Surface Bass Bugs – Murray’s Fly Shop – Poppers and Smallmouth Bass!! Here is the most dependable technique I use in my personal fishing with popping bugs and the method the anglers in my smallmouth schools learn quickly and catch many smallmouth bass with. My reason for developing this technique lies on the fact that many large bass choose feeding stations along the shaded banks where the water is from two to four feet deep flowing over a cobblestone stream bottom. My goal is to fish my Shenandoah Blue Popper size 6 on long drifts as close to these banks as possible with a gentle teasing action. I position myself 40 feet out from the bank and cast my Popper 20 degrees down and across stream so it lands very close to the bank. Since the fast current between the bank and myself could quickly grab the fly line and pull my Popper off the bank it is imperative that I instantly mend the fly line belly back upstream. This should be done with just enough force to cause the Popper to move only several inches. This will assure that the Popper will drift naturally about 5 feet down the river very close to the bank over the bass’ feeding stations. By this time the current will start pulling on my fly line again and I need to mend the belly back upstream. However, I’m careful to use only enough force to cause my Popping Bug to move only several inches. Again I’ll get another 5 foot natural drift along the bank. Repeating this method the third time assures you that you have effectively fished your Popper naturally 15 feet along the bank. By wading slowly downstream and stopping every 15 feet to repeat this technique you will catch many nice bass.
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