Fly lines for subsurface bass - suggestions pls

Bugmeister

Bugmeister

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I want to pick up a line for my Sage Smallmouth II rod (roughly akin to an 8 wt…) for days when the surface is not the go. Historically I have either just used a floating line, or used a 7 wt rod with a streamer tip instead. Either option has worked ok, but some of the streamers I’m throwing are pretty chonky and the 7 weight doesn’t love them. When I throw them on a floating line i feel I’m missing the presentation I want. If I want to go deeper/faster I end up usually running a longer leader and tippet, but that fishes kinda meh for me. Could be user error on my part or fact that the rod I’m using is a 7’11.

Trying to get away with “just one more” line and spool to keep my bass game semi simple. I’m guessing an 270-290 grain line. The Sage bass rod line came with specialized lines purpose built just for the rod, but a) no longer available and b) only floating lines. Anyone have recommendations for what kind of intermediate sinking line they use most frequently when they want to fish a heavier bass rig? Hover? Slow sink intermediate? Fast sink intermediate? For clarity this would primarily be for LMB. I’m still primarily a trout guy but dabble a fair amount in warm water because it is so convenient. Improving my subsurface bass game feels like good next step.
 
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Personally, I really like Cortland lines. I like the Compact, which I use in intermediate and type 3 for muskies and bass (different weights obviously) and any other fish requiring turnover of bulky flies.

Airflo Snipers are also what I use for that and actually prefer them for muskies anyway.

I did recently just pick up Cortland Bass in intermediate for my 9wt that I'm excited to use. It's right at 280gr and has a slightly longer usable head than the Compact, but still rather aggressive taper, but haven't used it yet so can't really speak to that.

All that said, I do tend to use faster sinking lines the majority of the time for my waters with the intermediate used mostly for poppers and shallower water.
 
Over 30 years ago I migrated to weightless flies and long, fast sinking lines with short, stout tippets (3-4’) to target fish holding at depth. First, an unweighted fly can be cast further with greater accuracy than one that is weighted. Second, the approach uses the fly line, not the fly to gain depth. In stillwater, the result is a nearly straight, unhinged path from the fly rod to the fly. Regardless of the distance cast, the desired depth is obtained by the length of delay in initiating the retrieve. In moving water (rivers and inshore tidal salt) the only other variable is the rate of flow which will move the fly line (and fly) laterally. Fly depth can be adjusted by the timing and speed of retrieve. Even with long, fast sink tips, flies can be cast and safely retrieved in shallow water margins of rivers and inshore tidal flats. The added advantage of using unweighted flies is the protection of your fly rod from damaging hits by lead/tungsten beads and cones.

Although the OP didn’t say where he’s targeting LMB, am assuming reservoirs, large lakes of medium to large rivers. A long, fast sink tip with a short, stout tippet and UNWEIGHTED flies would work extremely well.

For comparison here’s the various setups I use for trout in SW Montana rivers and inshore saltwater flats in the Tampa/Sarasota Bay Area.

  • T&T No Sanctuary II, 5 weight, 200 grain SA SONAR 30 Cold, 0X tippet (FW trout)
  • Sage XP, 5 weight, 150 grain SA SONAR 30 Cold, 0X tippet (FW trout)
  • TFO Axiom IIX, 7 weight, 200-250 grain SA SONAR 30 Warm Clear, 15# Flouro tippet (salt)
 
Another vote for weightless flies! If I were to limit myself to one fly line for subsurface bass (especially smallmouth) it would be a full sinking line with a type 6 sink rate. With that setup by varying the time to allow the line to sink and retrieve rates can easily cover anything from a couple feet deep to as deep as 15 feet.

Here in western Washington with the heavy pressure the bass get the different presentation you can get with weightless flies (a hanging pause) between stripes can be a great trigger response for those pressured fish.

Curt
 
Yep, almost all weightless....or rather neutrally buoyant flies for me on various sinking lines.

Edit: don't get me wrong, I'll still fish a good ole fashioned clouser from time to time, but my other flies generally out produce it.
 
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Yup - I like both unweighted and weighted flies on full sink lines. Generally if I have a weighted fly, it's because I want it ON the bottom, like a craw or ned-rig style fly. Might as well get it down fast.
I use a variety of the SA Seamless Density lines: s1/s3, s3/s5, and s5/s7. They cast well on almost all my rods and carry big flies well.
 
I second the Cortland Bass line - the pond I mainly fish in is only 4' deep, so floating line is fine. I have an intermediate sink tip from moonlit fly fishing that I'll throw on if I'm fishing the deeper ponds around.
 
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