Fly fishing bass against the shoreline is one of fly fishing’s best adventures. The finesse of dropping your fly inches from the reeds, letting it sink just right…. twitch twitch…. WHAM! It’s an addicting process yet requires an extremely simple tackle setup. You can ditch the 5X tippet, split shot, floatant, 2-fly rigs, and strike indicators. Talk about a breath of fresh air!
Combine some opps at lunker largemouth with some panfish kickers here and there and that’s a fine day on the lake. We encourage everyone to set some time aside and try to catch a bass of reasonable size this spring. Set a realistic goal, and stick with it!
Simple Tackle Setup for Bass
- #6 – #8 Fly Rod and Reel w/ Floating Line
- Bass Leader – For the cost, this is a must. It’s a cheap way to help your fly turnover correctly.
- Strong Tippet Material
- Flies – You don’t need a lot, but they should be good patterns.
- Video of Proper Bass Setup
-
A Proper Setup for Largemouth Bass
While I personally prefer the #6, which is really considered a 6+, the #7 is a wonderful choice for anglers buying this rod specifically for bass without overlap into trout fishing. The right style of rod makes casting these big flies easier and more enjoyable. If you enjoy this type of fishing, you’ll stick with it long enough to become good at it and succeed.