Fly fishing for bass.

KansasBassFisher · March 15, 2011, 03:50:13 PM

I recenlty got started in fly fishing for bass. Its a whole other ball game when it comes to fly fishing! Just want to see if we have any people here who enjoy it as much as i do!

bigjim5589 · March 15, 2011, 04:00:21 PM

YES! Welcome! Glad to have another fly flinger here!

I really enjoy it too! I've likely learned a lot more about bass fishing by using a fly rod than I would have otherwise. It is different, and forces you to slow down, and pay attention! I like bass fishing with other tackle too, but enjoy using the fly rod the most!

I've been fly fishing for bass for over 40 years!

KansasBassFisher · March 15, 2011, 04:21:41 PM

Thanks i appreciate it! I love it! 40 years is a long time! I mostly fish lakes and ponds.

bigjim5589 · March 15, 2011, 04:29:02 PM

The majority of the fishing I do is in tidal creeks, and sometimes freshwater streams. Occasionally I get out into the Chesapeake Bay & fly fish for Striped Bass & Bluefish. It's all loads of fun!

Have you started tying your own flies yet? That's another whole new adventure!

KansasBassFisher · March 15, 2011, 04:34:33 PM

Cool. I do like bluegill and crappie also. They are lots of fun with the 5wt. I have not started tying yet. I do want to here soon. I am looking into getting a starter kit. I also would like to get some classes for tying in.

coldfront · March 15, 2011, 05:12:50 PM

Quote from: bigjim5589 on March 15, 2011, 04:00:21 PM
...and forces you to slow down, and pay attention!...

no matter how you fish; or what you fish for...those are very important words...

I started out fly fishing...and then came over to bass tackle from there...from fly fishing I learned to be very specific in terms of location...often targeting individual fish...as opposed to blindly casting...

DaveP63 · March 15, 2011, 05:27:43 PM

Yep...But I cheat and use both...

KansasBassFisher · March 15, 2011, 05:53:19 PM

The weather here is starting to get better. I can't wait to get out there!

bigjim5589 · March 15, 2011, 06:57:20 PM

Quotefrom fly fishing I learned to be very specific in terms of location...often targeting individual fish...as opposed to blindly casting...

Also very important words!

Fly casting is not difficult, but it does require a better command of the tackle to get the fly where it needs to be in terms of location. This is not to say that it's not important to cast well with other tackle, but for most average anglers, it's easier to cast accurately with other methods than it is with fly tackle.

There was a post about what KVD had said in the Classic about making repeated casts to locations. I learned this due to using a fly rod. It's often more difficult to get flies in the strike zone compared to lures, and flies generally sink at a much slower rate than lures, even heavily weighted flies. By it's nature it requires patience & persistence. If you don't slow down and pay attention to the line, and make repeated casts, often you'll miss fish that just never see the fly.

I especially enjoy fishing with topwater flies, and is likely the most enjoyable way to fish with flies for most folks, but just like other tackle is not always the best approach. I learned that if I wanted to catch more fish with flies I had to fish subsurface, and location is especially of prime importance. Learn to get that fly in the strike zone & keep it there as much as possible, eventually fly fishing can become as effective as other tackle in the right hands.

bassbmx · March 15, 2011, 08:12:03 PM

I am another fly guy. I got started by tying my own flies for ice fishing and decided to start using a fly rod. I really like the fight with a fly rod. Most of the time I use them for panfish on small ponds without boat access. I do use them for other species as well once in a while and I get to use them for saltwater sometimes too.

Bassinkorea · March 15, 2011, 09:13:13 PM

Another fly fisher here. I mainly started fly fishing for trout many years ago, but in recent years I have started to target bass with flies. I still use lures the most, but on days when I decide to throw flies instead of lures I have an absolute blast. To catch a bass over 14 inches on a 3/4 weight fly rod is serious fun!

coldfront · March 15, 2011, 09:14:19 PM

Quote from: bigjim5589 on March 15, 2011, 06:57:20 PM
... fly fishing can become as effective as other tackle in the right hands.

purchased a cool video on fly fishing for bass (california giants!...one of the segments was fishing the weed matts on the Cal Delta... can be researched here: http://www.howardfilms.com/bassthemovie.html )

Sage rods introduced a little while ago an 8 foot fly rod geared specifically for bass...and understanding the 8 foot rule in tournaments...

bigjim5589 · March 15, 2011, 10:00:48 PM

coldfront, that's a great example. I've not yet seen that whole movie, but caught most of it on cable a few weeks ago. Larry Kurosaki's 16 3/4 lb bass is a fly rod world record, which just proves what we've both said. He's a very experienced fly angler & knew where to look for that bass! Location, Location, Location!

I'm not embarrassed to say the biggest Largemouth I've ever caught on a fly was just over 4 lbs. There are not a lot of big bass in the places I fish, and I don't get to fish as often as I would like, so my chances at a bigger one are limited. I hooked one in Florida once that I'm guessing may have exceeded 5 lbs, but lost it at the surface when the tippet broke. Still not too bad considering I was using a 6 wt. rod both times!