Cold water species such as brook trout and salmon become more lethargic and much harder to catch during hot, humid weather because the oxygen level in brooks and streams drops significantly.
Warm water species such as perch, pickerel and bass suffer no such let-down. Black bass, known as smallmouth or bronzeback in Maine, become particularly aggressive toward topwater baits during the dog days of August, and even into September in recent years.
A majority of Maine anglers already own a lightweight, medium-action spinning rod or a bait casting outfit used for trout and salmon fishing, so purchasing a few hardbody plugs and softbody baits will prepare you for bass fishing.
Nothing will prepare you for the first time a three-pound smallie explodes on a surface lure, then spends as much time in the air as in the water during a tough give-and-take tug of war. Experience this acrobatic, aerobatic action a dozen or more times and the pastime of bass casting is likely to become more of an obsession.
Being an avid fly fisherman since my teens, it didn’t take too many trips for me to conclude there was more challenge and adventure to be enjoyed. Casting bass bugs and popper flies is the peak of summer excitement when other styles of fly fishing are unproductive.
Just endeavoring to cast a bulky floating bass fly with precision and without whacking or hooking yourself is an experience very different than casting a wet or dry fly.
Actually hooking and landing a leaping, hard-fighting smallmouth on a single hook fly, especially one with a weed guard, is far more challenging than on a multi-hook lure. I use a nine-foot, 5 weight fly rod with a large arbor reel loaded with a weight-forward floating bass taper line for long, accurate casting.
The rod is a multi-section model that fits into a hard travel tube only 15 inches long. I store it in my waterproof boat bag, along with a large box of bass bugs and poppers and the reel in a zippered protective cover. I can have the whole outfit unpacked and rigged in five minutes.
Smallmouth are aggressive, non-selective, carnivorous eaters and woe be it to any poor amphibian, reptile, small bird, mouse, mole or any tasty insect struggling on the water surface.
It’s a pretty picture to watch trout or salmon grab a floating dry fly, but when a big bronzeback explodes on a bass bug it is a pulse-quickening sight to behold. Bass fight as if they are two or three times their actual size and generally out-battle most cold water fish.
Poppers are smaller and a bit easier to cast than bass bugs. It’s been my experience that the bigger bugs attract bigger bass, and the larger hook is less likely to pull free. Bright green, yellow and black seem to be the most attractive colors for bass bugs in various combinations and shapes.
Fishing a bass bug is fairly simple for even novice fly casters. Look for stumps, dock posts overhanging bushes, large rocks or logs at the water’s edge, then pole, paddle or electric motor within comfortable casting distance.
Bass like to station near structure and shade, watching and waiting to pounce on an easy meal. Cast your bass bug near the target area and let it splash down making noise and rings in the water.
Often a smallie will attack immediately, but if not, just let the popper sit still until the rings disappear, then give the line a quick jerk keeping the rod tip close to the water’s surface. If there’s still no strike, begin working the fly in short steps back to the boat. Be ready to set the hook before the striking bass realizes the bug isn’t real food and spits it.
Since I live in Northern Maine, the only downside to fishing bass is driving at least an hour to reach a productive waterway. The only option to the north is the St. John River near Fort Kent. Dozens of launch sites for a stable canoe or moderate size boat and lots of big bass make the trip worthwhile.
Southern Aroostook offers a handful of excellent lakes and ponds for casting bass bugs and central and southern Maine bass casters seldom need to travel more than 20 or 30 minutes to tease up a few smallies.
The next few weeks are prime time for casting bass bugs with a fly rod and smallmouth remain active while the cold water species are sulking. For a splashing, thrashing and leaping battle on hot summer nights, maybe it’s time for you to try bugging some bass.
