Landing a 5LB+ largemouth bass on a fly rod makes me want to move back to Texas. This was the highlight of my short trip to the Lone Star State. The amazing thing about this catch is that it happened after about ten minutes on the bank of Stillhouse Hollow Lake applying the tactics I describe below in my entry on bass poppers. My stand by yellow popper was indeed the right selection. In fact, I fished this popper almost exclusively for the hour or so I put in each day of my visit. This was worth five bass to include a 20, 17 and 15” bass, although I should note the 17” fish was on a dropper fly.
Sometimes these things just happen. I was not particularly prepared to fish; I brought one of my cheaper bass rods and a couple boxes of flies. By the time I was wheels up I had landed about twelve pounds of fish.
It’s hard to beat Texas when it comes to warm water fly fishing!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Wooly Worm Bass
While I was in Texas I hit the bank of Stillhouse Hollow Lake with my fly rod. I found the purple wooly worm turned out to be the perfect fly to drop off my popper when the top water bite slowed. I usually go for a dropper fly to target other species. I have experimented with using streamers as droppers before with limited success, but I usually revert to a wet fly to entice bluegill, sunfish, and crappie. In this case I started with a wet fly and switched to a purple wooly worm. I thought this fly was the perfect compromise between a wet fly and a streamer. Purple seemed to be a good fit for the slightly discolored, choppy water. The approach was worth a 17” bass which was toward the limit of what I could handle on the 4X tippet I used for my dropper.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Bass Poppin'
Before I spill the beans on the rest of my success during my short trip to Texas, I thought I would reflect on a few lessons I have learned fly fishing with bass poppers. First, neon yellow is by far the most effective color on a blue bird day. Cloudy weather calls for a dark popper, preferably black. Second, windy conditions favor a traditional popper over a slider. The calmer the water, the more subtle the presentation unless there is evidence of aggressive top water feeding. Third, a double haul with an open loop is the best way to cast a popper. This works best with a 7/8 weight system, and a 1X leader. Last, when casting a popper in breazy conditions, cast with the wind to get good distance along the shoreline. The heavy current turns on the bite and adds to the action of the popper. This fly works best close to the bank where amphibians and mice often draw the attention of hungry bass. Overall, this is a great technique for catching big largemouth.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Damon's Honey Hole
I spent the last couple of days at a conference in Texas. After I got off the plane I linked up with my friend Damon. As is often the case in Texas, he has a pond across from his house loaded with big bass. We went over just before sunset. He had a baitcaster with a spinner bait tied on. I had a fly rod and a box full of poppers and streamers. Within a few minutes Damon caught a monster green sunfish that was easily over a pound. I later got on the board with a small bass. As the sun set the popper bite turned on. Suddenly a 15” bass engulfed my popper and put up a heroic fight before I winched him out of the weeds. Holding this pig and high fiving Damon made the trip well worth it for me. Many thanks to Damon for showing me a good time and helping me land this fish.I thought this was the highlight of my Texas bass excursion, but there was more to come.
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