Fishing the lily pads for largemouth

[BrownChickenBrownTrout]

Orvis T3 5 Weight, 8.5'. Probably not ideal.

[northcountryman]

Guys, thanks for the help w/ the poppers but another ?: when if they're not taking on the surface? What kind of flies would you use for largemouth under the surface? Zonkers, Buggers, Streamers, and Crayfish are the only ones I can think of!

[Flydaddy]

Bcbt,
I get away with using my tfo 8' 6" 5wt I know my rod is a medium fast action but just to let you know at the same time it's not the easiest to cast a big wind resistant bug be it a popper or a streamer I found it best to open my loop up as I said earlier. I need a 7 or 8 wt for playing in the ponds or salt! I just now got my euro rod so now I'm going to get a wildwater flyfishing 8 wt and that should be able to handle my non trout fishing trips!

[Flydaddy]

Northcountryman,
I've had a lot of luck with unweighted buggers that sink slow. I cast them near structure or against it and let them sink for about a 6 count make a couple of strips and do it again. This is a good summertime technique, it's kind of like fishing a rubber worm with a spin rod that's not weighted! Strikes will be detected by feel and sight. For instance you may cast on the edge of some lillies and you may see your line just start moving under them or out to the left or right. Try to stick with a #4 or #6 bugger in white or black maybe even some crystal flash up in it!
Give it a try, FLYDADDY

[BrownChickenBrownTrout]

Flydaddy,

My rod has a pretty fast action. I can cast a heavy bugger pretty well. A big wind resistant popper is actually not that hard. Where I have problems is when I'm on a bank and surrounded by cover. My rod really seems to be a cannon and not suited for easy short distance roll casts (I'm sure some of its me too). I was back-casting a popper in an open area and hit a guard rail, and exploded the popper I had, so once its loaded, not problem. It was bought to be a generallist rod and at 40% off its suited me well.

I'd really rather be trout fishing so I know my next rod is going to be a 3-4 weight 10' EU-nymphing type. But I'd like to have a rod (and a kayak) for LM bass after that! I mean, you can never have enough rods right?

[northcountryman]

Thanks buddy, sounds like good advice!

[catskill flyman]

Preview
i just went for smallies and large mouth this afternoon and evening on the ashokan 4 or 5 fish between the 3 of us and many more hook ups all were smallies over 15 inches and all where accept for one were caught on bh or barbell wolley buggers and the other on a white coachmen. there are no lilly pads or grass beds soi its slim picking but if you find where rocks jet out lik an old stone wall but shorter fish are stacked on its drop. but they absolutely hammered a wolley bugger a freind tied for me it has barbell eyes maribou tail with crystal flash and the body was a flashy cheneile with a black hackle. bass on a spinning reel is good fun but bass on a fly is just astonishing you can really feel the fight of the fish. its somtheing i plan on doing alot more after tonight

[Flydaddy]

Yeah it's a good time for sure, once you figure em out you will never pull out the spinning rod again for some bass! 15" smallies are nice IMHO I think the small mouth fight the best! Nice job!