When I lived in Maryland, I loved to throw poppers when the smallmouths were hitting topwater. Now that I'm in Georgia, I'd like to flyfish for largemouths. I know I'll probably have to go heavier with leaders and baits, any suggestions for what to use, when and where in middle Georgia? I expect catching a 5 lb. LM on a flyrod would be rather exciting!

Thanks for any suggestions.

If you like flyfishing for LM you need try flyfishing for spots on Lake Lanier. It's North GA but worth the trip. The guys who flyfish up there use a fly called a coyote. Its a big streamer made to look like a shad or herring. Theres also guy named Henry Cowan who guides for stripers on Lanier who only does flyfishing trips. He mainly targets stripers but catches spots as well. Lanier is a great topwater lake and would probably be the best choice for flyfishing. For big largemouth there is a small lake south of Atlanta that has a bunch of five to seven pound LM called JW Smith. Best time to go is July and August when it is full of grass and the fish will strike near the surface. Its tough landing the fish on a fly rod but they will hit streamers, and popping type flys. Best lake for numbers with a good fish here and there on a flyrod is lake Kedron in Peachtree city. Just like JW Smith its a small lake with plenty of grass and fish that will hit on top but the fish will hit on top all day long at times.  

In central Ga, you have the oconee,flint,ocmulgee rivers that have places to wade fish. When I was in college at Uga, we fished the Oconee around athens and the Broad river in Madison County for redeyes,lmb's, and piedmont bass. fished  several ponds w/ flyrods....Just havent in a year or so, due to tournament fishing and carpel tunnel that led to surgery on both wrists. Shouldnt have to do too much different for lmb here. I caught smallies in NC on the same setups that I use for LMBs here. Havent fished for bass on Oconee or Sinclair w/ a flyrod, due to the fact the tournaments i fish dont allow them.

Have caught stripers and hybrids in Oconee and sinclair on the fly. Usually around rocks near the dam and the rivers and mainlake points when power generation causes fish to school. I use a 12lb leader w/ a clouser minnow....sometimes I will fish a big popper with a clouser as a dropper around schoolies when the are pulling water.

In central Ga, you have the oconee,flint,ocmulgee rivers that have places to wade fish. When I was in college at Uga, we fished the Oconee around athens and the Broad river in Madison County for redeyes,lmb's, and piedmont bass. fished several ponds w/ flyrods....Just havent in a year or so, due to tournament fishing and carpel tunnel that led to surgery on both wrists. Shouldnt have to do too much different for lmb here. I caught smallies in NC on the same setups that I use for LMBs here. Havent fished for bass on Oconee or Sinclair w/ a flyrod, due to the fact the tournaments i fish dont allow them.

Have caught stripers and hybrids in Oconee and sinclair on the fly. Usually around rocks near the dam and the rivers and mainlake points when power generation causes fish to school. I use a 12lb leader w/ a clouser minnow....sometimes I will fish a big popper with a clouser as a dropper around schoolies when the are pulling water.

Ever seen someone fish in a tournament using a flyrod?

No....Most trails dont allow them....and if they do its a rod length cut-off of 8'.....Really hard to cast flies for bass with a 8' rod.....