For beadheaded wolly buggers, is it advisable to add splitshot for certain conditions? And when fishing one, where do you begin to start stripping line? Thanks!

As far as adding weight, depends on the depth and speed of the water you are fishing. I try to use as little weight as possible. And as far as stripping, it depends on the speed of the water Im fishing, the way the water is around here now, it takes every thing I can do just to keep the slack out of my line. I like to fish wooly buggers across the current and start stripping line in the area I think the fish would be holding to give it action, and back upsteam after it drifts down.

There are no rules. Add weight if necessary, and experiment with stripping. Sometimes i cast upstream and start stripping down very fast. Sometimes I just let it drift. Sometimes I let it sit at the end of the swing and then move it up and down about a foot each way and slowly work it towards me. Do what ever til you get bit.

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I think the saying goes like this: There is no wrong way to fish a woolly bugger.

In the beginning of the season I was throwing tungsten cone heads on a size 4 streamer with three b shot and 15'' of sink tip. I was of course swinging the whole time so it was needed.

I prefer to not use shot when possible. I like to wrap 10-12 wraps of 0.30 lead all the way up to the cone and then tie my fly. Sink like a rock in all conditions. I then fish them on either a intermediate or heavy sink tip depending on flow conditions.

I typically let em swing then strip back up stream I have even caught fish about 4 feet from me stripping it back. Add weight as needed to get it down while stripping it back up stream. But all in all I agree with BPS there really is no wrong way.

Again no wrong way, but for me I switched from adding split shot to using sinking leaders and that has helped alot! I have been dead drifting, jigging, stripping etc. Keep switching up the method, color and size until you find what they want. Good luck

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Snagger! Lol.

My luck with wooly buggers is usually hit or miss...definitely won't proclaim to be an expert at all. I'll just offer my experiences:

I've had them hit on the retrieve across stream through current or stripping back in with the fly coming back towards me upstream...with and without splitshot added.

And just the other day I was able to fool a 14" fallfish that was only 10 feet away from me be slowly twitching it in front of him...and I had some splitshot about 6 inches above the fly...

So like everyone has already said, I don't think there's really a wrong way, it's just whatever way seems to work on any given day...

I've never fished one dead-drifted under an indicator though, anyone have thoughts on that?

Yeah that's how my dad fishes them (dead drifting under indicator). He actually manages pretty well, I must say. I never understood that method, as I'm a stripper meself, but it does work.

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It's okay, I respect that. Some people just have different ideas of what they want to be, and what their profession is...

LOL

Glad someone appreciates my sick humor...

I was hoping it would go unnoticed...