Beadhead or not?

[choclabs]

Do you guys fish your woolies with or without a beadhead? I usually fish with but if they are just as effective without, I am not sure it is worth the extra expense. I am tying up a bunch and I am contemplating tying them all without.

[Dewayne]

very few of the ones I tie have beadheads .Dont think it will make that much difference other than weight

[Danoinark]

I only tie some with beadheads to have on hand if I intend to work deep pools while smallie fishing. For trout I tie them without a bead, but do wrap several turns of lead on the hook before dressing the bug. I think they retrieve and work more naturally without the bead.

Dano

[jdmidwest]

I tie most of my woolies with a bead head, not for the weight but for the extra flash the bead gives. I always weight the hooks also, I want them to go deep. The only exception would be the egg sucking leechs that have an egg head and I tie them to float higher in the current.

[Terry Beeson]

Do you guys fish your woolies with or without a beadhead?

Short answer.... YES...

I will use different styles in different situations. If I want the bugger to get down fast and stay down, I tie it with a conehead and lead wrapped around the hook. If I want it to get down low, but "ride" the bottom, a beadhead with some lead. A small beadhead with no lead and even no beadhead no lead in some cases...

Now if I can just remember which one is which...

[Flysmallie]

Almost all of the ones I use while smallmouth fishing have a cone head with lead wrapped just to keep it down where the fish are. In slower water I will fish them with no head and very little lead. I want it to suspend as much as possible when it's stopped.

The smaller one that I use for trout are about 50/50. I think it depends more on my mood when I sit down to tie rather than if I think I will need the additional weight. It does add a little extra flash that I seem to be looking for at times. I don't think the fish really care.

If you have just as much confidence in them without the beadhead, then you probably won't notice a difference. But if you feel that they really need that bead to catch fish, then don't skimp or you will just end up with a bunch of boogers that you will not fish since you have no confidence in them.

I've learned one really important thing in this life of fishing. You must have confidence in the bait/lure/fly that you are using. Zero confidence = zero success.

[choclabs]

Thanks guys. Sounds like I should tie some of each. So, some with bead, some without, some with lead, some without,#6,#8,#10, black, sculpin, white, brown, etc. I had better get busy!

[jdmidwest]

Now you are catching on, different flies for different fishing situations. If you are in a trout park where the water is only 2-3 foot deep, the fly only needs to run 2-3 foot deep. If the run you are fishing is not very long, the fly has to sink fast to get to the right depth. If you are fishing a big river, you are going to need a fly that will sink to the right depth but not be too heavy to cast with the rod you have chosen for the river. On and on and on.... That is why we tie.... At least woolies are a quick tie.

[SilverMallard]

Almost always without.

[The Caddis]

always with, except when without