Fly-Fishing Techniques for Smallmouth Bass Fly fishing for smallmouth bass is one of the most exciting forms of angling. This gentlemen of the warm water species is broadly distributed throughout the United States so many anglers can find him close to home and find gratifying angling quite easily. He is at home in small rolling streams, broad meandering rivers and crystal clear lakes. In all of these waters he will take flies with gust and then leaps into the air to show his sleek bronze body. Harry Murray shows the tackle, flies and casting methods which are effective when fly fishing for smallmouths. Drawing on a lifetime of smallmouth fishing, guiding and teaching his angling schools he shows you how to evaluate rivers in order to find the best places to fish. Harry discusses in great depth the various minnows found in smallmouth rivers, the flies that match them and the most productive techniques for fishing them. The smallmouth nymphing game is one of Harry’s favorite techniques and he shows you the types of water and the methods that work best. He then goes to the surface and covers the best ways to take smallmouths on dry flies and surface bugs. There is special attention given to floating the rivers and fishing ponds and lakes. This new book by Harry Murray covers all aspects of fly fishing for smallmouth bass in a way that anglers of all skill levels can benefit in order to improve their days on the water.

Fly-Fishing Techniques for Smallmouth Bass

Bass will be deeper than in warmer months.
Fish slower with more subtle movements.
Winter can bring major low-pressure systems which can cause bass to feed heavily.
Watch your line intently when fishing plastics as the bite will be soft.

Water temperatures below fifty degrees call for a much different game plan on the water. You should consistently evaluate the body of water you are fishing and determine where the greatest elevation drops are located near key structure. For instance, in the winter you want to find a shallow flat that is located right near a steep ledge that drops off in say twenty or thirty feet. The bass will remain at the bottom of the ledge in the 20-30 feet of water and move up once per day, usually around 2-3pm, to feed on bait fish. If you have a depth finder, it is good practice to scan the edges of such ledges for any schools of bait fish. When you locate some bait fish, take notice of the depth they are at so you can gauge how deep you need to present your baits.

We cannot stress enough how important having extra sensitivity to strikes in winter is. Winter bass fishing is a true mental and physical challenge and the sad news is you will probably get bites and not even know it. Fish strike baits so soft that it is unlike the majority of strikes you get throughout the warmer seasons of the year. If you feel any resistance whatsoever, by all means set the hook. You do not want a cold water bass to spit your bait out before you can get a handle on the fish. Watch your line and hold your rod lightly with your finger tips for the best sensitivity.

Winter is a tough time for bass fishing, but the bass are still there and can be caught if your patient enough and you use some effective winter bass fishing techniques. good luck out there and tight lines.

#1 Bass quite actively feeding in hot weather

This has to be the most common misconception about bass activity during the dog days of summer! Do you quit feeding when things heat up? I didnt think so and either do bass.

Bass are a cold blooded animal, cold blooded animals that adjust their body temperature to their surroundings. The only major change hot weather will have on bass is their metabolic rate and the speed of some other natural functions. In fact a bass will need to eat more in high temperature conditions to be able to produce and expend enough energy to survive.

Knowing a little bit about fish will go a long way when it comes to your bass fishing success, learn more about fish in our Learn About Fish section.

#2 Bass Will Always Head For Deep Water In Hot Weather

This bass fishing myth almost made it to the number one spot, this is just not the case. Bass do not always move into deep water when things heat up, in fact the time of the year that bass can be found at the deepest depths is winter, not the sweltering days of summer!

Most bass will move into the mid depths during the hot summer months, they wont be as shallow as they were in early spring and no where as deep as many bass anglers assume.

One situation that may entice bass to move into deeper water is the fact that crawfish and smaller bait fish can not sustain in warmer waters, so they will move into deeper, cooler waters. In effect bass will follow the food. Dont misconstrue this though, we are still talking mid levels here, 10 to 15 feet of water or so.

Bass Prefer Specific Temperatures Indexes And Never Stray From Them

There is only one time throughout the year that bass will adhere to a specific temperature range, which is the spring spawn and hatch. Other than this period bass usually seem to disregard temperature fluctuations and do what they normally do follow the food! 95% of a bass’s movements are dictated by the migration of the bait it seeks to feed on the dog days of summer are no different

I hope you have a better understanding of how bass feed and move during the hot summer months, I hope Ive also dispelled a myth or two about bass fishing these periods. Now you know get out there and go bass fishing!

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During the late summer to fall transition we begin to see drastic changes and with these changes the angle in which you approach bass fishing must also change. Its time to start changing tactics and presentations in order to continue catching bass.

With falling water temperatures bait fish will start to migrate and begin setting up in their fall staging areas. Many times these bait fish will stage up in creeks, mouths of creeks and main lake points. This movement will entice bass into their transition, the bass will follow suit soon after. Its a simple game of cat and mouse! The trick to catching bass during this seasonal transition is locating the schools of bait fish, when you do your almost sure to also find bass.

Bass can many times be found suspending off secondary points, from which they will begin to move in behind the bait fish and begin feeding. Crankbaits are a good choice for locating these bass. You can cover allot of water with a crankbait at very specific depths, making locating bass a much easier proposition. Spinner baits are also a good choice for locating and honing in on feeding bass.

Once Im in good water I will usually slow things down a bit and start throwing carolina rigged worms or lizards. Jigging tubes rigged with a mushroom head jig will also produce. The movements and feeding habits of bass change daily during the late summer to fall transition, so the key here is to play around with different presentations and baits. Let the bass dictate which lure and presentation you use.

Bass fishing during this period is very rewarding, in fact there is only one other season throughout the year that will produce bigger and better bass, that is the spring spawn. So take advantage of the season, go out and catch some trophy bass!

Just keep in mind that this is a major transition and the bass will feed and act differently from day to day, and hour to hour. You have to stay on top of your game, letting the bait and the bass dictate what lures and techniques you use will go a long way during the late summer to fall bass fishing transition!