Bass Tidbit .24

Choosing 'flies' for bass fishing...

Now, how we choose what we put on the end of our lines is at once very simple and the most complex and difficult decision on bass fly fishing.

You can make the choice via two methods.

The first is to use what you want to catch fish on. While that sounds limiting, and in fact is to a degree, that?s the most common method in use for the vast majority of bass fishing, not just bass fly fishing.

Here?s how it usually goes: You see the Bill Dance, Roland Martin, Orlando Wilson, or other TV fishing show, and the ? well known expert angler who always cleans up on fish host of the show? is fishing with the brand new, just released, but readily available at your local Megasportsmart Store, SUPER STROLLING GUITAR COPTER LURE. You run out, buy a bunch of them, tie them onto your line, and head to the lake.

Alternately, you are in your local tackle store/hang out and talk fishing spot, and the clerk/owner or one of the local anglers is telling all and sundry that he just cleaned up at the local fishing hole using the ?(fill in whatever suites you here)?. Again, you buy a bunch and head for the lake.

Or, it really IS a matter of choice for you. You PREFER to catch bass on topwater baits (or any other type of, or even a particular, bait), so that?s what you fish with. You know in advance that this will limit your catch, but you accept these limits in order to catch them just how you like to catch them. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as you realize the limits you place on your fishing. I do that often, more and more these days, for a number of reasons.

The second method is to choose the bait based on where the fish are and/or what they are doing.

This will often be the most productive method, but requires knowledge and experience. So, in that regard, the ?first? thing you have to figure out is ?where are the bass?. Most of the time, that?s the real ?key?. ?What? the bass is doing is only applicable during certain times of the year.

For this to work for you as a bass fly fisherman, you?ll need baits for your fly rod that will let you ?cover the water column? effectively. This means that you will have to either buy or make (?tie your own?) flies that will work in all of the depths that you choose to fish. You?ll also need baits that will work effectively horizontally and vertically. You won?t need hundreds of different flies (you can have that many if you want, some folks just like to have tons of baits), but you will need a decent selection for each ?type? of water condition you choose to fish.

Good Luck!

Buddy

These tidbits are really interesting. This one begs the question -- what would be a good bass fly box?

I don't have a plan for one, but I have

(1) Dahlburg divers tied along the lines of the Al Campbell articles on FAOL. Right now in chartreuse and white, and in an olive theme.

(2) Some Tap's Bugs, a few with marabou and flash tails.

(3) Some burblers in olive and red. That's a pattern I got from bassbugcentral.com

(4) Some Gartside Gurglers in black, yellow, and white.

(5) Some Rabbit strip sliders, but with the head tied with saddle and not deer hair. The rabbit strips are regular zonker strips about six inches long.

(6) About three dozen clousers tied in various colors -- mostly chartruese and white. :) I've got so many because I want to tie a good clouser and have been practicing. I won't take 'em all on the water at the same time. :)

(7) Some seaducers in black and red, white and red, and white and chartruese.

What would you add to (or subtract from) that list to make it a better selection?

Buddy; thanks for sharing those tidbits with us all. Isn't it true how we fishermen/women evolve thru the years of fishing. In our younger years of gaining some experience many of us go thru those years of buying every new thing on the market 'claimed' to help us catch more fish. It doesn't take very many years of collecting this 'new' stuff for us to see what really works, for each of us soon gains the knowledge of what it takes to be a successful angler. Yes, the equipment has really improved over the years that I have been fishing and I feel that the knowledge you have gained plus confidence in your tackle and techniques are what make you successful. Many of us resort to using the same equipment that has proved us well over the years. I'm sure most of us have a closet full of 'new stuff' that we may never use, but sometimes it's fun to have just in case we want to use something different one day that may teach us something new.

BigFlatBrook,

Like most fly fishermen that sometimes fish for bass, you've covered the 'top' of the water column well.

If you mostly fish for bass just on top or maybe down to five to eight feet, you can get by with what you have listed.

I'd still look for 'vertical' presentation flies, for fishing along lateral cover breaks (weed lines, drop offs, etc.) and some type of fly(ies) that have a built in action for targeting active fish in shallow to medium depths (something that will do the 'job' of a crankbait, a fly you can bounce off of cover and fish fast to trigger strikes from active fish).

If you choose to fish deeper than around ten feet, you'll need some weighted flies that get down and stay there with and/or without a sinking line/tip.

Good Luck!

Buddy

Buddy,

I'm just interested in learning, and you're helping a lot.

Can I ask what you use for those deeper presentations?

Buddy, I look forward to your posts. They always proke some thought and reflection. Good stuff.

Thanks,

peregrines

Buddy; What are you referring to when you said 'vertical presentation flies'? Weighted flies that would drop vertically when cast....Clousers?

David,

Falling prey is one of the many 'triggers' that will cause an inactive bass to strike. For this to work, you need a fly that will fall vertically into the strike zone.

Many fly 'patterns' will work for this. The key to it is using a fly with enough weight so that it will fall verically, not 'pendulum' because of the line drag. You also need to modify your cast a bit. You want the fly to land with some slack, so it can begin sinking without any line drag. Immediately after the fly hits the water, you should throw a small 'mend' (I use a very slack roll cast) to put slack in the fly line. Alternately, you can 'colapse' your cast so that the line lands ina 'puddle'. You'll know you've done this correctly if you see your leader/fly line 'follow' the fly.

I use a lot of different flies for this. Clousers that are weighed back on the shank will sink horizontally and work well. 'Buggers tied with on a long shank hook with long tails and heavy dumbbell eyes. Craw patterns. Epoxy baitfish. Control the 'speed' of the drop by the weight and materials.

These need to be short casts. You have to watch the line carefully, as any strike will come on the fall. If you are too far away, you can't see this. Also, if yoou have too much line out, you'll not get the hook set quick enough. You can use flies that the fish will hold to help you with this.

After the fly gets to the bottom, you can either pick it up and make another cast, or choose to work the fly back with a normal retrieve first.

This particualr technique is the fly fishermans version of 'flipping'. You do need accurate casts, and you should target visible cover like weed lines, brush, tules, grass beds, etc.. This does require weedless flies (unless you like tying lots of flies AND knots...).

Good Luck!

Buddy

Thanks Buddy........very helpful info. :wink: