What's The Best Way To Get Bass In Dense, Heavy Weeds

[britguy]

For years I've been fishing a weedy sunken island just off my place.  I know its loaded with big largemouth, 'cos I've seen them when I go snorkelling out there. But they're in heavy weed cover, tall reeds with little space in between to throw a lure, and the water is gin clear. .  .  Fairly shallow, maybe 5-6 feet deep.

 

I could probably get 'em with a live leech and a float.  But I'd like to get 'em with an artificial lure, if I can find the right technique.

 

Anybody reccommend an approach???

 

 

[Tartan34]

Sounds to me like an ideal spot to flip/pitch into that heavy stuff.  Something rigged with a pretty heavy weight / jig to get through it...and of course a heavy rod to pull them out.

[GoneFishi'n]

A heavy rod. 65# braid. Hollow belly frogs. Tungsten weights above a craw or a soft plastic with a lot of action to punch it through the weeds. I think anything topwater would be good when its the right time.

[jignfule]

Heavy tungsten weighted Punch Skirt,t-rigged.

[mnbassman23]

Great suggestions above. Get yourself a stout rod and heavy braid and try tossing a frog, punching a compact bait like a craw or beaver, and I also catch a lot of bass with 1/2-3/4oz Jigs in reeds. 

[derekxec]

weighted slug-o or fluke 

[MDP4BASS]

Maybe a Senko weightless T-rigged or weedless wacky rigged or a Rat-L-Trap on the edge of the grass.

[tbone1993]

Maybe a Senko weightless T-rigged or weedless wacky rigged or a Rat-L-Trap on the edge of the grass.

This might get fish on the edge but to get the fish deep in the weeds he will need a punch rig

[britguy]

Maybe a Senko weightless T-rigged or weedless wacky rigged or a Rat-L-Trap on the edge of the grass.

I'm O.K. around the weed edges, and casting into the channels.  Thats where I catch them now.   But Its in the thick of the weeds that I'm having problems. 

[DINK WHISPERER]

Give em the ol pitch n punch combo. Big tungsten weight and a sweet beaver. On a flippin stick of course...

[Teal]

In it or over it.

Top water lures that are weedless, hollow frogs, plastic toads, maybe a buzz bait.

In it. - get a heavy tungsten weight at least an ounce, or and ounce and a quarter, and a soft plastic bait that is texas rigged to be weedless. Pitch it up there and let it fall, ur may have to jiggle it a little if it is really thick. Punch skirts are optional, but i like em.

Either way, i would make sure that both my topwater rod and my punching rods are stout (heavy action or up) and fast reel loaded with braid. You said the water is clear, so you can use a fluoro leader, but make it at lleast 20# test, if not 25.

[CDMeyer]

This sounds like a perfect chance to use a Texas-Rigged bait.  I'd use a creature bait and if that does not work use a worm.  Pitch it and flip it in there but make sure you use strong line, braid to be exact.

[hatrix]

Swimabits. If that doesnt work then try more swimbaits. Hollow belly to be exact. They go through anything and are absolute fish catchers. You can do the punch rig thing but thats slow and you dont cover as much water. If you know for a fact there is fish there its a good idea I suppose. On the other hand with swimbaits you can make a ton of casts while covering huge amounts of water till you find fish or at the very least one that is willing to bite.

[jeff25]

Swimabits. If that doesnt work then try more swimbaits. Hollow belly to be exact. They go through anything and are absolute fish catchers. You can do the punch rig thing but thats slow and you dont cover as much water. If you know for a fact there is fish there its a good idea I suppose. On the other hand with swimbaits you can make a ton of casts while covering huge amounts of water till you find fish or at the very least one that is willing to bite.

 

how would you rig the swimbaits? texas? with a weighted hook or bullet weight?

[hatrix]

I use a keel weighted swimbait hook with a screw lock. You can use normal ones with no screw lock but your baits will get trashed super fast. I usually use a screw lock hook on any thing I can use it on any more. The great thing about swimbaits is you can throw them any where and fish most of them any speed and at any depth. To me they are like the most versatile lure for that reason. They also catch tons of fish and big ones love them too.

[annexation]

If they won't come up top to hit a hollow-body frog, then consider throwing a jika rigged plastic creature of your choice into whatever holes you can find.

[britguy]

"I use a keel weighted swimbait hook with a screw lock"

 

I have never used a swimbait.  There seem to be hundreds of them out there.

 

Which one's worked well for you, and how do you fish it in heavy weeds?

[hatrix]

"I use a keel weighted swimbait hook with a screw lock"

 

I have never used a swimbait.  There seem to be hundreds of them out there.

 

Which one's worked well for you, and how do you fish it in heavy weeds?

 

Well IMO the best hands down are Huddleston Weedless Shads and Grass Minnows for catching numbers and size too. Those are not a hollow belly but a pre rigged soft body. They are probably something you would have to oder off of like TW. Those you can really fish deep in the weeds without much resistance. As for hollow bellies I personally do better at the places I fish with the tighter action ones like a Basstrix. Some of them just the tail kicks and some have a whole body wobble or do a little roll back and forth from side to side. I have caught fish on all kinds but the places I fish they seem to like the tighter action all year long. I have heard good things about the Kitech I think it is spelled but forgot to oder them last time I bought swimbaits from TW.

 

As for fishing them you cant really mess it up. You can do a slow steady retrieve or burn them you can yo-yo it drag it. The possibilities are endless really. When fishing weeds I generally try to stay ticking the tops of weeds. If I hit a patch of grass and I am deep in it I will usually jig it up and pick up the slack really quick to get back above the tops. If I am just slightly hung in the tops I will do a few quick turns of the handle to get it to rise back to the top of the weeds. After 9 trillion casts you get a feel for if you burried 3 feet down in it or just hitting the top 6".

 

If there is any places where it is possible they are really work well if you can just slightly bump every little thing along the bottom like sticks and rocks. I will also flip/pitch them under docks trees it doesnt matter. They will grab it right on the fall like a jig or worm.

 

If you have to oder some I would really recommend the Huddlestons. It is almost like cheating sometimes. They look like they are not doing anything when it swims but they fish just kill it. The hook set can be a little troubling with them sometimes but like a 1,2 count usually works good and it gives them a second to choke it down.I do a long sweeping hookset and pretend like your trying to pull it out of there mouth and a longer rod really seems to help with that so you get a longer pull.

 

Hope you catch them and get some bigs ones

[britguy]

Thanks a lot Hatrix.  I'll definitely give them a go this season.

 

Have to wait 'til late June were we are , though. .  .