Large Mouth Yellow Tactics

[Herman Jooste]

Guys, there are so many conflicting stories/reports out there concerning tactics for Large Mouth yellows. I understand that up to about 2kg they tend to "hang" with their SM cousins in the shallower water, but as they get bigger they move into deeper pools/runs.
I have also heard that they are extremely difficult to catch under our normal dirty water conditions in the middle Vaal.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[Chris Shelton]

Guys, there are so many conflicting stories/reports out there concerning tactics for Large Mouth yellows. I understand that up to about 2kg they tend to "hang" with their SM cousins in the shallower water, but as they get bigger they move into deeper pools/runs.
I have also heard that they are extremely difficult to catch under our normal dirty water conditions in the middle Vaal.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

seems you're on your own on this one Boet! All the more reason for you to move to Cape Town!

[Herman Jooste]

seems you're on your own on this one Boet! All the more reason for you to move to Cape Town!

You might be right Chris Maximum, Hariram, anyone HELP PLEEEEEEZE

[fish]

Hi Herman,

I don't have much experience in fishing for largemouths, landed three in the Orange River. Will try to help though.

In general largemouths will adopt lies in a river system where they ambush prey or cruise in slower moving water actively hunting. Saying this every now and then largemouths are caught amongst smallmouths in runs, glides and riffles with smallmouth flies. The ones I caught where all on the seams of these runs (eddies), using strip leech type patterns. Guys targeting on the Vaal, fish flies like MSP's, Woolly buggers, strip leeches, Waterdog's, Frog and mouse patterns. In discoloured water fish dark flies which displace water or surface patterns creating a disturbance.

Cast behind rocks, back eddies, undercuts, close to structure.

During certain times of the year when water clarity permits, sight fishing is done to cruising fish. It is crucial to let the fish intercept the fly i.e. cast ahead of the fish, they spook quite easily. Also utilize sinking lines in deep pools when fishing blind.

It is more a matter of searching the water with numerous casts, till you feel that rock solid thump.

[Herman Jooste]

Hi Herman,

It is more a matter of searching the water with numerous casts, till you feel that rock solid thump.

Thanks very much Phillip, it's the anticipated rock solid thump that keeps me going after these elusive buggers

[Dyno]

I find them quite difficult, but here are a few other tips, and additions.

As they are ambush predators, structure is the key. So you have to start thinking like a predator, think of where the prey will be and then think of where the best place is to ambush them. They move to position so that you are bringing the prey in from the desired direction. I try to strip a strip leach down stream, it is unnatural to strip it upstream, and the fly will move far to quickly, also the bait fish will try to find cover, so move the fly towards the cover.

In deeper water, while you try searching patterns and methodical casting strategy, try to remember where you got hung up, this will mean you hit structure, hell if you’ve got a depth finder use that too. Then try get the fly just above or next to the structure.

Fly patterns with lots of movement are always good, but they seem to work better when they have an unusual swimming action, like they tend to go off to one side and the move erratically. When a fish is injured or sick, it does not swim normally and the predators pick up on the sick and injured. Thump.

If you can afford it, give Turn Wilkinson a call, he will teach you in 2 days, what it will take you 10 years to learn by yourself.

And don’t give up, I tried for a whole season, with no success, but when I got it, I really got it. I love Large Mouth Yellows, they hit hard, fight hard and really rev you.

[fish]

Hi Dyno,

Welcome on board, your contribution makes sense and are clearly backed up by experience. Looking forward to further contributions.

[Mayfly]

Herman,

If you can't get hold of Turner or the budget won't allow , get hold of a guy by the name of Carl Nicholson, another LM Yellow expert. Otherwise the guides at Elgro are also pretty good.

I was on the Vaal yesterday (Sat) and caught my first LM and the largest fish I've caught to date at 4kgs!! Used a normal drift in a very deep glide with a dark olive caddis with an orange bead! Faught me for at least 10 minutes! They are very powerful fish!

But did manage to catch another LM (1.3kg) in the shallower glides behind some rapids with some SM's and would seem that they might just "hang" out with their SM cousins afterall??

[MaXiMuM]

Thanks, Mayfly, good comments... and well done your fish...

[NCBass]

Guys, there are so many conflicting stories/reports out there concerning tactics for Large Mouth yellows. I understand that up to about 2kg they tend to "hang" with their SM cousins in the shallower water, but as they get bigger they move into deeper pools/runs.
I have also heard that they are extremely difficult to catch under our normal dirty water conditions in the middle Vaal.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

True... the smaller fish can still endure in the faster shallow rapids, but the real monsters will only frequent the deeper waters as they tire very quickly in fast streams due to their size.
Our current situation on the Vaal below Bloemhof is unfortuantely not very favourable due to the heavy rains earlier this year, but the water is slowly turning back to normal from the coffee colour!
Some mouthwatering pics of winter monsters caught and released on the Vaal and Riet rivers around Kimberley in the late winter months... all in deeper stillwaters on woolys and orange/olive hotspot nymphs using the downstream drift technique.