SMB follow fly, not many takes

[Scooter]

jkilroy,
I'm no expert, but maybe I can help a little. I fish for SMB a lot and do O.K., we got some big ones around here, but I mostly catch the small ones . Anyway, it sounds like you've located them, that's half the battle. If they are following, but not biteing, perhaps they can see you and are getting spooked. If they're nipping, but not inhaling the fly, try what ottaditta said and go smaller, or use a fly with a shorter tail. It works for me. One of the best bits of bass fishing advice I can remember reading was this; think of playing with a cat, teasing him with a string. After a while the cat gets board and will stop chasing and pouncing on it. But let that sucker stay still for a couple of seconds and he'll get all crazy and grab it. Or as he gets closer to it pull it away like prey fleeing their predator and he will chase it and grab it. Same with a bass (sometimes). In fast water I do well to cast across or down stream and swing the fly over likely holes. I like an olive or black krystal flash bugger with an olive over white marabou tail.

Plus I add a bit of red marabou to the head or use red tying thread to give it a wounded look. (Not sure what your bass eat, but try to match the "hatch"). At the end of the swing I will let the fly just sit there in the current like a minnow fighting the current. This is that pause that sometimes drives them nuts and causes them to hit it. Then start to strip it back in short quick motions. If you see a bass come up for it, pull it away like it's trying to get away from him.
Good luck.
Tom.

[jeremy.badgett]

my favorite fly is a clouser minnow or a muddler minnow. colors vary with the water clarity and light. white bottoms and grey tops on the clousers seem to work well for me. the muddlers I tie in similar colors. I have also used small poppers to get them on the surface and they are a whole lot of fun when the explode on a surface fly. color there seems to be not as important as fly action and size. Have you seen Bob Clouser's book "Fly-Fishing for Smallmouth in Rivers and Streams"? has a lot of good fly ideas in it.

[Janus]

I fish for them quite a bit. But, the fish here are rarely out in the open. Right now the river I fish is so low and clear but you have to look for darker moving water and bubbles floating on top of the moving water with calm pocket to the side against a bank or something. Nine times out of ten they are there in the calmer water waiting for something to fly by. Cast to the calm water and strip across the riffles .Not sure if the cruiser feel comfortable in clear water and might be skittish for you. I throw bigger popper 2-4 and muddlers and gurglers this time of year because the water here is still above 70 in the fall it seems to be active subsurface. If you can ignore the cruisers and look for darker safer water throw a topwater. Smallmouth are very reactionary and competitive alot of takes come on as soon or very soon after the fly hits the water here. I hope this helps a little bit.
Janus

[rrhyne56]

This may be a silly question but when you see them following do you pause, let them run up on it and then start taking it away? That, repeated, can sometimes be annoying enough to elicit a strike.

[wonderrod]

If your able to see what the fish are doing, short strikes etc. try using a jigging movement as opposed to a strip and pause retreive. I have experienced what you are seeing many times while float fishing in my kayak and have had success using this method. Most times I can watch the bass inhale the fly right near the boat. Be sure to set the hook using a down current sweep instead of the usual rod lift. My go to fly is the Clouser foxy redd minnow. Hope this helps.

JA

[pdowney]

Have you tried top water?

[Warm Water Fly Fisher]

Lately on the local river SMB are hitting like mad. nothing big, mostly 10-13 in. range. I'm catching most of them right where the water slows down after the rapids, in deep pools. Seems like brown buggers and crayfish pattern about size 8 are the ticket. But in the morning as soon as the sun rises above the treeline, the action slows way down.

good luck~WWFF from PA

[Eight Thumbs]

Iv'e been going out quite a bit lately in the evevings trying to slay the SMB not to much avail. Iv'e been getting more follows than anything. Anyone else have this problem and what should I do? Iv'e been getting some nips also.

Hi Jkilroy,

I don't fish for smallmouths very much because the largemouth fishing is so predominant here on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina. I have found one thing to be true when largemouth bass fishing and that is if you can see the bass, the bass can see you. I assume that largemouths and smallmouths show some similar behavior. When largemouths see the fisherman, they may not develop a total case of lockjaw but they become highly reluctant to strike. They may not swim off in fear, the way trout do, but they back off a bit and face you head on. If they are cruising the shoreline, the bass increase their cruising speed slightly and and add three or four more feet of distance from the shore when they see you. Bass that showed aggression, agitation and a clear intent to attack the fly will suddenly back off and just follow the fly for a short distance when they detect your presence. My guess would be that the problem is not your fly or your retrieve but rather your presence. Back off the shore. I often fish 15-20 feet back from the shore line if fish are in close. Use natural cover (trees, brush, etc.)to conceal your presence. You may not want to wear full camies and face paint but try to blend in. If you're fishing from a boat--keep your distance at least 40 or 50 feet. If wading go slow, and very quietly. Think stealth not flies. Hope this helps. 8T

BTW, as a last resort I'd try a fly with some type of stinger hook or a trailer hook in the tail

[jkilroy]

eight thumbs,
I think you may have it. I like to sight cast, or "Hunt". It's cool. I do get close to the fish, maybe too close. They always seem to stike when I first get to an area then it slows. When my line hits the water they scram. I was out today and caught a few, but man, the area I found looks great. Maybe that's also the reason I don't have very good luck with LMB. I don't have very much patience either. If I don't get anything I usually move on quick.

The one time this year I did great with LMB, it was light drizzling and I didn't see any of the fish. I caught 12 bass that were just under 17". I can't fish there anymore.

I did talk to someone else today that was spin fishing and it sounded like they were having the same problem, SMB with a case of lockjaw.

I can't wait till I get a day when the bass are on a feeding frenzy.

[Wingsdlc]

Eight thumbs,

I also think you might have hit the problem on on the head. Down here in NC I think I am also falling victim of me seeing the fish and the fish seeing me on one of the mountain stream I fished a few times this year and I think I have the opposite problem in my local river where the water is quite muddy 99% of the time.

Fishing is much tougher for me here than is was in MI. I could go to the Kzoo at pretty much anytime with my fly rod and slay some SMB. Down here it seems to be slim pickings. I think I just need different tactics.