S7, Ep 83: From Guiding to Marketing: Brendan Ruch on Fishing and Adulting

The Articulate Fly podcast delivers another essential Ruch Report featuring expert guide Brendan Ruch, who shares critical fall bass fishing strategies while navigating his new role with Megabass.

In this timely episode, Ruch addresses the pivotal question of when to transition from topwater flies to ned rig techniques during fall fishing, revealing that low water conditions and extended warm weather are keeping topwater action alive well into autumn.

Learn about the most effective ned rig-style flies for bass, including detailed insights on Mini Boogeyman patterns from Montana Fly Company and Changer Craw designs that fall vertically under slack line and create erratic jigging actions that trigger strikes.

Ruch explains the specific setup and presentation techniques that make these crayfish-imitating flies so deadly for fall bass, plus shares valuable updates on current water conditions, including extremely low levels due to extended dry conditions.

The episode also covers Ruch's upcoming appearances at the renowned Bobbin the Hood event, where Golden Tickets are selling fast, and provides scheduling updates for anglers hoping to book guided trips.

Whether you're targeting numbers or trophy bass, this report delivers actionable intelligence for maximizing your fall fishing success.

To learn more about Brendan, check out our interview.

Related Content

S7, Ep 74 - Beyond the Popper: Subsurface Strategies with Brendan Ruch

S7, Ep 77 - Fall Fishing Forecast: Navigating Low Water and Technical Tactics with George Costa

S7, Ep 67 - Chasing Smallmouth: High Water Strategies with Brendan Ruch

S6, Ep 41 - Smallmouth Secrets and Streamer Savvy with Brendan Ruch

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Episode Transcript

(00:03):
Hey, folks, it's Marvin Cash,the host of The Articulate Fly. We're
back with another Ruch Reportwith the man himself, Brendan Ruch.
Brendan, how are you?
Oh, hanging in there, Marvin.How are you doing?
Just trying to stay out oftrouble. You've been out of the water
the last few days, which iskind of good because you joined corporate
America. I was a littleworried about you.
Yeah, you know, it's trying.Trying new things. It's. It's time

(00:26):
to try. Try some new thingsthat people will refer to as adulting,
I think like.
Insurance, 40 hour work weeks,things like that.
Yeah, yeah. I've heard thathealth insurance can be helpful at
times.
There you go. So now I thinkyou're, you're not embargoed anymore.
You want to let folks knowkind of what your new day gig is.

(00:48):
Yeah. So I'm lucky enough tobe on the marketing team with Megabass
of America. Um, so superstoked to be working for a dude named
Patterson that I met years agoand things finally came together
and very happy about theopportunity. It's been great so far.
Very, very cool. And I knowyou told me you've been out on the

(01:09):
water the last few days. Youknow, what have you seen?
I've seen every rock becauseit hasn't rained in a month or two.
But fishing was good. I mean,seeing fish around me rise as the
anglers in my boat are fishingNed rigs, which is, you know, what
they plan to do. But yeah, Ithink had it been top water days,

(01:32):
I think it would have beenpretty good. But fish are certainly
eating anything green pumpkinthat is hitting a rock with a piece
of lead.
Oh, there you go. Well, you'rekind of. You stole Alex thunder.
He wanted me to ask you, youknow, when do you switch from the
fly to the Ned rig in the fall?
It's never really like out ofnecessity. It's more like what do

(01:58):
the anglers in my boat want todo? But I mean, if you're, if you're
going for numbers, if the fisharen't eating on top, fishing a fly
that emulates an ED rig isgoing to get you a lot more bites
than fishing a popper. But if,if I'm fishing personally, like,

(02:18):
I'll do that program. But iffish are eating on top, then the
spinning rod doesn't see thelight of day.
Yeah, it's interesting. I knowdown here in this part of the world,
the bug fishing is gettingextended because this week we're
gonna like bump into thealmost the 90s. And we're gonna maybe
some rain at the end of theweek, but it's kind of your typical
low clear, you know, summerstuff. Even though today, I guess
is the first day of fall.

(02:39):
Yeah. Yeah, we had a. A goodburst of cold air in the beginning
of the month, and it feltgreat. And yeah, it felt like July
out there the last three days.So top water season continues.
Yeah. And so if you're gonnafish a ned rig like fly, what's your
setup?
I think I talked about it lastmonth, but like, those boogeyman

(03:02):
flies are great becausethey'll fall vertically under complete
slack.
And.
When they jig, they. Like whenyou jig them vertically, they have
like kind of a. A nice upwardsweep. And then we'll immediately
kind of like turn back downbecause of those flanks. So it's
a very erratic, almost like astick bait, like TRD Zman. You know

(03:25):
what. What I'm throwing on aNedberg setup. But yeah, generally
it's going to be the mini Boogeyman.
Old Kelly Gallop Montana Fly Company.
Yes, sir. Yeah, I buy those.In my. In my days of tying, all the
time I was fishing changercrawls, which are also great for

(03:45):
that. And I. I believe they'reavailable now through the Chocolate
Factory. So I would add thatinto the mix Changer crawl and Mini
boogeyman.
Yeah. I would also say if youwant to tie, you know, Blaine's got
a bunch of great crayfishparts so that, like, you know, you
know, let's just say Changeyour crawl 1.0. You're cutting strips
of foam. And now they've gotlike, foam claws that are 3D printed

(04:05):
that look awesome.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's right.They'll give you those nice points.
And I believe there's a. Ahead that you can put over the short
shank hook.
Yep, yep. And I think theremay even be. There may even be some
new jig shanks to. To keep youfrom having to bend the hooks too.
Perfect. Yeah. So give somechanger curls a. A try.

(04:26):
Yeah. And so let's see. We'vegot. So you're famous, right? All
your adoring fans are seeingyou every Tuesday night at what,
8:35 ish on log jam. Right.
Most Tuesdays, 8:35 ish.
And I understand that they'relike you've got a whole pyrotechnic
setup. Cause you're tying atbobbin again and you. That was part
of your contract.
Yeah. This year I haven'tbrought it up to Mike yet, Marvin.

(04:48):
But yeah, we're hoping to get,you know, some at least a, a smoke
machine at the desk.
Yeah, I mean, I guess what Iheard from the guys is you were gonna
get like a full blown kisspyrotechnics thing going.
I think they're going toreserve that for the headliners,
unfortunately. Maybe one day.
But rumor has it you may betying there on Sunday too, right?

(05:08):
Yeah, yeah, rumor has it.Currently, I don't know the schedule,
but that is the, the plan.
Yeah. And I do know, you know,as of a couple days ago, the golden
tickets were already halfwaysold out. So folks, if you are planning
to, to go up there at the endof January, beginning of February
for bobbin that weekend, youbetter get your golden tick. Be gone

(05:32):
probably before Halloween, Iwould definitely imagine.
Yeah. And little Bob and plughere, like being a part of that event
to me is crazy because I wouldbe buying a ticket anyway. There's
just so much knowledge packedin one room specifically, you know,
around streamer fishing, butin other realms as well. Whether

(05:53):
it's spay or, you know, you'redry fly fishing. But it's, it's a
really good hang and there'sjust so many good people and I, I
wish it was a 10 day eventbecause you can't learn enough. There's
just so many knowledgeablepeople there that started trends.
Yeah, it's an amazing, I mean,I think it's probably, I mean, gosh,

(06:14):
it's got to have the highestconcentration of fishy people in
event anywhere on the planet, right?
I would say so. At least for,for what I'm into.
Yeah. I mean it's alwaysinteresting, right? You get to the
end of Saturday and you'relike, oh shit, I didn't get to talk
to all the people I wanted totalk to. Right.
Yeah.
So you're in, you're in thethroes of corporate America. You

(06:34):
know, you got insurance, whichis cool. You know, vision dental.
That's good. But it's kind of,kind of messed with your guiding
schedule. What do you haveavailable kind of in the near future?
Folks want to try to get onthe boat with you.
I would say based on myschedule coming up, probably no availability

(06:54):
until the spring. Unless youwanted to get out for like two days
for muskie. But yeah, so myspring is currently undetermined,
but I'm going to be booking,you know, repeats first and then
we'll have some availabilityopen up.

(07:16):
Well, there you go. And youknow, as we talked before we started
recording, we're going to drawfrom all the folks that submitted
questions for this season ofthe Ruch Report. And why don't you
let folks know what the luckywinner is going to win when we draw
next time.
You're going to win a Ruchangling hoodie that hopefully. Hopefully
I have your size. Please don'tbe a 3x and a Ruch angling hat. And

(07:40):
I will get a. I'll buy a hatfrom Dave over at Log Jam as well.
So two hats and a hoodie.
Any Reese's cops?
No, man, they're mine.
Fair enough. Well, listen,folks, as I always say, this time
of year, you owe it toyourself to get out there and catch
a few tight lines, everybody.Tight lines.
Brendan, Take care. Marvin.