Fly fishing on the coast should be speck-tacular this month as the snaggletooths show up in force on the beaches and in the bays. At first light, start with topwater poppers for bigger trout. Then switch to weighted shrimp patterns under a VOSI for school fish.
Reds also will be feeding heavily on shrimp this month, especially in the shallow ponds. A crystal shrimp is near-weightless and avoids snagging grass. Bendbacks are another option for grassy ponds. An unweighted, bendback version of the Yarn Crab was a killer last year.
Bream action will be hot and heavy everywhere this month. Popping bugs will work best in protected areas, while weighted flies like jitterbees, cap spiders and hares ears under strike indicators will work best over beds in deeper water.
Early morning and late afternoon is the best time for tossing poppers to bass. Match the hatch using colors that mimic frogs, dragonflies or damselflies.
Nighttime and daybreak action on hybrid stripers peaks in May at Lakes Concordia and Claiborne. Clousers, seaducers, or other “action” baitfish patterns will entice strikes. Make sure your leaders are well-tied — stripers can hit with bone-jolting force!
