A report from the bass pond

Nice @Billy!! Live these bass reports!

I targeted bass for the first time on purpose yesterday on a west side lake. I fished what “looked” like bass water based on the decades of bass fishing videos I have enjoyed. Unfortunately, I only hooked one and it was after I over indulged on the 12-14 inch stocker rainbows I encountered first. Like way over indulged. I think we launches into the wake of the stocking truck…. indulged. Anyway, hooked up, saw the bass, it gave me two heavy head shakes and was gone. I probably should have switched out the size 6 barbless bugger before I cast into that nice shaded pocket along the shore. Really looking forward to warmer water temps here so I can give these fish an honest go!

@Kfish got one though and a perch as well. He’s definitely hit that stillwater game more dialed than I at this point!
 
So awesome man! I love those poppers you’re throwing. LM will eat top water WAY earlier than people believe…especially in lakes that aren’t very deep.

I fished an event on Lake WA (mid March) a few years back where a couple young kids absolutely smoked the field…like 5-6 pounds between them and 2nd. All of the “smart money” was fishing deeper wintering ares…water temps were in the low 50’s. The kids who won it were slinging frogs in 2 feet of water😂.
 
Dustin Chromers said:
I used to think bass fishing was blasphemy. I further thought that fly fishing for them was also blasphemy. You see I was once seduced by the cult of coastal chrome. But alas it is taken from me and now I have nothing. This is the peril of worshipping that which is fleeting and now absent. Bring on the NASCAR jackets, I'm going bassin.
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Come down to my neighborhood sometime. We'll catch some invasive warmwater stuff.
 
DIY-Boats-6-3.jpg
I like the relaxed, easy going approach that goes with Bass fishing.
Nothing wrong with ditch pickles.
 
Jim in Anacortes said:
There is just something special about Largemouth Bass. I believe they are the most fished for (sport fish) in America. To me the pinnacle of Bass fishing has always been the topwater action. The fly (or popper) in the OP is indicative of the potential adrenaline rush. That being said,,, using conventional gear with lures such as the modern weedless frogs, enables me to cast into the thickest of the thick weeds. Just like magic, these lures skip through, and over, all the weeds without snagging them with the hook. For me (in Skagit Co) the thicker the weeds the bigger the fish. IMHO whatever topwater fly or lure is being used,,,,, it's ability to skip over the thickest weeds is the most important feature.
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Interestingly enough I fish zero weedless stuff. I simply don't tie it. There is bass in the slop yes but you won't get many big bass to hand with a fly rod fishing the true slop imho. Instead I focus on covering water and fishing to the edge of cover if that makes sense. I generally throw pretty big stuff with a stout rod/line. It works for me🍻
 
O clarkii lewisi said:
Is it common that bass eat bass colored flies? The color coordination is striking - so to speak! ;)
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I have really good luck with browns/olives and yellow tones. My theory is that the stuff we use as fly tyers is a advantage over the gear world. The feathers and material we use has a lot more soul then like a typical popper. It moves and breaths underwater and looks unique. That being said basic stuff works well too. I'm just down a rabbit hole😀
 
Dustin Chromers said:
I used to think bass fishing was blasphemy. I further thought that fly fishing for them was also blasphemy. You see I was once seduced by the cult of coastal chrome. But alas it is taken from me and now I have nothing. This is the peril of worshipping that which is fleeting and now absent. Bring on the NASCAR jackets, I'm going bassin.
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Fresh, snowcapped jagged peaks, contrasting dark timber against the pale grey of mountain rock. Emerald green water flowing through majestic timber. The grey ghost has a way of haunting us, history has a way of reminding us of the ones who walked the cobble before. "For yest ye walk in the shadow of greatness and failure, than fall prey to the siren of flat land and green fish" Steelheaders 7:56 15



I will continue to swing the tailouts faithfully, walk the bramble path with head high, and dream of chrome so chrome that polished chrome would not do it justice....
 
All nice bass but I love that fly Billy! That contrasting speckled guinea is killer, I'll have to give poppers a try later. What rod wt do you normally fish them with?
 
jasmillo said:
Nice @Billy!! Live these bass reports!

I targeted bass for the first time on purpose yesterday on a west side lake. I fished what “looked” like bass water based on the decades of bass fishing videos I have enjoyed. Unfortunately, I only hooked one and it was after I over indulged on the 12-14 inch stocker rainbows I encountered first. Like way over indulged. I think we launches into the wake of the stocking truck…. indulged. Anyway, hooked up, saw the bass, it gave me two heavy head shakes and was gone. I probably should have switched out the size 6 barbless bugger before I cast into that nice shaded pocket along the shore. Really looking forward to warmer water temps here so I can give these fish an honest go!

@Kfish got one though and a perch as well. He’s definitely hit that stillwater game more dialed than I at this point!
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I got lucky that the little olive willy barely held on as it did :)

PXL_20220424_154132776.jpgPXL_20220424_154109684.jpg
 
Kfish said:
All nice bass but I love that fly Billy! That contrasting speckled guinea is killer, I'll have to give poppers a try later. What rod wt do you normally fish them with?
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A 9 and a 10 wt. I've even debaited an 11 wt. But my goal in covering water is throwing big stuff as far as I can. A stiff rod helps set the hook at longer distances with larger hooks (5/0, 6/0). My style isn't for everyone though🤠
 
Billy said:
A 9 and a 10 wt. I've even debaited an 11 wt. But my goal in covering water is throwing big stuff as far as I can. A stiff rod helps set the hook at longer distances with larger hooks (5/0, 6/0). My style isn't for everyone though🤠
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9 and 10wt? I'll just stick to my salty 6wt, maybe 8. Could be my wimpy arms but 10wt is not really enjoyable to me. Standing on the bow waiting for a shot is fine but constant casting? I'm good :)
 
Billy said:
Interestingly enough I fish zero weedless stuff. I simply don't tie it. There is bass in the slop yes but you won't get many big bass to hand with a fly rod fishing the true slop imho. Instead I focus on covering water and fishing to the edge of cover if that makes sense. I generally throw pretty big stuff with a stout rod/line. It works for me🍻
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I have caught a few by throwing weedless flies into heavy slop. Getting them out of there is not something that most fly fishers are comfortable with. You basically have to fish a heavy enough leader that you can point the rod straight at them and just haul, and you have to do it before they realize what is going on. It’s ugly and violent, and also kind of fun. I am pretty sure your style will get more fish most days, but it’s nice to mix it up sometimes.
 
I hit a lowland western WA lake on Friday that is known to have both naturally reproducing coastal cuts and largemouth bass. i'm not much of a bass fisherman, but usually in April the action is solely for trout, and when the lake warms the bass take over. It was the first time I had fished the lake in years, and I didn't have any action for trout, but caught one bass twice. It must have been sitting on a nest and struck as I moved up along the shore and 15 minutes later as I moved back, at the same spot.
April bass.jpeg
 
Richard Olmstead said:
I hit a lowland western WA lake on Friday that is known to have both naturally reproducing coastal cuts and largemouth bass. i'm not much of a bass fisherman, but usually in April the action is solely for trout, and when the lake warms the bass take over. It was the first time I had fished the lake in years, and I didn't have any action for trout, but caught one bass twice. It must have been sitting on a nest and struck as I moved up along the shore and 15 minutes later as I moved back, at the same spot.
View attachment 12652
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Nice bass. Is the lake super shallow and did you get a water temp?.
Seems just a bit early for westside bedding fish, but they all don't follow the same rules.
SF
 
Billy said:
When you arrive and there are no fresh vehical tracks for months it's a good sign🤗View attachment 12540
I had three fly rods with me yesterday. One had a popper tied on, one with a float and minnow jig and one with an intermediate line and craw. Water temperatures were around 54 degrees. Almost my first cast I had a blow up and miss and then got him. So I may as well have only brought one rod because once you go topwater it's hard to go back...View attachment 12541As the day progressed I switched flies:View attachment 12542They ate it up and the size went up too. This one gently slurped it in. When I didn't see my popper I did a bassmaster hookset🤠 Bucket!View attachment 12544Almost all my fish were on south facing shorelines:View attachment 12545Few more:View attachment 12546View attachment 12547View attachment 12548
Fish of the day:View attachment 12549Fly of the day:View attachment 12550
🍻🍻🍻
Billy
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Man, I'm envious. Nice fish!

Would you mind sharing what material you use to make those heads. They are awesome and I'd like to try making a few. I bet the strikes on those are vicious.

Thanks,
BG
 
The housing market on the wet side is crazy. Gotta dig in while you can before it’s too late ;)
 
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Since the 1970s I have pursued the endeavor of enticing a Bass to hit my "lure" on the surface. One of the main obstacles in that endeavor has been the "weeds" that are caught up in the hook of my "lure". The endeavor to negate that obstacle has been a key to many ripped lips. If you see a spot and think "I"ll just get snagged up if I throw it in there" then you are missing a big part of Bass fishing. That may very well be the place you need to target. Hooks catch lettuce and that sucks, but figuring out how to not catch the lettuce is the key in many Bass fisheries.
 
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