Fishing Coontail

[flobassin]

Has anyone ever had luck fishing coontail? There is a good bit in my lake but I never fish in it. Do bass bury up in it? Could you flip it with a 1oz weight? Any tips on fishing coontail would be great. Thanks

[scaleface]

Coontail is great and easy to fish. If there are isolated patches of it drag a weightless texas rigged "anything" over the top and theres a good chance it will get bit.

[Catt]

Ya wanna your lure on the bottom!

Ya wanna fish the outside grass line & then work inward. Pay attention to what's under it (structure) cuts, drains, ect; add timber or other cover.

[Fishes in trees]

My best luck for fishing coontail is to fish the deep outside edges.  On occasions I've come across a visible hole in the vegetation and on rare occasions, gotten bit when I pitched a tx rigged worm into the hole.  I'm pretty sure that there are other ways to fish coon tail vegetation but I'm not very good at it.

 

Like I said - outside deeper edges with a half or 5/8 oz home made jika rig and a brush hog, zellemander or some other creature bait.  I use fairly heavy line for this - 17 lb fluorocarbon - brand varies, currently Seaguar Abrazx.

[flobassin]

I'm just curious if I can flip it. I know it's soild to the bottom unlike hydrilla. I flip penny wort, hydrilla, pepper grass, kissimme grass, hyssian,cane, ect. a lot but since it's soild to the bottom i don't know if the fish burry up in it or not. I do see a lot of bait in the area and a good amout of bream. I probably could work a spook over the top of it but I'm really i am just interested if I can flip it.

[Catt]

Explain solid to the bottom?

You mean attached?

[gulfcaptain]

Coontail, or hornwart does form dense growth, but under that top layer that blocks the light the bottom areas thin out and become hollow...you just have to find them.  And this stuff doesn't produce dense roots, it kinda just grabs the bottom but can also be free floating so if there are mixed aquatic plants, the edges are great places to look......I new working in the aquarium field and cleaning fishtanks that useless useful information I learned would come into play sometime.  If bait can get into it the bass will too.  Some of the places I fish have this stuff and it's full of grass shrimp, smaller baitfish, the bluegills make their beds in it and the bass hide in it as well. It will grow up and float creating holes and channels below that those fish will use.  

[flobassin]

Coontail, or hornwart does form dense growth, but under that top layer that blocks the light the bottom areas thin out and become hollow...you just have to find them.  And this stuff doesn't produce dense roots, it kinda just grabs the bottom but can also be free floating so if there are mixed aquatic plants, the edges are great places to look......I new working in the aquarium field and cleaning fishtanks that useless useful information I learned would come into play sometime.  If bait can get into it the bass will too.  Some of the places I fish have this stuff and it's full of grass shrimp, smaller baitfish, the bluegills make their beds in it and the bass hide in it as well. It will grow up and float creating holes and channels below that those fish will use.

So it's like hydrilla? It's hollow underneath? I read online some where it's not rooted but it's pretty think from top to bottom

[flobassin]

Explain solid to the bottom?

You mean attached?

It's not attached. It's hard to explain but it sorta drags along the bottom. Only heavy winds and boat traffic can move it and it's pretty thick from the bottom to the top weather the top be on the surface or 3 ft below the surface. That's just what I've read online tho.

[RoLo]

It's not attached. It's hard to explain but it sorta drags along the bottom. Only heavy winds and boat traffic can move it and it's pretty thick from the bottom to the top weather the top be on the surface or 3 ft below the surface. That's just what I've read online tho.

 

Coontail doesn't have a true root system like most submergent plants, as a result,

its growth pattern is highly variable and erratic. At the bottom of the plant, coontail grows hairy appendages

called "holdfasts" that allow it to form large colonies. It would take a violent storm to move an established bed.

You'll also see uncolonized coontail, those are the bright-green floating clumps you see.

 

Yes indeed, bass love coontail and bass bury in coontail. In fact, coontail isn't far behind milfoil and hydrilla.

Baitfish love coontail and bass love baitfish.

 

Roger

[Catt]

It's not attached. It's hard to explain but it sorta drags along the bottom. Only heavy winds and boat traffic can move it and it's pretty thick from the bottom to the top weather the top be on the surface or 3 ft below the surface. That's just what I've read online tho.

Solid to the bottom in that it aint attached

Solid to the bottom in that it's dense or thick top to bottom

I find Coontail easier to penetrate when matted than Hydrilla or Milfoil, other than that I fish em the same.

Of the three I do better in Coontail during winter, not that it doesn't produce in summer cause it does, but it shines in cold water.

[frogflogger]

I read an article several  years ago about a fellow who regularly caught bass in the teens in Fl. - he said coontail was always present when he caught a teener.

[Penguino]

Lol I have no  luck in coontail. All of my lures except topwater get weeded up, in the eye of the hooks.

[RoLo]

Lol I have no  luck in coontail. All of my lures except topwater get weeded up, in the eye of the hooks.

 

I'd fault the lure rather than the plant 

 

In a weedy lake, the buzzword is "weedless". If your lure is picking up weeds,

slide on a punch stop followed by a 1/16 oz lead bullet sinker with a pointed nose.

Since lead is fatter than tungsten, that tiny 1/16 oz worm weight has enough diameter

to deflect weeds from the eyelet, screw keeper, etc.

 

Roger

[Penguino]

I'd fault the lure rather than the plant 

 

In Florida's weedy natural lakes, the buzzword is "Weedless".

Slide on a punch stop followed by a 1/16 oz lead bullet sinker with a pointed nose.

Since lead is fatter than tungsten, a 1/16 oz worm weight provides ample diameter

to deflect weeds from the eyelet, screw keeper, etc.

 

Roger 

I will probably have to start using punching bullet weights on my T-rigs. The problem with all my "weeedless" lures like texas rigs and jigs is that the weeds get stuck in the eye of the hook (or jig).

[scaleface]

I will probably have to start using punching bullet weights on my T-rigs. The problem with all my "weeedless" lures like texas rigs and jigs is that the weeds get stuck in the eye of the hook (or jig).

Keep trying you'll figure it out . 

[Catt]

I find Coontail easier to get a lure through than Hydrilla or Milfold.

A properly installed straight shank round bend hook will provide all the protection needed.

Question?

When punching matted grass what hook y'all use?

EWG? Offset? Straight Shank?

The weapon of choice when punching is straight shankbecause it comes through the grass cleaner. So why would I not use a straight shank in less dense grass?

[J Francho]

Coontail? Fishing it up here is like bread and butter.

[Bazoo]

One of the ponds I fish is covered in coontail for most of the area I can cast from the bank. I rarely try to punch into it. I drag across the top/holes and or topwater.

 

I indeed catch bass in it though. Small ones mostly, though I've pulled a few 3-4 pounders out.

 

I have found a split shot rig works pretty good, because the split shot grabs the moss and makes a path for the worm.

 

A weightless trick worm does good, as it slips through when not on top.

 

Frogs do okay, though I get a lot of bream nipping at them.

 

If I have any clear water at all to land it I've had success with spinnerbaits.

 

If I have moss on the lure, as soon as I get into a bit of a clearing I give it a jerk, and usually the lure comes free of the moss. I've also had this tricker strikes.