Question About Crankbaits Over Grass/weed Beds

[DJ 6_6]

So I've read numerous articles about fishing diving and lipless crankbaits over grassbeds so that the bait is ticking the tops of the grass/weeds.  obviously you expect to get hungup some and you are suposed to rip the bait out and thats what entices the strike.

 

I've always wondered if pieces of hydrilla or millfoil on a treble hook deturs a bass from biting?  Anytime I feel my bait come incontact with grass, and then it alters its wobble or feels heavier, I quickly reel it in to remove the grass.   Anyone know if a piece of grass on a bait will prevent a bass from biting?  obviously a crankbait or even a worm with grass looks less natural, right?

 

So how does one exactly tick the top of the grass beds, get hung up and rip it free with out grass being caught on the treble hooks and still get bites?   Any advice, tips and know-how would be Awesome!!  thanks!

[Marty]

I have no way of knowing for sure, but I think some grass on the hooks wouldn't deter fish from biting if it was just a small amount of grass that didn't affect the lure's action.

 

As an aside, I fish crankbaits a lot and never get a strike after ripping the bait free even though conventional wisdom says otherwise.

[Bluebasser86]

One of my favorite ways to fish squarebills and lipless baits. I get bit a lot right when I rip a lipless bait out of the weeds but with squarebills I like to reel down to the tops of the weeds and then use a stop and go retrieve, most of the bites will come during the pause or right when I start to reel again. When I feel some weeds hanging on my bait I'll rip the rod up hard, sometimes I'll have a fish as soon as I reel up the slack again. I doubt that a small piece of grass will keep the fish from hitting the bait though. I've had them eat poppers and buzzbaits with weeds hanging off of them, don't see why a crank would be any different. 

[papajoe222]

Although a piece of grass will alter the action, you can still catch fish. If you're concerned, give the rod another pop the same as you would when ripping it free from the weeds. Often times that will clear the hooks. With a high floating, lipped crank, a pause will sometimes clear the lip, but that doesn't work will all weed types.

In answer to your second question, your equipment makes the difference and to a certain extent, the type of weeds.  A soft action rod and/or stretchy mono are NOT what you want to be using.  A M/H cranking stick and braid or heavy mono or fluoro are the ticket. The crank you're using should have a tight wiggle so the hooks stay close to it's body and won't catch the grass as easily as a wide wobbling lure will.

A couple of other things to remember are to stop reeling before you attempt  ripping it free. You're not setting the hook. That extra half turn of the reel handle will just burry your crank deeper into the weeds. The other is to develop a good feel for the bait you're using, this is why I prefer a graphite rod over glass for most of my cranking.  If you can't feel the bait as it starts to catch the grass, you'll end up burrying it into the grass more.

This is an awesome way to trigger fish holding in the weeds.

[Hogsticker]

Try using a lighter rattle bait and thinner diameter braided line

[detroit1]

I guess it depends on how much water is between the surface and the tops of the weeds. A floating crankbait would be my choice . If there is less than 3' of water above the weeds, in my opine, a rattlebait must be retrieved too fast to keep from getting hung.

[lavbasser]

Getting a little weed on your bait in those situations is a good thing.  If your crankbait is always getting balled up with lots of weeds then I would try a shallower or more buoyant bait.   However, I have caught  a lot of bass in situations when I ripped my rod very, very hard trying to clear lots of weeds.  Using the right bait makes a big difference.  As you mentioned, try to tick the weeds.  Very often you can clear debris from your bait on a cast by snapping your rod.  If you can't then your rod maybe under-powered for this situation.  

 

You can also fish those areas with single-hooks baits.  Swim Jigs are a good choice or a t-rigged worm.  If you use a 1/4 jig you can even let it fall in the weeds.  Sometimes a belly-weighted plastic can be better to use (like the dingleberry, or just a heavier plastic like a fat ika).  Sometimes the fish like a more aggressive bait, like a crankbait, that needs to be more aggressively ripped from the weeds.  Other times they prefer a more sublte approach. It sounds like you have the right idea, don't get discouraged about a little debris on your bait.