My challenges landing quality bass on fly tackle were somewhat alleviated this weekend. Our Memorial Day plans took us to a campsite in Pennsylvania with a fishing pond billed as an overfished, under stocked bluegill hole. Armed with a 4 weight fly rod, I quickly discovered that bass were the dominant predator in this water outside of the tattooed, PBR drinkin' worm dunkers that lined the bank. Avoiding the social pressures of hob nobbing with the Lancaster County RV crowd, I got my fishing fix at sunrise and had the pond to myself. This approach was worth two quality bass: one 17" and one 16". Both took small surface flies: a white foam spider, and a white panfish popper. Landing 2-3 pounders on a 4 wt fly rod was the bass on a fly rod experience I have been after. This was made possible by using a non-tapered 8 lb test spider wire leader.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Braddock Crappie
My quest for a big bass on a fly rod continues. To date 3lb+ bass have alluded me on fly tackle. This morning's short visit to lake Braddock was no different. I had a couple bass strikes on a large neon yellow popper, but either I missed the fish or the fish missed the fly. One 12 1/2" fish did manage a solid strike on my popper. I have always thought that the crappie's status at the top of the panfish class was tarnished by a questionable fighting ability. I learned today that when crappies get past a foot in length they bend an #8 wt fly rod like a bass.
Lake Braddock: come for the bass, stay for the crappie.
Lake Braddock: come for the bass, stay for the crappie.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Thoughts on Spring Bass
After spending the entire winter plotting my moves for the impending spring bass explosion, it is finally here. Except that it hasn't really been an explosion, more like a reality check. Spring bass fishing is tough for a couple reasons you forget during the months you expect to struggle. First, the transition period before the spawn is tough to track. The pre-spawn feeding frenzy you see on the Saturday morning shows can come and go before you know it. Suddenly the fish are on their beds; its great sight fishing but they are sluggish. Then comes the post spawn. Once again they can be sluggish. Erratic weather conditions present another complicating factor throughout the season. After a few weeks of intense heat the water column inverts and the bass head for deep water.
There are windows of opportunity to be exploited. But spring bass fishing is still bass fishing. If you want a lot of strikes go for panfish, or stocked trout. If you want to catch one fish that will make your week go for bass. My goal: one solid largemouth bass on a fly rod. My follow on goal is to fix my boat and become a true bass slayer, which is tough to do from the bank.
There are windows of opportunity to be exploited. But spring bass fishing is still bass fishing. If you want a lot of strikes go for panfish, or stocked trout. If you want to catch one fish that will make your week go for bass. My goal: one solid largemouth bass on a fly rod. My follow on goal is to fix my boat and become a true bass slayer, which is tough to do from the bank.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
David's Rainbow
Wow! He's not even four yet and he's pulling fish out of the water like a little pro. We went to Accotink Creek tonight for a quick shot at our favorite stocked trout fishery. David picked out his own lure: a marabou jig spinnerbait. Action was initially slow and we contemplated moving. Suddenly David set the hook on a nice rainbow. His pole bent over, and the fish jumped two or three times before David was able to swing his catch on the bank. David had no assistance on this one. He made a perfect cast, got a solid hook set and landed the fish entirely on his own.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
A Big Day For The Olsons
In my last post I addressed my Dad's smallie conquest this morning down in in NC. Tonight the VA wing of the family got in on the action. David caught two bream on a fly rod, and jennie got a small bass (that snuck back in the water before we could get a picture). Just as it looked like I was bringing down the team I managed a fourteen inch largemouth. The winning presentation was a TX rigged white tube. This has become my 'go to' largemouth bait on a spinning rod, even though it is billed as a smallmouth bait. Go figure.
Pop Pop Scores Again!
My Dad has held to his guns on smallmouth fishing. I insist that you fish for them differently than largemouth. Yet Dad remains loyal to the plastic worm even though I am always stearing him towards a tube, a drop shot or some other ESPN annointed smallie tactic. Way to go Dad! This one was 17" and well over three pounds.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
