Hot Weather Thick Weeds

[HookSetDon]

When the summer rolls around in our Northern lakes largemouth seem to relate to thick weeds. The question is deep weeds 8-12 ft or shallow weeds. Its a craps shoot and theres only one way to find out.. getting out on the water and fishing.

What are some factors that contribute to where you would start? Theres an abudance of shallow cover with lush green weeds and pads in the back of spawning bays, shallow weed cover off deep main/river channels, and deeper weedlines scattered throughout the lake off main lake points, secondary points, and shoals.

[Nitrofreak]

My first factor is a frontal condition, pre frontal I would shoot for the shallows, less than 15ft, during is going to be tough, in my area they stage deep and it's hard to get them to bite anything, thats usually when I will break out the drop shot and work it right in front of them untill I make them mad enough to intise a strike, post front I am back to the shallows until after the sun is up and then I start working my way out to deeper points, if you are fishing the back of spawning areas I would be looking for steeper areas that the bait fish will use for navigation, bass will know when to move on the bait fish so you must be there in order to know when where and how to fish any given point or shoal for that matter.

If I have not had a front move through in a while I would be fishing the weedline just off the main river channels or I am looking for structure in deep open waters off of a long point somewhere.

Good luck and be safe !!!

[A-Rob]

Dude I can relate, also from Ontario.

I tend to start shallow and if not much action I start moving out deeper

Sometimes you can get some nice ones shallow in the heat early in the morning or evening

But I'd start throwing that worm or jig into the deeper grass if I was catching lots of fish (fun) or 5 lbers shallow.

[MIbassin]

like a-rob said i would start shallow and as the day progresses fish deeper. make sure you use heavy t-rigs or lures to get it through the thick stuff!

[LgMouthGambler]

I just came back from Maine and was killing them shallow in the lilly pads with a black soft plastic frog on the surface.

[greatone1210]

There are a ton of weeds where I fish in the Pittsburgh area. My local dam that I fish most frequently is so weed-infested I have problems with everything from cranks to spinnerbaits to punching through with a jig. I caught one 10 inch smallmouth today on a 3/8 spinnerbait (my first ever on a spinnerbait!!!) but did so on a shallow open flat with sparse cover and throwing towards shore where there is a pretty steep drop off. Lord knows if I had some way of getting through the heavier stuff, my count would be higher.

[Clint C.]

I've had luck punching a 10" worm right through the center of the thick stuff in about 4-6ft of water.

[roadwarrior]

Points are always a good option.

[fishking247]

the lakes i fish are fairly weedy. for the past two weeks i've been doing damage with a black zoom ole' monster worm (10.5") with an 1/8oz tungsten bullet weight above it as well as yum dingers and senkos

[HookSetDon]

As an update, I havent had a chance to out all that much but when I do Ive been primarily targetting shallow water pads and dense weed cover near deep water and been have success.

Using both a flipping jig when the weeds arent too thick or a 1 oz pegged craw. Black, Black w/ blue flake, Green pumpkin with black flake, Green pumpkin with black and red flake.

[real_horror_show]

i've been fishing the matted grass beds with a 6 inch pumpkinseed lizard, been killing 'em.