Members chucknduck Posted September 24, 2019 Author Members Posted September 24, 2019 7 hours ago, Gavin said: Casting distance is key...If you cant cast 50'+ with your first cast and a 1/0 or #2 bass bug, you end up catching dinks. Bass bugging is a long range run and gun game. Best if you have a tandem canoe or jon boat...One paddles the boat, the other fishes. Its more productive than both of you fishing. This is the plan once my girl moves here with me but she's finishing up a job in a our last state and will be here just in time for fall fishing.
Members chucknduck Posted September 24, 2019 Author Members Posted September 24, 2019 8 hours ago, Al Agnew said: From the perspective of a dedicated ultra-clear water angler who only occasionally uses the fly rod for smallmouth...THE most important consideration if you are fishing very clear streams like those all over the Ozarks is how far you can cast. As somebody else said, smallmouth are smallmouth. Going small with your flies in clear water doesn't really make a lot of sense to me, because it isn't the size of the fly that turns the fish off, it's YOU. They still eat the same things and they still like a good mouthful, but clear water smallies are much more wary than murky water fish, and you simply can't get close to them in these gravel bottom streams--even if you're stealthy enough that they can't see you, they'll still hear you crunching gravel. So...I would suggest using good sized flies, like those Wrench has shown you. But make sure you use a rod and setup that can get some distance with those big, bulky, wind-resistant flies. If it takes an 8 weight, so be it. Just because the water is very clear and the creek isn't too big, that doesn't mean the fish are tiny. There are great small streams all over the Ozarks that have plenty of 14-17 inch smallmouth. I haven't been exactly secretive about where I've been fishing. Do you think some the creeks I'm on hold smallies that big? I'm glad you posted because these low clear streams are my current obsession. I think I'll start taking the 8wt and chucking big deceivers and dear hair poppers like I'm used to in the north
Members Jadesjigs Posted September 24, 2019 Members Posted September 24, 2019 This is a great post loaded with so much useful information. I usually start early with topwater poppers. The Murdich Minnow is also a great producer for me. Once the topwater bite slows down I do something a little different than most. I make a "Super-Finesse" Ned Rig that is slightly lighter than 1/16 oz. head paired with a #4 size sickle hook. I use a 2" plastic bait and often cut it in half horizontally. There's just something about the combination of a natural drift that you can achieve with a fly rod and a lighter version of the Ned Rig that the Smallmouth love. I can usually catch 2-3X more fish using this set up than I can using traditional weighted flys. I use a 7wt. rod paired with 8wt floating line. I recently posted some videos showing this technique on my facebook page if interested: https://www.facebook.com/leadfreetackle/ FishnDave, chucknduck and Johnsfolly 2 1
tjm Posted September 24, 2019 Posted September 24, 2019 Run and gun. Long casts. Boats. My methods are some what different than other's, I wade very slowly, stand and look a lot, and may fish the same 200' piece of water for a 2-3 hour period and rarely cast over 35'. A 50' cast would either cross a dozen seams and a gravel bar or be on the opposite bank, and doing those for an hour would leave me exhausted with my shoulder wrecked. Some runs just get a rod length of line. The longest stretch I have covered (actually fishing) in a whole day is about a 1/2 mile down and back or up and back up. When moving around a lot (covering a couple miles) I can discover a lot more fish lies and and take bigger numbers of fish but have yet to catch larger bass with any consistency. Most of my large smallmouth have come near the surface after bouncing the fly down the bottom on a swing, all the really large ones were within 15' of me when they hit. I take as many bass on the down stream pass as I do on the up, but all my best fish have come in one hour of the day, so much so that I rarely fish midday anymore. A Gartside Gurgler pulled under on a swing and striped like streamer might take a medium size smb in the afternoon, bubbles and racket. A big deer hair and rabbit "snake" meant for the surface might take a 3#er if sunk with a heavy shot in fast water at dusk. A marabou crappie jig will some times take more bass than any thing else I have. A bass might take on the 20th cast after letting all the others float away. It might strike at the same fly three times before catching it on three consecutive casts. Or not, really I don't think there are any rules. The only thing that I regard as a rule is the fly usually needs to be in an area of less than a foot diameter. (another reason I stand close and cast short) Different methods work, just as different lures work. The young guys that fish my home creek do it at night with spin and casting gear and wet wade 2-5 miles at almost a run in gangs of 2,3-7 guys and they have shown me some pictures of very nice 3#ers. I have fished the same hole they just left and taken a 3#+ on fly with the first few casts. Bass are adaptable and even when spooked will soon be back at work. Cows, deer, kayaks, ATVs, tractors, swimmers, picnickers, jet aeroplanes all disturb the these fish several times a day, yet they must eat and they do. You will find what works for you be it light fly gear or medium (7-8wt) or live bait; whatever. Do what you did over there, smb are just fish. Bryant Creek surely has smb over 14", I have never been there but it has more water gauged than creeks I have fished. Last flow on Bryant 186cfs, last on Indian Creek 106cfs. Last on Big Sugar Creek 33cfs. FishnDave, chucknduck, Johnsfolly and 1 other 4
Flysmallie Posted September 24, 2019 Posted September 24, 2019 14 hours ago, fishinwrench said: Yeah I have a bag full of wine corks and a Dremel also, and yeah they'll work...but OMG what a process!!!! And I can never make 2 the same. 🙄 I prefer to get good cork popper bodies and just flip them around. J.Stockard is where I got my last batch, but they don't have them anymore. I probably have 8-10 left and then I don't know what I'll do. You need to build a duplicator with that dremel.
fishinwrench Posted September 24, 2019 Posted September 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Flysmallie said: You need to build a duplicator with that dremel. Will you teach me how?
tjm Posted September 24, 2019 Posted September 24, 2019 Use a nail for a mandrel and the motor as a lathe. Janns has small corks that would suit me better for size- 5/16"-1/2" iirc. Hobby stores always have small corks too. I don't think I could cast a wine cork.
FishnDave Posted September 24, 2019 Posted September 24, 2019 I dunno...I DO still like the Blockhead Poppers.... Here's some of the Pearl Shiners: Has anyone tried DDH Leeches? I tied some up, gave a couple to my buddy and he caught a bunch of clear water stream smallies on it. I've had days on Largemouth Bass when they stopped hitting everything else, but kept hitting these: Smallie Seeker, Greasy B, Jadesjigs and 1 other 4
Flysmallie Posted September 24, 2019 Posted September 24, 2019 I haven't tried a DDH Leech but have tried enough stuff that is close to it that I know they will eat it. It's a freaking smallmouth, they will eat anything that looks like it's alive. That's why you don't have to get too crazy about it. Pick out a few patterns and learn to fish them well. That's more important and you will have more success than trying to find the exact correct fly for every occasion. I do admit that the chase and creation of these flies is a fun side hobby. Jadesjigs, Smallie Seeker, chucknduck and 2 others 5
tjm Posted September 24, 2019 Posted September 24, 2019 2 hours ago, Flysmallie said: they will eat anything that looks like it's alive. This. chucknduck 1
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