Big Fly, Big Fish?

[JerryInLodi]

I don't want to turn this question into a poll but I'm just curious as to whether the LMB fishers on this board have an opinion on the above.

From my experience when I fish big poppers that really chug, the smaller fish seem to shy away but the big boys REALLY come out. In short, a lot fewer grabs but the grabs that I get are quality fish!

Waddya think you guys?

[Adam Grace]

I have seen the same results, bigger bass on bigger poppers. I have seen some ambitious small bass attack the larger poppers but most of the smaller bass shy away or just stare.

[psychoz]

For topwater, my biggest bass came on my smallest bait, a popper. I have small fish hitting my zara spook and buzz baists all the time. Now this is fishing with a regular pole not a fly pole.

[JerryInLodi]

psychoz, I've caught bass half the size of the fly when fishing subsurface with clousers. Six inch clouser, three, maybe four inch fish. It seems that subsurface the size of the fly is not as intimidating.

I have had small LMB try to haul my large poppers to the bottom by their tail feathers but it seems that's the exception. Small fish may swirl at the popper but chicken out. However the big boys REALLY are aggressive. I think they measure their strike to the size of the prey. With a big popper they know they have to be ferocious.

[David Lee]

Most of the time ...... yes .

Big fly = fewer dinks in the way of your quest for moe . For the record ..... the three biggest Largemouth I've taken came on small (4 inch or less) lures/flies .

Having said that , it never hurts to be optimistic ..... does it ??

David

[Hairstacker]

I also think most of the time - yes. Like many folks, though, I too have caught some big bass in the past on tiny stuff and tiny bass on relatively big stuff. For example, last weekend, I caught a 6" dink on a 4 1/2"-long diver.

That said, I've been tying my topwater deer hair flies a little bigger over the last couple of years than I used to, and I've noticed my catches have generally included better quality fish. My current topwater deer hair flies are about 2 1/2" - 5" in length, depending on the pattern.

If I'm not mistaken, I think KD has been going with pike-sized divers these days in order to entice the real quality fish. 8)