Stubborn Largemouths

[flyrodbassbum 0]

Spent a long and frustrating evening on a small local lake Monday night. This lake has jumbo crappie, bluegill, and largemouths. I was targeting the latter. I threw large, weedless woolly buggers, blonde series streamers, rabbit strip jig flies, poppers, you name it. I saw plenty of bass and watched them ignore all my offerings.

The weather was warm, pleasant, and calm. Water temp was around 68 degrees. The barometer was dropping as a front was approaching from the west. These fish are well into their post spawn routine. I just can't figure out what happened. Any ideas?

[Guest]

I'd just chalk it up to one of those days. It sounds like you threw all you had at em and sometimes that is just all you can do. If you say they weren't spawning then they should have been eatin

[Steeldrifter 0]

A dropping barometer always makes for bad fishing, rising barometer always makes the fish more active I have found. With that said, it could have just been one of them days like Will said. I think we've all had those days when we threw everything inculding rocks at the fish but couldn't get them to move

[Guest]

Even using a flyrod try a 3 to 4" Senco worm(rubber) in wartermelon or pumpkinseed fished wacky style with the hook in the middle.I use a size drop shot hook on these smaller worms.It may not be a fly but will get you into a ton of fish including crappie and gills.

NO Bass will pass it up!

Brent

[Steeldrifter 0]

QUOTE (wickedcarpenter @ Jun 3 2005, 11:22 PM)

fished wacky style

Brent...Is that the technical term?

[appalachian angler (tn.) 0]

I won't advocate the use of plastics on fly tackle like some others here

One of the flys that I have had great success with on smallmouth and large mouth is a clouser minnow with maribou top and bottom and krystal flash in between. The best color combo is "mickey finn"...yellow marribou top and bottom with about 8 strands of red flash on the sides(middle layer), lead or copper barbell with painted on eyes on hook sizes 8-4. It is hard to find blood quill maribou that is long enough for hooks much longer than a 6.

 

Tying steps: Same as for basic clouser minnow. I like to use 1X long hooks with a down turned eye. I have used 3X long streamer hooks, but found the longer hook interferes with the flowing of the marribou fibers. I recommend Daiichi model 1560, or Mustad model 3906B. Tie in the bottom a single blood marribou feather

behind the barbell or bead chain eyes, stroking out the fibers to length trailing the bend = to 1.5 x the hook length. Make wraps behind the barbell about 1/4'' back, then double back the feather and tie down in front of the barbell. Trim and cover butts entirely with thread(I like the use the same color thread as the bottom layer of material).

Tie in krystal flash and leave alittle longer than bottom feather(can trim later). Tie theis back to barbell increasing thread pressure towards the barbel wrapping hard against the barbbell to get the flash to flare into two groups of strands

Tye in another single blood bou feather directly in front of the barbel, stroke out the fibers and leave slightly longer than the bottom layer.

Cover butts with thread wraps forming a neat head.

Coat Thead head with Hard-as-nails. Paint eyes on barbel with black nail polish

 

I fish this fly on a 6wt rod with WF7F line. Because of the weight one might want to use a 7wt or bigger rod.

 

BTW: For lead, brass, or copper barbells I use 5/32 on size 8 hook, 3/16 on sz 6

 

Allow the fly to sink alittle, big strip...pause....2 quick short strips...pause...repeat

 

Tight lines,

 

AA

[jamie shard 0]

QUOTE (steeldrifter @ Jun 3 2005, 11:49 PM)

QUOTE (wickedcarpenter @ Jun 3 2005, 11:22 PM) fished wacky style Brent...Is that the technical term? Actually it is! It means the hook goes through the middle of the plastic worm so the ends go bouncy bouncy bouncy!   -jamie

[JoeFish 0]

dont forget the fact that if you can clearly see the fish, they can see you.

 

In the case like you describe, I have had better luck fishing farther down the shore, to fish you cant see. It also helps to take a few steps back from the bank and even lay some fly line on the grass.

 

sometimes a super slow presentation is what gets them. Im talking not moving the fly for around 10-20 seconds. They will cruise up on it then stare and then decide to hit it or not.

 

I think every bass fisherman has had those days. just get out there and keep at it.

 

 

Joe

[Joe Hard 0]

Sometimes bass will not move for anything unless it has sat there for a long time. Try casting to a good spot then having a look at a watch. Let 5 minutes go buy and then give the fly a slight twitch. let sit until everything is still, then slowly retreive your fly (this is for a surface fly). This works for all fussy bass. Just another technique.

[Guest]

QUOTE (steeldrifter @ Jun 3 2005, 10:12 PM)

A dropping barometer always makes for bad fishing, rising barometer always makes the fish more active I have found. With that said, it could have just been one of them days like Will said. I think we've all had those days when we threw everything inculding rocks at the fish but couldn't get them to move

Couldn't agree more. Last week was a prime example. We had them go off and on the feed several times within a couple hour span.

[Dble Haul 0]

QUOTE (Joe Hard @ Jun 7 2005, 12:13 PM)

This works for all fussy bass.

You mean that you're describing a technique that works on all fussy bass?

 

Guess I've been doing it wrong all these years. I haven't ever been able to get all fussy bass to hit.

 

 

 

[ArkieFlyGuy 0]

Largemouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Kentucky Bass

Spotted Bass

Striped Bass

Florida Bass

Peacock Bass

 

Fussy Bass?