M
montcotrout
New member
I'm starting to notice grasshoppers in SEPA. I've never had any luck with them on Valley, but is it worth throwing them for smallies? Or should I just stick to frogs and streamers?
hooker-of-men
Well-known member
Not exclusively smallies and maybe not even a hopper, but I've probably caught more bass on a Fat Albert than any other single pattern. Maybe rivaled by Gurglers
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Dave_W
Moderator
Staff member
Yes - try a hopper pattern.
I don't typically associated hoppers with smallies since I fish SMBs mostly in creeks and rivers that are forested along their banks - not what I think of as hopper habitat.
With that said, bass and panfish will key on any insect that is readily available and if you're seeing hoppers, it would be a good time to try one as a fly. . . or frankly any popper or surface fly, perhaps a Gurgler as hookerOM suggests.
I don't typically associated hoppers with smallies since I fish SMBs mostly in creeks and rivers that are forested along their banks - not what I think of as hopper habitat.
With that said, bass and panfish will key on any insect that is readily available and if you're seeing hoppers, it would be a good time to try one as a fly. . . or frankly any popper or surface fly, perhaps a Gurgler as hookerOM suggests.
henrydavid
Member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2007
- Messages
- 627
"Bass are possibly less discriminating than wild brookies" Having read and been told this for years I can't say I fully agree 100% of the time.
Bamboozle
Well-known member
My favorite & most successful smallmouth popper is a diminutive orange slider with rubber legs. What the heck they think it is I don't know nor do I care...
...does Velveeta float???
My second favorite is a diminutive frog colored popper with bulging eyes fished where frogs seem to be non-existent.
Bottom line, IF I carried hoppers with me in my smallmouth fly boxes, I'd chuck them with reckless abandon all day long and wouldn't give a rat's arse if a hopper was as scarce as a frog or floating Velveeta....
