What to use in fairly heavy grass/vegetation?

[Jeff R.]

I have a lake I fish several times a year that has many patches (fairly big) of some sort of vegetation. Sorry for not knowing exactly what it is but I can describe it as growing to the top of the water, long vines with single leaves staggered all the way up and it's pretty thick. I have caught fish in it texas rigged with a weight unpegged but I know there has to be a better way. Would a soft jerkbait (fluke) across the top be good to try or even a weightless Senko? The weightless method would only stay on top unless I toss it into an opening and let it fall. There are other good spots to fish on this lake but I just know there are fish in those patches of vegetation and would sure like to find a good way to get 'em out. Thanks guys. Jeff

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Classic frog situation. Check out the Dean Rojas frog at SPRO



TOXIC
http://www.spro.com

 

[Larry Harp]

I have had some sucess with fishing weightless in the weeds. You can cast a weightless fluke or Senko up on top of the salad and then drag it to a hole or the edge of the weedline. That works if the bass are hanging fairly shallow but one of the reasons that bass hang out in the weeds is to dig down deep in the shadows to ambush unsuspecting prey that wander in. I prefer tubes for heavy weed fishing. Two rigging methods work depending on the situation. My favorite tube rig is to use an internal Lindy or XPS tube weight with a rattle with an appropritate size EWG hook rigged weedless. The internal weight allows the tube to sink in a more horizontal and spiral fall that mimics a small baitfish. This works pretty good as long as the weeds aren't too thick because the tube weights I'm talking about are only available in weights up to 1/4 oz. That's not enough to punch through the really thick stuff and get down to the bottom where the big ones are hiding as well ass times when the bass are looking for a faster moving bait. For those situations you need to use a T-rig with some pretty heavy weight; as much as 1 to 1 1/2 oz. I would also reccommend always ALWAYS pegging your weight whenever you're fishing in any type of heavy cover either grass or timber. There's just too dang much to get hung up on with the weight flopping around.



Like Tox said, grass is a classic topwater situation as well. I just started using a Spro frog but have had some great fun with Zoom Horney Toads and Lunker City Salad Spoon too.



One more tip...try to use braided line when you're fishing in the weeds. It will cut through the vegatation where mono will just wrap around it.



Hope this helps.



Harpo

 

[Steve Rizza]

Don't forget the Johnson Weedless Spoon. You never see them being thrown much. I have always had one or two laying in the corner of my tackle boxes, and never used them.

Untill about two years ago. I had a field day in a shallow lilly pad patch. Now I use them every chance I get.



Steve

 

[Rick Knapich]

I was on a similiar grass and weed bed today.

Ribbits, Mann's Hard Nose Frogs and Zoom Horny Toads on 5/0 extra wide gap hooks with 50lb. braid and a nice stiff rod. We pulled about twenty of them into the boat by 10am.