The Mayflies are hatching in my neck of the woods.

What do you guys throw during the hatch?

Do you try to imitate the Mayflies or do you try to imitate what eats the Mayflies?

There’s been a large hatch just north of here on a big lake. Actually, multiple hatches of May flies, midges, and the real big lake flies. They’re quite disgusting even though they’re completely harmless. When I see these, I’m tossing a black or brown hair jig. They come up out of the bottom of the lake and take a couple days to float to the surface. Apparently fish will gorge on them.

 

I also heard my first cicada today too of the season. No mistaking those things.

I was just fishing it last night at Kentucky Lake and had one of my top three bass fishing outings ever. Definitely imitating what was feeding on the mayflies (bluegill).

 

Fished under overhanging trees with mayflies in them, 6:45-sunset. Most of my fish came on a wacky rigged (weightless) Yum Dinger, "Bream" color (mix of green pumpkin and light blue), so I'm guessing that vaguely resembled bluegill . Also caught a few on a bluegill pattern 6th Sense swim jig with a "sungill" Little Dipper trailer. 

 

I was surprised that neither a Whopper Plopper nor a bluegill pattern squarebill got any bites.

 

Now the crappie this weekend...that was a different story. They were PICKY because they had bellies full of mayflies, confirmed when I cleaned some today. Not nearly as much fun as the bass fishing.

A whopper plopper 90 or small walking bait is a killer around smallmouth here when the mayflies are thick.