Fly Fishing for Bass

When you mention fly fishing to people, many times they think you are fishing exclusively for trout.  However, there are some amazing spots you can fly fish for trophy sized bass as well.  Both largemouth and smallmouth bass abound in rivers and lakes, so why not try your hand fly fishing for bass?

Many experienced fly fishermen report that bass fly fishing can be extremely challenging as well as extremely satisfying.  Bass have larger mouths than trout, so your choice of lures is much more diverse.  They strike hard and fight strong, so when you are fly fishing for bass, expect to be exhilarated by the fight in these guys!

Experts suggest that you use a 6-7 weight rod, but if you are especially experienced, you can use a 4-5 weight rod.  If you choose the smaller rod, you may have trouble casting the larger flies, so be aware of that.  You can use a floating or a sinking line with a weight forward taper.  You should have a 7 ½ to 9 foot leader tapered down to a 10 pound test.

Most bass are opportunistic feeders and will bite at anything.  In general, however, flies for bass fishing are usually larger and influence a bigger bite.  Try big muddler minnows, clousy minnows, wooly buggers, poppers, leech patterns, and crayfish patterns.  Size 8 or 10 would be a little on the small side while size 2 or 1/0 would be a little too large, so opt for something in between.

Largemouth bass live in shallow water habitats among reeds, water lilies, and other vegetation naturally found in the water.  They are adapted to warm waters in the 80 degree range and are seldom found deeper than twenty feet down.  They prefer clear waters with little or no current.  They stay fairly active year-round, but tend to stay near the bottom in the winter months.

Great bass fly fishing can be found in various locations throughout the United States.  In the northeastern United States, try the rivers and streams in the Adirondack Mountains such as the Mohawk or Black Rivers.  There are also some prized bass in the Great Lakes region.  Southern Ontario in Canada can also provide some great opportunities to catch trophy sized bass.

Bass fly fishing can be a great experience for both the beginning fly fisherman as well as those with a little more experience.  Fly fishing for bass requires a little bit of finesse and some tenacity when they bite.  Stay with the fish and pull a whopper out of the water you can be proud of!