Another Bass'n Question

[jeffg]

OK..one more here. I am heading to Lake Barkley KY this weekend with my buddy. The fish are currently pre-spawn just spawning mode. The water temp on the surface is 63-64 at 10ft it is 61-62.
How would you fish this situation?? Would you go surface poppers over the spawning beds? Clousers over the deeper points?

Any fly suggestions??
(Hey my goal this year is to catch a 5 lb largemouth on my fly rod..so I will be asking all kinds of questions )

[BT]

jeffg, I've caught loads of b****on popping bugs of all kinds (cork,deer hair) the biggest problem i've had is I can't throw anything larger than a no.6 and the big fish seem to pull loose. Poppers around the shoreline is always a good bet. Clousers or any minnow imitation ever woolies work fine in the deeper water.

[Drifter]

BT,

I'm just starting to pursue Largemouth with the flyrod. I want to start tying some b****flies including poppers. What size rod are you using? I just bought a 9wt outfit to fish for bass. I'm hoping it will throw poppers larger than a size 6.

Thanks for any input.

Drifter

[The Ole Man]

BT/Drifter
My b****rod is a St Croix Legend 9', 3 piece, 8 wt. It throws big stuff pretty well. I read Ed Storys "Feather Craft" catalog suggestion and got a Cortland 444-SL b****taper, 8 Wt line for it. Then per his advice, I cut about 12 to 15 inches off the front end of the line -as he says "to speed it up". Removes some of the level section ,puts your leader closer to the fat part where the line weight is concentrated and speeds up the turn over. Then I got a big game leader , 10 pound test , that has a .027 inch butt diameter (in this case an Orvis). This combo slings those hair frogs 2/0 pretty good.

[BT]

I've been throwing a 4wt and a 6wt at them, I would feel a little more comfortable with something a little bigger. I've hooked up with lots of large fish but the biggest i've got in is about 3 and a half pounds the bigger fish seem to all pull loose. I do have a tendency to forget that I have a flyrod in my hand and try to horse them in ala the old baitcaster and 14 pound stren. I have caught a 13 pound carp on the same set up I use for b****nad except for the weight of the fish had no trouble bringing it in. I just feel you have a better chance of bringing a big b****in with a wider hook gape than the 8's and 10's I throw at them.

[SHAWN]

You guys and your heavy b****rods. I leave the 8wt at the house when fishing down at the lake. Just recently started tossing the 2wt at the bedders and caught a 7pounder that was cruising around a bream bed last weekend. I usually use a 6wt fo b****and have never had any problem landing any b****on it ever. I've caught 9lb b****on it and 15lb catfish with no problems. With heavier flies you might have to open the loop up if they have lead eyes or put a little more behind it with the bugs, but they all throw pretty well. if they are bedding, throw a minnow immitation and jiggle it along on the bottom. let them swim up and look at it close and give it a sharp 4in jerk. Drives them mad. takes patience though. I would say poppers should stay in the box until warmer weather but who knows. just a little info

[Drifter]

BT,

Until recently, the largest flyrod I had was a 6wt. I could throw some big streamers if the wind wasn't blowing.

On the recent Florida trip, I bought a 9 wt and it threw like a dream. I had no problem with big Clousers even with the wind gusting. The Lefty Kreh double-haul worked nicely. I didn't know I could throw a flyline that far. My arm and shoulder didn't seem to get as tired either.

I've been very pleased with the big rod,

Drifter

[BT]

Drifter my next rod will be a 9wt, on ponds and lakes I would much rather be over gunned than under gunned. As for the double haul I absolutley love it I tried to learn it out of a book and never did get a handle on it and then Bobby Bell showed me how to do it I was amazed at how simple it was to do and the length it added to my cast with no extra effort.