As a third-generation angler, he as a plethora of knowledge and experience on the water and loves sharing what he knows. You need to do everything in your power to control yourself and keep the rod pointed down into the water no matter what. For hardcore bass anglers, fly fishing can be a fun and sporting new way to pursue their favorite species. The trick is to noisily smack big cork poppers down on the water along the edge of the marsh grass to get a fish’s attention. They do exactly what they sound like they do, but here’s why you need to know the difference. The popularity of fishing for bass is partly because no other freshwater fish has a wider distribution especially in Florida. Llano – Great for Swinging Streamers. (Years ago, a Navy Chief Petty Officer showed me some great bass fishing in North Carolina’s Currituck Sound. These sink quickly to reach the bottom as fast as they can, and they work great at enticing larger bass that might not jump at every opportunity you present them. Streamers work best when you’re fishing the middle of the water. So, when prepping to land some of these underwater bullies, there are a few things to remember off the bat. This line also works well for hopping the fly along and preventing snags. You might discourage yourself or get frustrated doing that. This will limit the amount of free slack you have, which will make it a lot easier when you need to hook the fish. All bass look upward, so they see that motion and grab the fly. Great article – are you the same peter barrett that wrote “trolling for blue fish and striped bass”? At the end of the retrieve, pick up, shoot a few feet on the backcast, and shoot again on the forward cast; that’s it. Some people call them poppers, and others call them gurglers. Many bass anglers may have never used a leader because it’s not typically necessary. These are fished around mid-depth, and they mimic a minnow, so the style is similar to fishing with a swimbait. Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass in Rivers. Why is it that most of the strikes happen when you’re not stripping or paying attention? Bass often hit the moment the fly hits the water, so be ready, and in control of the line, keeping slack to a minimum. Ray Szulczewski of Tide-Runner charters in Cape May. When casting around changes in structure or drop-offs, you’ll want to use a sinking line because it will drop quickly. I would love to speak with you. Required fields are marked *, Copyright © 2021 On The Water, LLC. When we get to the fly line is where things get complicated. Fly Fishing for bass. “I hooked a really big fish in a weed patch, but lost it while trying to land it. Fly Fishing for bass in the fall is one of my favorite times of the year to hit the lake. There are a few different types of lines to understand, and you want to get the right one because if you don’t, you’ll end up struggling if you don’t understand what they do. Some sweetwater bass fishermen like to go up one or two line weights to soften a stiff rod’s action, but also to allow a quick presentation with minimum false casting. While stripers grow much bigger, the largemouth bass has similar qualities; it pulls like heck, loves surface poppers, and is a great gamefish on the fly rod. I have had a few bad experiences with river fishing, and ever since, I’ve stayed away from it. Each bass angler knows that they put up a heck of a fight, and you need to prepare yourself with the right equipment. There are fewer bugs and the fishing can be exceptional. Best Fish Finder for the Money: Do You Have to Sacrifice Everything to Save Money? If you’re like most of us, you have been spending a lot of time at home with your immediate family and not much else. Courchaine is a noted fly tyer with years of experience chasing striped bass, albies and blues along the New England coast, but today he spends a lot of time catching largemouth in his tricked out Old Town canoe. Get as close to the target as you can and let it settle there for a few seconds before you start retrieving. If you’re fishing a pond with a lot of weeds and you’re casting near cover, you might want to go with a floating line or intermediate. Fly line is expensive but with proper care it will last for years. They sink slowly, so you’ll have to wait a few seconds and use a bit of patience before you start bringing them back. You should never need to go any longer than nine feet or shorter than five. It’s because you took a break to allow the bass to feel out the situation. Fishing for Bass on the fly is oftentimes an angler’s secret addiction. What are the Best Fly Fishing Flies for Bass? In this guide, I’m covering every single thing you could want to know about bass fly fishing from the gear to the technique and everything in between. Pay attention to any fallen trees, stumps, debris, docks, boat ramps, and even the level of shade you get from the trees. Go somewhere that’s familiar to you and where you’ve caught some bass before and deploy this new technique there. If you can get their attention well enough, you’ll always find something to catch. If you see any abnormalities in the weeds cast there as well, but be careful not to drag your fly too much through the weeds because it will ruin your presentation. For tournament anglers and enthusiasts alike, a shorter 8wt fly rod offers increased lifting power and pinpoint accuracy when casting into tough cover. Fly rods come in sizes ranging from 5-8 weight and higher, but you won’t have to worry about that with bass fishing. Most anglers would agree that it’s better to hit the water with something a little larger than you planned because you never know what you’ll find. “I also use dragonfly and frog patterns, but you don’t see frogs moving around that much on ponds. I would stick around with the 7.5-foot option. Popping-bug fishing is the most exciting fishing you can do for both smallmouth and largemouth bass but bass also rise to dead-drifted dry flies, much like trout. Some bass guys like the new breed of short rods, and I do too, so I switch back and forth between my favorite G. Loomis ShortStix 7/8 and a Bass Pro Heat rated for an 8-weight line. If you’ve every picked up a fly rod to fish for bass – largemouth or smallmouth – your approach to this … While also having the backbone to tire out some of … As water temperatures warm in the summer, surface fly fishing can be excellent in the mornings, late afternoons, and at night along shallow shorelines. While the fly fishing traditionalists continue to fish exclusively for native, natural trout with only dry flies and bamboo rods, the modern fly fisherman has turned his high-tech gear and unprejudiced attention to new quarry: the freshwater bass.And if you’ve ever caught one, even with sacrilegious non-fly tackle, you understand why. Like I always say, bass don’t care if they’re not hungry or not, they’ll strike if you aggravate them enough. Understanding the requirements for fly fishing for bass and to strengthen the understanding of those who have already begun. First, each body of water is different, so if you’re fly fishing for the first time, this isn’t the time to go and experiment with new waters. If I can park my truck near a pond, I can fish it. Your email address will not be published. I would suggest deploying a slow retrieval with a few short jerks and pauses while always keeping the fly in the strike zone. Humminbird vs Lowrance: Who Makes The Better Fish Finder? Bass Fly Fishing Tips: When retrieving subsurface flies, watch for side movement or slacking of line, then set the hook. When fly fishing for bass in ponds, you might find that a rubber worm works better than the fly. With detachable pontoons, it’s super stable yet light in weight and very easy to launch. Snakes do, and that’s why I like to use a rabbit strip tail. He can get into some out-of-the-way places where you won’t see another fisherman, a car, or even a house. There’s something unique and strangely interesting about fly fishing for bass. You want to cast as close to the structure or cover as possible. “Leave the horsepower behind. Whitlock himself, does most of the illustrations which are unusually helpful. Ray starts his bass fishing soon after ice-out, relying on bead-head Wooly Buggers and Clousers to get down deep along the edges of drop-offs or near deep holes. For most freshwater bass fishing, you’ll rarely need to make more than a 60-foot cast, which is a good thing because too much line beyond the rod tip makes it tough to keep a tight line, resulting in many missed strikes. I fished with my dad all through my youth and, today, I still get a thrill from the visual splash of a bass taking a surface popper.” He thinks fly rods with more relaxed actions are a lot more fun to fish and occasionally takes out a vintage cane or fiberglass rod for a trip down memory lane. “Summer can be tough to fish if the water is really hot. For these, you’ll want to cast them out and let them dive down a bit to the desired depth. Right? Consider looking into some newer and more alternative ways to fly fish. It is the conventional angler or novice fly-fisherman who finds this concept rather difficult to grasp. Feed and nest icons of bass fishing and the fishing can be exceptional can be.. 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