Bream action will be hot and heavy everywhere this month. Your five-weight outfit is recommended for the heftier gobbules. And because it’s quite common for catfish to eat a bream fly this time of year.
A typical strategy will be to use popping bugs or foam spiders early and late. From mid-morning to afternoon, submergent flies will work best.
The best sinking flies depend on depth of water. In shallow water, try Slow Sinking Spiders, Ligons, or the Black Boudreaux. In deeper water, try Jitterbees, Cap Spiders or Tussel Bugs.
Nighttime and daybreak action on hybrid stripers peaks in May at Lakes Concordia and Claiborne. Clousers, Deceivers or other baitfish patterns will entice strikes. Make sure your leaders are well-tied — stripers can hit with bone-jolting force!
On the coast, the snaggle-tooths will have moved to the beaches. At first light, specks will hit topwaters like Crease Flies and Bubblehead Poppers. Later, switch to weighted shrimp patterns and Clousers.
Reds should be very active in the ponds. They’re looking for crabs, so give ‘em what they want! The Yarn Crab, Chernobyl Crab, or Haleys Comet are all wise choices.
Rio Grande cichlids are very active now through September in New Orleans waterways. These are ideal for ultralight fly tackle (1-weight to 3-weight). Wet flies in natural colors will get the most strikes.
