Also, a "double bunny" can be fished with a dropshot rig, no problem-o.

[Anglinarcher]

WOW and they keep on coming, GUYS THANKS FOR ALL THE SWEET ADVICE...I do have to agree with the fly fisherman vs. the bass hardware fisherman...The odds were stacked, and you can't deny that! Either way he still did a hell of a job with what he had to work with!

ALL of the website links, pictures, help and techniques are great guys, I will definately post later on my trials and successes so all you who've helped so much can enjoy as much as I have learning. Thanks again!

I hate to burst your bubble, but that wasn't "hardware water". They were both fishing close to shore in a canal -- using topwater lures. Also, a "double bunny" can be fished with a dropshot rig, no problem-o.

So, what part of my post did you not read that talked about when a fly rod has advantages, and which conditions favor the hardware? [-x When I saw the video, I felt that I would have rather used hardware. Also, this "Expert", never used the larger flies that could have evened out the score. No Dahlberg Divers, no mice, etc.

You are correct though that you can fish a double bunny with a drop shot, but while you can, how many do. Also, the weight, which will now be in the bed, will spook many bass, while the fly, hanging from a floating or an intermediate line, will not.