Tuesday's Popper Action On Smith Lake

 

Tuesday was supposed to be a slow bite on Smith because two generators ran all morning, but the spotted bass and giant bluegill didn't get the report. The Mountain Laurels are in full bloom on the lake!

One of my former bloggers, Jay Eubanks, joined me for the early morning trip. It was good to fish with him again after a 6-year lapse. 

This spotted bass inhaled an olive boogle bug popper size 6 with little surface action. The bass had me thinking it was a bluegill that sucked the popper under. 

The big bluegill were hitting the olive popper as well. My only regret was not bringing my cooler to ice-down the six I could have dressed. Thanks to Jay for joining me on the trip. He and I will be making more Tuesday trips when his work schedule will allow him the time to go. 

I am down to one fly fishing buddy now, Jeff, who fishes with me on Thursday. My Tuesday guy quit fishing, can you believe that? Nobody quits fishing after fishing most of your life. As I said before I can count on one hand the indivduals who fly fish in Jasper.  

The Most Realistic Nymphs Ever!!

 These nymphs have to be the most realistic nymphs I have ever seen. I ordered both patterns. I can't wait to give them a try on the Sipsey and Smith Lake. 

The bodies of these nymphs are hard body and have weight. 
 

Looking Forward to Spring

 The coming months are considered a slowdown in my fishing trips, especially on the lake. Lucky for me, I don't live in the frigid Northeast or out West. Hats off to any of you guys who brave the elements to wet a fly in the streams or rivers in that part of the country. Here, 30 degrees is considered super cold. So, I will occasionally visit the tailrace to land a few rainbows and keep abreast of the latest fly fishing news compliments of the internet.   

I have been following a couple, Torin and Paige Rouse, who are walking across America, all fifty states. Their travels are being done in loops, which will take two and a half years. Their first loop started in Chillicothe, Missouri their home state, traveling west into Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. They made their way into Alabama on Monday starting their next loop into Florida, then Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and farther northward. If you would like to join me as a follower of their website   Walking America Couple

This couple makes me wish I was young again! 

One of my recent trips to Smith Lake with my son, Jason, is still fresh in my memory. The trip occurred in June when the water temperature was 70 degrees. Jason landed this 12" plus spotted bass using his Streamflex 4 wt. 9ft. flyrod. The drag on his Gloomis fly reel engaged several times while landing the bass. He was using a 6X tippet which is the reason he was careful landing the bass. This size spotted bass on a light fly rod such as a 3 or 4 wt. can pop a light tippet quick. 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Time Lost

 I'm back after missing the month of September without submitting a post. Cathey and I have been busy with our Grandchildren and helping our son finish work on his house in Birmingham. This has been the longest time for me to go without fishing in the fall. One of my fishing partners decided a while back that he was getting too old to fly fish anymore, so that was another setback in my days fishing on the lake. I hope to find another fly fishing partner for next season. There are only so many fly-fishing guys located in Jasper, Alabama. I am glad Jason came home last week, which allowed me to catch up on fishing at Smith Lake. 

We managed to land a couple of Spotted Bass fishing the rock wall in the background using a couple of streamer patterns. The crawfish and the bluegill streamers were the patterns the bass were hitting using a slow-motion retrieve. The hits were light and not as aggressive as in the Spring. The water temp has cooled to 70 degrees, which accounts for the slower takes. 

The Fall colors are starting to take shape on the lake. It was good to be out on the water and feel the tug of a fish on the streamers. During this time of the year, the pull-down is on, meaning the lake is now at its lowest of the season. 

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We were surprised when I got this largemouth bass to soft-hit my boggle bug popper. We kept thinking we would get a take on the top before we left, and this bass proved us right! A great way to end the afternoon! 

Fall Popper Action

 Fly fishing in the fall compared to fly fishing in the spring for warm water species is different when it comes to catch ratio. In the spring the fish are more active and move into the shallows to feed and get ready for the spawn. The fall brings cooler water temps, low water levels, and cold fronts that cause the fish to become dormant. This time of year tests your skills as a warm-water fly fisherman if you fish small bodies of water or large lakes. As the water cools the fish tend to move to deeper water causing one to work harder for a hit on surface flies and poppers. 

Friday's trip fishing Smith was planned before I ever left the house knowing I was going to fish on top using  Bea's popper in a size 8. This popper is not large but still got the attention of some of the spotted bass lingering near the walls. This bass slapped at the popper twice before it finally inhale it. I've noticed the hits are not as aggressive when the water temps are colder. Today the surface temps were ranging between 63 to 65 degrees. Patience is the key when fishing surface poppers on the water this cold. 

All the hits today occurred 7 to 8 ft. away from the walls; this area showed a depth of 40 ft. away from the wall. I like to fish in an area of water like this that is silky smooth. Moving the surface fly with a little twitch can at times get a reaction in the water this deep. 

The only bluegill of the morning which is unusual when the water temps are this cold. My four-weight 9 ft. was the only fly rod that got tested today. I will have my five-weight 9ft. spooled with a sink-tip line using a wooly bugger or a streamer for the next trip. It's hard to stray away from the top action knowing at any minute you might connect with a super size spotted bass. 

I will continue to fish Smith until the water temps fall below 60 degrees. After the season ends on the lake I will move to the tailrace and fish for the rainbow below the dam using my Euro Nymphing ten-foot fly rod. 

Fly Fishing the Hopper

 Guys, you've noticed it's been a while since I posted anything on my blog. Cathey and I have been busy helping our daughter's family with their new arrival. Last Thursday, Jenny gave birth to a beautiful eight-pound baby girl.  

Cathey and I are so proud of this little girl!!!

An updated picture of little Hallie at 6 months

We have kept a busy pace traveling from Jasper to Springhill, Tennessee, these past weeks. It was worth every mile we made to get to this precious little girl. Hallie Mae is 8 weeks old in this picture. I wanted to share an updated pic from the original post image. Her brothers and sister are CRAZY about this little girl!!!

We are back home for now but will return to Springhill next Sunday.  We will be staying 8 days with our daughter and children while B.T. is in California on a business trip. We're glad to be of service, especially when a newborn is too whole and spoil. 

I made a few fishing trips last week on Smith that I wanted to share with you guys. 

This past Thursday, Jeff and I fished Ryan Creek on Smith at daylight and landed some quality bass and bluegill. The bluegills were not hitting the poppers, so I tied on the hopper a fly that I hadn't fished this season. The reaction to this fly was some of the most aggressive hits I have seen this year. All the big bulls on this trip had the hopper lodged in their throat. In other words, they were hungry for an insect in the form of a brown grasshopper. They were hitting the hopper 20 to 30 feet from the rock walls. Moving the hopper slowly on the surface film got their attention. When you land this size bluegill using a 4 wt., you think it's bass; the fight is aggressive. Jeff and I agreed we could be in for one great fall fishing season!

What makes landing these big bulls so much fun to catch using the fly rod is the surge after surge they make trying to break off. There is a big difference when landing these fish spawning in shallow water instead of fishing for them in water depths of 20 to 30 ft. Simply put, the water depth is their friend when trying to break free. 

This was my first copper nose bluegill to ever land on Smith. Sorry I don't have a video showing the fight this fish put forth, but Jeff and I thought it was a spotted bass in the 12 to 14-inch range; to our surprise, it was this beauty!

Jeff started the morning off fishing under the lights near the many piers on the lake. We stopped at our first light at 5:30. As I moved in slowly to the light, we saw three quality bass feeding just under the submerged light next to the pier. It only took a couple of casts to get the attention of one of the larger bass. The fish moved slowly to the Boogle Bug popper and sucked in. After the take, the fish started heading for deep water and really didn't realize it was hooked until Jeff made contact with the fish. At that point, the fish had its way with the 4 wt. Jeff was using and broke off. 

The fish in this video is Jeff's redemption bass, smaller than the one he lost, but a quality largemouth. We will be back fishing this light in the coming weeks with a heavier-weight fly rod. Stay tuned!

Forgot---one last note, I'm saving the trout fishing below the dam for cooler weather and the winter months---the season ends on the lake in November

Working Through Some Frustration

 

I'm glad summer with its humidity, rain, and heat is coming to an end. I got a feel of some early fall weather Friday morning as I launch my boat at the dam on Smith Lake. A light jacket felt good to be wearing as I motored to one of the many rock walls in Ryan Creek. Fall is some of the best times to fish the lake using a fly rod and popper. 

The closer you get the popper to the wall the better chance you have to get the hit. The heavy rains didn't affect the clarity of the water, making it easy for the bluegill and spotted bass to target the popper. 

The bass was not hitting anything on top and this one was the only one that hit the little popper. I am not complaining because anytime I can land quality bluegill using the 3 wt. I'm pleased!

The winner today in the popper category was the size 8 Orvis Bluegill Bug. I have mentioned how effective this little popper is before in a previous post, but today it outperformed anything I was casting. What makes this popper so special is its ability to go subsurface when moving it. Most all the hits today occurred when the tiny popper was submerged. I always select this popper when the fish are not responding to surface poppers and today was one of those mornings. 

What a great way to spend a cool early fall morning fishing some of my favorite rock walls on beautiful Smith Lake. All these beauties were taken using the little subsurface Bluegill Popper. 

32 fillets ready for the freezer to be enjoyed during the winter months. 

A little frustration, no a lot of frustration trying to maneuver a trout fishing trip on the Sipsey these days. I do have the option to fish on the weekend, but I'm not a fan of casting thirty feet from someone else above and below me. The weekends are the only time the generators are not running. I am grateful I have Smith Lake to fish during the drawdown. Today's trip help me work through my frustration----Hopefully, the drawdown will be complete by October.  

The "Best Cast" Fly Line

 First off guys I'm no expert when it comes to fly lines. I do know when the fly line I'm using isn't performing to its potential. After doing the post on furled leaders; I thought, wouldn't be nice if I could find a fly line that was limp and had no memory like the furled leader I've started using. Enter the SF Best Cast fly line that can be described in a few sentences. First, this line has no memory at all and is as limp as the furled leader I'm using now. The ease of casting this line has really impressed me for distance casting and accuracy in placing the fly or popper I might be using. Also, this line doesn't tangle when you have line pulled off the reel getting ready for your next cast. I intend to have all my fly reels spooled with the Best Cast line by next season. 

Oh, I forgot to mention, the best part about this line is the price. It comes in 100 ft and 90 ft. length and is priced at 16.99 with free shipping at Amazon. I am using the dark green color instead of the bright yellow on a couple of my reels now. It comes in sizes 1 through 10 line wt. and has the welded loop on both ends.

This 2 lb spot put this line through the tangle test factor yesterday as I rushed to get him on the reel. No tangle line at all as this fish strips drag time and again. 

He nailed a Bullet Boogle Bug as I slowly moved it away from a rock ledge, fishing Brushy Creek on Smith Lake. The Spotted Bass were active early yesterday hitting a number of different poppers I cast their way.  

The Furled Leader

 How many of you guys have fly fishing accessories that lie useless for years in a drawer, box, or bag? While rambling through one of my many drawers of fly fishing stuff the other day I discovered this furled leader that I found. After researching my blog I discover I did a post concerning this leader fishing the Sipsey in 2016 but never used it that day. I thought as I examined the package that it would be a good replacement for my 4 weight mono leader I had been using for years. Once I buy a leader the first thing I do is replace the tippet end of the leader with a tippet ring. By doing that I can tie on tippet after tippet of 3 ft. or longer for a number of seasons. I applied the same procedure to this new furled leader.

A few false cast in the back yard convinced me that it was worth giving a try on the trip I had planned on Smith last Thursday. I was using the leader with my 4 weight 9 ft. Redington. My first cast using this leader showed me the difference in the mono leader I had been using for years versus the furled leader. I was impressed with the ease of casting especially in the wind that was occurring at times that morning. The info on the package indicated it was made with Uni-thread as opposed to the mono strands used to construct mono furled leaders. The mono furled leaders are much stiffer and retain memory. The Uni-thread gives the leader the ability to have no memory. In other words, no bend in your leader line. It cast accurate and landed lightly on the water. I also noticed that on my line pick-up from the water surface there is no spray water. My favorite characteristic of this leader is the no memory factor which reduces drag when fishing dries or nymphs. It floats quite well on the surface without sinking and affecting the action of the fly or popper. I read where one can add some floatant if they prefer. I'm still using it without floatant.  

After doing a little research on the leader I found they are made in 4, 5, 6, or 7 ft. lengths. The one I am using is a 6 ft. length with the tippet ring attached. This leader will last me the rest of the season and even into next season. I found no fly shops carrying these leaders because they are constructed most of the time by individuals and are not factory-made. I'm so impressed I'm already in the process of searching Ebay for more Uni-thread leaders. In fact, I will be using all furled leaders for the next season.  

They're still on the walls!!!

 

Landing a Hugh Spotted Bass

I never landed a Spotted Bass until Cathey and I moved to Jasper Alabama. I had caught a bunch of Largemouth Bass in Mississippi, with a few Smallmouth sprinkled in. I thought both species were respectable fighters until I encountered my first Spotted Bass on Smith Lake using my fly rod. Landing a couple pound or better Spotted Bass using a 4/5 weight fly rod is a challenge for the angler especially if you rush landing the fish. Smith Lake is loaded with Spotted Bass, in fact, the state record is an 8 pound 15 ounce caught in 1978. The record still stands today. 

First Spotted Bass Tuesday morning fishing a Barr Nunn popper. The popper was supposed to attract a big bull bluegill, but this bass got to the popper first. I was using my 4 weight Redington fly rod. All my fishing trips on Smith involve the 3, 4, 5, or 6 weight fly rods. I am interchanging fly rods all morning sometimes when certain color poppers are not producing. The best time to land fish using the popper on Smith is at daylight and any shaded areas on the rock walls before 10AM. After the sun hits the walls the bite is over. All my trips usually last about 4 hours. 

  The spawn is over for this moon cycle causing the big gills to move to the rock walls until the next spawning cycle. These bluegills in the cooler prove to be a worthy opponent on the 3 or 4 weight. I usually leave the lake with 8 or 10 bluegills that are fillet and baked in the oven. 

These big bluegills inhale the popper like a vacuum cleaner. Most poppers are in no condition to use after three or four of these fish hit it. Getting the popper out of their mouth even with forceps can be a challenge. 

Every once in a while I get a hit from a nice bass and Tuesday morning was one of those mornings.  I got a chance to test my skill landing a 3 pound 14 ounce female Spotted Bass in excellent condition. She nailed a Barr Nunn Aqua color popper intended again for a big bluegill. The hit had me thinking I had hooked a bluegill but after the first surge stripping drag into deep water, I 

knew better. The fight to bring this fish to the net took close to 5 minutes. I'm glad I had one of my fishing buddies with me to net the fish. I used side pressure left and right to try to tire the fish but she kept stripping drag on every run in the deep drop off from the down timbers near the bank. 

 The long fight was attributed to the fact I was using my 4 weight. I truly believe if I had not got the fish on the reel as quick I did I would still be wondering how large it was. This was the largest Spotted Bass I've ever landed using the fly rod. What made it so special for me was landing it on a lightweight fly rod.  

Fantastic Popper Fishing with Jason

Spring fishing can be some of the best times to land some really quality fish. The fish are much more active this time of year with the water temps warming and the spawn occurring. Feeder fish such as small shad is the number one prey for the bass on a lot of lakes this time of year. If one can mimic the tiny shad then you are in for some fantastic surface action for largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass on most large bodies of water this time of year. Some of the favorite lures Bass fishermen used to get a hit is the Rapala, fluke, or prop lures. Fly fishermen used a variety of patterns to imitate the shad as well, such as streamers, soft plastic shad patterns, and poppers. If given a choice to fish with the bait casing gear or the fly fishing gear, I would choose the fly fishing method hands down. There's nothing like landing a quality bass using your favorite weighted fly rod. Well, let me restate the bluegill would have to be near the top as well.

I look forward every year for Spring to arrive knowing that I am in for my best fishing of the year. Jason and I got to experience the Spring fishing at it's best this past week. Jason was home for seven days and we spent four of those days fishing beautiful Smith Lake. Some good times were had landing countless bass and huge bull bluegills using the poppers at daylight and afternoons fishing Smith Lake! Jason was using his new IM10 fly rod which was a birthday present from me and his mom. The bass was killing the Glow After Dark Cream Boogle Bug Popper!! 

Another spotted bass took on the cream Boogle Bug. There is something about the Boogle that gets the attention of bass. We were working the popper to mimic a wounded shad; it worked every day we fish the Boogle! 

Early morning still a little cool on the lake until the sun starting peeking through the clouds. 

The afternoon didn't slow the bite down

All the bass taken during the days we fished were taken on top using either the solid black Boogle Bug or the Cream Boogle when the shad were active. 

The big bulls were active as well using the Barr Nunn black and yellow poppers. The spawn will begin the last of this month. At times both of us thought we had bass on when landing these bluegills because of the tremendous fight they would put forth. I'm already looking forward to our next outing when Jason will return for more topwater action in June!!

May be my Largest Bluegill Landed on Smith Lake

I was fishing Smith Lake with one of my fishing buddies this past Thursday. Cloudy skies, very little wind, and a heavy dose of humidity greeted us as we launched my new Pro 170 Bass Tracker. This is my fourth Bass Tracker I’ve purchased throughout my fishing career and will be my last. The boat is the perfect size to maneuver the small sloughs I fly fish on the lake.



My first choice for today’s trip was the Sipsey Tailrace. I knew with the overcast skies the trout would be feeding on top, but Mike wanted to fish the lake for largemouth. We were fishing the back of some of the sloughs trying to locate spawning bluegills. It was a slow morning with both of us landing a few fish, me fishing my fly rod and Mike fishing his spin cast/combo. As we were leaving I decided to fish one of my favorite rock walls in Ryan Creek. I knew big bluegill hang out near the edges of the walls in Smith after the spawn to feed on the small freshwater shrimp.

After landing a few small gills near the edges of the wall using the Barr Nunn popper; I connected with what I thought was good bluegill stationed inches away from the edge of the wall. The fish didn’t take the popper aggressively like the big bluegills I catch. It did swim fast to deep water as all the fish I land from the walls do, which caused me to take up the slackline at a feverish pace. After getting the fish on the reel the drag started to sing and then I knew this was a bigger fish and maybe not a bluegill but a big spot. After playing the fish and getting it within viewing distance in the super clear water I knew I had a supersize gill. As I lifted the bluegill in the boat I told Mike that he might be the largest bluegill I’d ever landed using the fly rod. The bluegill nailed the popper in water 30 ft. deep and made a run for freedom in water 55 ft. deep. I know this fish was not in the spawning mode, because of the depth he was in. No fish were kept today and that included my prize catch. I released him not only for his heroic fight but because of his size and colorful markings.