Bass. Ditch Pickles, bucket mouth, trash compactor, big lipped buddy. I love bass. I have a special spot in my heart for large and smallmouth bass. They are the species that got me into angling. I was a hard-core gear guy when I was younger. I loved to Bass fish and learned and discovered my passion for the puzzle of fishing through Bass.
I am old enough. I actually watched Bill Dance Outdoors on the Tele. I watched and learned from all the fishing shows. I had gear, lures, lines, boxes, of all shapes and sizes. I had just gotten into fly fishing but it wasn’t my primary way of fishing. Then I had all my fishing gear stolen out of my truck when I was 19 or 20, they left all the Fly gear. It just so happened at the same time I was transitioning to fly fishing more and more, so I just made the switch then and never really gear fished much after that.
But since coming to Michigan I have gotten back into bass. Mostly on the Fly. I gear fish in Michigan and learned I still know how it all works. My son hadn’t really gear fished so I spent time showing him and getting to fish with a spin rod again myself in the process.
Side by side on a typical day, each method catches the same amount of fish. It’s all about effort put in. Bass are pretty straightforward. They sit in relatively easy water to decipher and find relating to conditions. They eat and kill things regularly, fight hard, and are way less fragile than trout.
I grew up in the Columbia Basin farm country. Bass are everywhere. Both species. With this new boat, they are a little easier to get to now. I have wanted a larger fishing boat with a motor since I was 18. It may not seem like much but to a poor kid from dusty old farm country nowhere…my new skiff is a big deal. I get to fish those familiar places in a way I’ve always wanted. No oars required.
Bass I dare say are in close competition for trout on the Fly. Especially smallmouth. They are the same size as trout. A nice 18 inch smallmouth is a wicked nice fish, just like trout. They weigh about the same, and at that size, they put up similar fights, especially in moving water. Bass can be just as pretty as trout, just in a different way. The colors, the marbeling, stripes, cool gill plate colors, neat fins with spines, Bass of both flavors are wicked cool. They take the Fly similar on top and underneath with chases, follows, swipes, smacks, giant lunges, and acrobatic slaps. They fish hard and jump like trout, Bass are a wicked good time on a 6wt.
Now I will say Bass can be just as finicky and unwilling to cooperate as trout. Conditions like sun, weather, wind all play a role. Water temps, food sources, time of year. All need to be accounted for…just like trout.
So trout anglers will find that they can relate to Bass on the Fly rather well. There is a lot to learn about Bass. When trout are kind of figured out learning a new species can make you a better angler with both species. They eat different food, sit in different water, use structure, move in groups, they have a whole new slew of things to learn and casts to use and flies to get into that open up the world of Fly fishing that much more. It’s pretty rad.
I’ve taught a lot of people how to chase trout with Fly and rod. It’s never been the only fish I know how to chase. Underneath the past 10 years of heavy trout fishing and guiding, there is another decade of other species chasing and fishing I was fortunate enough to partake in. I’m excited to have the opportunity to share my skill sets with others. I’ve got the proper equipment finally, I’ve got years of experience built up, and I’ve got a whole group of anglers who, in my professional guide opinion, are ready to learn new things and venture into the wider world of Fly fishing.
I’m back in a week and August is a great time for bass fishing and learning new stuff. It ain’t all on the lakes either. We got rivers smallmouth will crush on during the warm summer. If you wanna up your skills and learn a new species and all that it entails I recommend coming out for a bass day. I’m stoked to teach it and experience it with anglers. And I’m so excited to guide out of the new boat.
See ya riverside for bass anglers. Soon!
Tamarack
Tamarack's Guide Service 