Florida Bass Flies?

[bowmike 0]

Going to Florida in March, and was wondering what are some good bass flies. I am a die hard trout guy, and most of the flies in my box, would be eaten by the flies I need to tie for bass.

 

I tie a good crayfish, but was wondering what other flies I should be including for the trip.

[agn54 0]

poppers, gurglers, and dahlberg divers are always a good choice. Clousers and wooly buggers are popular as well. Any baitfish patter will work, For colors for bass I have always like lures and such in fire tiger, and black or purple.

[utyer 0]

Any type of frog (floating,) will work early in the day. When the fish are busting bait on the surface, bait fish patterns with little or no weight will work. When the fish go deep, then switch to heavier weighted bait fish, buggers, and Clousers.

[Rocco 0]

Most of the monster FL bass are taken by bait fishermen using big golden shiners. Look them up on the inet to see their profile and then tie some BIG patterns and use a 10 WT to chuck them with and to dig the fish out of the salad.

 

When the bass are feeding on shad schools on top, they are mainly school size bass, Lots of fun and fast action but when you tire of that game, add some weight on the nose of your steamers so they dive for the bottom and you may pick up a lunker feeding on the cripples.

 

You got to try boiled peanuts while in FL. It will set your palate back to the stone age.

 

Rocco

[agn54 0]

I got to agree with Rocco on the boiled peanuts. I particularly like the cajun style but the regular ones are fantastic. Just buy them on the side of the road at any fruit stand

 

Aslo, you haven't specified where in Florida you will be. If you are south of Palm Beach County then you should start thinking about peacocks as well as large mouth. The fight of a peacock bass makes a large mouth feel like a tadpole

[JSzymczyk 0]

There is WAY too much of Florida to just say "I'm going to Florida". The central part of the Panhandle might as well be on a different planet from Miami, for instance. In fact, having worked there for about 4 years, it may well have been on a different planet from anywhere.... decent fishing though.

 

As for bass flies, pretty much just anything big. In fact big and ugly. I used to tie things, look at them, and say "that's so ugly a largemouth would eat it."

[mikechell 0]

I live between Daytona Beach and Orlando. I fish fresh water only and bass are fairly easy to fool with a fly rod, but as Rocco stated, big bass are easier on live shiners.

I hate live bait fishing, so I'll settle for 2 to 6 pound fish on a fly rod any day.

 

Depending on where you go, most of the water is Florida is 12 feet or less. Most of the lakes are shallow bowls with almost no structure in the middle. The best places to catch bass are near any kind of vegetation you can find. Weed lines aren't just cover, they represent the closest thing to structure in most waters.

 

Bass have tons of bait fish swimming around then, and can be relatively "fat, dumb and happy" preferring to let food come to them, rather than chasing it. The main thing to remember here is ... SLOW DOWN !!! You don't need weight, really, as a slow fall to the bottom will entice more bites than a quick fall. Use bluegill and shad imitations and let them flutter to the bottom. Play it off the bottom like a dying fish, kicking up then falling back to the bottom. Most people fish artificial bait WAAAAAAYYYY too fast.

[bowmike 0]

I will be staying in Harmony, wich is near ST. Cloud and Kissimmee. I only have a 5 wt since my 8 wt broke. I am used to fighting chrome with a 5 wt so I hope these possible monsters wont break it I will be tying up some grasshoppers and such

[ditz2 0]

You might try some 3/8" diameter poppers and sliders with maybe a saddle hackle tail or a straight bucktail or a bucktail splayed tail. don't splay too much and you should still be able to cast it with a 5wt. Hairbugs up to maybe 1/2" dia might be castable as well. Size 4 Seaducer should also be castable if you can find them or tie your own. These are for shallow and are very slow sinkers. Don't for get to do a few with weed guards. Medium sized Clousers for some deeper water with bead chain eyes so not to foul in the bottom weeds and algea. A 7wt would open your horizons a bunch.

[agn54 0]

I think Alligator Lake is the nearest big lake, it's right along 192, but there are a tone of lakes in that area. Unfortunately I haven't fished it but drive past it on occasion. If the wind blows out of the south it can get pretty choppy, but then you can take the cut through canal to the lake on the other side of the highway. A 5 wt may be a bit light for casting the larger flies, especially in the wind on the open water, but the bass won't break the rod. You aren't fighting jacks or tuna, just play them carefully.

[bowmike 0]

I will just be fishing on the communities lake, on one of their private boats or right off of the dock for the most part. Will have one rod with a worm on the bottom and a fly rod to play around with. I wanted to catch some big cats, and thought I had a mack daddy on. I reeled it in and was surprised that it was a soft shelled turtle. man those gators were all over him.

[mikechell 0]

None of my rods are larger than a 5. It's not the rod, but the "player" that breaks rods.

Private lakes in Florida are where almost all of the huge bass come from. Very little true pressure and days with none ... hoppers and unweighted clousers will tear them up.

I'll wager that there won't be more than 12 feet of water at the deepest. Some of the lakes down there might go to 20, but most don't. This means that your worst enemy is cold fronts. By the time you're down here, you probably won't have to worry much.

[Rocco 0]

Dragging a 6lb + LMB out of the weeds with a 5 wt is a long shot. And the tiddlers will get stressed in a long fight if you cannot land them quickly and efficiently.

 

And you will want to pitch some weed guarded top water flies into the thick stuff and this requires a rod with back bone to set the hook and move the fish.

 

I'd get another 8 wt or stronger rod if I were you.

 

Rocco