Ten Fly Fishing Smallmouth Bass Tips

Ten Fly Fishing Smallmouth Bass Tips

Fly-fishing tips for your next smallmouth bass adventure.

Leave your 4x tippet at home. We’re going to battle in structure-ridden haunts and sometimes heavy current–your trout leaders aren’t going to cut it here. Smallmouth are rarely leader shy, so beef up with a good abrasion resistant (10-pound-plus) leader.

Slow your retrieves, embrace the pause. Retrieving a streamer shouldn’t be a race. Sharp, erratic movements, followed by a long pause, allows you to “hang” your streamer and this will drive most smallies wild. Be ready for your fly to disappear on the hang.

Let the rings clear when fishing topwater. After landing, or between pops, let your popper sit until the water rings clear. Most anglers move their topwater flies far too quickly. Your patience is often rewarded.

Ditch your trout lines. Turning over big bulky streamers or poppers is crucial, and you need a front-heavy fly line to do that, while also handling the heat of “bassy” summer days. I like the Scientific Anglers Amplitude Bass Bug Fly Line or the Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Infinity Warm Fly Line (save 10% on SA lines with a Flylab membership).

Mending isn’t only for trout fishing. The amount of strikes I experience following a mend is notable. Mends can be used to help flies get deeper, change direction, or prevent drag–all of which help bass eats.

Fish structure, which doesn’t always mean the bank. Anglers are often programmed to cast tight to the banks (on repeat without thought). A great way to break the mold is to target mid-river drop-offs and trees.

Learn a “Bass Set.” I often describe this to new bass anglers as a hybrid between a strip and trout set. When setting the hook, pull the line as you lift the rod tip. If done correctly, it should burn the hell out of your stripping finger. Stripping guards or vet tape are highly recommended.

Let them eat the popper. Here on the Wisconsin River we have replaced the age-old dry fly saying of “God save the queen” with “Cheese curds and beer” before ripping the hookset on a big bronzeback.

Get tight fast. After setting a hook on a smallmouth, you’ll want to gain as much line as possible before that football-sized fighter digs in. I tell my clients to follow your hookset with three big strips, like you’re trying to break the fish off–this is where 10-pound leaders earn their keep.

Use the fighting butt. If you’re fishing a fly rod without one, you’re probably under-gunned. Bend the rod hard, digging the fighting butt into your hip region to leverage one of the hardest fighting fish in freshwater. Here in Wisconsin, we regularly use 7- and 8-weight fly rods.

‍Kyle Zempel is a business owner, fly-fishing guide and photographer living in the rural driftless hills of Wisconsin. In 2013, he founded Black Earth Angling Co. and has pioneered one of the most unique smallmouth fisheries in the world on the Wisconsin River. He’s also a Flylab Pro and will be helping us with warmwater fly-fishing insights.