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Author Topic: Bass in small streams  (Read 4757 times)

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toddro

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Bass in small streams
« on: October 05, 2009, 02:03:40 PM »
I have found a few small streams where the water flowing cool and is gin-clear.  There I have found some great pools stacked with bass and some beautiful flats where the bass are cruising, but they are very spooky.    There are some shallow flats with a surface that is like glass where just my fly line landing on the water sends a dozen bass scurrying.  It is some fun but technical fishing just trying to sneak up on something and getting it to hit without blowing the fish out of an area the size of my living room.

Does anyone have a good bass "attack" fly?  These are mostly small largemouth bass (<2lbs) and red eye and maybe a few smallmouth in some areas mixed in.  I need something that these cruising bass will attack even when not feeding.  I'm catching them on Clousers, Sculpins, Woollies, and Slumpbusters when I'm fishing in timber and structure, but these bass I'm seeing in pools and flats will not even look at them.  Any tip/tricks/ideas on getting them to chase something? 

Thanks!
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icthus

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2009, 05:22:26 PM »
take me with you and I will show you the ropes. j/k  tie a fly that has hackle around it that catches the wind as its failling and softens the landing.  Webje talks about it in his last spanish fly episode.  If you can get away from using weight do so and let the weight of the hook bring  the fly down.

At least you found some fish, we hit a creek yesterday and it was slow, I did however spook 2 bass as well.

Blessings
Icthus
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Steve H

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2009, 05:33:12 PM »
Todd, try a deer hair slider with saddle hackle tail and maybe add some rubber legs for movement. You can tie it pretty sparse/light so it won't make a big splash.
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Dub

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2009, 06:01:23 PM »
long fluro leader and a red and white seaducer fly. 8)
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MikeA

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2009, 06:43:12 PM »
Craig that creek was slow but my god what a place. At the bridge I looked up at you and you had a cast up. It was one of the most awesome fly fishing images I've ever seen. We need to go back there if for nothing else but to get some photos. What a river!

Todd when I Bass fished alot I had a rule. If I could see the Bass I didn't bother.... I fished heavily pressured waters and I tried so many times to sight fish but finally made a rule if I can see them they can see me so don't waste time on them. Keep in mind these were Stillwater fish and usually over 2 pounds.

The fly game is different as we sight fish alot and it works quite well. Craig gave some good advice and all I could add would be use natural cover like chop from wind or cloudy days to hide your presence. Bass are quite the predator and can humble most any fisherman regardless of skill set so I'm interested in how this turns out. Keep us posted.
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toddro

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2009, 11:19:31 PM »
Quote from: Mike Anderson on October 05, 2009, 06:43:12 PM
Todd when I Bass fished alot I had a rule. If I could see the Bass I didn't bother.... I fished heavily pressured waters and I tried so many times to sight fish but finally made a rule if I can see them they can see me so don't waste time on them. Keep in mind these were Stillwater fish and usually over 2 pounds.

The fly game is different as we sight fish alot and it works quite well. Craig gave some good advice and all I could add would be use natural cover like chop from wind or cloudy days to hide your presence. Bass are quite the predator and can humble most any fisherman regardless of skill set so I'm interested in how this turns out. Keep us posted.

Thanks guys - I will definitely give these things a try.  I agree Mike, I don't think I've ever been successful sight-fishing for bass, and these fish are in some slow water that is shallow and gin-clear.  But I have seen some nice fish in there and I am determined...  Maybe some rain this week will help color the water a bit and bring it up - and now that I know where they are after several trips I can plan my entrance into these pools in such a way as to cast into the pool before I am seen.  I plan on trying again this weekend to see what happens and I'll let ya know.

Cheers!
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dbradyh

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2009, 10:52:02 AM »
Here is another tactic that you might wish to try: Use a olive damsel fly of olive dragonfly nymph on a long 4lb. tippet and let the nymph slowly dead drift through the area with fish giving it occasional twitches. Usually the bass will take the nymph at once or not at all. Stealth is key.
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jladdsmith

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2009, 02:10:50 PM »
This may sound counter to logic, but have you tried to make some noise?

With a popper or mouse or something?   

Here's what I would try:

Ease in upstream of the flat or pool and let them settle back down.  Make a long cast with a long leader/tippet (least amount of false casting possible) towards the bank.  Sit low to the water for as long as you can stand it, and then give it a series of short glugs.

I don't know if Mike Dial is on this board, but he could probably offer some pointers. 

 
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MikeA

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2009, 04:40:18 PM »
On a side note I've caught several Smallies sight fishing?? Largemouth, not so much...?
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She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2009, 10:01:56 AM »
It seems like bass spook from a flyline a lot easier than trout.  In clear water the cast puts them off very frequently.

I agree with Mike - the best bet seems to be to make long casts to fish you can't see.  Sometimes you can get a take from closer fish by casting a small popping bug way upstream and then letting it drift down to the fish before you twitch it.

The other alternative is to leave the flyrod at home and use live crawfish or creek minnows.  You can sight fish to bass all day long with live bait.  :)

bd
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toddro

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2009, 11:24:06 AM »
Great stuff guys - i can't wait to get out and give it another try, hopefully tomorrow and Friday!

What about a San Juan Worm - anyone had any bass success with one?

One flat I have fished has a very narrow/deep channel that runs into between a lot of grass, but once it opens up into the flat, the water shallows out into a nice shallow, flat, still, pool.  There a dozen bass cruising there, so the methods of dead-drifting a fly into that area via the narrow channel that feeds are great.  The water last time I was there was just beautifully clear.  I can get far back in that narrow "chute" and send a fly down in and feed line out as it goes and get pretty far into the holding area without having to cast.  Once it's there, hopefully I can get something to hit it!

Thanks again, I'll report back soon!

Todd
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dbradyh

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2009, 03:14:02 PM »
Maybe try a #10 0r #8 bead head hare's ear with rubber legs... That will imitate a small crayfish when pulled quickly up from the bottom. Smaller can be better in clear water and this has had some results for me.
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toddro

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2009, 05:18:26 PM »
Report#1 - ok, I went back last night around 5:00 and fished until 7:00.  The water was about a foot higher and just slightly stained.  The big bass were nowhere to be seen.  I fished the same pools and same flats and did not spot them at all.  I was fishing a large tan super-bugger and killing the red-eye bass and the bluegill but not only did I not hit any bass, I didn't see them either this time.  I suppose the higher water sent them to other parts of the river.

I'll go back in a few days and report again - I'm gonna nail one soon!

Thanks,

Todd

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Steve H

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Re: Bass in small streams
« Reply #13 on: October 10, 2009, 03:29:37 PM »
Great report Todd. Keep trying and I am heading out tomorrow to try for a few.
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