[Opry99er]

I very very rarely get broken off while spin fishing. It just doesn't happen. And I never broke off while fly fishing either until the last two days.

Of course... I've never landed a truly big fish on the fly.

The last two days I have been trying for bass on the fly. Had two strong hits, two successful hookups, and two breakoffs. One went to the air, then dove deep, then took off across the shore and broke me off.

The other I think was a catfish... Took the wooly bugger, dove down, fought horizontally (in relation to my position) and broke me off when I tried to pull him away from a shrub line.

I know it's more my lack of experience than anything, so let me tell you what I am doing and maybe you can help.

When retrieving, I am stripping line back, then blocking (holding) the line with my rod hand while reeling in slack with my left. Both breakoffs have occurred while trying to get excess line onto the spool/while tension is on the fish and the rod is loaded.

Do I need stronger tippet, or am I just using poor technique?

 

[rvinson]

Just use a spining reel or even better.. A baitcaster Save your sissy stick for the pan fish LMAO

 

[mattyt]

could be a few things. what size tippet are you using? I usually use 6# mono when I am fishing streamers. you can only put as much pressure as the leader will hold whether its a 2wt or a 12 wt. It takes some finesse trying to reel up the slack and let the loose line go when the fish is taking it and knowing how to keep proper tension with your nonreeling hand.
Or what I typically do as well as a lot of the flailers that I have fished with is just wait till the fish takes all the loose line and then use your reel (if that makes sense)
all that combined with practice and you will be fine.

 

[Luke the Dog]

What's your tippet size? I typically don't fish for bass with anything smaller than 2x, usually use 0x. If the fish is trying to run and you have extra line out, keep it under some tension while you reel and the fish takes some of the other slack, takes a little practice. You also don't necessarily have to get them onto the reel every time...Bass on the fly are a total blast, especially topwater!

 

[Opry99er]

4x. Its all I have at the current time. I do have plenty of 8lb Spiderwire mono though...

 

[Pilotfly]

Most if not all the fly's I tie I always crimp the barb. Mostly because I practice catch and release except for the few fish I want to keep for eating. I was fishing from my pontoon in the coves near Stanton Creek (Lake Powell) for smallmouth bass and anything else I could catch. I had multiple hookup with bass but lost most of them which I believe was because I was using a barbless hook at the time. Not sure that would be a reason for your breakoff's but there is always the possiblity that is worth looking at.

 

[CF LURKER]

FIRST What size tippet you using?

When hooking into bigger fish I do not worry about getting them on the reel right away, even though I would like to. I have found that when the initial fight begins it is best to let them dictate when you pick up the slack(wait for them to settle down before reeling in the slack line) or let them run with tension on the line with the rod hand so they remove slack/excess line to get themselves on the reel while you manage the line(with your free hand) so it does not wrap around the reel as they take the line out.

I find that when I try to reel and fight the fish in, I too break off or they come unbuttoned. I think it has to do with the rod "bouncing" as you try to reel it in, changing the amount of tension on the line.

In short, don't try to do everything at once... let the fish tell you what to do.
This does not mean that you cannot change direction /angle of pull to keep them off "balance".

 

[pistoldog]

Glad to see you using the fly rod:thumb:

 

[Opry99er]

I'll always fly fish. Hopefully one day I'll get good at it.

 

[CF LURKER]

I too hope to get good at it some day! :biggrin1:

 

[tangler]

If you fish for bass with 4x, you're gonna have a bad time. Go 8-10# mono tied right to your fly line. Only need about 5 feet of leader.

 

[Opry99er]

Tangler.

With straight 8lb tied to my fly line, would it not make it difficult to get a realistic presentation? I mean, without a tapered leader, will the line, leader, and fly still land as expected?

I'm a novice... I've caught less than 30 fish on a fly rod, so forgive me if I don't know what the hell I am talking about.

 

[tangler]

The tapers are for turning over light little dry flies and such. When you have a weighted bugger on, as I'm sure you've noticed, those things have zero problem turning over and straightening out the line.

Bass don't need a perfect cast anyways. Even if you are fishing topwater, you can still make sloppy casts and they will hit. Bass usually like a loud landing.

 

[Opry99er]

Cool... The bugger flies far and straight... Once it gets in the water, it doesn't take long... Maybe a strip or two and you will know if there's interest. On the first one I hooked up with, on the first strip he was on it. One strike, then he moved away... Two more short strips and he took it all the way.

The second fish (maybe catfish?) I let it hit the bottom then did a long slow strip and it felt like I hooked into a log. It wasn't til I started to try to "unsnag" myself that the fish took off.

 

[explodedlad]

In all honesty, fishing streamers with 4x isn't a good idea (no offence) for any species. It isn't the size of the fish, it's how hard they hit it. Fish don't eat streamers the same way they eat nymphs and dry flies. They are trying to kill it.

The reason I know this is because I am an expert at the "I will just change from this dry fly to a streamer real quick to see what happens" without changing my leader or tippet. With a solid take and fast head shake, a 12 inch rainbow will make that 4x seem like 7x. Not that this is your problem, it sounds like you are having the issue after the hookup and you are playing the fish.

For bass, using solid 10lb mono or a 0x leader is a good idea. Good luck to ya.

 

[bobys]

Glad to see you going after those bass!! Since you don't like fishing for them you might as well make the best out of fishing for them with the fly rod!!

 

[Opry99er]

Thanks exploded, and no offense taken. I am a newb, and don't know right from wrong on fly gear. I appreciate the advice.

I've caught just about all the bass I want to on a spin rod.... Out here, catching LMBs is about as challenging as catching MRTs while the stocking truck is pulling away. That's why I took the fly rod out the last couple days... And I found a worthy challenge.

 

[McMike]

Throw a size 4 hair mouse on 0x , that's a blast for bass !

 

[bobys]

Out here, catching LMBs is about as challenging as catching MRTs while the stocking truck is pulling away.

I think you need to put up a few more pictures of some good bass to make that statement :thumb:

 

[Opry99er]

Bass are in every pond and ravine in this state. They're not stocked in most of them because they are as omnipresent as bluegill. The real prize species here are Stripers. Striper fishing is the real dominant sport, followed shortly thereafter by crappie and catfish.

Smallmouth fishing is king at Dale Hollow and many of the smaller rivers around the state... And the smallmouth receives it's due respect.

Bucketmouths are popular among tournament anglers and fishermen in the more urban areas, but not many anglers make a trip to target LMBs. Stripers, smallies, and crappie are the "destination fish" here.