What Type Of Grass Is This?

[HoosierHawgs]

I fish a small local place around here and it is filled with lots of grass clumps. This grass grows in clumps/mats subsurface. I have included a picture. Does anybody know what kind of grass this is and have any tips for fishing it? Catt, Tom (WRB), AJay, or any of the more experienced members definitely chime in if you know! But all other opinions are welcome as well!

[Catt]

Hard to tell from that little piece or seeing it in the water.

Google the following

Myriophyllum Verticillatum

[HoosierHawgs]

Hard to tell from that little piece or seeing it in the water.

Google the following

Myriophyllum Verticillatum

I'll see if I can get some better pictures of it soon. They look similar, but not exactly. I was thinking it may be a type of milfoil.. but wasn't sure. Is there something special I should know about milfoil? Like if there's a special way to fish it, or if it denotes something special about this small reservoir?

[Catt]

There are different types of Milfoil, what I listed is one type.

It could be Coontail Moss which can look the same.

Each looks different underwater but close to the same out of the water.

As for fishing it the most productive is jigs & t-rigs!

[CRANKENSTIEN]

Does it giv you a weed line. If so you can crank or sw m a bait along it.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Looks like either coontail or stonewort to me. My guess would be coontail. 

[HoosierHawgs]

Does it giv you a weed line. If so you can crank or sw m a bait along it.

Yes, generally it gives you a break line.

[A-Jay]

I fish a small local place around here and it is filled with lots of grass clumps. This grass grows in clumps/mats subsurface. I have included a picture. Does anybody know what kind of grass this is and have any tips for fishing it? Catt, Tom (WRB), AJay, or any of the more experienced members definitely chime in if you know! But all other opinions are welcome as well!

IMAG00236.jpg

 

Like Catt said, it’s hard to tell from the photo –

 

But I’ll offer this; exactly what it is may not be nearly as important as where it is, what’s around it and how much of it there is.

 

Since this vegetation is scattered throughout the lake and from the surface it may all look the same – there’s a decent chance that at some point some of it is holding fish but much of it may not.  The challenge lies in figuring out which ones to fish.  

 

I have several lakes that I do well in that are similar.   What I do is initially, I ignore the vegetation all together.  Then I start with the basics like seasonal pattern and recent past & present environmental conditions.  This helps narrow down where (what depth) the bass may be in and what their mood might be.  Then it pays to know what some of the prevalent bass food in the lake is and where the bass need to be to get it.

 

 Once some of this is established, now we can get back to the vegetation discussion and how it relates to the factors listed above.  Those clumps of weed do offer excellent ambush points for the bass.  They could be a bit off them relating loosely to them, they could be holding tight to them or even buried right up in it.   The presence of bait fish (fry, small panfish, shiners etc) is usually a good thing and may have the bass more in the open & willing to chase a bait; especially early & later in the day (and at night).

A spinnerbait, a swimbait on a weighted EWG hook, a scrounger/fluke combo even a rattlebait and a squarebill are all decent options.  Certainly depends on the mood of the fish.

If crayfish are a staple of the bass there, the bottoms around the weeds become a high percentage zone where a jig & craw or Texas rigged plastic may be the deal.  If most of the lake has a soft bottom,  any hard bottom areas you can locate are definitely worth fishing and are often solid producers season after season.

 

For any of these or other baits to work, obviously you need to be around bass and your presentation will need to remain mostly clear of vegetation in order to get bit.  Usually shorter / accurate casts presented slightly past (and then brought into) the high percentage / ambush points works well.  And when you think the fish might be buried right up in it, sometimes the only way to know for sure is to go right in there after them.  It pays to ensure your gear is up to the task – braid works well here. 

 

Finally, those BR members who have been here any length of time have seen me post this before but your situation is definitely Perfect for it.  The Texas rigged skirt & craw combo (pictured below) can be thrown all around & into that vegetation without hanging up and it comes through clean so you spend less time picking goop off your bait and more time fishing effectively.  Most importantly – It catches plenty of very respectable Bass.

 

Hope that helps

 

A-Jay

 

 

 

[HoosierHawgs]

 

Like Catt said, it’s hard to tell from the photo –

 

But I’ll offer this; exactly what it is may not be nearly as important as where it is, what’s around it and how much of it there is.

 

Since this vegetation is scattered throughout the lake and from the surface it may all look the same – there’s a decent chance that at some point some of it is holding fish but much of it may not.  The challenge lies in figuring out which ones to fish.  

 

I have several lakes that I do well in that are similar.   What I do is initially, I ignore the vegetation all together.  Then I start with the basics like seasonal pattern and recent past & present environmental conditions.  This helps narrow down where (what depth) the bass may be in and what their mood might be.  Then it pays to know what some of the prevalent bass food in the lake is and where the bass need to be to get it.

 

 Once some of this is established, now we can get back to the vegetation discussion and how it relates to the factors listed above.  Those clumps of weed do offer excellent ambush points for the bass.  They could be a bit off them relating loosely to them, they could be holding tight to them or even buried right up in it.   The presence of bait fish (fry, small panfish, shiners etc) is usually a good thing and may have the bass more in the open & willing to chase a bait; especially early & later in the day (and at night).

A spinnerbait, a swimbait on a weighted EWG hook, a scrounger/fluke combo even a rattlebait and a squarebill are all decent options.  Certainly depends on the mood of the fish.

If crayfish are a staple of the bass there, the bottoms around the weeds become a high percentage zone where a jig & craw or Texas rigged plastic may be the deal.  If most of the lake has a soft bottom,  any hard bottom areas you can locate are definitely worth fishing and are often solid producers season after season.

 

For any of these or other baits to work, obviously you need to be around bass and your presentation will need to remain mostly clear of vegetation in order to get bit.  Usually shorter / accurate casts presented slightly past (and then brought into) the high percentage / ambush points works well.  And when you think the fish might be buried right up in it, sometimes the only way to know for sure is to go right in there after them.  It pays to ensure your gear is up to the task – braid works well here. 

 

Finally, those BR members who have been here any length of time have seen me post this before but your situation is definitely Perfect for it.  The Texas rigged skirt & craw combo (pictured below) can be thrown all around & into that vegetation without hanging up and it comes through clean so you spend less time picking goop off your bait and more time fishing effectively.  Most importantly – It catches plenty of very respectable Bass.

 

Hope that helps

 

A-Jay

 

 

 

 

Thanks A Jay. The postition of the grass often changes due to wind and current, but right now the grass is very tight to the bank. It is mostly soft bottom, but they're are hard bottom areas including rip rap. The main forage is Shad. Lots of shad in the lake and the bass feed on them and get FAT! The shad are all different sizes, from baitfish size, two the size of a keeper bass! I will try some of these strategies and let you know, thanks!

[Team9nine]

Thanks A Jay. The postition of the grass often changes due to wind and current, but right now the grass is very tight to the bank. It is mostly soft bottom, but they're are hard bottom areas including rip rap. The main forage is Shad. Lots of shad in the lake and the bass feed on them and get FAT! The shad are all different sizes, from baitfish size, two the size of a keeper bass! I will try some of these strategies and let you know, thanks!

 

Pretty certain it's coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) from your description and picture - fairly common here in Indiana. Sometimes called hornwort. The grass position changes because coontail frequently forms clumps that don't root to the bottom, so wind and currents have the ability to move it around somewhat. Usually best to punch baits (worms, jigs) through the clumps, or pitch baits to the weedline edges like crankbaits, worms or jigs as described by others above.

 

For reference, the other two similar plants in the area to compare to are stonewort (Nitella) and muskgrass (Chara)

 

-T9

[Catt]

Giving a full discription up front is helpful!

If it does not root it is Coontail, if it do root it is Milfoil.

I would exchange the spinner bait for a swim jig!

[WPCfishing]

Looks like either coontail or stonewort to me. My guess would be coontail. 

 

That means cabomba in English in case you didn't know.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

That means cabomba in English in case you didn't know.

Sorry, but neither coontail nor stonewort are even in the same order as cabomba. Coontail is in the order of Ceratophyllum and stonewort is Charales, while cabomba belongs to the order of Nymphaeales (related to the water lilies.)

 

That's not to say that the plant in the photo isn't cabomba, it very well could be. Although it looks a little thicker than cabomba to me. 

[Team9nine]

Sorry, but neither coontail nor stonewort are even in the same order as cabomba. Coontail is in the order of Ceratophyllum and stonewort is Charales, while Cabomba belongs to the order of Nymphaeales (related to the water lilies.)

 

That's not to say that the plant in the photo isn't cabomba, it very well could be. Although it looks a little thicker than cabomba to me. 

 

Yup^^  Not Cabomba. Not milfoil.

 

Cabomba is also known as fanwort...and I haven't been able to find any reference that refers to Cabomba as "coontail." Coontail is always Ceratophyllum or hornwort, unless that is just a regional reference...

 

-T9

[WPCfishing]

Coontail is referred to as cabomba here. I wasn't referring to the weed pictured. I should have made myself clear.

If you look up coontail on line you will see that it is also referred to as cabomba.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

Coontail is referred to as cabomba here. I wasn't referring to the weed pictured. I should have made myself clear.

If you look up coontail on line you will see that it is also referred to as cabomba.

All good. I've never heard of coontail referred to as cabomba, but I'm sure it's just a regional thing. Technically it's not the same.. but then again a walleye isn't a pike, but that doesn't stop northerners from calling them that. When I think of cabomba, I think of the stuff people put in their aquariums. 

[Catt]

The grass pictured id Ceratophyllum Demersum

Commonly called Coontail Moss, Hornwort, rigid Hornwort, or Coon's Tail

http://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/BIG/65312.jpg

[RoLo]

"Coontail" (Ceratophyllum demersum)

We rarely go a day without seeing coontail.

 

Roger

[Catt]

"Coontail" (Ceratophyllum demersum)

We rarely go a day without seeing coontail.

Roger

I be fishing it this morning!