The summer heat is changing my bass and maybe your's

[Adam Grace]

The summer heat seams to be pushing my bass out to the deeper water.

I went out two nights ago and caught some fish on top but nothing like a month ago. The top water action was slow so I switched to a wooly bugger and slammed a couple of larger bass, 1.5lbs. I had what felt like a much larger fish on for a couple of head shakes but it got off. That darn fish grabbed the fly so gently I didn't fell him enough to know to set the hook. I simply increased the tension on my line and he went crazy, never really set the hook.

Oh well that's fishing.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/flyguyag/Chico/IMGP2235.jpg

[Jasonh]

Adam, the same thing seems to be happening down here in texa. As teh temperatures reach into the high 90's and 100 the water warms considerably and the fishing slows. guess that means its time for me to hit the vice in preparation for steelhead season.

Jason Hartwick

[Adam Grace]

I grabbed my 4wt instead of my 3wt last night. I also grabbed my intermediate sinking line and my bugger/leech box and left the poppers at home.

I was determined to fish deep last night.

I caught more fish than the night before by lettin the line sink down about 5-7' deep. A slow retreive worked better than faster strips. First, I tried a small baitfish pattern stripped in very short quick bursts and got crushed by a couple of bass. After that I switched to a large polar chennile leech, very simple, picture below.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/flyguyag/flies/IMGP2400.jpg

Long marabou tail, lead wire for weight(as much as you want), polar chennile palmered body. very simple and yet so effective.

I hooked another fatty bluegill, he crushed my #6 leech like a bass.

Here's one of the bass from last night.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/flyguyag/Chico/IMGP2391.jpg

It was very hot last night, but I still had fun for the hour and half that I fished.

Try to go deeper for your summer bass. Try this simple leech pattern, it produces for me, maybe for you too.

[Jasonh]

Sounds like a fun night on the water. It is always nice to try fishing using different methods and flies and seeing if you can still hook up. I like thta leech fly. Looks a lot like that polar chenille steelhead fly you showed me last winter.

Jason Hartwick

[Adam Grace]

Very similar, no fl.pink chennile head.

It looks awesome in the water.

Tons of movement.

[Hairstacker]

Adam, looks like you're still doing just fine at the pond, hot weather be damned, ha, good for you! I really like your leech pattern, it DOES look like it would have a ton of movement in the water. David Lee turned me on to some leech patterns last week that have a similar profile, and I tied up half a dozen myself last night. Plan to use 'em next Sunday on some smallmouth. 8) I'm going to have to try to imitate yours as well. "Polar chenille" you say, eh? I'll be damned though if, once again, that isn't something else missing from my materials collection. Aaaargh! :lol:

[Adam Grace]

Bill stocks this polar chennile if you would like to tie some up.

Good luck.

[David Lee]

The Polar stuff is nice for shine , but I prefer African (angora) Goat mixed w/ some angel hair - That combo holds its shape better in most conditions .

Leech flies are really amazing .... even in places where I haven't seen a live Leech , the Leech flies really get the fish . One that you shouldn't be without .

David

[Jasonh]

Adam, brett and i floated a short section of the san marcos river here in texas today and i fished that polar chenille leech with good sucess. Hooked a decent sized bass, maybe 1.5 lbs and a lot of big perch and small 6" bass with it. It seemed to outfish bretts woolly buggers. I think i am going to have to tie a lot more of those. Thanks.

Jason Hartwick

[brett humphries]

Thanks for the "it seemed to outfish Brett's wooly buggers" poke. I appreciate it. That fly did seem to wokr pretty well. We need to float more of that river.

Brett

[Adam Grace]

How you doing there Brett? Good to see you on the board again.

I'm glad to hear that you guys went fishing again. Brett, did you sell your skiff and buy another boat or did you fish in the skiff?

Jason, I told you. That leech almost always produces bass for me.

Fish on Texas guys.

[KD]

Adam, glad to hear you're still harrassing those "little green trash fish".

Small ponds and lakes tend to stagnate during the heat of summer driving bass to deeper water. Deep water weeds and structure are key targets then as you know. The Delta continues to kick out topwater fish all summer, well into fall. This is due to the tidal influences and expansive amounts of cover.

Tidal currents are what mainly sets that "down & dirty for summer bass" theory off to the side in the Delta imho. Surely going deep can produce fish and maybe more and larger ones. Alot of the conventional guys(Delta) are locked up flippin' and must not have the confidence in summer topwater. This baffles me. I ask them about topwater all the time at the dock. Most of them just don't do it enough i guess. For me the game is all on top and it's productive through the season. Big fish will eat on top in the Delta in the middle of the day, early morning, early evening, or at sunset. I lost a fish in the 10lb size class a week or so back. Second one I've been connected to in the last year. Lost 'em both due to angler error! :shock:

If you get some wind(cooling effect and circulation) you'll be back on some topwater fish I'd bet.

Stay on top man,....the dark side can suck you in:-)

Topwater. That's where the most fun is. Just don't look into the sun too long:-)

[Adam Grace]

KD, I have heard many reports of awesome topwater Delta bass fishing during the summer. I have watched some videos of bass pros tossing weedless frog on the mats. Those big delta bass would crash through the matted weeds and crush the weedless frog. Exciting!

I have always wanted to do that. Unfortunately I do not have a boat large enough to tackle the delta. My tiny little 8' pram sits low on the water, very dangerous on the Delta. Bass boats and other large boats throw off too many large wakes which could easily capsize my little boat.

I love to fish the mats and watch bass crash through.

KD, have fun fishing your Delta topwater.

[Hairstacker]

KD, I hear exactly what you're saying. It's one of things I love about the Delta -- if you oversleep, no problem. I can't count the number of times the topwater bite turned on at 1:00 in the afternoon, even on the hottest, brightest summer days. 8) Like you said, just depends on what the tides are doing. Having said that, I think my favorite topwater month in the Delta has to be October -- not so hot, the wind is usually pretty calm, and the topwater action is usually very good. How about you?

[SullyTM]

Welcome to the Forum KD...

Haistacker...Oversleeping? YOU :?: :!:

My gear is currently collecting dust until September. August has me busy...busy...busy...Since my inflatable desire won't come true until next year I am wondering if there are any good shoreline spots for flying? SECRET SPOTS do not have to be revealed...I really like Fall. Not to hot, not to cold. Hmmmm, might be time for you to show me some Delta Blues :wink: :idea: Bwup!

[Hairstacker]

Thom, truth is, secret spot or not, if there is a good shoreline spot in the Delta for fly fishing, I haven't found it yet. In the areas I fish, thick weed mats form up between the bank and the deeper water. Not so much a problem in the spring but definitely a problem once the weeds take off in summer. Plus, there's typically very little room for a backcast with the steep levee walls and all. Because of shoreline issues, I started building a pram as soon as I discovered the Delta. And very soon thereafter, I bought my first inflatable kayak. Finally, one of the main areas I fish can only be accessed by personal watercraft (regular boats can't get into it) and the shoreline is on private land. Personally, I would flyfish somewhere other than the Delta if the only option I had was to do it from shore. At least until I find a spot where it can be done. Maybe someone else knows of such a spot? . . . .

[SullyTM]

Hssssssssssssssssssssssss...Mike, that's the sound of my inflatable loosing it's air. No shoreline spots...BUMMER! But, Sportsmart is advertising a couple of nice looking inflatables...I'll check them out and let ya know. Thom

[Richard]

I fish on the delta with a square end canoe and a 3 HP motor. The way I manage the wakes from the super charged boats is that I got a set of outriggers that keeps the boat a stable as your living room floor when they are extended. Standing and casting is no problem at all even in my canoe. Well I won't guarantee my casting but the boat is stable. :lol: Those of you with small boats might want to check out sailboats to go.com to see if they might not help you as well.

By the way, and this is preaching to the choir, but I got started on fly fishing in the Delta with KD and that was the best fishing decision I ever made. If you need a guide on the Delta he is your man!!! Thanks, Bill, for the recommendation I found on this forum!

[Hairstacker]

Richard, welcome aboard!! Sounds like you have a great setup -- standing up is something I've never dared to do in my inflatable kayak, and I won't be trying it anytime soon. :lol: I imagine you've probably been able to sight-fish some bass from that vantage point. . . . 8)