Fly-fishing for Bass - tips for success 

Why?

For a novice fly fisher, bass are wonderfully aggressive feeders and they aren’t particular about what they strike (unlike those prima donna trout).

What do I need?

I suggest no less than a 7 weight rod/fly line combo. There really is no need for an excessively long leader – 9 ft tapered leader with 18” tippet will be plenty.

Flies

• Poppers
  These are floating (dry) flies that are tied with either cork or deer hair with eye-catching feathers and sparkle tail. If I could only fish one color for Smalls, it would be chartreuse. You will hear it said over and over that the color of your popper doesn’t matter, and I am leaning that direction too. My color list is #1, chartreuse, #2, everything else.
• Streamers
  These flies are meant to mainly represent small bait-fish. The Clouser Minnow is probably the most popular bass streamer. They can be tied to look like Shad, baby Trout or baby Bass (among other things), but these three seem to be the best. To see how Clouser himself ties his Minnow, check out this video.
• Divers
  Created to primarily imitate a frog or tadpole, they are retrieved in a quick striping motion causing the fly to dive under the water surface, float back up and dive. Being flashy is good.
• Buggers
  The most popular bugger by far is the Woolly Bugger. It can be tied to imitate leeches and crayfish. When imitating crayfish, use sinking line and bounce the fly on the bottom. Be prepared – you will lose tackle. 

Where are they?

All over the United States, in mostly warmer bodies of water.

• Fishing Poppers
  Fish fast and cover lots of territory. Waiting for the ripples to subside is not necessary, just cast and retrieve using long strips of line. The idea is to get the attention of your Small Mouth by creating the illusion of a free lunch that is quickly getting away.
• Where to find them
• Bass love points of land, reeds, fallen trees and structures in the water. When it’s hot, they tend to hide in shadows and shade waiting for a tasty morsel to swim by.
• In the morning they usually feed closer to shore – cast parallel to the shore about 6’ – 12’ out. I look in the water for the “curtain” of darkness where the water starts to get deep. I will fish just about a foot farther out than this line or curtain of darkness.
• Much success can be had during sunset. Bass tend to feed closer to shore, and closer to the bottom in the evening. Once the twilight sets in, I will fish 35’ – 40’ out and bounce off the bottom. This method yielded several Small Mouth on my last trip.
• Bottom fishing for Bass
  In the evening I have seen crayfish imitations work very well, especially around a rocky bottom. Crayfish hide in the rocks, so a smooth silk, sand or earthen bottom is not normally a crayfish haven. Anyway, use sinking line and a orange/black bugger that is weighted and work the bottom. I like to strip about a foot at a time, never stopping if the fly is stuck. Retrieve slowly, but frequently.
• Clouser Minnow
  During mid-day or when the water is cold, tempting a bass to hit the surface offerings is unlikely. Tie on a Clouser Minnow and work in close to the shore near points or drop-offs. Methodically retrieve about 12” – 16” a strip, letting the minnow sink again between pulls. Experiment with different depths - a small split shot near the hook eye will get your minnow a bit deeper.
  Divers
• To get a diver to well… wait for it… dive; use fast, firm strips and if the conditions permit, put the rod tip in the water on a straight line from the fly.