[sniksoh]

the ice has just very recently melted of the ponds here. i thik it was fridy when it was gone. i posted this about a week ago with little results but the water is still very cold obviously, does anyone know any good flies for largemouth during this time?

[Batman]

Down here we use flies that resemble large [key word] LARGE minnows that go deep, hope that helps,,,,,,,,,B,,,,,,,,,,,

[sniksoh]

so if they are going after large flies i would assume they are pretty active?

[Steve P]

Just south of you I'm fishing #6 stinger hook streamers DEEEEEEEEEEEP and SLOOOOOOOOOW and hitting just a few Pulled up one this weekend fishing some big stuff in about 8ft. of 42/43 degree water for muskies but pretty sure that was a fluke.

Steve

[buggybob]

You guys are lucky. The closest thing we have to open water is 11 inches of ice on the lake. It was 11 this morning and will be somewhere between 1 and 7 tomorrow morning. Welcome to spring.

[swink]

Just make sure it gets down...wire wraps and the biggest lead eyes you got...marabou tail, bunny wrap, and a few rubber legs tossed in and you got yourself a B*tch Slap...tasty.

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[skyphix]

Not long after ice out last year a solid black size 8 Clouser netted me this guy. Water temp was ~45 degrees in a small pond in town.

[Fred H.]

Just make sure it gets down...wire wraps and the biggest lead eyes you got...marabou tail, bunny wrap, and a few rubber legs tossed in and you got yourself a B*tch Slap...tasty.

I agree, nice looking fly swink.
sniksoh, marabu will continue to move in the water after the fly has stopped . And bass are more likely to hit a larger fly in cold water. Not because they are more active. But because the larger the meal verses the ammount of energy expended to catch it comes in to play. That is why when it is cold you must slow down your presentation.
Fred

[Hairstacker]

During cold water conditions, I'm another one that goes strictly subsurface with baitfish imitations fished slow with plenty of pregnant pauses. They will very often hit while the fly is paused. How deep depends on the particular piece of water -- I caught this one in mid-December on a lightly-weighted size 2/0 5-inch long baitfish imitation in less than 10' of water and the fish hit while the fly was paused:

[jkol]

so if they are going after large flies i would assume they are pretty active?

Actually quite the opposite.
In many bodies of water the main forage fish are almost a year old and therefore are some of the largest prey a bass will be consistently taking all year. With the entire ecosystem on a near metabolic standstill those forage species will be moving very slow and subsequently a feeding bass will look for the slowest food and easiest meal possible.

[aftershock]

Just make sure it gets down...wire wraps and the biggest lead eyes you got...marabou tail, bunny wrap, and a few rubber legs tossed in and you got yourself a B*tch Slap...tasty.

what size hook? looks like a killer i will have to try it

[swink]

Just make sure it gets down...wire wraps and the biggest lead eyes you got...marabou tail, bunny wrap, and a few rubber legs tossed in and you got yourself a B*tch Slap...tasty.

what size hook? looks like a killer i will have to try it

Size 2, 3x long to avoid the short strikes...casts like a rock