What are some good patterns for smallmouth bass in the lakes? I’m taking my family for a few days of vacation in the Adirondacks(July) and need to know what flies I need to keep the action coming. I have given my best shot at some deceivers to take with me on the trip but there must be some other go-to favorites from the folks here. The other question that I have is, should they be weighted or not? I might have a chance to fish in the streams for brookies and, any pats for them would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jeff
[This message has been edited by FlyingCarp (edited 07 July 2006).]
Jeff:
I use a lot of baitfish patterns for smallies in lakes, basically the same stuff I use in salt water. I tie them with artificial hair preblended with flash. They range from 2 1/2 to 6 inches long. I like light blue/white, sea foam green/white, charteuse/white, and perch/fire tiger. I don’t weight mine prefering to fish them off of a sink tip or sinking line.
Small crease flies, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, fished either on a floating line or on a short leader off a sink tip. Same colors as the bait fish patterns.
Crayfish patterns, think shrimp with claws in olive and brown shades with a touch of orange thrown in for good measure.
Leeches, a wooly bugger in black or olive will do.
A few gurglers wouldn’t hurt instead of wrapping the shank with hackle, use a sparkle or crystal chenille and add three pairs of legs, and use marabou over flash for the tail.
Don’t forget poppers, pencil poppers and sliders, my favorite slider is a Sneaky Pete in fluorescent yellow.
For brookies, look up the “CDC and Elk”. Tie it on light wire shrimp/caddis pupa hook, I use a TMC 2488. Another good pattern would be the Usual. Tie them in sizes 12 to 16.
Something you might run into up there is a hex hatch. These are the biggest mayflies, and they’ll hatch out of muddy bottoms on the lake. They hatch at dark, and whatever fish live in the lake will be up on top after them. Small poppers and sliders will suffice for imitations. It’s in the dark action.
Enjoy you’re vacation. I’m heading up to a lake in Ontario in a couple of weeks, so I’m tying up stuff to take with me.
lee and Philly,
Thanks for the replies, it looks like I should have posted earlier to give myself some time. I’ll do my best to whip out a few of each befor we go.
The Clouser minnow is hard to beat, especially in chart. and white. I would also try some damsel and dragonfly imitations. Also, take some crayfish patterns, those smallies love lobster. Where abouts in the Adirondacks are you going? I love it up there.
Dr. Fish, I didn’t know you were a fellow Western New Yorker.
Yup, lived in western NY nearly all my life and LOVE it. I live in Scottsville, just a double-haul away from Oatka Creek where the Trico’s are being pounded by every trout that lives in the creek right now : )
Jeff - AKA Dr. Fish
If it has fins and swims than I must chase it!
Dr. Fish, I live in Lancaster, just outside of Buffalo. I haven’t fished the Oatka in quite a few years. I generally stick to the Southerntier…The Genesee, Cohocton, Catt. I love those streams.
I’ve found the location you fish and the retrieve to be far more important than the fly itself for Smallies.
That said, my go-to is a small bucktail with a cone-head:
but any leach, muddler or other medium sized fly can produce.
Fished on a full sinking line, the faster the sink rate the better imo. Look for rocky rubble or other choppy structure adjacent to a good drop-off to at least 20-30 feet, cast right to shore and start a rapid 3-6" stripping retrieve. Doing this I can fish a type VIII full sinking line in as little as 5’ of water.
Run and gun, casting to every likely area and then move on. In some cases the heat can drive the fish deeper, but 9/10 times they seem to watch the shallows for anything edible and smash it as soon as it moves.
Poppers are great fun and can be deadly, but baitfish imitations are the bread and butter in my neck of the woods.
The old reliable deer hair mouse. Fish the edges, shoreline rocks and rip-rap from crack of dawn til about 8 in the a.m. That old favorite has taken numerous smallies for me…largemouths too.
