With all this rain, we have been experiencing some exceptional Wiper and White Bass fishing. Why does rain matter? Heavy rain events cause large inflows into the lakes and rivers via creeks, drainage ditches and culverts.
In general, to find the Wiper you must find the bait. Wiper are a schooling fish and constantly move searching out a meal. Baitfish like shad and other small fish will flock to these inflows to feed on the vegetation debris, bugs, and worms that are being washed into the holding water. Wiper will also flock to these areas to feed on the baitfish.
Access to these spots may be limited from the shore especially for the fly angler. Access via boat is usually the way to go as you can have a lot of room for casting and avoid the crowds that will very often be fishing these spots from shore. You can also wade these spots if depth allows.
Fly fishing for Wiper during these high flow events can be intense. They seem to prefer crummy weather. Overcast, windy days produce more fish as well as bigger fish. Fishing immediately before a storm system also produces. Baitfish patterns that stand out work better than trying to match the bait fish they are keying on. Size and profile matter more than matching the bait’s color. Clouser Minnows are always my go-to for this situation in darker colors over white with opalescent or gold flash. I use size 6 (2 inch long) and size 4 (3 inch long) to cover the size of bait.
Wiper may be feeding in a couple of ways. If you’re lucky, you’ll find them blowing up bait on the surface. Fishing can be crazy when this happens! They will also push a school up shallow and crash them against the shore or structure. Other times they may just blitz through a school of bait. The telltale giveaway to this is “nervous water” or when you see the surface of the water seeming to vibrate. This is followed by boils on the surface or bait jumping out of the water. However they are feeding, you will find Wiper to be shallower than usual, which is perfect for the fly angler.
Being strong fighters, even smaller fish can feel a lot bigger. Consider using heavier tackle such as a 7 or 8 weight set up. A 20”+ Wiper will give your drag a workout and you may even see your backing. They don’t tend to be line shy and it’s common to run a big game leader with 12 lb. tippet. Being able to single and double haul cast will give you an advantage of being able to reach out to fish with minimal false casts. Presentations can vary from stripping the fly back as fast as possible to letting the fly sink a few seconds and using a strip pause retrieval. Wiper hit hard and generally hook themselves. When a fish hits, just keep stripping until you are tight to it then raise the rod slightly. Avoid “trout setting” as that can pull the fly out of their mouth. When fighting these fish be aggressive and don’t let up!
I encourage every angler to get out and target these fish. It’s an experience you won’t forget! If you’re interested in getting out and learning how to chase these hard fighters contact me at Shallow Water Angling Iowa and we can get you on the calendar.
Tight Lines!
Ash
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