Spring Bass and Fly Showcase

Two days ago I took a float trip in my kayak on a small creek and fished a small lake adjacent to the creek in the evening.  It was a great day, I caught a lot of fish, and ​I even got to catch a big largemouth bass on a popper.  The two flies pictured above were the top patterns for the day.  I fished the Little Black Jig in the creek and switched over to the Feather Popper in the lake.  In the creek, the water was up slightly and it was off color.  I used this jig to quickly get down and be visible to fish in the stained water.  I was targeting shallow water with structure out of the main current.  All of the fish I caught were sitting behind log jams and large boulders, directly below sharp drops, or were feeding in small eddy pools. The lake was a different story.  The water was considerably warmer.  There was a lot of surface activity and I thought why not try a popper.  It had been overcast all day and I figured I would stick with the dark fly theme.  It paid off and I caught a lot of bass.  They were very willing to eat on top and I did end up getting a really solid fish to end the day.  This bass made an epic jump and was a great fight on my six weight.  Check out the video below to see highlights from the trip and the big largemouth get some air!