A guide to hooking harder, fishing lighter, and fighting bass on a fly rod—plus a simple setup you can start with today.
There’s a moment every bass angler recognizes: the strike you feel more than you see, the sudden weight, and the headshakes that turn a calm shoreline into chaos. Now imagine all of that delivered through a fly line and a bent fly rod that telegraphs every surge. Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth with a fly rod isn’t “trout tactics on warm water”—it’s a purpose-built, visual, high-contact way to cover water, trigger reaction bites, and enjoy the fight like it’s your first bass all over again.
If you’re new to bass on the fly, or you want one rig that covers most ponds, rivers, and reservoirs, start with a setup built for big flies and windy banks, the Level Series offers the performance you need. The sweet spot for most anglers is a 9′ 7wt, these fly rods excel in diverse fishing scenarios including river fishing, lake fishing, flats fishing, and offshore saltwater adventures. It has enough backbone to throw poppers and weighted streamers, yet it’s still light enough to fish all day.
When a bass eats, resist the urge to “cross their eyes” with a big overhead swing. Instead, use a strip-set: keep the rod low and pull the line hand back firmly. Once the fish is pinned, then lift the rod to fight. You’ll land more bass, especially on longer casts and on bulky flies.
Ready to Make the Switch?
If you already chase bass with conventional tackle, you’re closer to fly success than you think: you know the cover, you understand the bite windows, and you recognize the “right” water. Add a Level series 7wt, a floating line, and a small box of poppers and streamers—and you’ll open up a new way to fish the same places you already love.
Upgrade your fly fishing game with Rise Fishing Co.’s Level Series – where precision meets performance.
CLICK HERE for more information.
