Fly fishing for bass in Gen Clear Lakes?

[PressuredLakeFisherman]

Ya know before I started bass fishing, I trout fished, and I often fly fished. To be honest I never fly fished for bass because you need a different wt rod and I was always nervous they would snap my dinky 4-5wt trout rods but, does anyone use this method for gen clear lakes? Also, what flies and patterns do you throw, streamers? those worm patterns? Also do you fish sink tip lines, as I would imagine you would have too in some situations?

[TnRiver46]

They aren’t going to snap your rod, just play them out. You can always let them pull line easily off a fly reel. I feel like spinning gear is more “finesse” because you can cast without all the line flinging around in the air 

[Luke Barnes]

Ive dabbled in fly fishing for bass and the clouser minnow and wooly bigger work. Big enough to keep dinky blue gills off.

[Whatever]

I have had my best luck the past several seasons fishing Bunny Leeches, down to about 10 or 12 ft depth. Deeper than that and I go to weighted patterns, either bead heads, or lead wraps. I took a nice SMB a few years ago on a Sculpin pattern, with a weighted "fish skull". I tie large Wooly Buggers in size 2, or various articulated  nymphs, for both deep and shallow. And when conditions are good (early am and pm), I can take fish on foam hoppers, I use a sink tip for getting down to 20 or thirty foot depth., but typically  just use a floating WF line, and fish the upper 10 foot of the water column.. We have clear water here, but not heavily pressured. And I typically use an 8 or 10 weight rod for heavy or bulky flies.

Have you tried fishing at night?

[Sphynx]

Yep, I have caught bass on a fly rod, favorite patterns of mine are foam poppers, deer hair poppers, sneaky Pete's, clouser minnows, wooly bugger, and mouse/rat patterns...as to rod weight, it's definitely possible to catch them on a 5 weight, you can't be locking down the drag, but if you are reasonably competent at palming a reel (I'm guessing you are given your background) you shouldn't have too much trouble, I mostly use my 8wt, but it can certainly be done with less. 

[Whatever]

I should mention the plus or minus factor in fly rods--it is generally accepted you can go up  (or down) one line size on a given weight rod, and still get good performance. A 5 weight is plenty big enough for our local bass (a 6 pounder here is huge), but it does not lend itself to casting large bulky flies. You might try a 6 weight line, and see if it works with your rod, for casting larger flies, rather than spend the money to get an 8 weight rod.

[Fallser]

I caught this one on a 5 wgt

so you can use a 5 wgt for bass.  Generally I use a 6 wgt for my bass fishing but I have an 8 wgt for my larger and bulkier flies, 4 and 5 inch poppers, 6 and 7 inch streamers.  I wouldn't call most of the streams and lakes I fish gin clear, visibility might be 3 or 4 feet and some have a tannic stain to them.  There's a lake I go to in Northern Ontario that I would call gin clear, you can see bottom in 8 to 10 feet of water.  I use the same patterns there that I use around here.

If you fly fished for trout, I'm a dry fly snob.  Translated to bass fishing, I fish a lot of top water patterns.  I tie my own flies.  I use a lot of pre-formed soft foam popper bodies and the rest are made out of craft foam sheets.  So, poppers, Sneaky Pete style sliders, Gurglers, Crease Flies, Sliders, and a few with no name.  Sub-surface, streamers, I don't use many woolly buggers.  Baitfish patterns, Calcasieu Pig Boats,

Mop flies, crayfish and large nymph patterns, a couple that try and mimic various soft plastics.

 

[PressuredLakeFisherman]

On 1/22/2021 at 6:29 PM, TnRiver46 said:

They aren’t going to snap your rod, just play them out. You can always let them pull line easily off a fly reel. I feel like spinning gear is more “finesse” because you can cast without all the line flinging around in the air  yeah that does make sense letting them play on the reel, I will have to find some lakes that dont have as much structure so they cant run into but that is a great idea!

 

4 hours ago, Fallser said:

I caught this one on a 5 wgt

so you can use a 5 wgt for bass.  Generally I use a 6 wgt for my bass fishing but I have an 8 wgt for my larger and bulkier flies, 4 and 5 inch poppers, 6 and 7 inch streamers.  I wouldn't call most of the streams and lakes I fish gin clear, visibility might be 3 or 4 feet and some have a tannic stain to them.  There's a lake I go to in Northern Ontario that I would call gin clear, you can see bottom in 8 to 10 feet of water.  I use the same patterns there that I use around here.

If you fly fished for trout, I'm a dry fly snob.  Translated to bass fishing, I fish a lot of top water patterns.  I tie my own flies.  I use a lot of pre-formed soft foam popper bodies and the rest are made out of craft foam sheets.  So, poppers, Sneaky Pete style sliders, Gurglers, Crease Flies, Sliders, and a few with no name.  Sub-surface, streamers, I don't use many woolly buggers.  Baitfish patterns, Calcasieu Pig Boats,

Mop flies, crayfish and large nymph patterns, a couple that try and mimic various soft plastics.

 

 

Wow thats so cool! When fishing your streamers do you use sink tips or full sinking lines? I got a few but was just curious if I should use those or my WF floating fly lines. I also love dry fly fishing who doesnt lol!  I also have a few pete poppers that I can try with some floating line and I have caught panfish on them but never bass, but id give it a try! Thankyou so much for your time!!!!

[PressuredLakeFisherman]

13 hours ago, Whatever said:

I should mention the plus or minus factor in fly rods--it is generally accepted you can go up  (or down) one line size on a given weight rod, and still get good performance. A 5 weight is plenty big enough for our local bass (a 6 pounder here is huge), but it does not lend itself to casting large bulky flies. You might try a 6 weight line, and see if it works with your rod, for casting larger flies, rather than spend the money to get an 8 weight rod.

Okay yeah I live on the west coast and am just nervous about catching a tank and him pulling me into who knows what but Im sure i can try a 5wt in some more open water

15 hours ago, Sphynx said:

Yep, I have caught bass on a fly rod, favorite patterns of mine are foam poppers, deer hair poppers, sneaky Pete's, clouser minnows, wooly bugger, and mouse/rat patterns...as to rod weight, it's definitely possible to catch them on a 5 weight, you can't be locking down the drag, but if you are reasonably competent at palming a reel (I'm guessing you are given your background) you shouldn't have too much trouble, I mostly use my 8wt, but it can certainly be done with less. 

Okay awesome I will try those clouser minnows and maybe some rat patterns! I will also use my 5wt and my reel does have a pretty nice drag so u can back it off quite a bit so they can peel without giving them too much.

On 1/22/2021 at 11:40 PM, Luke Barnes said:

Ive dabbled in fly fishing for bass and the clouser minnow and wooly bigger work. Big enough to keep dinky blue gills off.

Awesome will try these pattersn thanks!!!!