... if you ever get them to hit on the surface............ I know you are a fly fisherman but just thought I would toss that out - in case. I enjoyed fly fishing too - but we learned to use all the methods and they all had their time and place.
Oh they do hit on the surface. The guy I was fishing with caught several that day on a foam spider. This is the first time I have even fished rock bass water and had a completely different bug. There are tons of spiders on this creek, hence the reason my friend has success with them
As for the fly fishing thing, I have caught almost everything under the sun on gear. It's just no longer fun to me. I would say you can be just as effective with a fly rod as you can with standard gear. The two major exceptions being saltwater and big deep lakes. For me, it's not about just catching the fish. It's catching them the way I want to. Which sadly results in some no fish days, or some days when my intended target doesn't play along. Regardless, when it does happen, there is a satisfaction and enjoyment in fishing that I have not had by ANY other method!