Targeting bass on the fly

Alright if bass are active and chasing bait in open water a streamer or even
a weighted stremer to match the bait fish is certainly the answer, but what
fly solutions to you have for bass in the hot of summer.

Yeah I am sure you can pick up a few on popping bugs and streamers first
thing in the morning or late in the day as sunlight wanes, but what about
mid day when they sound deep or head up into those heavy brush piles for a
bit of shade or pull way back up under a dock?

Are there fly applications for heavy cover fishing?

--
--
Bob La Londe
http://www.YumaBassMan.com


LocalNet dialup IMO is a criminal organization.
Have not used them in years but they continue to bill me.

"Bob La Londe" asked several great questions. First


Alright if bass are active and chasing bait in open water a streamer or
even a weighted stremer to match the bait fish is certainly the answer,
but what fly solutions to you have for bass in the hot of summer.

If 2-3 minnows are skipping within 6-8 feet of cover like a weed line, a
"match the hatch" streamer is not essential. A size 2 or 4 hopper pattern
or a size 6 or 8 bee pattern will work well on top water - if you can
forecast which way the bass are chasing the minnows and cast the terrestrial
in front of them. Worked for me on small to medium sized bass in 90 to 100F
temps.

Several years ago while fishing at mid day, I noticed thousands of 1 to 2
inch bass fry around a brush line. Something was hitting them because a
round hole would form as fry skipped 360 degrees away in all directions. I
waited and cast a mud dauber pattern into the forming hole and caught the
biggest bluegill I've seen in the West - larger than two hands. I watched
the fry for an hour or so and nothing else bothered them. Darn.

Second
but what about mid day when they sound deep or head up into those heavy
brush piles for a bit of shade or pull way back up under a dock?

Can't help when they are deep down or way back up in brush because it takes
special sub-surface flies, snagless or weedless rigs which are over my head.
But I've had good luck for BIG bass in special situations. If you can find
huge covered boat docks or huge overhanging trees over 12-15 feet deep water
where you can cast at least 10-15 feet way back into the shade, then tie on
a big 2/0 brown tarantula spider popping bug pattern. I make them out of a
wine cork sliced lengthways. It's kinda hard to cast into the upper end of
an empty boat slip or "spank" a big bug under overhanging tree limbs way
back into the shade but big momma is there and she is waiting and watching.
Hopefully your biggest problem will be how to horse her out into open water
g.
My problem is to keep the spider from landing ON the dock or IN the
overhanging limbs g

Third
Are there fly applications for heavy cover fishing?

Great question! Thought about it a lot. Everytime I picture casting a 2 or
3 treble hook crankbait (or a single hook popping bug)into heavy cover, I
just cringe! Weedless does not work for me either in heavy cover. Anybody
got any ideas?

Good luck!
John

"John" wrote in message
news
"Bob La Londe" asked several great questions.

Third
Are there fly applications for heavy cover fishing?

Great question! Thought about it a lot. Everytime I picture casting a 2
or
3 treble hook crankbait (or a single hook popping bug)into heavy cover, I
just cringe! Weedless does not work for me either in heavy cover.
Anybody
got any ideas?


The obvious answer is to say the heck with it and break out the flipping
stick, but I am trying to look it from a different perspective.


--
Bob La Londe - Webmaster
www.YumaBassMan.com

Tornament Director
www.YumaProAm.com


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"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
news
Alright if bass are active and chasing bait in open water a streamer or
even a weighted stremer to match the bait fish is certainly the answer,
but what fly solutions to you have for bass in the hot of summer.

Yeah I am sure you can pick up a few on popping bugs and streamers first
thing in the morning or late in the day as sunlight wanes, but what about
mid day when they sound deep or head up into those heavy brush piles for a
bit of shade or pull way back up under a dock?

Are there fly applications for heavy cover fishing?


For deep, or as deep as I go, I find working various rabbit strip flies such
as zonkers and crawfish patterns of various materials works pretty good.
The good ol' Wooly Bugger and variations colors to either match natural
forage or whatever is working for the hardware chunkers. I can't say I'm
impressed with weedguards and such, so I tend to work the fringes of heavy
cover or drop into holes in the cover. Flies and poppers are made to be
lost, I guess. My interpretation is that bass hide in the cover, but
actually feed in the near fringes. The roll-cast pick-up is also a definite
help in bass fishing, such as when you are dropping poppers and hair-bugs
into breaks in lilly-pads.

As for under docks, I go for side-arm casts, or even casting with the rod
tip below my waist and over-power the forward cast a little to keep the
plane of the look as flat as possible relative to the surface of the water.
I'm not sure how to describe what happens with my free hand, but by braking
a little on the shooting line as it nears the end of the delivery I can't
still get a decent presentation despite over-powering the cast.

Hope this helps some.

-Doc Elder

"Bob La Londe"
The obvious answer is to say the heck with it and break out the flipping
stick, but I am trying to look it from a different perspective.


--
Bob La Londe - Webmaster

no, breakout the cone head wooly buggers tied in leech, crawfish, sculpin
and black nosed dace colors

! john

asadi wrote:
"Bob La Londe"
The obvious answer is to say the heck with it and break out the flipping
stick, but I am trying to look it from a different perspective.


--
Bob La Londe - Webmaster

no, breakout the cone head wooly buggers tied in leech, crawfish, sculpin
and black nosed dace colors

....or emulate the 10-4 good buddy types by using an itty-bitty weedless
worm rig, somewhat like an overgrown San Juan worm. I have used tiny
(2 in. or so, 3-4 mm across) worms or the crappie fat worms with wavy
tails. Even works on slightly weighted hooks, but are hell to cast.
Mono weedguards work......sometimes.

cheers

oz, who ususlly won't go to all the trouble, but just enjoys the dumb
bluegills on a black ant.