Gotta admit - I think I’m getting as comfortable throwing popping bugs and bluegill flies as I was throwing copper johns to browns out in the black hills. And in it’s own way, it’s just a pretty.
And there’s nothing like the “whooooomp!” of a bass inhaling your popper as you chug past the moss and weeds.
At one point I caught 3 bass on 4 casts. Here’s one of them - low light makes the pic a little fuzzy, but you get the point.
Welcome to the dark side. and the great part is you can still trout fish when you find the time.
Jim,
How long have I been saying warm water is a lot of fun?
There’s something just good and relaxing about a warm summer evening, just after sunset in that last 45 minutes or so before dark when the air is still and the daytime bugs and animals are going to sleep and the night time things are starting to stirr around that is just magic. Then, as you said, the whoomp of a bass nailing a popping bug. It doesn’t get a whole lot better than that.
Jeff
It can become as addicting as any other fishing to be had:^) Have fun!
I think the thing that makes it best is that this water is 2 blocks from my house and because it’s on a golf course, never gets fished. I’m able to get away and fish for an hour here and there more times than not. Talk about LUCKY! And that makes it easier to get addicted to warm water fishing.
I’ve been targeting bluegill for the first few weeks, but after catching a few bass of decent size, I’m switching to larger sizes and more aggressive retrieves that seem to trigger strikes from the bigger fish and keeps the bluegill at bay.
I’ll try to go back down over my lunch hour today and see if I can’t raise a few more fish.
Each fish and each new piece of water has something to teach us about fishing and about ourselves as fisherfolk. To willfully limit our range of experience because of preconceived notions is to willfully limit our ability to grow, to learn, and to experience the fullness of what the aquatic world has to offer us. If you can’t fish for the fish you love, buddy, love the fish you have. Welcome to the warmwater world 
Are you fishing some kind of a wet dropper under your bugs? If not I highly recommend it. Two good size bream at the same time is a lot of fun, two yearling bass isn’t all bad either. My fall back for a dropper is call a Bream Killer, chenille body, squirrel tail wing, a couple of rubber legs on each side, small wooly buggers, black gnats, black ants all work.
Hey Bluegill - ain’t that the truth! And to make things better, I’ve seen a couple of huge carp in there and I’m salivating at the thought of hooking up one of those. Although I may need to leave my 7’6" 4wt at home and break out my 8’6" 5/6wt
JESSE - not fishing a dropper yet - I’ve been fishing parts of the pond where there is a lot of “goop” where I can keep a popper above it, or in the case of bass, drop it right in the middle of it. I had a couple of times where I cast on top of a mat of stuff, gave the popper a few twitches, then had a bass explode from underneath. now THAT was exciting!
Once I get out in my float tube again and have access to more open water I’ll definitely try a dropper - I’ve had a lot of success with woolly buggers there.
[QUOTE=jimmadsen;377287]. Although I may need to leave my 7’6" 4wt at home and break out my 8’6" 5/6wt QUOTE]
Why? This is a discussion I have been want to start for a while now. Isn’t it more about the strength of the tippet rather than the stiffness and length of the rod? The one fish I have mounted is a Mama LMB that went 6 3/4 lbs. in December, I took her on a 5 1/2 ultralight spinning rod that would touch end to end when new. I also caught a couple of 7 -8 class channel cats on that rod. I have landed a couple of just under 6 LMB and a couple of 7+ grass carp on my 3 wt. Most were returned to the water in good shape.
Good times, isn’t it?? Try soft hackles a foot or two under an indicator for bluegills this time of year! They get kinda lazy sometimes, and they sure do love some slow-falling soft hackles.
Kid, that sounds like a plan. I’ll try that as soon as I can get back on the water.
Ed
Uncle Jesse…excellent point. I’ve often thought about that myself. I spent most of my spin fishing with ultralight gear. 5 1/2’ to 6’ rods, with 4lb mainline a barrel swivvel, and 2lb tippet. That’s basically a 5x mainline and a 7x tippet. I’ve landed steelhead on those rigs! The only real difference has been that I don’t put most fish on the reel with my flyrod…and I used the drag considerably with spin gear.
Hi Zac,
What type of soft hackle, and what size do you fish for gills under the indicator this time of year?
Thanks and regards,
Gandolf
Size 10 to 14, Hares ears, Professers with yellow and chartreuse body, unweighted Cajun Coachmans… Today I caught a bunch on a #12 Rio Grande King wet fly. Just gotta figure out what color they want that day! Oh, an “orange and teal” wet has done well in the past too.
jimmadsen,
play with the bass and bluegill all you want, but don’t ever catch a striper, they will ruin your life, lol.
Steve
The midge speaks the truth, you should also avoid carp, catfish and white bass as there are no rehab clinics equipped to handle the addiction you may develop.
Oh yeah - I’m soooooooooooooooo jonesing for a carp at this point - there are 3 or 4 big ones swimming around this pond and I really need to bone up on how to fish for them. There are a lot of weeds and vegetation so I’m worried about them diving for the bottom and burying themselves down in there.
Anyone face the same issue? What do you do? I may need to start a new thread for this one.
Fishing for bass and gills give me more happiness and solitude than going after trouts, although I still like chasing brookies but catching this on a 3wrt! No comparison!
holy moly - NICE BASS! And what a dinky little popper in it’s mouth! That’s been the most fun with targeting bluegill - I always catch at least 2-3 bass every time I go.
I use a 4, 6 and 8 wt. for anything that will bite.
Here are a couple of sunnies and a rock bass at a local reservoir that I posted a few weeks ago.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/showthread.php?36811-Sunnies-in-the-rain
