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Thread: favorite smallmouth flies

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2004
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    Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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    Default favorite smallmouth flies

    I have a smallmouth kayak trip to Sw Missouri coming up. Does anybody have any favorite flies or techniques they would be willing to share. I have never fly fished for them.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
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    Paris, TX
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    Never fly fished for them, either. Read on other boards that they were being caught on dark colored woolly buggers, along with trout.
    I'd probably use something like a size 6 or 8 in olive, orange, purple, brown, or black.

    Bob9

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    Orange City, Iowa
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    Clousers & Buggers have always been a good producers for me with the smallies in my area.

    Mike
    "The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of that which is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope" -John Buchan

  4. #4
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    Western Washington
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    Streamers, various colors to find the 'One' they want. Streamers from 2 inches to around 4+ inches. Depending upon what type of water you are going to fish, sink tip lines to floating lines, about 4 to 5 foot or so of leader. Relatively short casts, strip in the line but vary this to find what they will key in on. Look for structure in the water, drop offs, rocks, and such. They are an aggressive predator. I have had many 5 inch smallies attack a 5 inch streamer. Sometimes the takes are very aggressive but sometimes they are very soft so keep control of your line and don't allow slack and set the hook at the slightest indication of a possible take. If in a current, cast mostly upstream when possible and strip back downstream, they are mostly looking upstream. In still water, not a concern. Also, frog patterns can be very effective on the surface if they are feeding near the top of the water. Oh yea, have fun, smallies are a blast. Larry ---sagefisher---

  5. #5
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    Mar 2004
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    Nunica Mi U S A
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    In reasonably shallow water I like big marabou muddlers on a floating line. The fly will dive on retrieve and return to the surface. For deeper water try lead eyed wooly buggers with rubber legs added.
    I can think of few acts more selfish than refusing a vaccination.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    North Carolina
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    Clousers, Muddler Minnows, Woolly Buggers, Dahlberg Divers, a few different poppers, ants on occasion, Hornberg streamer (a particular favorite of mine),
    or anything fishy or buggy looking. Smallies aren't real choosey in what they eat as long as it looks like food to them and is well presented.
    When you can arrange your affairs to go fishing, forget all the signs, homilies, advice and folklore. JUST GO.

  7. #7

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    Woolly Buggers will catch them. In addition to the colors already suggested, don't overlook CHARTREUSE!

    I don't know if they will be hitting on topwaters when you are there, but definitely give them a try...its a blast!
    David Merical
    St. Louis, MO

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
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    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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    I probably havefished for smallies more that trout, and agree with all the listed suggestions. As for flies, I will add a few, especially given the time of year you arefishing.
    One is astandard Little Brown Trout bucktail. I know Clousers have been mentioned, andI use them too, but like the Muddler, sometimes a minnow that doesn't sink asfar is the answer - and also works with a sink-tip line. Similarly, Zonkers areeffective. Note that early in the season (at least in my area) bass attackschools of perch fry that hatched about 6 weeks earlier which are white andonly about 1.25" long (size 10 or 12 hook is fine – see PukeFly, it can be very effective without the bead-chain eyes too). The fry collectin the top inches of warmer water and are easily seen by the bass in theevening when the water is calm and the sun is low.
    And lastly, smallies seem to like lures moving faster than you would expect. Several times I have worked an area for 20 minutes or so and then decided topaddle on. When the canoe/kayak is fully up to tempo and the line stretched outbehind me ... bang - that is when I get a fish. Good luck and have fun!



  9. #9
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    Jun 2012
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    Jackson, MI
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    I've never fished for Smallies, so take this for what it's worth. What about crawfish patterns? I know Smallies LOVE crawfish.

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