Flyrod Bassin'

[Ralph King]

Hi,

Does anyone here use a flyrod fishing for Bass. I usually catch bass and bluegills on the same poppers. 

[Lee]

 I do almost all of my fishing with a flyrod and most the time I use Bugs/Poppers/Subsurface Flys in sizes that both Large Bluegill and Bass will take. I especially like foam Bugs, Poppers and Sliders in sizes 6 and 8 their easy to cast on a 3 or 4wt and the Bass and Bream Love em! Normaly when I target larger Bass I'll fish a 5 or 6wt and use Bugs and Flys in the 2 to 6 range.

 Funny I say I use larger bugs for Big Bass but my personal best flyrod LM Bass was caught on a #8 Round Dinney. She was 23 inches long and 7 lbs 11 ozs. On a 5wt it was a heck of a battle that I still grin about. Thats her in my avatar picture.

[John Sheehan]

Never caught a bass over 10" on my Flyrod outfit but would love to catch bigger.They compete with the 8" Gills in June /July when I use poppers or foam spider from shore on my home suburban lake . Kids and families are swimminng 100 yards away .

[Ralph King]

Very nice, bass! Keep up the good work.

[John Sheehan]

What's a "slider"?

[Ray Ditzenberger]

It is like a popper but with a pointed face so it makes no noise when retrieved. Can be cork, balsa, foam, deer hair.

[John Sheehan]

ah ha I throw them but called them poppers !Thanks makes total sense they are not cupped .I'm ashamed of my lack of attention and observation skills.

[Ray Ditzenberger]

I seldom fly fish solely for bass. I generally use stuff for gills and let the bass take care of them selves. Yes, I have caught bass up to aroung 3# on small flies. Small buggers, 1/4" poppers, and fly that was nothing more than purple chenille with red calf tail tail on a #10 hook. I have caught lots of smaller bass on many other flies as well. ....The odd thing is that I carry a fly box full of Bass Stuff but I almost never open it when I am on the water. I may change that this year while in the yak. I also carry a box full of carp stuff and I hope to get to use it this year as well. There just is not  any carp in the creeks that I have been fishing. I will say that I have FF 100% for the last 5 years.

 

My bass box includes poppers, hair bugs, bait fish imitations, frog patterns and a few other odds and ends. I am really getting ansy casting some of these flies. I will say that one of the largest gills I have caught was caught at night on a 5/8oz black Jitterbug while fishing bass.

[Ralph King]

I plan to target bass more this year. I will use my "bass poppers, bugs, streamers" etc. I need to have more patience and not be popping the popper of bug too much. If the bass are feeding on the surface, than I'll cast and pop right away. 

Keep in touch, let us know how you are doing and I'll do the same here.

[John Sheehan]

What kinda fly would you go after Carp with?

[Ray Ditzenberger]

I am a carp newb but I have done some research on the subject. The trick is to match the hatch....or use a fly that simulates whatever your local fish are eating. Crawdads, nymphs, clams, and in some places a bait fish will work. At least one successful gal uses a yellow egg soft hackle fly. ....I just spent 3 partial days chasing a bunch of carp and I only had 2 or 3 known takes which I missed. I hope to hook up with one of these big boys one of these days though.

 

In some cases a grass fly, a bread fly, mulberry fly, cotton wood seed fly and some other odd flies are used and seem to work for some carpers.

[John Sheehan]

Thanks again ,if you come across some pics of those useful imitations I like to see them .I know where there are some nice Carp I'd like to hook on a flyrod .

[Ray Ditzenberger]

Hey john.....if you are really interested in chasing carp there is a lot of info on the web. There is also at least 2 books out on the subject and I have heard that there is a new one out that I have not read. I have not been able to find any here close to work on so if you already know where some are you are ahead of the game IMO. .....get a good crawdad pattern in about a size 6, A couple of San Juan worms and a couple of PT nymphs size 10 or 12. I haven't tried them yet but I understand that size 8 wooly buggers in black or olive will work in some places. A Foxy Clouser and a Clouser nymph are both supposed to be good. There are many Head Stand type patterns out there. ...... Be prepared with a reel with a decent drag and  a hundred yards of backing. Some of them will give you some long runs. Most carp chasers use a 7 or  8wt outfit if there is a chance of 20 pounders or bigger.  The internet is your friend so use it to your advantage.