Generally, the warmer the water, the larger the bass will grow. In southern states, fish of 10 pounds or more are not unusual while in colder nothern states a five pound fish will be considered large. The temperature of the water is a key factor in the food available for bass to eat.

The best time to fish for bass is usually just after the bass have spawned. This will also depend on water temperatures. For largemouth bass, spawning takes place when the water temperatures reached the low to mid-60s. In Minnesota for example, a female bass may not deposit her eggs until mid-June, while in Florida the female bass may spawn as early as February.

The behavior of the largemouth bass is also influenced considerably by the  temperature at the top of the water. On hot summer days, they usually feed during the early morning hours and then again during the last few hours of daylight, when the sun isn’t as bright and the water temperature is cooler. Bass are generally found in areas of the water that have a lot of vegetation and cover. They spend a lot of time near the water’s edge among the grasses, reeds, and other plants.

Artificial lures such as bugs and poppers are frequently used for largemouth bass. Poppers were designed as a surface lure to be skipped across the top of the water in a series of quick retrieves. Other good fly patterns for largemouth bass or the Muddler Minnow and the Wooly Worm. There are some fly fishermen that prefer to use streamers and bucktail.

You use different fly fishing techniques for bass than for trout. Poppers are worked not only for their appearance but also for their sound. Generally, when a fly is cast for bass it should be allowed to remain unmoving for a longer period of time than for trout. It is estimated that 60% of bass strikes are made on a still fly. Bass tend to inspect your fly for some time before making the decision whether to take it or not.

At times, fly fishermen like to tease the bass with repeated casts over the area where they think he’s hiding. Teasing can sometimes be a very effective method in bringing a lazy fish up for a strike when nothing else seems to work.

Catching largemouth bass on flies is a challenging outdoor activity and is a very rewarding sport.  Try it!