Hello, I'm back after a long way away. LM Bass on the fly Q

[Urbanfisherman]

Hey guys and girls (especially single girls that FLYfish ),

Just thought I'd say hello before I start posting again.

I've bought a new house (fixer-upper like everything else I buy) and I have a new hour consuming job I haven't been able to hit the water much. I've been fishing once this year But it was a good trip in Lake Placid... got my 17 inch brown

Well I'll have questions and comments coming as work is getting easier and the house is getting better and vacations are coming in 4 days.

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Here's my question on LM Bass

I've only fished Smallies in the Rideau so I'm really unsure of what to fish for LM. I figure poppers and some big streamers.

Any must have flies for LM?
What is the best presentation this time of year?
Fast or slow?
Top water or sub surface?
Do you think I should fish spinning gear to locate?


I'll be in a boat this Saturday on what my friends say is a proven LM and Pike lake. I'll be 20lbs test tied (properly) to flurocarbon 10 lbs test on a 6 weight rod. I have a sinking tip if needed.

Later I'll have to write a nice long post on my amazing time on the AuSable River this spring... but that's another post.

Thanks in advance,

UF

[beachburger]

Fish as big a popper and streamer as you can cast. I prefer a floating line so I can see the telltale line movement when a big largie slurps up a streamer. I usually use an 8wt for LMB with 7' 10 lb straight mono leader but I probably should be using fluoro for the abrasion resistance. My favorite LMB surface fly has become the Stealth Bomber. I am nearing 100 LMB to hand with this fly so far this season.

When fishing for LMB I like to cast to targets like the edge of a lily patch or beside a fallen tree. If there is no strike within 3-4 strips, I'll cast to the next target. If I know there are bass in the area, I will move through several targets and the cycle back through those targets several times. If the topwaters are not working, lay a streamer like a Deceiver at the same targets, let it sink a bit and retrieve slowly. If fishing open water, I like to strip a big streamer across the tops of weeds and along weed edges.

I strongly recommend using barbless hooks. It wont be long until you find out that the largies inhale flies pretty good.

I would consider fishing spinning gear to locate to be cheating.....

[Salar]

Do you think I should fish spinning gear to locate?

Do you use training wheels on your bicycle?

[Hookup]

I haven't fished for LMB this year, yet. However, from what I hear from others it's harder this year than before due to the weird weather. The bass are not scattered, but you'll have to search the entire water column to find them as people are saying they are not acting "normal". I would be very quick to switch-up presentation methods in a location that "looks" like it has all the right structure so I could find them deep or shallow, and fast or slow retrieves.

I realize that is not that useful of info, but basically I'm saying if it was me, id' be switching presentations more often than normal until I patterned them... for me, I only go through a handful of flies (3-6) in a whole days fishing anyhow, in "search and destroy mode" I'd be more apt to burn through 3 or 4 patterns/presentations in the first 30min and keep switching it up at each "location" until I figured it out... But I've been known to fish HARD, and not SMART so take that for what it's worth.... haha

So theres my two cents of opinion, with change.

[Todd B.]

Hmmmmm....your 6wt isn't going to give you much backbone to haul them out of the weeds if thats where you're going to be fishing for them. In open water your 6wt is fine but in the slop you'd need an 8wt at least.

[wongrs]

i've been having luck with poppers and which white conehead buggers at dusk.

i echo the LMB inhaling flies. it's surprising how deep they go. i'm going to test drive my new frog popper in the canal tonight. it's going to be rad.

[Hookup]

@Wongrs;
Can you post a photo of this fly? The "new frog popper"?

I'm waiting on hooks to arrive before I can start to tie some popper patterns... I'm just curious to see what others are throwing/using/preferring.

[Urbanfisherman]

Thanks guys... and yes be hard on me... I need to be reminded of my Lazy fishing habits... Haven't been around many fly fishing purists. Sometimes being pushed is good!

I'm really worried about not catching as much as they say it's a good lake... I don't have the confidence builder of having caught LM on a fly in my life... nor fished in that lake. Everybody will be fishing spinning gear except me and the other guy in my boat (taking turns).

Off to the fly shop on thursday!

UF

[Hookup]

This weekend, starting Thursday evening, I will be fishing Black Donald (the cottage) with a friend. It's a guys fishing trip.. and for years we fished spinning gear/baitcast gear... years and years...

This year, he will be in the boat bait-casting his way to glory, and I will be fly-fishing... The pressure is on for sure... even though it's supposed to be "fun" and it will be, I am worried he will out-fish me 50 to 1 because of my lacking skills with the fly rod...

That being said... I'm fly-fishing, even if I catch less fish... He'll use 40lb braid line and haul the fish to the boat in 10seconds or less... I'll hook up and take 1-2min to play the fish in... I'm sure that part alone will make it all worth while... And when I feather the line so as to drop the fly into the right spot and see the swirl as a good sized smallie is fooled by my presentation, on a fly I tied.. well that's just about as close to a fishing orgasm as one can get...

Also, it's my lake so I can make sure to point his end of the boat into the crap spots if he gets too far ahead of me... hahahahaha

Stay strong Fly Brother, stay strong...

[beachburger]

I'm really worried about not catching as much as they say it's a good lake...

Cast to the spots that "look bassy" and you will do fine.

Don't forget to give us an update when you outfish your buddies 3-1.....