Hey guys,

just recently got into fly fishing for bass but i'm not having too much luck up here in mass. Its not about my fly casting skills but about what i'm using i'm sure.  Just wondering if anyone else has any fly tips for bass and what flys are good.  So far I've been using poppers and topwater lures on an 8wt fly rod and nothing but panfish are hitting the topwater.  I've caught three bass with the new rig so far but thats nothing for 3 outings and over 16 hours of total fishing.

Thanks for any help guys

Flies should imitate crawfish, aquatic insects, and minnows.

Clouser Minnows (white/olive, white/chartruese, white/blue, ect. ect.) imitate minnows very well.  Smallmouth seem to like clousers with thinner bucktails, while largemouth seem to prefer a larger bait.

Crawfish and Aquatic Insects like stonefly nymphs and hellgramites can be imitated by flies like Wolly Buggers in Olives, Browns, and Blacks.  There are also more realistic flies to imitate all of the above.

I have had good luck with dahlburg divers, in rivers and channels for smallmouths

Don't limit yourself fishing only the top with the fly rod.  Sink tip lines let you cover any water depth.  You can tie, or buy flies to imitate anything you want.  

The only limitation I have found is that you can't get a fly quite as weedless as your soft plastics, but I am working on that.  

macmaster,

As far as top water I like Bumle bee's, grass hoppers,dry caddis, and deer hair crickets or beetles are deadly close to the bank. If these prove to be to enticing to panfish I also like a deer hair frog which should persuade the bigger fish into biting.

I also like bead head woolybuggers in white, chartreuse, black, olive, and rust. Maribou streamers take on a life of their own when they hit the water . Either in current or action you add with the rod tip marabou comes alive.

Their has been some great advice here, but if your are fishing rivers, especially for smallmouth you have to add some sculpin imitations. These can be deadly when fished withthe right presentation. When pulled up a sculpin will immediately struggle bact to the bottom to hide in rocks or gravel so you need to present your imitation in the same manner.

Great fishing,

Mike

thanks guys, lots of good information