The first fall is generally the period that writers mean when they hype “fast fall fishing.” Water temperatures are still relatively warm (above 57 degrees) but food sources are declining, and the smallmouth bass’s energy requirements are high because of developing gonad production. For smallmouth, I typically got with a lighter wire swimbait. Smallmouth abound in the New, and its mix of rapids and deep pools allows them to commonly grow to 4 and 5 pounds. The Best Rimfire Rifles To Improve Your Shooting, Seven Myth-Busting Facts About Alligator Gar, The History Of The Survival (Space) Blanket, The Best Survival Kit for Off-the-Grid Adventures, The Best New Bow Sights and Rests of 2021. All rights reserved. Tail: Rabbit strip. Coldwater smallmouth bass tend to bunch up and can be difficult to locate. The finest bronzeback fishing of the entire season has arrived. Smallies love to take a fly and fight hard, from the hookset to the release. Although there are some reaches of the New that are accessible by boat, the best fishing is centered in the Beckley, West Virginia area and is best accessed by raft or drift boat. This snowstorm-like hatch brings smallmouth, trout, carp, and even catfish to the surface in a feeding frenzy. If you’re hitting the water for bronzebacks this summer, you’ll want to fill your tacklebox with these go-to baits. Habitat: Smallmouth bass behave very much like big river brown trout, staying deep during the colder months and coming to the surface once the water temperatures rise, so choose your flies seasonally. After suffering through a stretch of lean years after 2000, the waters that produced David Hayes almost 12 pound world record in 1955 are back with a vengeance. Latest. Although the fishing is great in many ports along Erie’s shore including Buffalo, Dunkirk, and Erie, the Sandusky Ohio area has a pedigree of giant smallmouth. Field & Stream may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Clouser Minnow, sizes 2 and 4. The flies you select change with the season, but basically it’s a match the hatch game, with the hatch consisting of baitfish, hellgrammites, leeches, baby lampreys, crayfish and the like. threadfin shad, gizzard shad and blueback herring) that the bass fatten up on in preparation for the cold winter ahead, start migrating into shallower water in search of cooler waters. Along the way it carves out some of the most picturesque gorges, cliffs, and rapids east of the Rockies. There’s not much more exciting than having 4 pounds of bronze engulf a buzzbait as it ricochets off a rock. Smaller flies are usually better. At 132,000 acres, Minnesota’s Mille Lacs is big water that in many ways resembles one of the Great Lakes. The New river flows from North Carolina through Virginia and West Virginia before dumping into the Ohio. Historically known more for its walleye fishery, Mille Lacs has become a smallmouth factory in recent years due to improvements in water quality. Body: Diamond braid. Smallmouths like warm water. Best Flies for Smallmouth Bass. Mille Lacs is a structure fisherman’s dream, and there are countless humps, rock piles, and shallow bars teeming with willing smallmouth. At a recent major tournament in smallmouth country, a top touring pro was quoted as saying “Catching big smallmouth is just about the most fun you can have with your pants on.”. It’s best to experiment with your retrieve to figure out if the fish are looking for fast or slow action. Although it’s the smallest Great Lake, Erie probably holds the largest population of smallmouth due to its relatively shallow depths, making much more of the lake ideal smallmouth habitat. October 2, 2019. I’ve had plenty of days with exceptionally high number of fish, and … Zudbubbler. Even though the bronzeback is a formidable foe, it’s a fish I’ve consistently neglected throughout my 30 years of fly fishing. Surface flies are such an important part of fishing for smallmouth that fly fishing for smallmouth bass used to be called popping bug fishing. This streamer is deadly for smallmouth bass in moving water. The object is to present the fly so any willing fish doesn't have to move in order to eat. Hook: 90-degree jig hook. May 18, 2016 - GOOD VARIETY OF SMALLMOUTH FLIES. For fly fishing, make sure to keep your flybox stocked with your favorite poppers. https://www.theflyfishers.com/C/370/BestFliesForSmallmouthBass Fish-Skull Sculpin Helmets drop your fly into the feeding zone fast. In 2013, it took over 80 pounds to win a major tournament out of the 1,000 islands area, and nearly that again this year. This is the first of a series of fly tying tutorials I will be posting. https://www.flyfisherman.com/editorial/best-smallmouth-bass-flies/151841 No votes so far! It’s big water, so prepare accordingly. As the water temps start to drop into the 60s and 50s, smallmouth bass, as well as all warm water species shift into overdrive for the upcoming winter. Lake Superior’s Chequamegon Bay isn’t known to many smallmouth anglers; mostly because the ones that are in the know keep their mouths shut. Late October through November is an excellent time to fish large streamers for big smallmouth bass. Gear. Not so now. Many people have heard about the legendary smallmouth fishing in Wisconsin’s Sturgeon Bay, but in reality Sturgeon Bay is just one small bay on the Door County Peninsula. The upper James River in Virginia offers some of the best smallmouth fishing in the country. Best Smallmouth Bass Flies – My Top 4. The cold winter temperatures slow a smallmouth's metabolism and leave it lethargic. The simple mention of fly-fishing can be a conversation stopper in some serious bass fishing circles. It’s got abundant offshore structure, massive schools of shad, and plenty of rocky habitat that big smallmouth love. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! In actuality, the main reason for the obscurity is due to a 21 inch size limit, 1 fish bag that prevents tournaments from visiting. Particularly if the lake impoundment has good populations of shad, blueback herring, or other native baitfish. The Murray's Heavy Hellgrammite, Black size 6 was a fly the late Charlie Brooks helped me develop. They are also fond of river systems, and the best of them is the New. It’s not uncommon on the rivers that I guide on to see multiple bass chasing my flies during the retrieve. Find all the Best Smallmouth Bass Flies from top brands Umpqua, Rainy’s, Fulling Mill, and Catch Flies. Bring a selection of tubes, drop-shots, and a drift sock – when it blows on Erie, you’ll need it. They become somewhat reckless as they chase baitfish near the banks and in the shallow flats of river systems. How To Find Winter Largemouth Bass In Open Water, Mystery Tackle Pro Box Unboxing (Multi-Species January 2021), Mystery Tackle Box Bass Elite Unboxing (January 2021), Mystery Tackle Box Bass Unboxing (January 2021), 7 Crappie Lures You Can Rely On All Winter Long. Swimbait. Because they don't need to consume as much as they do in warmer temperatures, they will not spare the energy on a strike unless they know it's a for-sure deal. Best Time to Go Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass. Here you will find a great selection of the best premium Smallmouth Bass Fly Rods, Fly Reels, Fly Rod Outfits & Combos, Smallmouth Bass Fly Lines, and Accessories from all the top brands. Lake Erie, Sandusky OhioAlthough it’s the smallest Great Lake, Erie probably holds the largest … Smallmouth Bass can be found throughout the river in the warmer summer months and trout and salmon fishing is best in the spring and fall. It’s got unbelievable quantities of rocky shoreline, bluff banks, and pea gravel points that smallmouth thrive on. Therefore, the best time to go fly fishing would be around spring or summer. It also puts out smallmouth like one of the Great Lakes. I’ve always found trout sexier. Usually during the month of September cold fronts start moving into the area and can cause a change in movement and feeding activity of the bass. Massive lakes and impoundments aren’t the only places that giant smallmouth call home. Although it’s much less famous than its larger Tennessee River cousins, Wilson Lake is without question the Tennessee River smallmouth king. This tan, gray, or black fly is an excellent pick for … The best time for smallmouth fishing is late June through October. The main reason I love chasing bass on the fly during the fall, is because a lot of the forage food (ex. The Zudbubbler is a revamped version of Tom Loving’s Gerbubble Bug, and it absolutely … Here’s the 10 best brown bass factories right now, in no particular order. If you took all the things necessary for major smallmouth productivity and threw them into a hat, shook it up, and dumped it on the ground – the pieces would probably land in the shape of Lake St. Clair and its 430 square miles of dynamite smallmouth habitat. Surface flies can be used to match the hatch when aquatic insects such as mayflies and caddis or terrestrials such as hoppers and ants are on the water. Besides, Spring is the spawning season; thus, they will be feeding more. Therefore, it is the best time to target them with flies. Interesting choice of words for sure, but also not a surprise to most northern anglers – they live and breathe smallmouth. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Known more for its dynamite summertime ledge fishing for Largemouth, Alabama’s Pickwick Lake is also a major smallmouth producer once the water temperatures drop in the fall. Elk Hair Caddis: for when the waters aren’t so calm. Like largemouth bass, they love structure, so target sunken boulders, logs, and other debris, along with riffles, undercut banks, and back eddies. Best Fly Fishing Gear For Smallmouth Bass. White Woolly Bugger, sizes 4 and 6. As recent major tournaments by BASS and FLW demonstrated, it’d be foolish to leave Lake Ontario off any list of top smallmouth locations. I always carry Boogle Bugs, Double Barrel poppers, and Walt’s Bass Popper in a variety of sizes and colors in early fall. Winter fly-fishermen need to break the pool down into two-foot wide grids and make a cast into each grid. Local anglers routinely catch 4 and 5 pound fish, and getting 20-50 bites a day is the norm. Other locales like Sister Bay, Ephraim, Egg Harbor, Chambers Island, and the Strawberry Islands also have tremendous populations of giant bronzebacks. Stable water levels and improvements in habitat have paid off, and the 4-plus pound bronzebacks that made Dale Hollow famous are becoming more common the last couple seasons. “Smallmouth bass during the start of the fall season can be found in the same areas they were located all summer but as the water temperatures fall below 50 degrees they look for deeper water. In short, Lake St. Clair is one of the crown jewels of smallmouth fishing, and any die-hard smallie chaser should immediately put it on his or her bucket list. CK Baitfish, size 4. Many famous fly tyers have come up with excellent smallmouth patterns--all of which have a proven track record. Be sure to check out our ReelFlyRod Ultimate Fly Selections for a great value in premium, durable flies. Fall is one of the best times of the year for fly anglers wanting to target big smallmouth bass on reservoirs. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. When fly fishing in mid to late fall, consider fishing with a sinktip or a 250 grain full sinking line in the deeper riffles and pools on our larger rivers. … The Berkley PowerBait Minnow is another good one along with the Zoom Tiny Fluke. The best time to fish Dale Hollow is from October through April, a time when you can expect both numbers and a chance at a giant. It’s got rocks, grass, ample spawning habitat, reefs, current, and a huge baitfish population – all in a package shallow enough that smallies can live anywhere they want. … Late May through July is peak time for numbers, but giants can be caught all year. Cone: Tungsten. See more ideas about smallmouth bass, fly tying, flying. By Pete Robbins. A lot of anglers are going to … Be the first to rate this post. While most fly anglers love to carry with them many fly boxes full of different types of flies in different sizes and colors, you could very easily get away with carrying only 4 types of flies in few different sizes and colors. It has a strong tip to help pick up the large heavy nymphs and streamers and a medium butt section to blend with the wind resistant nature of our bulky surface poppers and deer hair bugs. The size limit is in place to protect the bass though, which grow extremely slowly in Lake Superior’s cold waters – its working too, as catching a 5 pound smallmouth is a daily occurrence for Chequamegon Bay regulars. These are the highest quality, proven patterns that are hand-picked by our ReelFlyRod Pro Staff as the most productive patterns we have fished. A Bonnier Corporation Company. More Fishing. I even start to see them get into feeding groups in an effort to trap baitfish easier. Here is a list of my Top 4 Best Smallmouth Bass Flies: Clouser Minnow Scottys McFly, sizes 4 and 6. If you’re located in the south and want to catch smallmouth till you’re sore – head to Wilson in the fall or early spring. Campgrounds populate the river and surrounding areas and Baxter State Park is nearby and worth exploring in the summer. However, once found, you may catch more than one. This can all add up to those “died and gone to heaven” days that smallie fans fondly recall years later. No list of smallmouth fisheries would be complete without mentioning the greatest of the Great Lakes. Fly Fishing for bass in the fall is one of my favorite times of the year to hit the lake. Known more for trophies in the 5-8 pound class than numbers, the peak time to land a giant bronzeback on Pickwick is November through April. The smallmouth bass is a viable fly-rodding option as summer yields to autumn. The 10 Best Fall Smallmouth Hotspots . Flies from tyers such as Bob Clouser, Dave Whitlock, Harry Murray, and Ed Shenk are all excellent choices. Hair Jig. Copyright © 2021 Field & Stream. The lofty regard serious river anglers express for the deer or rabbit hair jig is amazing to … Plus, lower light intensity makes fish less wary. When throwing baitfish streamers I focus on areas with shallo… The fly rod I like for most of my smallmouth bass fly fishing is 9 feet long that balances with a seven weight line. Fly fisherman fishing surface poppers and subsurface baitfish patterns to these schools of bass can be rewarded with big bronzebacks. For southern anglers, that comment should be taken only one way; if you haven’t gotten a chance to go somewhere where the smallmouth grow big and mean, make it happen. Although topwater fishing is more visually exciting, more really big bronzebacks are caught on streamers, and Colin shares his five favorites: Hud’s Bushwacker, size 2/0. Most people never bothered with sunken flies for bass. Meat Whistle. The eastern portion of Lake Ontario has everything necessary to produce heavy stringers of smallmouth, and there aren’t many anglers chasing them. Fishing surface poppers and subsurface baitfish patterns to these schools of bass can be caught all year recent due... We are sorry that this post was not useful for you bass tend bunch. And worth exploring in the New, and pea gravel points that thrive! 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