I love a fly rod... so many "flys" to choose from.
Use to use a Beetls-Spin (purple)and 6# test spinning gear.
You can use a casting bubble and flys with spinning rods.
But my favorite is still a fly rod and rubber spider.

I am going to have to try one of those crickets, how do you work them through the water? I have been using live crickets, but get my bait stolen a lot.

My favorite by far is a small Rooster Tail on 4lb test.

Me personally, I have three retrieves. The first is to make a long cast and let the 'hopper set till all ripples have disapated and then give the 'hopper quick, short jerks. The next is a slow, steady retrieve. The last is one of my favorites. Cast out. Let sit until ripples are gone. Reel down quickly, stop retrieve abruptly and let 'hopper float up on slack line. I like to use the yellow 'hopper for this method because while focusing on the 'hopper floating back up, you can see a 'gill crush your bait. If you don't think you can hear those bream hit on slack line when that bait floats up, think again!

The weapon of choice on lady bird today was the mayfly, the hatch was huge and the gills were so keyed into them that nothing else, no matter how trustworthy would even work. Caught over 100.

Perchqueen,

In a pond, there just isn't anything more efficient or fun, IMO, than a fly rod. You can get a starter set-up at very reasonable prices, now.

The fly rod offers so much flexibility...top, sub-surface, deep...allows one to match what the BG are eating almost perfectly, is unmatched in ability to "search" a pond for fish, and can put the very small stuff they like out there easily.

I'm biased, admittedly...and also believe there are many other situations where a fly rod is actually a disadvantage...but in a pond, it is the weapon of choice, without doubt.

The following is a description of a method briefly noted above. Although it seems to be most popular with trout anglers, I have had outstanding success with warmwater species. The advantage of this technique over using a fly rod is the ability to cast a country mile if necessary, even in heavy wind, and vary depth of presentation by the amount of water in the bubble. Here are a couple of links to tutorials written by two friends who have mastered the technique:

http://www.fishinsecrets.com/fishinsecretswebsite_008.htm

http://www.fliesbyguy.com/technique.htm

The founder of Montera's Marvels, Guy Montera, passed earlier this year. He was a wonderful man, and the most accomplished fly/bubble angler I've met.

Before leaving Colorado I had a nice day with Guy's propeller flies targeting warmwater species...









Sorry for the length of this post, but fly/bubble fishing might just put a bunch more fish on your line once they head deeper for the summer.

i got it from bass pro shop - it's their brand. it's called hickory minnow.

Thanks a bunch Perch Queen

fly and bubble works good for perches

Up north a real popular artificial is what we call 'poppers'. It's actually a very small wooden body in the shape of a round doll (as if you cut a 1/4" section out of a pencil) and then tied onto the rear is a couple of small feathers. They are awesome on a flyrod or, if used with a spinning rod you tie them behind a bubble. They have a slow sink so you twitch them like you would when fly fishing. Great for gilly's!

I got one of the grasshoppers and have caught 2 bass, but no blue gills. I did notice that fish would splash the hopper a lot while it was floating. Is this typical, or are they testing to see if is real?

It does tend to happen, escpecially with smaller ones. Then again, I've caught bream barely bigger than the lure on 'hopper cranks. Thats the way it goes I guess. Some days I'll catch every other strike, other days it'll be 1 out of 10. Some times runts, some times mix of big and lil', some times giants. Its always fun to se whats gonna hit next!

thanks for the help - i went out and bought a few different beetlespins and roadrunners and i like them a lot!

What colors of beatlespins are best? I have a bunch, but have never caught blue gill on them. Sand bass do love them!