# Maumee river fly fishing



## Sumsickfisher (Jul 28, 2013)

Has anybody ever had any real success with fly fishing in the maumee for fish such as smallmouth, wb, or I've even heard about people catching walleye. I'm interested to see what people have to say... I personally have not


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## rutnut245 (Jan 18, 2009)

White bass are a riot with a 4 weight. I haven't done it in a while but it certainly works. I always see a couple of guys fishing smallmouth in Waterville and they do pretty good.


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## fishfray (Jul 19, 2012)

Yes, after the spring walleye run I fish the fly rod almost exclusively. I catch WB, walleye, smallmouth, catfish, and everything in between. It's a lot of fun


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## maumeeriverflies (Feb 11, 2014)

I only fly fish in the maumee in late spring and all through out summer and do great. I use popper patterns for smallmouths in calm spots and crayfish patterns for almost every other fish including WB, carp, catfish, smallies and everything else other than gar. For gar i use 'rope flies' and do very well in the evenings. When the water is really low I use big dries and catch WB and gar on them in the early mornings and evenings in the slower moving water. I want to try bigger nymphs when the water clarity is good this summer, but i have a feeling it will be very tough to get fish to see them...


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

Clouser minnows, brown and white, and chartreuse and white. The wind can be a real bear on the Maumee.If you're sruggling, try to stick to the calmer days, and use your spinning rod when its a wind tunnel.


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## normd (Jul 5, 2005)

I fish the Maumee in the summer all the time for smallies, resident eyes and whatever else I can hook into using spinning tackle. Been wanting to fly fish it. What Fly rod line ect. do you all use?


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## mike1987 (Feb 27, 2014)

i second the older guy at waterville. i was out there one day and i swear everytime i looked his way he had a smallie. i caught two dinkers on my spinning setup. he made me wanna fly fish bad. im going to fly fish this summer as soon as i can figure the casting out. i heard of a guy catching saugeyes about every cast last fall on the long rod with the chartreuse on white clousers.


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## maumeeriverflies (Feb 11, 2014)

Depends what I'm going after in the rod and line department... If I know I'm going after cats and carp and basically bigger fish, I take my TFO 8 wt. with Scientific Angler Bass/ Pike line. If I'm tryin' to catch WB, smallies, etc. I'll have fun and take my White River 4 wt. with just some white river brand fly line. Both get the job done. I'm still saving up some $$ to get a 6 wt. for an 'in-between' setup lol.


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## mike1987 (Feb 27, 2014)

maumeeriverflies said:


> Depends what I'm going after in the rod and line department... If I know I'm going after cats and carp and basically bigger fish, I take my TFO 8 wt. with Scientific Angler Bass/ Pike line. If I'm tryin' to catch WB, smallies, etc. I'll have fun and take my White River 4 wt. with just some white river brand fly line. Both get the job done. I'm still saving up some $$ to get a 6 wt. for an 'in-between' setup lol.


cabelas has there rls+ combo on sale for half off still. worth a look. i bought an 8wt


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## meathelmet (Aug 4, 2008)

I did pretty good on wooly buggers 








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## HatersGonnaHate (Jun 4, 2013)

meathelmet said:


> I did pretty good on wooly buggers
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> ...


i find that picture of those walleyes and the flyrod pretty hard to believe. Not that it cant be done but its doubtful. With all the people down there it would be tough to do. Even on a light day it would be tough to cast.


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## rutnut245 (Jan 18, 2009)

HatersGonnaHate said:


> i find that picture of those walleyes and the flyrod pretty hard to believe. Not that it cant be done but its doubtful. With all the people down there it would be tough to do. Even on a light day it would be tough to cast.


Not hard to believe at all. It's a very big river and you don't have to stand in the line at all the popular spots. If you're fishing for resident fish, you can catch them all year right up to ice up. Last year wasn't so hot, for me, but the year before was awesome.


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## fishfray (Jul 19, 2012)

Yes, that is definitely believable. It's not impossible to pull a limit on a fly rod. It gets easier after the spring run...


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## MasterKraft (Apr 5, 2014)

meathelmet said:


> I did pretty good on wooly buggers
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> 
> 
> ...


Just curious as to where they were caught? Out in the current or in a calm pool? Not doubting you, that's actually pretty awesome. I never would have thought they hit topwater.


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## fishfray (Jul 19, 2012)

They will not hit a topwater. Not all fly fishing uses a floating bait. These are easiest caught on streamer flies, a subsurface fly designed to look like a baitfish. No one will probably tell you a location, but if you do some research on this forum you will find out


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## maumeeriverflies (Feb 11, 2014)

Impressive!!! Nice work! What weight is that fly rod??


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## MasterKraft (Apr 5, 2014)

I have never fly fished, didn't realize it wasn't all topwater, thanks. As far as location I was just curious cuz it seems like out in the current would be a little fast for topwater, again, not knowing its not all topwater. Thanks for the info, wouldn't mind tryin it someday


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## rutnut245 (Jan 18, 2009)

I'm not going to give specific locations but it always involves current.


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## DeathFromAbove (Oct 21, 2008)

fishfray said:


> They will not hit a topwater. Not all fly fishing uses a floating bait. These are easiest caught on streamer flies, a subsurface fly designed to look like a baitfish. No one will probably tell you a location, but if you do some research on this forum you will find out


 I wouldnt advise fishing for them with dry flies, but i remember a few years back watching them take mayfly duns off the top of the water. It was a pretty wierd sight. Havent seen it since, and dont really see many mayflies in the river anymore. Some little ones that look like White Millers. A zillion caddis flies.
As far as rod wieghts, I use a 5 wt., but theres been alot of times when Ive gotten overpowered in a fast water chute with a big fish. Experianced guys might get away with a 4 wt., but if your kinda new, i'de go with a 6-8 wt, more to the 8 side. Youlle catch alot of channel cats and drum on clousers, not to mention what a 18-19 inch smallie can do in a fast chute


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## meathelmet (Aug 4, 2008)

The wooly buggers were weighted and I honestly cannot remember the exact weight as I usually carry a variety of different weights. I was not targeting walleye but got really lucky and they were more interested in a green wooly bugger instead of a rubber pink jig that the other guys next to me were throwing.


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## HatersGonnaHate (Jun 4, 2013)

How were you fly casting next to people casting regular. Seems like it would be a mess


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## 88luneke (Jan 12, 2014)

That's awesome to see, looking forward to some summer smallies on my fly rod.


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## meathelmet (Aug 4, 2008)

HatersGonnaHate said:


> How were you fly casting next to people casting regular. Seems like it would be a mess


There were only a few guy (2) and they actually moved closer so I quit and left. I was not fishing during the peak of the run.


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## Sumsickfisher (Jul 28, 2013)

Wow it's crayzyto see how effective fly rodding really is on the river. I will definitly try it out this spring/summer! Thanks for all the replies


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## maumeeriverflies (Feb 11, 2014)

I'm gonna try and head down tonight with the 4 wt... Hoping for some whitebass... Will report back!


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## fishfray (Jul 19, 2012)

With the warm weather and good water level, im sure you will do good. If I could I would definitely be out fishing the river today


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## maumeeriverflies (Feb 11, 2014)

Went out with my buddy Jake tonight, I got skunked, but my crayfish patterns worked for him... 
Nice walleye and smallmouth! Not bad!


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## nw1 (May 8, 2014)

Hey guys what size leader to use for whit bass? And would wooly buggers work? I'd probably need to weight them though. Also, anybody been to Grand Rapids dam lately? Reports would be appreciated.


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## meathelmet (Aug 4, 2008)

The wooly bugger with different weights is what I used


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