Bass flies?

[Hammerojustice]

I saw someone posted a top 12 list for PA eastern trout flies.

I was wondering if there was a similar list for bass. Large or small would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Hammerojustice]

Correction it was the "A dozen top flies for PA trout streams" http://www.paflyfish.com/forums/Open-Forums/Beginner-Forum/A-dozen-top-flies-for-PA-trout-streams/21,34036.html

As a newbie, any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Dave_W]

You might find such a list but just off the top of my mind I'd suggest (I don't categorize flies by name, but rather by general style):

1. Basic poppers in white, and yellow

2. Some Wooly buggers in various colors

3. Clouser Minnow (various colors, black is always good)

4. Some crayfish patterns (your choice, doesn't matter, I like soft materials like marabou).

5. Some basic trout nymphs such as Hare's Ear etc, but in slightly larger sizes, say #10-8.

6. Some sort of surface gurgler or diver (think "dalhberg diver" or something like this).

7. Some large rubber legged nymphs (these should be big, say 2" in length or so).

 

[melvinp]

Good list dave pretty much covers it.Of course that's about 50 different patterns and colors.Hammer you better get a bigger fly box.LOL.Im working with 2.0 jigs hooks now.What type of bass has a little to do with it too.

 

[Hammerojustice]

Thanks... It'll probably be mostly largemouth, but maybe some smallies

 

[JerryC]

I would add a Sneaky Pete style slider to the list. Popper colors besides white and yellow would be Fire Tiger, Frog colors and fluorescent yellow. Use the same colors for the sliders.
Crease Flies tied to match local bait fish colors and size, a good top water fly than can also be fished off an intermediate or sinking line.
One off beat pattern that I use is the Calcasieu Pig Boat which has worked well for me the last couple of years for bass. Mainly white or shad colors.

 

[Jessed]

Leftys deceiver is the best warm water fly in my opinion. Bass and northern love it!

 

[melvinp]

I make most of my large mouth or still water patterns lighter and larger than my moving water patterns mainly to keep them out of the muck on the bottom.Moving water I put the weight to them to bounce off the bottom.That all bepends of course the water you are fishing I don't have a lot of rock bottom ponds or lakes in my area but do have a lot of duck weed that loves to tangle hooks.I would say that a Sex dungen would be my fav or maybe a game changer of course lighty weighted.Good luck.

 

[smyleitskyle]

Largemouth were going after muddler minnow streamers pretty consistently all weekend at a lake in the Poconos. Every time I saw a bass and casted to it it would turn and go right for the fly.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

All I have used the past few years are these:

1) articulated stonecat and baitfish patterns.
2) crayfish
3) poppers

In all honesty I need to expand my bass box but more often than not I catch a fair number of fish on articulated baitfish patterns. I like them to be big and heavy (4-6" long). I prefer fish skulls or lead eyes. I use an articulated shank with a size 2 wide gape hook and 30lb mono and a size 6 wide gape hook for a stinger. I have seen a huge difference in hook up percentage since I went to wide gape hooks. I like my streamers to have a ton of movement, bass seem to love this.

Use what you have confidence in but if you tie experiment with patterns and colors. The thing I love about my articulated flies is I have perfected them from being torn apart and they are bullet proof.
Used the same fly the past 4 outings and it's still good to go.
Last year I think I caught 200 or so smallmouth on the same fly before it was toast.

 

[GonnaFlyNow]

Speaking of clousers and poppers, last Thursday I was out and got skunked on my clouser so I decided to work a Sneaky Pete popper on top. I had a smallie crush the popper and then put on a real show. The smallie went air borne. If you get a chance to work a popper on the surface, you'll find that nothing beats the action of a base taking a fly off the surface. It's really cool to watch.

 

[BrianMyers67]

Dave_W has a good list for smallies. When fishing small rivers and creeks I would keep the sizes smaller for things like streamers (sizes 10-6) and rubber legged nymphs . I wouldn't leave out simple feather wing streamers, zonker matukas or larger soft hackles (carey special variations http://soft-hacklejournal.blogspot.com/2014/09/cedar-lake-dragon.html).

 

[henrydavid]

White Wulff for Susquehanna River smallies

 

[SteveG]

I only fish for smallies, but Murdich minnow, wooly buggers, and crayfish patterns for a floating line.

If you have a sinking line, yellow or olive Madonnas. They've been responsible for a majority of my larger bass.

I do want to try some larger soft hackles soon. I haven't had much success with poppers this year.

 

[NJTroutbum]

This my playlist on YouTube for Warmwater flies. They are all I fish and they do very well for me.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEYzctOgRqj8zpsUi13ZrBjfHbD5FwiXe

 

[BrianMyers67]

Sparsely (read poorly) tied muddler minnow (floating line - fluoro leader - no extra weight)

Conestoga river