Late Season Smallmouths, with Mike Schultz

Do you stop fishing for smallmouth bass when summer ends? You could be missing the best bass fishing of the year and the chance at your biggest smallmouth if you do. Mike Schultz of Shultz Outfitters in Michigan is one of our foremost experts on smallmouths (and the designer of some of our most popular flies) and this week he shares a wealth of knowledge on how to modify your tactics to continue to catch smallmouth bass on the fly rod well into winter. This is a topic that no smallmouth lover wants to miss. In the Fly Box this week, we have a number of reactions to last week’s discussion with Steve Rinella, the Meat Eater, as well as questions on these topics: Can I put a 3-weight or a 7-weight line on a size 5/6 reel? How do I store poppers with weed guards? Do you have some suggestions for catching catfish on a fly? How do I attach a wire bite guard to my leader? How do I find wild trout in a small, clear stream with sandy bottom that does not have a high fish population? Do fly tying materials go bad with age? How should I store my hackle capes and deer hair? Do you have tips for catching lake-run brown trout? Can I use a switch rod in Belize? Do you have a suggestion for a pair of cheap wet-wading shoes? When do you recommend catch and release and when do you recommend keeping fish? How can I get the elk hair on my caddis flies to keep from rolling around the hook shank?