Bass flies for stumpy water?

[downriver79]

Headed back to TX to visit my parents in late Feb. on Lake Fork. Thinking about taking a fly rod with me in case I get tired of chucking dad's baitcaster gear. Will be bank fishing from their cove that has a lot of submerged stumps. I'm thinking typical streamers/buggers would probably not be the best option in stumps and would probably end up losing most of them. Can anyone recommend some good bass flies that possibly wouldn't get hung up as frequently on submerged stumps?

 

[Stonedfish]

Any pattern that rides hook point up would be an option, something like a clouser minnow. Also any pattern with weed guards would be another option and of course consider taking some topwater patterns.
SF

 

[downriver79]

Any pattern that rides hook point up would be an option, something like a clouser minnow. Also any pattern with weed guards would be another option and of course consider taking some topwater patterns.

Thanks, hook upward makes sense. Would love to throw some poppers but Feb. is usually a bit early for that there.
I used to have good luck in late winter/early spring on stick baits like a rogue, redfin, long A, etc. by twitching a couple of times to get it down and then let it float back up and sit for a few seconds. They tend to hit it during that few seconds of rest. I was thinking about working a zoo cougar the same way since it floats until you start stripping. Maybe even with a sink tip ahead of it, it might slow the rise or even keep it suspended like a sluggo. What do you think?

 

[Stonedfish]

Thanks, hook upward makes sense. Would love to throw some poppers but Feb. is usually a bit early for that there.
I used to have good luck in late winter/early spring on stick baits like a rogue, redfin, long A, etc. by twitching a couple of times to get it down and then let it float back up and sit for a few seconds. They tend to hit it during that few seconds of rest. I was thinking about working a zoo cougar the same way since it floats until you start stripping. Maybe even with a sink tip ahead of it, it might slow the rise or even keep it suspended like a sluggo. What do you think?

Though not on bass, I’ve had success fishing a gurgler on an intermediate line. It basically did as you described, floated up on the pause between strips.
Guys in California use indicators with balanced or jig patterns, which ride hook point up so that might be another option for you.
SF

 

[Shad]

I'm jealous! Only seen Lake Fork on Major League Fishing, and it looked like perfect fly water to me (shallow, with lots of structure). It should be close to spawning time, so the hogs may be on the prowl and ornery.

Clousers flat get it done with bass. In shallow water, a floating line is all you need. Strip them slowy and steadily. My favorite is probably chratreuse over white or gray, with olive a close second, but lots of colors work. I bet articulated streamers (like the Zoo Cougar you mentioned) could be dynamite, but I haven't figured out how to solve that puzzle yet. Let us know how it works!

I would definitely tie up some nice-sized gurglers (maybe size 4 and size 2?) in chartreuse with marabou tails. Those have been deadly for me in Florida, which isn't Texas but also isn't too far from it. Poppers, too, but those are a lot more work and don't seem to work any better than the quick-tie gurglers.

For big time fly fishing street cred, you could try some dry or emerger midge patterns when the bass are suspended and coming up to the surface. My experience has been that I can't get them to bite on much of anything under those conditions, but they seem to be eating midges, so just maybe....

 

[jasmillo]

There are some weedless patterns out there that may help with hang-ups. I’ve had some luck fishing patterns like this for small mouth that bury the hook point in a bunch of bucktail. I wonder if you could make it even more hang up friendly by burying the hook point in a small piece of soft plastic under the fur . So small that it being under there would not effect the action of the fly much. Might be worth a shot. Kind of fun to tie too.



The ones tie are not articulated.

 

[Chucker]

Thanks, hook upward makes sense. Would love to throw some poppers but Feb. is usually a bit early for that there.
I used to have good luck in late winter/early spring on stick baits like a rogue, redfin, long A, etc. by twitching a couple of times to get it down and then let it float back up and sit for a few seconds. They tend to hit it during that few seconds of rest. I was thinking about working a zoo cougar the same way since it floats until you start stripping. Maybe even with a sink tip ahead of it, it might slow the rise or even keep it suspended like a sluggo. What do you think?

I have caught a lot of bass using a fast sinking line and a floating fly. Give it a shot.

 

[Shad]

I have caught a lot of bass using a fast sinking line and a floating fly. Give it a shot.

Makes sense. I've witnessed Boobie patterns fished off sinking lines outfishing more standard stuff on slow days. Maybe that's a way to get them on those post-front days when they don't seem to want anything???

 

[downriver79]

Sounds like I need to pack some clouser minnows and weedless gurglers.

I'm jealous! Only seen Lake Fork on Major League Fishing, and it looked like perfect fly water to me (shallow, with lots of structure). It should be close to spawning time, so the hogs may be on the prowl and ornery.

It hit it's peak about 25-30 years back, but it's still a world class bass fishery. Grew up fishing it and really took it for granted at the time. I have some great memories from night fishing full moons in the summer with my dad. Big black spinnerbaits and 10" black and blue power worms on a full moon put a lot of 8+ pounders in his boat over the years!

There are some weedless patterns out there that may help with hang-ups. I’ve had some luck fishing patterns like this for small mouth that bury the hook point in a bunch of bucktail. I wonder if you could make it even more hang up friendly by burying the hook point in a small piece of soft plastic under the fur . So small that it being under there would not effect the action of the fly much. Might be worth a shot. Kind of fun to tie too.

I'll definitely be picking up some weedless patterns with a weed guard. Those big ass swimbait flies look like they would potentially bring in some hogs. Do you think a 9wt would handle those?

 

[Shad]

I'll definitely be picking up some weedless patterns with a weed guard. Those big ass swimbait flies look like they would potentially bring in some hogs. Do you think a 9wt would handle those?

A 6 or 7 weight will handle the fish just fine. If you're fishing really large flies and/or sinking lines (stuff that's harder to cast), an 8 or 9 might be better.

 

[Rob Allen]

Headed back to TX to visit my parents in late Feb. on Lake Fork. Thinking about taking a fly rod with me in case I get tired of chucking dad's baitcaster gear. Will be bank fishing from their cove that has a lot of submerged stumps. I'm thinking typical streamers/buggers would probably not be the best option in stumps and would probably end up losing most of them. Can anyone recommend some good bass flies that possibly wouldn't get hung up as frequently on submerged stumps?

As always... find out what conventional fishermen use there and imitate that.

 

[Matt B]

A 6 or 7 weight will handle the fish just fine. If you're fishing really large flies and/or sinking lines (stuff that's harder to cast), an 8 or 9 might be better.

On the other hand, battles with big bass in heavy cover are frequently won or lost in the first second or two after hooking up. I've lost more than a few nice bass using a 6 because I didn't have the immediate rod butt strength to yank 'em out of there. An 8 can be helpful for that reason alone.

 

[clarkman]

take a 9 or 10wt and throw some pike or musky size flies for the bigguns....plus, will help pulling them out of the weeds if necessary. My bass by-catch while tiger musky fishing are almost always on the heftier side of things. Otherwise, pretty tough to argue against a clouser for starters.

 

[downriver79]

I'll definitely take my 9 wt. It's the heaviest I've got and it'll take every bit of it to turn a double digit largemouth and keep her from wrapping me around a stump if I'm lucky enough to hook into one. Plus it's already set up with some Cortland 333 bass lazerline as it's my dad's old rod he used to use for throwing poppers at hybrids some years back. Won't be as much fun for those little 2-3 pounders, but as Capt. Call told Newt when he handed him a pistol, 'It's better to have that and not need it than to need it and not have it."

 

[Shad]

Good point about rod weight; the big ones always make a mad dash the nearest piece of cover, and it looks like they would have lots of options in Lake Fork. For sure, I don't even want to try and horse any bass (or just my entangled line after big momma shakes me off) out of the really heavy stuff with my 6-wt.

 

[jasmillo]

I'll definitely be picking up some weedless patterns with a weed guard. Those big ass swimbait flies look like they would potentially bring in some hogs. Do you think a 9wt would handle those?

Yes, for sure. I downsize the ones I fish around here. Not because big ones won’t work but they are easier to tie and seem to work well on SM. Some I tie in that “style” are super sparse and small which will take away some of the weedless capabilities (see below). I also fish 7’s for smallmouth as I am not targeting them often in heavy cover. You’ll be fishing Lake Fork though. Even a bass neophyte like myself knows that lake. Lots of wood and big fish. I’d be fishing an 8 or 9 too. 10 would probably not be overkill there.

 

[Billy]

What I would throw is a giant ass 8 inch popper with a Echo Musky rod with a floating redfish taper and 20 pound maxima tippet. I would cover water like a madman until my arms felt like they were going to fall off.

but I'm a degenerate

 

[Coach Potter]

My first tournament partner grew up on Lake Fork…heard lots of stories. I hope you get some great pictures to share!

 

[Pink Nighty]

I like the idea of floating flies on sinking lines for that situation. It would allow you to work slowly, fly sinking on a strip and rising on a pause. I'd be stripping it real close to those stumps and then stopping, letting it slowly rise and flutter in the zone. Or even on a floating line, bass poppers can have so much wiggle with a little ripple on the water, much more so than top water lures will have. I'd be letting it sit next to a stump for 10-20 seconds, then strip it to the next one and repeat.

 

[downriver79]

What I would throw is a giant ass 8 inch popper with a Echo Musky rod with a floating redfish taper and 20 pound maxima tippet. I would cover water like a madman until my arms felt like they were going to fall off.

but I'm a degenerate

That's a Lake Fork fly rig if there ever was one! I like degenerates.