Flies for bass? With a twist

[sabass]

Made a few casts today in a small clear lake on my lunch break today using a couple different flies. I used the lightest line I had, power pro 10lbs test w/ 2 lbs diamter and I could still only get the fly out about 10-15 feet if the wind was blowing. It didn't matter though cause the bass tore it up, 7 fish landed in 15 minutes. My problem was the hooks on the fly, being a fly lure, they design them more for bream and other panfish. The tiny hook and tiny hook gap between hook and body resulted in awful hookups and a few lost fish. If not for the lost fish, woulda been 10 fish in 15 minutes, damn fine catch rate.

Does anybody know of a company that makes flies that have a hook more suited for a bass, have a little more weight so you can use normal bass tackle, yet still float? I don't like the popper type insect lures as its just a hard body, I'd prefer something with legs and tails and antenae that stick out looking more realistic. If anybody knows of this magical lure I'm after, please let me know. Is this something I'm gonna have to make myself, or will I have to master the art of casting a fly rod first? Thanks.

[macgyver]

There are some smaller poppers called bass flies, they work well. Also a small slip bobber attached several feet away from the fly will allow you to cast them farther, and not try to take them under.

Lizards

[sabass]

yeah, i attached a small bobber to add weight, however it ruined the action of the bait. what kinda weight do the poppers you mention come in? The ones I used today had a popper style body with rubber legs and feathered tail, it didn't have a weight on the package but was a size 8. I'd like to find something around a 1/4 ounce, preferable more, but then I'd prolly be asking for too much........if I'm not already.

[zman]

Wait a sec, were you using a fly rod?

There are numerous flies meant for bass, redfish, snook or tarpon that have larger stronger hooks, even stainless. You might have to travel to the coast to find a good fly shop down there, but if you do they will likely have what you are looking for (I think you would want a deerhair popper probably).

[sabass]

no I wasn't using a fly rod. Â*I was using a spin caster with 7 foot light/med action. Â*I don't have the technique or patience right now to learn a fly, would prefer just to keep it simple by tying a lure to my bass rods as they'll be more suited for the fight from the big fish I TRY to target. Â*

I'm in central florida but make it over to teh east coast quite a bit. I'll start searching some of the spots over there. Thanks for the advice WTL.

[zman]

Well I can understand wanting it to keep it simple, but IMO you are better off fighting a big fish with a fly reel than a spin-caster. Larger fly gear, 8 wts and greater are capable of taking tarpon and snook that are way larger than any bass will ever get. Also you lose a bit of the subtle presentation when you have to have a bobber to add sufficient weight for casting.

But try those flyshops on the coast, I'm sure there lots of them - they will set you up with what you need as far as larger flies.

[macgyver]

Not sure on the weights, I looked at several and weights weren't listed. But here's a link for several from BPS
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...ITS_OTHERFLIES

Just another thought(yeah I know), but why not put the bobber on the end, and then tie the fly on like a drop shot, you would have the fly coming first, instead of the bobber. Don't know if it will help with the action, but worth a try. Heck put a hook on the bobber, I've seen several bass go after bobbers.


Lizards

[zman]

Most of those weight next to nothing. I don't know if he will be able to find flies that weight enough to actually cast with any accuracy or distance without a bobber. Flies are meant to weight almost nothing, the heavier the fly the harder it is to fly cast. Its the line that is the weight when flycasting.

[sabass]

[quote author=lizardsrule link=board=news;num=1115763137;start=0#6 date=05/10/05 at 20:05:34]
Just another thought(yeah I know), but why not put the bobber on the end, and then tie the fly on like a drop shot, you would have the fly coming first, instead of the bobber. Â*Don't know if it will help with the action, but worth a try. Â*Heck put a hook on the bobber, I've seen several bass go after bobbers.


Lizards[/quote]

having the bobber on the end seems like it might help the action a little. However it would hurt presentation as you'll have another object adding a ripply, possibly spooking the bass. I've been playing with some weighted styrofoam bobbers tonight trying to conjure up something, I'm determined to come up with something.

[big_mouth]

First its snorkling now this....haha.........anyways useing a fly rod is not hard at all for what you are doing with it. Buy a cheap one and hey you never know. You might never pick up a spinning reel ever again. Bass really put up a fight on a fly rod. 8)

[jglassguy]

Early in the morning, I usually fish the banks with steamers. Casting out Woolly Buggers, Woolly Worms, Muddler Minnows, and even a leech pattern or two. One to three feet of water is where I concentrate, while the bass cruise actively looking for fish to eat.


In the spring time by afternoon I have switched to floating bass bugs. The very thing that makes bass fly fishing so fun. Casting one toward a nice looking bass hiding spot, I allow it to sit there for a few seconds. If you allowed the fly to ‘pop’ upon landing and have a nice bass picked out, often times this all that is needed for the bucketmouth to inhale your offering. Make sure your rod tip is at the proper angle to absorb the hit, or the game will be over before it begins.


If after a few seconds the ‘hit’ doesn’t occur, begin retrieving your fly at intermittent intervals like would occur in nature. This ‘popping’ action is what attracts the bass to your offering. Watch for the wake as the great hunter is not at all shy, and remember especially trout anglers, the bass’s mouth is huge and these animals were built for eating.


Flies:


Well, The Big Y Fly Co. (http://www.bigyflyco.com) is about selling flies, so you didn’t think we would forget that did you. If it is still unclear bass are opportunistic carnivores with huge mouths, that will eat anything. There are the usual bass bugs that float like the Frog, and the Mouse Rat. Then there are the divers, that float and then sink when you retrieve them, like the Dahlberg divers. And then there are the streamers, like the Woolly Buggers, Clouser minnows. Furthermore for those hot days or big reservoirs, there are sculpins and leeches, that like bass will seek deep water.

[zman]

Big Y looks to have some good prices. When I pay off a little of my credit card I will have to stock up with some flies from them, especially the crawfish flies (I absolutly cannot seem to tie those).

[jglassguy]

That and the wooly bugger seem to be the fav around here[img]http://www.montanafly.com/2005%20Flies%20for%20Pages/Page%2005/Coffee's-SM-Crawfish-Brown.jpg Â* Â* Â* Â* Â*[/img]
note the use of several types of fur along with the "heckle" strands in the body..nice touch..it would prob cost more to buy the components than just to buy the fly..
I always ask hunters for some fur of dif sorts.. a little goes a long way

[Rob Mak]

jb that is hackle not heckle. muddler's ,wooley bugger's, a white or creme wolff i have caught a plum ton on a caddis flies-smallmouth mostly- also when the bite just sucks try a "worm" yeah a fly worm. there is more movement in a feathered worm then you find in a errrr adult establisment. they also make a streamer -for get the name of it -but looks excatly like a gizzard shad. most bass flies tend to have larger hooks. normally #10-#2 hooks 10 being the smallest. i would not use a poping bug they seem to draw crappie strikes more. a large deer hair mouse near pads would get your top water fix very quickly.

i would not recomend an 8 weight rod -these are large mouth bass not striped bass- a 6-7 weight would be better all round. i would use a floating line -prefure 444 cortland laser- with about 5-6 feet of good old mono 6-8 pound test. remember fly fishing is a test of skill not of brute strenth. even with a 6-7 weight rod bowed like a preztel you are only goin to be putting about 2 pounds of force on the hook. setting the hook straight up is the best way to do it ..


zooker

[profishermenkid16]

you must be using a weighted nymph or a very large black gnat instead of a wooly bugger. you can't throw a olive wooly bugger that far. Contact Africa, That got larger black gnats there, see if someone would send you one so you can copy it , providing you can tie flies.Also have them pinch a grub out of the rhinos skin, they work real well here.If not contact a dairy farm and they can send you a grub from a cow instead. Good luck, P N J

[Rob Mak]

now that is a tad disgusting even for you besides you know just like i do they make better brim baits.

zooker

[fishwitch]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
flies
fly rod
goood
flies
no fly rod
bad
fly fishin u cast the line not the flies
so no wieght
fly fishing takes alot less to learn than most think i learned a few years ago took all of 5 mins and i was gettin r did i didnt have ne 1 to teach me jus goto walmart and get a shakespear kit got every thing u need fly line and flies and tippit but i find its ... sucks use that 10 lbs line u got put bout 3 foot leader on flyline it has instructions on knots to use and basic instructions to get u started

no doubt its a fun way to fish