The sandbass run will start in a month or two and I want to get out there and catch some with my fly rod. I know about fishing for sandies with clousers, but I was wondering if any of you guys had a different method yall used that would better avoid snags. Do yall retreive upstream, downstream, swing the baits? I appreciate any help you folks can give me.

-Tom

Sinking tip line,small clousers at the bottom. . . not a whole lot of mystery to it.

Not sure you need a sink tip line, most of the time. Beadhead clousers work great.

Just to toss one more into the mix, Cat's Whiskers.

I have found the sinktip will keep you deep so you end up with a lot of the bigger fish hugging bottom. It is not nessasary justa bonus.

yes, we have a winner!!

Well thanks guys. Sounds like I'll need to learn how to tie up a bunch of little clousers by February. I appreciate yalls help.

-Tom

I think you have enough time to become an expert at tying clousers (they ain't hard at all)

http://www.taneycomotrout.com/howtotieclouserminnow.html

You oughta be able to acquire that skill by about 11:59 on December 21 if you start by 11. Heck, I learned to tie 'em pretty well and if I can do it, every creature with opposable thumbs can do it and probably some dolphins could too.

As was mentioned, the bead head clousers (or jig head clousers) work great and are super simple to tie. Chartreuse and white or red & white are the colors that work for me.

If you are using a Sink Tip, remember to Roll Cast the line/fly back to the surface before beginning your back cast. Picking up the sinking line out of the water and into a back cast isn't all that easy. Roll it up and do it...

Add some crazy charlies to the mix...white with just a hint of flash do well.

An intermediate line will work better than a floating line and allow you to use lighter eyes on the clousers. Keep them small, sz 6-8 seem to better since the shad are smaller that time of year.

If you fish the Nolan, a small jig with some pink or red ultra chenille and a K-flash tail work better than anything else.

These rock too...



Those work great on the Perdanales also.

I've got a small fly box full of these kinds of flies...after New Year, business gets REAL slow, so we tie flies to keep from going crazy at the store. Some of us get inventive just to see what might work and what won't. The smallest jig heads we carry are 1/80, about a size 10. About right for the Nolan.

I am hearing the Sabine and Neches are starting to turn on, but they both need water badly. A Rain Dance would be appropriate?

Wow! Thanks for all the tips! I really appreciate you folks helping me out. I'm liking the look of these flies yall're suggesting. It's getting me all excited to try my hand at tying them! Thanks again.

-Tom

Hey JTB Tom

Where u is ?