Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk AL Fishing Talk Fly fishing set up for bass

I’m sure this has been discussed many times on the forum but what is your recommendations for a good bass fly fishing setup? TIA

5wt or 6wt depending on average size you’re catching. I have both and usually take the 6wt for bass. I usually like to overline mine by 1 size (6wt line on a 5wt rod for example), but that’s really rod-dependent.

They make tapered leaders but I usually piece mine together depending on the type and size flies I’m throwing. For bigger ones I’ll run 4-5’ of 15# mono and then another 4-5’ of 8-10#. For bigger flies you need heavy enough leader/tippet to turn those bigger flies over.

I mostly stick to top water flies like poppers, frogs, and mice. Haven’t gotten much into divers/streamers for bass yet.

I do have one place we fish (private lake) where 6-8# bass are common. On those days I take my 8wt saltwater rig, but for average bass, the 6wt is plenty.

If you’re on FB, I’d encourage you to join/follow the “Alabama Fly Fishing” page

Flys are a might small but if you put enough of them on a hook…🤷🏻

If you’re looking for a specific brand, the Cortland Guide Series combos are probably the best bang for the buck at around $250ish for rod/reel/line

Gomer, we use to fish a very small spinner with a sinking leader and fly called a Black knat. It would catch some of the biggest bluegill we’d have ever seen. Just let it sink to near bottom and strip line slowly to make the spinner blade barely turn. Great fun. We would also fish at night during the hot summers using a popper called a glow popper. Hold your flash light on it for a minute or so and it would glow for several minutes and the bigger bull bream loved them also.

Thanks, Gomer! That helps a lot.