Must have bass flies

[Landon P 0]

So my buddy recently bought a 8 weight fly rod and I'm going to make him some flies. Other than deceivers, clousers, Murdich minnows, and poppers what other flies should he for sure have? 

[Poopdeck 0]

Your list pretty much covers the must haves except for  a crayfish pattern. I'm a fan of creamers HD craw. I like to have some squirmy patterns as well as frog poppers. 

[Mike West 0]

Some good subsurface streamers(big ass marabou Muddler Minnows) reverse tie or hollow tie bluegill patterns.

and yeah some frogs

[mikemac1 0]

https://www.jsflyfishing.com/blog/boobies-for-bass/

[tidewaterfly 0]

I use the old style already mentioned, plus rabbit strip flies. I think it can depend on the waters what might be a good choice. I also like Seaducers, another old style, and some of the types like Bob Popovics ties for Striped Bass. 

Rabbit strip flies don't need to be complex either. I'll vary the width of the strips and the length, but generally don't often go over 8" long now. In the 4" to 8" length range, they'll catch a lot of bass. 

These are examples that I have used over the years. Some of them were not the easiest to cast without them fouling, which is possibly more important than the exact color or pattern. These are some of the better types for tossing into various types snags too, and the small profile helps get them through without a lot of hang ups, if a good weed guard is used. There's currently a discussion about weed guards.

 

[TIER 0]

even thought i don't bass fish, i would recommend a shad imitation.

[Mike West 0]

This is my own deal been tying it for over 30 years, A variation on a lot of other flies tied nowadays.

Depending on what size and what color you tie it in and how you weight it catches everything that swims. 
 

I tie this from a size 10 for Crappie & Bream panfish etc. to 5/0 for inland salt water and freshwater Stripers.

I wouldn’t know how to fish without this pattern.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Great looking bug and just the ticket for anything eating finger mullet... 

[Justin H 0]

15 minutes ago, Mike West said:

Depending on what size and what color you tie it in and how you weight it catches everything that swims.

I would second this pattern. I tie something very similar (unweighted) and it's a lot of fun to fish. I fish it as a slider, and it lands soft, slides right through the surface, and the bass just slurp them down. Perfect for the weedy shallows on still mornings. I've never tried fishing it as a streamer, but I am sure it works great that way too.

Also try tying some really small poppers too, some of my biggest bass have been caught on size 12 poppers. I believe that many bass are wary of large patterns/lures, so small can sometimes be the way to go, if you know where the fish are and you aren't just trying to cover water.

[samsonboi 0]

Woolly buggers, and definitely try the old-style winged bass wet flies. Also dragonfly imitations! And large weighted nymphs.

[Philly 0]

I won't argue with any of the suggestions.   The bait fish patterns I use are crossover patterns.  I use in salt and freshwater.  Peanut Bunker/Shad and Silverside/minnow.  If the lake has a lot of small sunfish.  I'll carry a couple of sunfish patterns.  I've added some Zonkers to my box in the last year.   I also carry some large mop flies, sinking and floating.   I do have a "boobie for bass" pattern that works well.   Another one I've done well with the last couple of years is an updated version of the Calcasieu Pig Boat.   Pictures  "Boobie for Bass"  and a couple of Pig Boats,  one a sunfish imitation, the other a shad.

 

[Landon P 0]

He is being kinda stubborn about what he wants so I'll just have to throw a bunch together 

 

[Bill_729 0]

On 7/18/2020 at 10:35 PM, tidewaterfly said:

 

Just curious.  Do you "throw" these with an 8-weight line (I have 7-weight).  Is it a struggle to throw them?  Does using WF line make it easier to cast them than DT?  Thanks in advance for responses from anyone.

Landon: Tell your friend he can only fish one fly at a time!  : )

Bill (Bill_729)

[Guest]

Do they have frogs, Crawdads in Wisconsin?   You’ll find whole lotta bass stuff over in the WarmWater page.   From swimmer tails, divers, spinner flies, Ploppers, take your pick.     With your mat’l and to keep it simple prolly  a deer hair or foam popper and deer hair or foam  diver with bait fish streamer for the three types.  

 

[vicente 0]

2 hours ago, Bill_729 said:

Just curious.  Do you "throw" these with an 8-weight line (I have 7-weight).  Is it a struggle to throw them?  Does using WF line make it easier to cast them than DT?  Thanks in advance for responses from anyone.

Landon: Tell your friend he can only fish one fly at a time!  : )

Bill (Bill_729)

I throw similar flys with an 8wt it's well suited to it, I use the titan taper line.