Essential Bass Box

[OhioOutdoorsman]

I've decided that I'm going to get serious about my bass fishing this summer. I have a bass and bluegill pond around the corner from my house and am seeing some big boys spawning now. I've mostly used the pond for casting practice and have caught a lot of bluegill on poppers, but not many bass. Haven't taken it seriously.

What flies are in your bass box?

 

[tomgamber]

Clousers, buggers, poppers, damsel flies, foam spiders, leeches...

 

[TheAnglerJosieWales]

Pretty much the same as what Tom said - some Clousers, poppers (traditional hard body-style and clipped deer hair), buggers, sliders (basically a hard body popper turned around so the rounded end is nearest the eye of the hook causing the fly to dive when stripped), and adult dragonfly patterns. Muddler Minnows have also been known to take bass, especially smallies.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

swimming frogs, buggers and poppers. i would like to tie a double jointed minnow like the rapala. i still belive that as far as a bass plug.....it was the best ever made.

 

[jayL]

A big clump of white marabou tied down on a size 4 hook. Strip it slow and when it disappears, set the hook.

 

[Padraic]

Bob Clouser just put out two books FlyFishing for Smallmouth Bass in Rivers and Streams and Tying and Clouser's Flies. Either one would be an excellent start on getting serious about bass (although the first might be better).

I have a pretty limited bass box because I fish for smallies when they are hitting the hex hatch on a local stream. So I match that hatch and that's about it. However, I also carry some larger caddis, 12's and 14's. Hoppers, Clouser Floating Minnows, Shenks White Minnows, Wooley Buggers (size 4 or 8) in black, Olive and Brown (to this I usually add some red flashibou).

 

[tomgamber]

jayL wrote:
A big clump of white marabou tied down on a size 4 hook. Strip it slow and when it disappears, set the hook.

Thats my leech pattern in black and brown as well.

 

[troutbert]

Any bass fly pattern that begins with "Clouser."

See: http://www.clouserflyfishing.com/

You can buy them right from the man. Would you buy flies from Theodore Gordon if you had the chance?

 

[ryanh]

All good but don't forget the crayfish. I just read a book on it and the author says that in the mid summer crayfish are what bass key in on, cause the young of the year forage fish are not big enough.