When we speak of bass, we are talking about four main species in the U.S., all of which are taken regularly on fly rods. In my opinion, fly-fishing is the ultimate way to enjoy the sport. Nothing can equal the thrill of a Largemouth bass exploding from the water and smashing your fly, or a river Smallmouth making psychotic twists and turns in an attempt to throw your fly. Hooking a Stripped Bass on a Fly Rod is akin to battling a small submarine.
Equipment for Largemouth bass is basic. You will need a 6-8wt fly rod in the 8-9 foot lengths. I recommend a medium action graphite rod because you will need some backbone to exert pressure on a hooked bass near cover, and will need some bend in order to cast the larger bass flies. Your reel should have a disc drag. Largemouth bass do not make long runs, but they will put a lot of pressure on your equipment.
Largemouth bass tend to be lake and larger river fish. They do not particularly like current, and favor warm water. They are ambush predators, and will attack anything they think will fit in their mouth, from small nymphs to baby ducks, small mammals, frogs, and other fish. They are fearless and do not spook easily. They are not meticulous feeders.
Largemouth bass respond to noises in the water, and anything nearby that splashes, gurgles or pops will trigger an attack. In addition, movement can trigger attacks. Bass are not particularly color conscious so that is the last factor to consider in selecting a fly. Usually, anything with a good contrast to the background that they can see well is good enough. The main decision you have to make is to fish on top of the water, or sub-surface.
The classic bass fly for top water is the Deer-Hair Popper. They can be purchased at most stores carrying fly gear, or tied yourself. There are many different variations and color combinations, and they all work. My favorite is a white and red one, because I can see it well on the water. Next, there are many types of foam bugs, frogs and cork poppers available, and again, they all work. Some are the size of small birds and can be difficult to cast in a breeze, so keep that in mind.
For sub-surface action, the two best flies are the weighted Wooly Booger in black, brown, olive or any combination, and the Clouser Minnow in colors to match the local baitfish. If I could only have two flies to fish with, these would be it. They catch anything that swims in both fresh and salt water, anywhere in the world! No fly box should be without a good supply of these two flies. My next choice is the incredible Hard-Hackle Worm, invented by Richard Komar of Plano, Tx. This is the fly anglers version of a plastic worm, except it works better. Purple and black are my best colors. On this fly, you cast it near cover and just let it float for a bit, then softly twitch it, and it will begin to sink slowly.
Give it an extra twitch every so often, and Hang-On! Bass hit this fly very viciously! Another fly I like for Largemouth is another of Mr. Komars creations, the Texas Bullfrog. Both patterns are very successful. Other good patterns are the Dahlberg Diver, and various leech patterns.
About the Author
Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is committed to providing the best bass fishing information possible. Get more information on Fly Fishing for bass here: http://www.askbassfishing.com/
Smallmouth Bass Fishing In Canada – Great Tips For Smallmouth Bass Fishers
The Smallmouth bass are found from Ontario’s Great Lakes shoals to scenic, glacial lakes of the Canadian Shield and in thousands of rivers, creeks, and lakes in between. Smallmouth are mainly in warmer water bodies with shallow cover, whether it be weeds and wood or rocky outcrops. In lakes with varied habitat, smallmouth territory overlaps with that of smallmouth bass, making for diverse angling action.
Smallmouth bass are usually in more open water, where you can use light to medium-action 6- to 7-foot spinning rods and 6- to 10-pound-test lines. Fly-rodders also find these smallmouth bass eager to take top-water poppers or minnow-shaped streamers when the fish are in relatively shallow water. In summer, deep underwater points, rocky shoals, submerged islands, and weed edges are the places to catch these hard-fighting, tail-walking fish. Soft-plastic twister-tail, tube, and shad jig bodies on 1/8- to 3/8-ounce heads are the most common smallmouth bass lures. Good jig colors are black, smoke, purple, amber, yellow, and white. Bounce jigs along bottom, while retrieving or drifting with the wind over potential hotspots. One trick is to allow a tube jig to settle on bottom, then release 20 to 40 yards (18 to 36 m) of line. As the boat drifts, nudge the bait along, as you feel for a strike. This technique is particularly useful in clear, deep water for spooky smallmouth bass. Smallmouth bass are particularly fond of crayfish, especially soft-shells that have just mounted.
Smallmouth tactics that work elsewhere are also effective in Ontario. Fishing varies from flip-and-pitch techniques around shallow, matted weeds, docks, and stumps, to exciting top-water action on jerk baits, poppers, and floating plastic worms. Crawling spinner baits or retrieving shallow-running crank baits along sub-merged weed patches also pay off. Bass of both species in deeper water can be taken with diving crank baits, Carolina-rigged soft-plastic baits, and jigs. Although some southern lakes or rivers are turbid, clear water is normal in Ontario. Bait casting tackle spooled with 12- to 20-pound line is ideal around heavy cover for smallmouth in stained waters. Light spinning tackle, though, is often necessary to fool smallmouths in clear water on sunny days. In these conditions, thin, yet strong, braided or fused line and small plastic worms, grubs, or jigs can jump-start the action, while allowing you to handle fish around cover. Live bait is effective for both species. Leeches, minnows, and juicy nightcrawlers rigged beneath a float or with split-shot on the bottom will draw strikes.
Start of Spring
Smallmouth bass bass love rock and spend more than ninety percent of their time on this hard structure. Post-spawn smallmouth will remain close to shallow rocky areas of the lake until the temperature of the water warms considerably. Islands, points and shoals are the three preferred spots to begin your smallmouth bass search, starting each area up shallow and moving deeper until you connect with fish. Topwater plugs, crankbaits and jigs are the preferred baits early in the season and “matching the hatch” by using crayfish coloured is a sure-bet to entice fish into the boat.
Comes Summer
Summer fishing can often be a “hit and miss” attempt due to whereabouts of the fish during this time. Early morning and evening periods will usually find fish in shallow water aggressively feeding – this is were topwaters really excel and will lead to heart-stopping explosions on the surface. Daytime smallmouth will retreat to the safety of deeper water and will relate to depths from six to thirty-feet deep. The one thing they will relate to is structure, and having a dependable fish finder on board will become your underwater eyes. Look for humps, shelves and drop offs and work a jig over these underwater magnets. Due to the schooling nature of the smallmouth bass bass, once one is caught, there are sure to be more to come.
And In Fall
The fall time means one thing to a bass angler – BIG smallmouth. Fish at this time of year gorge themselves on crayfish and minnows in anticipation of the cold winter months. Searching for these hungry fish is the key to catching them, and concentrating on some of the spots you had success on earlier in the season will help you unlock the location factor. Points, saddles and shoals will hold smallmouth at this time of the year, however, the school will be situated farther from shore and in deeper water in comparison to their summer counterparts. Begin your search by finding water in the 20-foot depth and continue working until you hit 35 feet. Most of your fall fish will relate to water this deep and once you catch some, the remainder of the lakes’ fish will be holding at this magical depth. Rattle traps, cranks and jigs are the artillery for the fall enthusiast, and using a marker buoy to stay with the school and at the optimum depth will increase your chances of connecting. Locating and catching smallmouth is a real challenge.
About the Author
Abhishek is an avid Bass Fishing enthusiast and he has got some great Bass Fishing Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 135 Pages Ebook, “How To Become A Bass Fishing Pro!” from his website http://www.Fishing-Masters.com/88/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.
Smallmouth bass are some of the toughest freshwater fish to land. Once hooked, you can be sure you’ll have an exciting fight on your hands thanks to their acrobatics and powerful runs. If you plan on Fly Fishing For Smallmouth Bass, there are a few things you should know beforehand. This article will give you a few tips.
Location
Largemouth bass are usually found in weedbeds and brushpiles. On the other hand, you’ll have more success finding smallmouths if you look in rocky areas. They prefer rock ledges that provide a sudden change of depth. You can also find them near rubble.
Current
If you’re used to fishing for largemouths, then you’ll spend most of your time in slack water. However, when fly fishing for smallmouth bass, you’ll need to find a stronger current. With their sharply angled fins and pointed noses, they do much better in water with a strong current.
Size
Largemouth bass aren’t very social fish. However, you should be aware that smallmouths normally school together according to their size. This means that if you catch a small fish, you will likely only find other smaller fish in that spot. Conversely, if you land a bigger one, then you’ll probably find larger ones in the same location unless you spooked them away.
Temperature
When fly fishing for smallmouth bass, it’s important to take the water temperature into account. They are usually most active when the temperature lies between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. However, larger fish may still remain active when the temperature drops as low as 40 degrees.
About the Author
These are a few tips on fly fishing for smallmouth bass. If you found these tips useful, then click here to pick up even more Fly Fishing Tips. If you’re a novice, then you will especially benefit from learning about some of the Fly Fishing Basics.
For Fly Fishing For Bass can provide some of the most exciting fishing in the country. The largemouth bass is probably the most popular game fish in America. The popularity of fishing for bass is partly because no other freshwater fish has a wider distribution. Largemouth bass can be found from southern Canada to South America. Smallmouth bass are also excellent for fly fishing, but they prefer slightly cooler waters and are not as ever present as the largemouth variety.
Generally, the warmer the water, the larger the bass will grow. For example, a four or five pound bass may be large for a northern lake, but warmer southern waters regularly produce 10 pounders and better. The temperature of the water is a key factor not only in fly fishing, but in all fishing. When fishing for bass it is an especially important factor.
The best fishing will take place just after the bass have spawned, which is going to vary according to the temperatures. For largemouth bass spawning takes place when the water temperatures reached the low to mid-60s. In Minnesota for example, a female bass may not deposit her eggs until mid-June, while in Florida the female bass may spawn as early as February.
The behavior of the largemouth bass is also influenced considerably by the top temperature of the water. On hot summer days, they usually feed during the early morning hours and then again during the last few hours of daylight, when the sun isn’t as bright and the water temperature is cooler. Bass are generally found in areas of the water that have a lot of vegetation and cover. They spend a lot of time near the water’s edge among the grasses, reeds, and other plants.
Many fly fishermen fishing for largemouth bass use bass bugs and poppers. Poppers were designed as a surface lure to be skipped across the top of the water in a series of quick retrieves. Other good fly patterns for largemouth bass or the Muddler Minnow and the Wooly Worm. There are some fly fishermen that prefer to use streamers and bucktail.
When fly fishing for bass the fly is worked differently than it is for trout. Poppers are worked not only for their appearance but also for their sound. Generally, when a fly is cast for bass it should be allowed to remain unmoving for a longer period of time then for trout. It is estimated that 60% of bass strikes are made on a still fly. Bass tend to inspect your fly for some time before making the decision whether to take it or not. It is important to remember while fly fishing, that the warmer the water, the longer it will take the bass to take a fly.
At times fly fishermen like to tease the bass with repeated casts over the area where they think he’s holding. Teasing can sometimes be a very effective method in bringing a lazy fish up for a strike when nothing else seems to work
Fly fishing for largemouth bass can be a wonderful, exciting experience.
About the Author
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Fly fishing smallmouth bass St. Louis River Minnesota
That being said, most fly-rodding for smallmouths is usually in moving water (rivers + streams). Target smallmouth holding areas (they love rocks and boulders in moving water) and probe with big brown wooly-boogers (to imitate a crayfish or
stone-cat) or try the fly that probably catches more smallmouths that any other – the clouser minnow.
I use a 9′ 6wt rod, handles the bigger wooly boogers and clouser minnows really well.
Fly Fishing Bass – Smallmouth and Largemouth SoCal
When you mention fly fishing to people, many times they think you are fishing exclusively for trout. However, there are some amazing spots you can Fly Fish for trophy sized bass as well. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass abound in rivers and lakes, so why not try your hand Fly Fishing For Bass?
Many experienced fly fishermen report that bass fly fishing can be extremely challenging as well as extremely satisfying. Bass have larger mouths than trout, so your choice of lures is much more diverse. They strike hard and fight strong, so when you are fly fishing for bass, expect to be exhilarated by the fight in these guys!
Experts suggest that you use a 6-7 weight rod, but if you are especially experienced, you can use a 4-5 weight rod. If you choose the smaller rod, you may have trouble casting the larger flies, so be aware of that. You can use a floating or a sinking line with a weight forward taper. You should have a 7 1/2 to 9 foot leader tapered down to a 10 pound test.
Most bass are opportunistic feeders and will bite at anything. In general, however, flies for bass fishing are usually larger and influence a bigger bite. Try big muddler minnows, clousy minnows, wooly buggers, poppers, leech patterns, and crayfish patterns. Size 8 or 10 would be a little on the small side while size 2 or 1/0 would be a little too large, so opt for something in between.
Largemouth bass live in shallow water habitats among reeds, water lilies, and other vegetation naturally found in the water. They are adapted to warm waters in the 80 degree range and are seldom found deeper than twenty feet down. They prefer clear waters with little or no current. They stay fairly active year-round, but tend to stay near the bottom in the winter months.
Great bass fly fishing can be found in various locations throughout the United States. In the northeastern United States, try the rivers and streams in the Adirondack Mountains such as the Mohawk or Black Rivers. There are also some prized bass in the Great Lakes region. Southern Ontario in Canada can also provide some great opportunities to catch trophy sized bass.
Bass fly fishing can be a great experience for both the beginning Fly Fisherman as well as those with a little more experience. Fly fishing for bass requires a little bit of finesse and some tenacity when they bite. Stay with the fish and pull a whopper out of the water you can be proud of!
