Texas Fishing Forum

Sunfish Flies

Posted By: J-Moe

Sunfish Flies - 08/03/15 02:33 PM

The last few weeks I have been only able to catch sunfish on a yellow Betts top water popper. I fished Dunlap, the Comal River, Brazos River and Somerville lake with the same results. I have tried multiple sizes, weights, and colors of subsurface flies with poor results. I have mainly been using Briminators and pistol petes which I had great success with during the Winter and Spring.

So for you fly fisherman, have you found the secret to catching them on subsurface flies this time of year? Any suggestions?
Posted By: joebeasley

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/03/15 04:10 PM

Black wooly bugger with a strike indicator works for me.
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/03/15 04:39 PM

Originally Posted By: joebeasley
Black wooly bugger with a strike indicator works for me.


Thanks, any particular color pattern? Do you add weight to them?

Also, I've never used strike indicators. Do they help to suspend the fly at a certain depth?

What about presentation? Do you just twitch them under an indicator or strip them?
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/03/15 04:40 PM

OOPS, just saw black wooly bugger, LOL
Posted By: txbassnewbie

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/03/15 05:11 PM

you can use a popper as a strike indicator just tie the second line to the hook.
Posted By: aggiegolfer

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/03/15 05:19 PM

I like bead head nymphs.
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/03/15 05:56 PM

Originally Posted By: txbassnewbie
you can use a popper as a strike indicator just tie the second line to the hook.
Ah yes, the popper dropper. I have done that before. Great idea!!!!
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/03/15 06:14 PM

Originally Posted By: aggiegolfer
I like head head nymphs.


Thanks
Posted By: Dfitz

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/03/15 07:09 PM

Hey Jamie. Here are some pics of my fly boxes. Not everything is specific to Sunnies, but most pictured will catch the fool out of them. I've done really well on gold bead heads and black bodied nymph's and buggers, the Olive Bugger is also a go to. Clousers will catch any fish that eats fish, they are amazing... bass, cats and Crappie love them (I'm sure you already know this) so get ready to hold on!

Lots of times I don't actually feel the eat, I'm always watching the line for a twitch. Sometimes I'll strip set to keep the fly in the water in case they miss so they have another chance to find it since I didn't yank it out of the water. Downsize your fly if you are just getting "pecked"

Hope this helps.







Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/03/15 07:54 PM

Thanks Fitz, great information. I've also noticed that gold works better than silver. I don't think I am missing the bite. I'm good at picking up small movements in the line and also feeling the bite. I do prefer Briminators and clousers over bead heads because they ride hook up. Less snags. I think I'll focus on trying a popper dropper. I suspect it may be more of an issue of getting the lure at the right depth if the fish are suspended.
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/04/15 01:07 AM

I appreciate all the input guys. It got me thinking and I was much more successful today.

My favorite subsurface fly is the Briminator. I caught 76 bluegill on the fly one day. I was using a simple size 10 black with gold eyes and a brown/black collar.

Ever since then I have been experimenting with color patterns, flash, cheniles and silver eyes. I caught 6 catfish and about 15 gaspergou on a black and chartreuse briminator Saturday but not a single bluegill.

So I went to the creek today. I started with a yellow popper and caught a couple, but it was slow. I put on the simple black briminator and immediately caught 5 bluegill/longear. I then tried using a black bead head wooley bugger, but as expected I kept getting caught in the weeds. I tried a popper dropper but only caught one and wasn't sure I was picking up the bite. I switched back to the simple black briminator and caught 5 more.

I always see people having success with flashy flies; but all my experience has shown that simple / natural is better for bluegill. Simple black, simple olive, little or no flash and gold eyes have been my most successful Briminators. I think in an effort to create the greatest fly ever and impress the fisherman I may have just out thought myself.

Now I think I'll start experimenting with some small, sparse clousers. Input on your favorite clouser color patterns would be appreciated.

Thanks again for the input clap
Posted By: Dfitz

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/04/15 01:29 AM

Pics of Longear?
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/04/15 01:56 AM

I didn't take any pictures today. I have plenty of pictures of 6 inch longear, LOL
Posted By: Dfitz

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/04/15 02:04 AM

Originally Posted By: J-Moe
I didn't take any pictures today. I have plenty of pictures of 6 inch longear, LOL


Post them up. Longear vary in color more than any other Sunfish.
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/04/15 02:13 AM

This is a picture of my State Private Water Body Record Long ear




Here is an example of the ones I have been catching lately, LOL

Posted By: Dfitz

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/04/15 02:23 AM

Nice. Clear example of a pond longear vs creek longear. Pond sunnies get bigger.
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/04/15 02:26 AM

Originally Posted By: Fitz®
Nice. Clear example of a pond longear vs creek longear. Pond sunnies get bigger.


Tales of 1 lb. greenies and 2 lb. Redear lead me to this creek. I ain't seen it though. If it was true, the drought killed it. No question I've caught far bigger fish in the local ponds.
Posted By: Dfitz

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/04/15 02:30 AM

Variety, love it

Posted By: banker-always fishing

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/04/15 02:37 AM

Originally Posted By: Fitz®
Nice. Clear example of a pond longear vs creek longear. Pond sunnies get bigger.






Yes they do! cheers
Posted By: Pop1655

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/05/15 01:57 AM

I picked up a neat little 6'6 2wt fly rig today.
Anxious to see how downsizing does on the river.
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/05/15 02:17 AM

Originally Posted By: Pop1655
I picked up a neat little 6'6 2wt fly rig today.
Anxious to see how downsizing does on the river.


That first 3 lb bass tha runs downstream ought to be fun
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/05/15 02:31 AM

I took the kayak out to Lake Somerville today. I started with a yellow popper and found a bed of bluegill. I changed over to a simple black Briminator and had another good day of fishing. I ended up catching about 15 to 20 bluegill, a couple long ear and a couple small bass.

Posted By: Dfitz

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/05/15 03:22 AM

Originally Posted By: J-Moe




Good fish
Posted By: banker-always fishing

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/05/15 03:46 AM

Originally Posted By: Fitz®
Originally Posted By: J-Moe




Good fish





Yes Sir! cheers
Posted By: Pop1655

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/06/15 02:17 AM



I'll take the right side of this box please!
Posted By: on the fly

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/06/15 03:34 AM

I've been doing good with copper johns around brush and grass during the mornings and docks later in the day.
Posted By: Laker One

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/06/15 05:01 AM

Originally Posted By: joebeasley
Black wooly bugger with a strike indicator works for me.





Plus #1. I also use a yellow.
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/06/15 12:01 PM

Originally Posted By: on the fly
I've been doing good with copper johns around brush and grass during the mornings and docks later in the day.


Thanks, I've never used a copper johns. I had to google it, LOL
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/06/15 12:03 PM

Originally Posted By: Laker One
Originally Posted By: joebeasley
Black wooly bugger with a strike indicator works for me.





Plus #1. I also use a yellow.


Interesting, a yellow woolly bugger. I've tried different color combinations in blue, black, white, chartreuse and olive, but not yellow.
Posted By: Gitter Done

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/07/15 05:36 PM

Originally Posted By: Fitz®
Hey Jamie. Here are some pics of my fly boxes. Not everything is specific to Sunnies, but most pictured will catch the fool out of them. I've done really well on gold bead heads and black bodied nymph's and buggers, the Olive Bugger is also a go to. Clousers will catch any fish that eats fish, they are amazing... bass, cats and Crappie love them (I'm sure you already know this) so get ready to hold on!

Lots of times I don't actually feel the eat, I'm always watching the line for a twitch. Sometimes I'll strip set to keep the fly in the water in case they miss so they have another chance to find it since I didn't yank it out of the water. Downsize your fly if you are just getting "pecked"

Hope this helps.












Awesome thread and nice flies "Fitz"!
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/07/15 06:10 PM

Originally Posted By: Pop1655


I'll take the right side of this box please!


Fitz, are those boogle bugs or did you tie them yourself?
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/07/15 06:19 PM

Here is an example of some of the early Briminators I tied. The one on top was freshly tied. The one on bottom caught over a 100 fish before I retired it. I true example that even ugly flies catch fish.

Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/07/15 06:35 PM

Here are a couple examples of my most recent Briminators. Much prettier, but not quite as effective on sunfish. Catfish and gou love the chartreuse one.



Posted By: Dfitz

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/07/15 08:03 PM

Originally Posted By: J-Moe
Originally Posted By: Pop1655


I'll take the right side of this box please!


Fitz, are those boogle bugs or did you tie them yourself?


I don't tie, just my collection from over the years. Do you like Boogle?
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/09/15 03:52 PM

I haven't used the Boogle. I just learned about them when txbassnewbie posted about them on a thread in the fly fishing section. They are very similar in design to the Betts but it looks like there are more options on sizes. I might try to pick some up on line. The problem with the Betts is they don't last long because the bass tear them up. I tie some spiders that work well for bluegill and hold up better to the bass bite.



Posted By: Laker One

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/09/15 06:22 PM

Solid thread right here. Good stuff. woot
Posted By: lambcotx

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/12/15 01:17 AM

We stayed with a friend on the north fork near wagon wheel crossing two weeks ago. We had 35 bigger than your hand in less than three hours, they were on beds it was fun sight fishing for the big ones. We got the most bites on a mosquito fly. They were good eatin except for 3 or 4 that had summer worms.
Posted By: Robert Hunter

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/12/15 03:32 AM

J-moe when I went to the Pond's the other day and caugjt those big bass I caught a ton of gills on an Olive damsel that I use in high Alpine Lakes for trout it just dawned on me that it very much resembles the briminator they hated that thing.
Posted By: J-Moe

Re: Sunfish Flies - 08/25/15 08:38 PM

I've continued to experiment with subsurface fly patterns that will produce in these summer time conditions. In particular for catching Bluegill.

I tied up a crawfish pattern on a size 8 hook. I used the dark orange crawfish colored rabbit hair. As soon as it hit the water they attacked it for the first 5 or 6 casts but were short striking it. I cut down the claws and kept fishing but no more bites.

So I tied up another smaller crawfish and also a size 10 briminator in the crawfish orange. I went back out to the Lake, tied on the crawfish fly and had the same results. Until the rabbit fur gets wet the fly will not sink properly. The bluegill were striking at it during that period. Once the fur got wet and heavy and the fly started sinking to the bottom quickly the bluegill didn't strike at it near as often.

Finally, I tied on the dark crawfish orange size 10 Briminator. That was ticket. I was able to catch fish at about the same rate as using a small popper.

Looking back on my research and experience there are some things that stand out when fly fishing for Bluegill.

Michael Verduin said that he always tied his cap spiders on size 1/124th because of the slow rate of descent. I also noticed that when I am fishing for bluegill with a Briminator that the slower I strip it, the better the results. I personally find that I often catch more fish on my poppers if I throw them out, let them sit, twitch or strip them, and then let them sit again. In addition, bluegill feed up, like a crappie. So by going from a size 8 to size 10 Briminator, without any weight added, I was able to keep the fly in the upper part of the water column and in their feeding zone. This was particularly evident in shallower water.

As far as the color, most people believe it is far less important than shape, size, etc. But reading reports of other people having great success with orange clousers, crawfish patterns, etc. gave me confidence in the bait.

I suspect that heavy craw fish pattern will work well on Red Ear. I'll definitely give it a try in some of the water bodies I fish that have red ear.

Posted By: Gitter Done

Re: Sunfish Flies - 09/04/15 05:13 AM

Love this thread. Lots of super nice baits being posted. Thanks guys for sharing.
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