Newbie questions

[nathg]

I am relatively new to Fly Fishing and have been having some luck and a lot of fun on the Yuba. I live on a foothill lake that supports bass and panfish and have caught them with spinning gear for several years. I have questions as to what type of fly fishing gear I would need for these fish. I have the typical 9ft 5wt set up with floating line. Do I need a lighter pole or different line? Any help would be appreciated

[LostInTheFog]

You're set with the rig you've got. Go get yourself some poppers and sliders, and chuck those babies into the weeds! Give them little twitchs and gurles as you strip them out, but be certain to occassionally let them sit for a few seconds. Many times your fly will just explode while you're letting it sit. Bass and panfish are a blast on a fly, and foothill lakes should be just starting to get active.

[nathg]

Thanks LITF. I hope to get on the water within the next few days

[Hairstacker]

Nathg, for what's worth, I'm in total agreement with what LostInTheFog (LITF) just said. Since you've spinfished for them for some time, I presume you know where to target the smallmouths and largemouths. I use a 5/6 wt. rod that carries a weight forward 6 wt. floating (WF6F) line. I've been using the same setup for bluegills.

For smallmouths in lakes, I prefer to fish 2 1/2 - 3-inch chartreuse/white Clouser minnows wherever I can find rocks in the water -- along rock levee walls, submerged boulder fields in the shallows, any place I see large rock slides and points extending into the water, etc. I'll toss the Clouser out there, let it sink a bit, then retrieve it in quick, successive 4 to 6-inch or so jerks to simulate a baitfish. About the only variation I'll make in this retrieve is how long I wait for the drop to control what depth I'm fishing at.

For largemouths, I like to use deer hair poppers and fish them on the surface. Just like LITF said, I like to seek out weed beds and/or submerged timber and toss the bug at these. My favorite largemouth cover for popper fishing is along the edges of weedmats. I usually toss it out there and let it sit for a moment for the rings to disappear and a little moment longer. I then give it a "pop" (not too vigorously, as I don't want to spook a fish that might be studying it, but enough to convince him it's alive). I then let it sit like before for a little bit. I'll then give it a quick double pop and let it sit again. If it hasn't been hit by a bass by then, I usually pick up and cast to another spot. I'll fish a spot thoroughly but I always keep moving and never stay glued to one spot. If this approach isn't working and I want to continue to fish topwater, then I'll vary the retrieve. Maybe make it a much more continuous retrieve, or let the popper sit while I take a break to pour a cup of coffee, examine the scenery, etc. On other occassions, I've experienced success by making the popper make intermittent dives and resurfaces. I've also been successful dragging a surface fly underwater for 5 - 6 feet per swim by extending the rod tip in a very low, wide arc -- depending on the fly, it may wiggle like a tadpole when you do this. If none of that works, I'll usually switch to either the same Clouser I use for smallmouths or a size 6 olive woolly bugger. If none of that works, I'll either wait until it does or I'll start fishing for bluegills. Good luck!! Bass on a fly rod is a hoot!!!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I like to go out in April/May in the evenings with a black small popper or hair bug.

Fish from the time the sun gets off the water till you can't see on that small pond.

Like some mentioned here, throw your "bug" near something coming through the surface and let it sit there.

Twitch it a bit and 'hang on'.

Give us a report.