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Fly for bass

5K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  JR SPEY 
#1 ·
I've recently been fishing for bass with flies. Wolly buggers have been catching me many bass, but now that it's winter the bass are less active and don't usually go for the big wolly bugger. Any suggestions on winter flies for bass?
 
#2 ·
Help us out a little bit. Are you talking Maine or Alabama, rivers, lakes or flowages? If you're north of the Mason-Dixon line I'd say probably a tip-up would be your likely answer. If south and on a lake or flowage, then something that can be fished exceedingly slow. Something like a Clouser minnow would work, but you'd need to barely move it. Location of the fish is critical as they're not likely to move much to the fly. Also using something softer as the wing material on your Clouser, which usually calls for bucktail, would help. Arctic fox and Ultra Select Craft Fur are what I use on mine for such conditions. Actually, a wooly bugger, properly weighted, could also be nearly suspended the same way.
 
#4 ·
I guess it depends upon whether there are many nymphs in the ponds or lakes. I'm guessing if the wooly bugger quit working most nymphs wouldn't do much better. What you want is as much lifelike movement as possible without having to move the fly very much. Most nymphs (note the MOST) have less built in action than a well tied bugger. What do the gear guys use? Finding that out might give you some clues as to which direction you'll go. When water temps were below 50*F I used to rely a lot on jig and pork rind eels. It became a case of almost vertical presentation. A good start would be to find out what they do (at least if they're reasonably successful) and try to copy their approach with a fly.

Don't discount the possibility that it isn't the fly you're using, but that the fish have changed locations. If you're fishing the same shoreline brush, for example, that worked in the fall, they may have moved to deeper water.
 
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