How big are most of your WW Bass Flies?

[Steve P 0]

So is there a way to refine this survey/poll so it would give a better idea of what a beginner could do to catch Bass species across the US?

 

 

Basically if you do as you just did, get and average of what people have told you thus far and do the math... with 77 votes it looks like a good average but to get a really good feel for it if I were to go on a country wide bassin' escapade I would need a bit more information as to what the local forage looks like and what is going on at the particular time of year that I am there. Forage changes from time to time depending on what the bass are doing in there general cycle of life and they eat different things depending on what their food is doing in their general cycle of life. Also you have to take into account that most people (myself included) will fish what they feel comfortable fishing regardless of what is happening in the water because we feel comfortable and confident fishing that particular fly/pattern. In short this would help, it may not be the end all be all but it sure doesn't hurt too much.

 

 

Steve

[Hairstacker 0]

I think Steve makes a great point. I take a completely different set of fly patterns and sizes when I'm fishing local creeks for smallies and spots compared to what I carry on the California Delta for bigger largemouths. The rest of my tackle is also quite different for that matter. For example, I like to wet wade small creeks with a 2 wt. - 5 wt. rod and toss size 6 leeches and sculpin patterns, whereas on the Delta you'll find me in a kayak with nothing less than a 7 wt. rod and nothing smaller than big deer hair poppers and divers tied on Tiemco TMC 8089 size 2 (equivalent to size 2/0 Gamakatsu B10S) hooks. Moreover, I shift away from topwater fly patterns to subsurface ones once water temps start plummeting in the late fall/early winter.

 

Averages are somewhat useful but I would focus on a set of nearby waters that are known to be productive and learn their particular secrets and idiosyncracies -- topography, water depth, types of coverage, forage, etc. I would experiment with different fly patterns and approaches and keep track of the specific spots and tactics that produce. I would also keep track of water temps so you can get a sense of how the fishery evolves during the season. If you're doing it on your own, it can take a several seasons of regularly fishing it to really feel dialed into a specific location but the results will often be worth it.

 

-- Mike

[EnemyofCarp 0]

Smallmouth, 3-6" streamers on 1-2/0. I usually fish a smaller popper on a #2.

 

Largemouth 1/0 to 2/0 3-6".

 

Mostly river fish for SMB and Pike.

[bluegill576 0]

Just a question do any of you all ever fish mice with success? I've tried using them a couple of times but have never caught any bass on them.

[tidewaterfly 0]

I have a small box with several mouse patterns in it, and have fished them occasionally. I also do not have much success with them, but I know that bass will eat them. However, it may just be a lack of confidence in using them, which causes me to use other flies that I've had more success with. I would guess that if you & I started fishing those mice a lot, our success rate would go up. It's a matter of percentages. I use Gurglers a lot, which could very well imitate a mouse in the right colors, and they work quite well for me. I've seen another pattern tied with foam called a Morrish Mouse, which is a fly tied for Alaska waters, and appears to be very similar to a Gurgler. I intend to tie up some of them & try them on bass.

 

I'm sure they'll work, I just have to use them! It's like anything else, they won't catch anything sitting in your fly box. If you just go out & fish those mice more, then you should eventually catch more bass on them!

[jhammer 0]

I usually use size 8-10 flies. Mostly wooly buggers. I use my 6wt on a couple ponds I fish. Although, I use size 4-6 flies on my 8wt when I'm going after bigger bass. I just use smaller flies and my 6wt because the bass hit them just as much as the panfish.

[dreamcaster4639 0]

Bass I use clousers, hoppers, and buggers any where from a 6-2 ponds and lakes

[Steve P 0]

I cannot believe that I just saw the mouse question..... I LOVE mice, they are a great meaty fly for bass and when the fish are being aggressive then by all means they are the end all be all make them blow up and go crazy over a fly thing to have in your box. My best presentation is a super fast hand over hand retrieve, make your cast shove the fly rod into your armpit and then hand over hand bring in line as fast as you can, I've caught all kinds of fish on them from trout to smallies, LMB, even caught a 6lb flathead on one once... was a cool fish but not a good time on my 6wt. Try different sized mice, I personally fish mostly thy mustad 3787 in a 10 or 8 and no bigger than a 4.

 

Now for a quick talk on confidence bait since it seems to be something that we are touching on but not talk much about...... I tie commercially and I also tie from time to time for folks I know that want to get into the sport, the one thing I always ask is who are they going out with and what that person is using. I have more than once had a customer tell me exactly what they want only to tell me their buddy was using something different and it caught fish and they didn't. Now when a guy tells me he is going fishing with a friend who really like woolies and renegades (two really common patterns around here) I always see to it I know the sizes and colors that the buddy likes and will be using. This is one of those placebo things, when the buddy is fishing something then it must be the thing to fish since he knows what he is doing... now I like streamers, big sculpins, big nasty anything really no matter what I am fishing for. So if I give a beginner a bunch of streamers that he does not know how to fish and neither does this buddy of his then he won't catch much if anything at all because he sees the "expert" fishing something different and does not believe in the flies I have sold to him. Basically all this leads to one thing and one thing alone, if you believe the fly you are fishing will catch fish them by god most of the time it will. Why you ask??? Well mostly because you leave it tied to your line long enough to find a fish that will eat it. I really like big stuff if the hook number doesn't have an ought behind it I don't believe in it so when I fish small stuff and start bumping small fish I start changing flies constantly because I want bigger fish, I get antsy and cannot keep the same fly tied on for more than a hand full of casts. So no matter where you fish fish what you believe in and you'll catch fish I promise.

 

Steve

[Brian Myers 0]

Smallies in rivers and streams, always wading. Sizes 4-8 occasionally down to size 12 . Streamers and crawfish patterns , though mostly crawfish this past year. Seemed like I didn't anything but crawfish last year.

[Rocco 0]

In May-June I like to use smaller, sleek, streamers -- 2-3" -- that trigger young of the year strikes in the shallows. Move to bigger patterns fished deeper in mid summer and BIG ones in fall when they are greedy on the feed before the cold water hits. Not germane here, but the same tactics also work on trout.

 

Just finishing a test mess of the spring streamers in a variety of colors using low-flash, faux fox synthetics and Gamakatus B10s hooks in size #6-- to discourage panfish tiddlers -- with no body floss or tinsel. They have great movement in the water and to melook more like forage fish w/o the usual garish touches. I'll post a picture when the test group is ready.

 

Rocco

[Philly 0]

On the local creek I fish, bait fish patterns 1 1/2 - 3 inches. Poppers or Sneaky Pete type sliders tied on size 4 to 8 hooks. Local lakes about the same. Working on some small sunfish and shad patterns around 2 inches long for the lakes. When I go up to northern Ontario for my yearly vacation, I'll throw flies ranging from 1 1/2 up to 10 inches subsurface since pike hang out in many of the same areas the smallies do. Top water 2-4 inch long poppers/pencil popper/Sneaky Pete type sliders. On the local creek I use a 5 wgt and on the lakes and in Canada mostly a 6 wgt. with flies up to 7 inches. Anything bigger than that I'll use an 8 wgt.

[djtrout 0]

smallies is what I love on the fly. Also largemouth, but incidental usually. fresh water rivers.

I tie a baitfish on a salt water 1/0 hook, so I like to throw it with my 8 wt rod. I split time though between 7 and 8 wt.

except for that baitfish, which gets 85% of the time, crawfish in size 8-10 or 2 depending on pattern, popper in stinger hooks maybe size 10 I think, clousers in 6. I would say the range for bass anywhere would be size 1/0 to 6, with 2-6 probably prevalent for smallies. Bluegills will hit anything made for bass as well. They will attack flies twice their size. I have smaller poppers and jigs though just for them, size 8-12.

smallies will hit the smaller trout flies as well, as people above mentioned.

[buckybrews 0]

Hey everyone,

 

I'm going to be on Wah Wash Kesh Lake in July I have 5 and 8 wght rods. Any pointers would be great. Thanks!

[ditz2 0]

I mostly fish smb because that is what is in the local creeks. Small bait fish up to 2 1/2" and small crawdad flies. I also use small poppers of about 3/8" diameter. I use a 6' rod of a 2wt up to 5wt. to throw these flies.

[elderbarry 0]

No SMBs down here, just bucketmouths. And all kinds of Saltwater types!