Fly Fishing for Spotted Bass in Small Creeks

This is last place you'd expect to find a healthy population of spotted bass...
In this episode, the Slab Crew heads out to a local creek to fly fish for a fish that many would not expect to find in the flat, lowland environment of Eastern NC: Kentucky Spotted Bass.
Interestingly enough, these spotted bass have flourished after being introduced to the Cape Fear River system some time ago, and very few anglers even know they're here. Their cousin, the Alabama (or Coosa) Spotted Bass has been introduced to many of the reservoirs in the state, but the Kentucky strain is rarely found elsewhere in NC.
Fly fishing for spotted bass is a great time, they are a lot like smallmouth - mean, aggressive, hard-fighting fish that are eager to strike a streamer or popper in the right conditions. Stay tuned all the way to the end of this one, we also ran into a surprise species!
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[@jimmartinette9655]

I've been fly fishing for 53 years and I enjoy you videos. You guys are very savvy fly fisherman...and more.

[@SlabDynasty]

Thanks that means a lot from an experienced fly angler.

[@gabeholshouser3618]

Who else thinks that the slow motion is satisfying

[@klb6910]

Always looking for good fly fishing videos. Good to see non-trout fly fishing. Bass and panfish probably more fly fished than trout. Keep it up.

[@mizzle1788]

This was a nice Sunday surprise. I could put the beginning on loop to fall asleep awesome stuff! Congrats on the new sponsor!!! Can't wait for a Collab fishing shirt?

[@duanepinkston2983]

Love the fly fishing videos also a fly fisherman so thanks

[@tryptaman4315]

Doing exactly this is how I started fly fishing, and I have fell in love with it. I have a 21 foot bass boat, but I still take the time snd go walk creeks. I get to go catch trout for the first time in September on the White river in Arkansas

[@SlabDynasty]

It’s addicting! We bass fish from a boat a lot but we’ll never get away from this

[@kyledbarnes123]

Awesome video! I'm loving the fly fishing content!

[@jarredbenson5333]

Love the fly fishing vids y’all. Keep it up

[@rickyboy3288]

Great video slab dynasty keep up the good work.

[@jerryhulsey9618]

Awesome video. That creek looks a lot like some over here in North Georgia. We have alabama spots and coosa bass right down the road.

[@ADUB1]

Bangerrr 🔥🔥🔥

[@OkieFish]

I gotta find more creeks like this to sling a fly in!

[@SlabDynasty]

This used to be THE spot

[@darrelbaillie7829]

All fish on the fly is exciting. Thanks for the awesome videos, and better luck next time with the bowfin

[@MP_Fishing_]

Man comin over after listening to Bass and Brews! Epic video! Heartbreak on the bowfin, definitely Subscribed🤙🏻🔥

[@SlabDynasty]

Thanks bro, the bass and brews guys are awesome!

[@Wuddupskin]

good work guys!

[@jeffjoyce1607]

I’ve been told the spots were stocked in the late 70s in 2 eastern CF tribs. Good lookin water there. Bowfin on the fly would be impressive. Enjoying the content fellas.

[@MackinNC1]

1975 -1978 the ncwrc studied 4 streams and found all 4 to be lacking in top predatory fish so from 1978-1981 they stocked 310,000 spotted bass in the Advents Creek. parkers Creek, and the upper and lower little rivers. from there they made their way to the cape fear.

[@paulheels]

Heyyyooo🙌🙌🙌 The fly fishing vids are great! Shows that fly fishing ain’t just for those trout guys! High fives 🤚🤚🤚

[@SlabDynasty]

Bringing that bass swag to the fly game 😎

[@jerrydavis829]

Thank you for the fly fishing videos. #flyfishtheworld

[@justinjdavis79]

Just found your channel!! Enjoying all the fly fishing content!!

[@SlabDynasty]

Glad to hear it Justin! We’ve got plenty more on the way

[@skorflyfishing]

Great vid. When you hooked the Bowfin your line was wrapped on your rod obove the handle. It was driving me crazy because I have lost fish due to that very issue. It creates extra drag on the line and messes up strip sets. I saw you trying to manage that during the fight which is another issue. When that happens to me, it's almost always because I am so focused on sight fishing that I don't notice. I guess that sort of thing is why I love fly fishing. The simplicity of the gear demands a higher skill level which in turn, makes for a greater challenge and deeper satisfaction with each fish we hook. Thanks for sharing this adventure.

[@TrentsScents-yf4cj]

Summer in GA, catching spotted bass on them currently. Where I am it’s good to have them i the box, I live in a community with acces to Lanier and rivers nearby with trout. Versatile lure

[@derekspace]

Great video! I caught my first bowfin on the fly earlier this year in the Everglades while fishing for snook. The bowfin is a handful on the fly no doubt!

[@SlabDynasty]

It’s all I want to catch now after that 😅

[@samsonebugblevins7289]

Dig it!

[@Fly_Revive]

haha very cool vid!

[@jayjay06513]

Hey, great content! For those really boney mouthed critters try strip setting, keeping extra tension on the fish, and use hooks meant to pierce or "cut". Upping your tippet class will help to, so instead of super light 8lb test go to a hard no stretch 15lb test line or more for bowfin.. that will help with Hookset aswell. Some pike and musky guides even say strip the fish into your feet and they have incredibly hard mouths to hook.. So take it for what it's worth and keep trying! Again, great content!

[@lukecranesoutdoors9932]

Great spots

[@domtiesflies743]

I’d swap the 8wt for a 7wt if you’re hitting spots and panfish. I took a pb 7lb rainbow on my 7wt easily this year. It’ll be more fun with the smaller fish. Great video.

[@vanandtammylong8969]

Great job guys you guys need to come fish the upper Roanoke around the 360 bridge and down or the Dan river in the late March and April for stripes and walleyes out of Kerr lake

[@SlabDynasty]

We love the Roanoke!

[@AdamMiharaFishing]

I thought the Dan River was a trout stream

[@tryptaman4315]

Idk what you’re using, but I always either throw a clouser Minnow, or an articulated streamer, and I hang a black or an olive colored wooly bugger 18-24 inches below. White and chartreuse colors on the streamers or black!

[@SlabDynasty]

We we're throwing the Meat Whistle in this video. Great baitfish imitator. We throw clousers and buggers quite often as well. Hope you enjoyed the vid!

[@kriminalism8790]

It might not seem like much but try throwing a loop knot on your streamer, it gives it another movement point and they hold very well! It acts almost as another articulation point in any streamer.

[@AdamMiharaFishing]

Spots on a fly must be a blast. Funny seeing a rocky creek near the Cape Fear. You don't really think of rock and that River. The Bowfin would have been an epic catch. Getting a fish that big on the reel might have been the ticket. Let the fish fight the drag rather than pulling the line. Keeping the line going straight to the shooter guide helps too. Did you know carp take flies and you can stalk them like redfish and bonefish? Blistering runs.

[@SlabDynasty]

Yeah the stretch of the Cape Fear where I live (This is Levi btw) is actually very rocket and clear like in the catfish video. It is weird though a mile or two below or above my area goes back to being muddy and wide.

[@AdamMiharaFishing]

@@SlabDynasty there must be a ridge of bedrock that runs through that area. Pretty cool to live in such a unique area geologically. You should grab a rock and see what kind it is. Maybe study the bugs in that section vs the bugs in the muddy parts. (Sorry fisheries science nerd side coming out)

[@jasonmarine1980]

More bass fly fishing!!!!

[@kitchencarvings4621]

Looks like a lot of fun, though I'd be using a 4 wt. rod instead of 8. Those little fish would feel like giants. Of course you can't really throw the big meats with a 4 wt.

[@IndianaSmallmouth]

Spots are quite easy to hook with gear. I can't fish for a bass that tops out at about 16" in rivers, when there are smallmouth. Try wading a few miles of that river. You'll catch 30-40 of them.

[@SlabDynasty]

Yeah they often hook themselves, and put up an insane fight! Hope you enjoyed the vid.

[@TheJaymon1962]

Lots of kentuckies in the TN River drainage

[@scots2129]

My son (7) is now telling me he has to learn how to fly fish

[@richardjustinamericantatem5758]

You gotta get big fish on the reel quickly and play them from there.

[@seanbeck1370]

Meat whistles aren't articulated, but in olive they're my favorite dredging fly! Don't forget to strip-set on those fish!

[@SlabDynasty]

Yea Levi actually corrected me on the articulated thing off camera, still figuring things out! And yes, slowly learning (the hard way) that you can’t set the hook on other fish like you don on trout, that strip set is crucial

[@seanbeck1370]

@@SlabDynasty Whenever you fish streamers it's always best to strip set! On big fish like that bowfin just keep strip setting until it starts to pull, then bend the rod; that makes sure the hook is really jammed in the mouth. With bass I'll even strip set with terrestrial patterns or poppers. It takes a little while to build the habit, but it's good to practice.

[@ronaldroquemore665]

Great fly fishing video content. QUESTION: What is the make / model of your fly fishing gear. I am interested in purchasing the exact fly fishing gear. New subscriber to your channel.

[@SlabDynasty]

We now use TFO rods and reels. In this video we had old gear, but a 5wt TFO signature series rod and NXT reel would be a great combo for smaller rivers like this. Floating line and a 10-15lb fluorocarbon leader for submerge to flies, monofilament for floating

[@devinshook3289]

We want more fly fishing videos

[@SlabDynasty]

They’re coming

[@Samuel-kz3vo]

How do you not have tons of views and subs

[@SlabDynasty]

🤷🏼‍♂️

[@danielo3279]

If you want to come to the ga al line I can put you on some 5+ lb spots

[@sdonthefly]

You are asking to get your rod broken by having your line wrapped around the butt section. Great video but I don't wanna see you break a rod! Lol

[@cartersmith8560]

where inb NC IS THIS ?

[@SlabDynasty]

Haw