Bass flies

[Icefishfun]

Hi, I have a lake full of bass but I don't know what flies to use. It is fairly deep so I need a sink tip line and their are a lot of weeds. I really don't know what flies to use so any suggestions would be helpful. I would like to tie my own and I can't spin/flare deer hair and don't have zonker strips. Also what hooks should i use?

Thanks in advance

[Ufatz]

Do a little research and you'll find simple ideas for cork bodied popping bugs. Look in fly tying places for the proper hook....visit a good small fly shop if you can find one near you.

I made some pretty awful looking things when I was about 8-years old but I caught bass!!

Don't worry about it too much.

[mainbutter]

They'll take all kinds of things. If it's a popper or streamer, it'll catch bass.

My best producer is a woolly bugger, white, some kind of bead or weight up front so that it can get down a bit.

[redneckdan]

I would try clouser minnows. Easy and cheap to tie. Red on top of orange has been my best color to date for bass. If you don't have barbell eyes try crimping two split shot on the ends of a short piece of heavy mono. -O-O- At least will let you try the fly out without sinking money into stuff you might not use.

[Icefishfun]

Thank you guys so much for all of the suggestion! The lake i fish is insanely clear and I forgot to mention that in my original post. There are both smallmouth and largemouth bass in it also. If the clearness or species change your suggestions please list some more.

Thanks in advance

[Ufatz]

Don't worry about clear water. Whip up some sort of fly, a floater or a wet (sinking) fly and go out there and get after them. If all you have is a floating line that's fine. Go fish popping bugs near the weeds in the shallow areas. you'll find 'em.

[OnAFly]

Yep, fish more, think about it less. Throw flies to fishy spots and fish will eat them

[Flyhammer]

In a clear lake, you will probably want a longer leader. Make sure you use fluoro tippet too, as light as you can possibly go without snapping it. In terms of hooks for bass bugs, take a look at the Gamakatsu B10S. You want something with a wide gap. From what you described with the clarity and the presence of smallies, it sounds like it could be crayfish water. Clousers with orange over brown are a good start. Deceivers are a good baitfish pattern that are relatively easy to tie too. Good luck.

[mainbutter]

In clear water, don't be afraid to go small either! They've got good eyesight. A small streamer weighted just right to fish it at the depth your smallies are at will be very productive.

[bobbymalone]

Poppers are fun. Its awesome when they explode on top water. I don't tie my own, but I've found cheap ones don't hold up. I get these poppers called booglebugs. Relatively spend but they hold up.

I've found poppers work best towards dusk. Subsurface stuff like streamers seem to work better earlier in the day.