2023-01-04 FLY FISHING REPORT

Reaction Strikes and bottom scrubbing are catching bass, And a  second cast in the same place may be the key.  We suggest Clouser Deep Minnows-White, Sexy Shad, Baby Bluegill and Chartreuse are good colors.  On warm days, weedless poppers will be productive in grass and lilies.  Use a heavy leader and a fly w/weedguard to prevent getting hung.   Bluegill will be found, hanging around lily pads.  Small foam spider with rubber legs, trailing a beaded pheasant tail or rainbow warrior-only a slow twitch.  Five minutes of extra slow retrieve is normal for this technique. It is easy fishing that will drive Bluegill nuts.

Mayfly in December

When the wind settles down, we will find the fish cooperative.  Crappie (Specs,) Bass, and Bluegill will be in water that is easily fished with a fly rod.   Pheasant tail nymphs, squirmy worms, and dragonfly nymphs are perfect for bluegill fishing, subsurface.  A small mayfly hatch is currently attracting bluegill attention.  They are gey to clear size 14-I would try an Adams if There was any sign of them.   Small foam spiders and dragonfly dries will tempt the bluegill and bass on the surface.  Search for woody structure and canal seawalls to attract fish.  Popper fishing can be very effective on warm afternoons.

Jonathan Cerra with a nice smallmouth

Best techniques for the week include Technique 1) Fish Clousers deep, cast and count them down (5 to 10 seconds) then use a steady retrieve to generate a reaction strike.  Try counting down 5 sec, then 6 sec, then 7 sec...  Add a Sink Tip or  a new Sink polyleaders to your line, and you can fish deeper and faster.  These tools can double the depth of a clouser.  A Fluorocarbon (Mirage) leaders, this will get the fly down faster than a mono leader. Sink tip lines and full sinking lines take this to a new level, (and are a perfect use for that old rod you never use anymore.)    Technique 2) Poppers and divers (with rubber legs,) should be fished on warmer afternoons and sunset.  Low light conditions, and even during the day under shady over hang and around docks. Technique 3) Reaction style fishing-Cast long, bomber casts in deeper water.  Cas to the area that you would normally place the boat to fish the weedlines.  Deeper is better.  Sinking lines and Game Changer flies fished deep, with movement.   4)Rubber legged spiders above or Wilson's bully spider below the surface for Bluegill.  Move slow.  They will be next to solid structure like metal sea walls, dock pilings, or knock down cypress.