Finally stuck my first LMB!

[BrooksAndHooks]

I have been fly fishing a little while now (a short while for you guys) and have pretty much done nothing but trout. I got into some pan fish a few months ago on a local lake for fun to just relax in the afternoon, but wanted to get after some bass. I started working some different flies, streamers etc, but wasn't getting much luck. Finally switched over to a larger grasshopper dry since sub surface stuff wasn't working for me no matter how I fished it, and hooked up with 2 nice bass. Since then I have caught two more in an hour or two of fishing. I think a little later in the year the fly might get a little more attention, but I'm happy for now. I have missed a few more takes also, which is better than nothing. A big LMB sure puts a bend in my 5wt and it was interesting and a change of pace from trout for a day. Glad I took my tippet up a little bit before I hooked up with the big guy.

 

[henrydavid]

Nice, if you really start getting into the bass fishing you might consider a 7 or 8 wt outfit. There are all kinds of larger patterns for bass, sometimes 5wt lines can't throw the big deer hair type flies.

I also enjoy tossing poppers near weed edges for largies, a 5wt can handle that, just be careful you don't break your rod on a big bass, lol.

 

[Fishidiot]

Brooks,
Good to see this. Too many FFers spend their entire careers pursuing trout. Of course there's nothing wrong with this - trout fishing and matching the hatch are the essential FFing experience - but such anglers miss out on a lot of fun when they don't fish bass and WW species. Think Outside the Trout Box...I like to say.

One thing to note about LMBs in big ponds and lakes: they're often in deep water or dense weeds this time of year. Very early in the am or at dusk/nightime, they'll come shallow, but finding larger bass (12"+) to target with a fly rod can be tough for the shore or wading angler this time of year.

 

[dc410]

Brooks & Hooks,

Nice job! Warmwater flyfishing is an awful lot of fun. I have definitely had my eyes opened up over the past few seasons to the many Warmwater opportunities out there. Whether it's catching 'gills or LMB in the local farm pond or chasing SMB and Redbreast sunnies in the local Warmwater river. Heck, I've even had a few carp and a big old fallfish put a smile on my face many times. Over the past few seasons I think my 8 wt has gotten more use than my 5 wt. WW flyfishing is a whole new season that I really look forward to every year. Congrats on the bucketmouths!

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

Thanks guys. It's definitely fun and I like a change of pace from time to time. This is a stocked local farm pond more than a real lake, so the tactics are a little different. The pond isn't all the deep in the middle, but they do sit out there. I was getting practice on my long casts for sure. The bass seem to periodically come in and chase the bream around in and just out past the weed beds. I have picked all the bass I've caught up after 7 in the evening, thats when I have been targeting them for the post part. Going to try and pick up some good bass poppers to try out too. It definitely seems like I might need a bigger rod for some of the guys in there. I've been thinking about a 7-8 wt to do bass with and the rare occasion I chase after steel head or do any bay/surf fishing, but that will be on the back burning for a while longer. I bass fished a lot growing up on a spin rod, so this is an interesting change for me but I'm enjoying the learning experience and challenge. I still want to get a smallie this year, catching a bass on the fly rod was one of my goals for 2015.

Thanks for all the tips everyone, definitely helps to keep improving.

 

[sarce]

Nice! Interesting that they took a hopper. For whatever reason I never get a damn thing to eat hopper patterns. LMB I usually have the best luck with an unweighted olive woolly bugger that sinks very slowly. But I should note that 95% of the LMB I've caught on the fly have been under 12".

 

[jifigz]

You state that you've finally stuck your first Largemouth, but what about Smallmouths? I have spent many, many, many hours of my life pursuing bass with an abundance of tactics and equipment. I've taken some LMB bass that are impressively large, especially when I lived in Florida as a kid for a few years, but no largemout can compare to a smallie. Smallmouths are, in my opinion, a million times more fun to fish for and fight than Largemouths. Go chase them if you haven't already as we have many good smallmouth waters not too far from home.

I see you live in SCPA....where exactly? The Juniata River is my front yard and I'd love to fish for some smallies there with you sometime. Just let me know.....

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

This is my first summer fly fishing for bass at all, and no I haven't made it out for smallies yet. They are next on my list. I am not too far from the Juniata, down towards bedford. I might have to take you up on that. One of my friends who has a camp down on the river just asked me to come fish with him in August so I might be able to make it happen.

Yeah, the hopper was a suprice. I through a lot of my wooly bugger and streamer patterns and had a ton of follows but no takes. I had one take that he immediately spit out before I could hook set. Gota keep playing them. I fish this pond because It's literally on my doorstep, but I will be back home for a month now and be closer to the J and other good waters for trout and smallies both.

 

[phiendWMD]

sarce wrote:
Nice! Interesting that they took a hopper. For whatever reason I never get a damn thing to eat hopper patterns. LMB I usually have the best luck with an unweighted olive woolly bugger that sinks very slowly. But I should note that 95% of the LMB I've caught on the fly have been under 12".

I've caught a lot of LMB on hoppers. Nothing that was especially big but they take it constantly. In fact, I may have caught more fish on a hopper than any other fly. The only that thing might come close is a wooly bugger.

BrooksAndHooks wrote:
This is my first summer fly fishing for bass at all, and no I haven't made it out for smallies yet. They are next on my list. I am not too far from the Juniata, down towards bedford. I might have to take you up on that. One of my friends who has a camp down on the river just asked me to come fish with him in August so I might be able to make it happen.

Yeah, the hopper was a suprice. I through a lot of my wooly bugger and streamer patterns and had a ton of follows but no takes. I had one take that he immediately spit out before I could hook set. Gota keep playing them. I fish this pond because It's literally on my doorstep, but I will be back home for a month now and be closer to the J and other good waters for trout and smallies both.

SMB fight so much harder IMO. They are also more like trout I think. Or at least fishing for them is like fishing for trout. The same techniques work for them as trout. LMB seem to take my flies when I do something stupid, that would put every trout for 75 feet down. Like dragging up against the current as fast as I can.

The area I usually WW fish has both. It's fun not really knowing what will bite until it does.

 

[mooney4]

Are you tying your own stuff? I would suggest trying a frog pattern in a popper. Something that is green with legs usually gets a look from the LMB. Definitely give the early mornings and just before sunset times a try. Thats a great time for trying top water patterns.

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

I will have to get after the small mouth soon, it's definitely on my short list. Next week or two maybe. Thanks for the tips!


Yeah I tie a lot of my own stuff now, I have a few flies that I bought back when I started that I still have hiding in my fly boxes. The hoppers I have now were bought not tied, almost not worth it for me to tie them. I will have to try out the frog popper pattern.

 

[jeremymcon]

I've actually never caught many largemouth. I'm sure I've caught a few dinks over the years, but nothing decent. Definitely recommend smallmouth though! Jifigz (above) lives on a beautiful piece of land along the Juniata river, and I have caught plenty of smallmouth from that stretch while fishing with him. If you're in reasonable driving distance I'd recommend taking him up on that offer to fish!

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

I'm not far from the juniata and have access to quite a few places both public and private, but I wouldn't be opposed to meeting up sometime either!

 

[mkerr]

I have been wanting to take a float trip on the juniata for a sample trip for a while. I have a two person pontoon boat I have had on most of the other river within a few hour ride of home. I am not sure if there are any sections that are better than others. Would appreciate any info on the river. Also, if anyone who knows the river is welcome to a day floating and me on the paddle so I could learn the river. Just send me a pm if interested.

 

[henrydavid]

Just curious, does the Juniata have a white fly hatch? That hatch on the Susquehanna North Branch has just recently ended. There is nothing like it, the largest smallies in the river let down their guard during this hatch. You have the opportunity to take several 15+ inch smallies every evening.

 

[Fishidiot]

henrydavid wrote:
Just curious, does the Juniata have a white fly hatch?

Yes it does.

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

Went wet wading in the juniata today and caught my first smallie, pretty small at about 12" but gave a good fight and was fun. caught a dozen rock bass of decent size, some sunnies, and 4 fall fish. Saw a bunch of big carp but no takers, and they would have probably destroyed my 5wt anyways so I didn't really target them. Pretty fun day.

 

[dc410]

Nice job on the Smallie, B&H. Sounds like you got into a real warmwater medley. Hey, don't shy away from those carp on your 5 wt. they can be a real hoot! Just play your cards right while your fighting them and you can land some real big carp on a 5 wt outfit. Just don't high stick 'em when they get in close ...... real good way to bust a rod.

 

[BrooksAndHooks]

Thanks, it was a fun day and got out with my brother. He was more actively targeting the carp with a 7 wt, and I was along to help out and go for some smallies etc so it was a good time. Actually ran into some big rainbows hanging out where a small spring dumps into the river, which was interesting, and almost hooked up with one. I would have been thrilled to hook up with a carp, but a few of the lunkers probably would have given me a hard time. We are going to try and go back for them again once water conditions are a little better.