I took the opportunity before and after my trip yesterday to do a little experimenting with the bass fishing. Normally I do not consider either largemouth or smallmouth bass to be especially fussy about what fly or lure they want but yesterday proved that wrong.
I was a little early on my way to pick up the mornings clients at their rental cottage. So I simply pulled in to the island they were staying on and made a few cast to the shore while using the trolling motor to work my way to their dock. There was a fly rod in the boat for my client to use so I took the opportunity to do some experimenting.
I started with an black leech pattern that was the best fly last summer. After a dozen or so casts to likely spots it was clear that was not producing any interest. I switched to an orange crayfish fly tied like a deceiver and had a half dozen fish in the next ten minutes.
I met my clients on their dock and went to work. Armed with the knowledge of which fly worked I tried to match the lures on their spinning outfits to the size and shape of the fly that had just been so successful. Wrong again! The lures simply produced interested fish following them back to the boat.
The experimenting began and I was able to sort it out in due time but the color and size of the fly had sent me in the wrong direction. They each ended up with a number of bass and were very happy when I dropped them off before lunch.
Again I was not in a hurry so I stopped on another stretch of shoreline on the way back to the ramp. Picked up the fly rod with the fly that had been so successful for me early that morning and went right back to catching a smallmouth on every fourth or fifth cast. Way better than we had been doing on the spinning gear no mater what the lure selection.
The exact right fly can make all of the difference of course all I need to do now is guess which one every time.
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