What Would You Use Through Heavy Vegetation?

[IowaBass15]

I usually have to fish from the bank and the lake I mostly go to is filled with thick thick grass throughout the lake. It's a clear lake with most parts being about 4 feet deep around the banks but an 18 foot max depth in certain areas. Been using a lot of top water with decent success and I did get my best this summer at 5 pounds using a little poppr. I've always had good success texas rigging and was wondering if there were more options that I'm neglecting and should be doing. I'm new to bass fishing and just want to beat the 5 pounder I already got.

Happy fishing.

[Dypsis]

Pending on how thick the grass is and how submerged it is will certainly dictate if these could work for you.  I like to throw a swim jig or spinnerbait.  Or a Manns minus 1 over the top of the grass.  

 

I would certainly be throwing frogs if you aren't as well.  

 

A 5lb bass is a nice fish!

[Master Bait'r]

Well that depends on whether you are trying to punch through, stay on top etc.

I'd say a hollow frog, a jawbreaker spoon and a punch jig would have you pretty well covered for starters. I try to frog first and have one of the others tied up as a quick follow-up for any missed strikes. The spoon is cool because you can steady retrieve it or let it flutter down on the fall and it almost never gets hung up. The jig is great because it will blow right through and get straight to the bottom. With those three you have a lot of zones, depths and looks covered and they're still weedless.

[IowaBass15]

I definitely throw my frog out on top of all the moss and walk it in. That's probably my favorite thing to trigger bites. I actually haven't tried a jig at all so I might throw a trailer on one of those and see if I can get something to hammer it. It's funny reeling one in thinking it's your new best and when you get it in its just 5 pounds of moss coveting the bass haha. I did have luck on my spinner as well. Heading to round lake for the 4th and hoping to beat my 5 pound best this summer.

[zachb34]

Pegged weight on either a zoom ultravibe/magnum ultravibe worm. paddle tail swimbait on a weighted hook.

[IowaBass15]

Definitely need to try a swim bait ripping through there. Haven't even thought about trying that yet. Thanks zach!

[OkobojiEagle]

Unweighted t-rigged fluke

 

 

oe

[tholmes]

If the weeds aren't too thick, try a Johnson Silver Minnow spoon with some kind of trailer.

 

Tom

[AdamsEye]

You can either try to draw them out, if that don't work you might have to go in after them. I fish a lot of the same conditions, and I always start with a surface bait to try and draw out a strike. Buzzbait, frog, what ever I can work up top with out getting hung up a lot.

 

When I can't draw them out of the grass, that is when I start to key in on specific targets with in the grass. I don't like to just cast into grass and work a bait through it, as much as I like to punch into spots that I think might hold a fish. I can rule out productive area's faster by hitting holes or other targets.

 

Sometimes I use a trick worm and let it fall into the grass, and any open pockets I see. This can help trigger a strike that a topwater bait might not get.

[Felix77]

My latest success has been a weightless swimbait.  Something like a Swimming Caffeine Shad.  I noticed that it needs to be a bit heavy to work.  Keitech FAT's work too ... Doesn't work as well with a Zoom Swimming fluke for example.

[Fishes in trees]

I know I've used this answer to similar topics in the past, but I'll repeat it.  Anyway, if you are bank bound, one of the most important pieces of equipment you need is a good pair of hip waders.  It will get you off the bank a little bit and make it easier for you to parallel the weed line with whatever bait you want.  For mid-summer fishing, go ahead and get a belly boat, some sort of tube to float in around the pond.

 

If you want to try to catch the biggest fish in the pond, use bait.  Step A - Catch a bluegill.   Step B -   Get a 5/0 or 6/0 circle hook and impale it diagonally through the back of the bluegill.  Get a float large enough to suspend the impaled bluegill a foot to foot and a half beneath the surface.  For a rod & reel, I'd use a flipping stick and minimum 20 lb test or braid if you got it.   If you don't have a flipping stick, use the stoutest tackle you have access to.  Place the bluegill/float combo in open water, 1 or 2 feet past the outside edge of the weed line.   Make sure you have enough float to suspend the bluegill.  (if necessary, you can use a balloon, inflated and tied to the line.)   No action in 15 minutes or so - pick a different section of weed line.   If the bluegill dies, catch another bluegill.

 

This is a mid-west variation of shiner fishing, like they do in Florida.   If you need more information, google shiner fishing in Florida and adapt that information to your situation.  A "quick strike" rig is an option to the circle hook.  You can google how to make one of those.  Good luck

[hatrix]

Do not impale the bluegill through the back. I have found it best to hook it deep through the mouth and out the cheek. It doesn't damage the fish and will not kill it like hooking in other places.

[BassTravis]

Unweighted t-rigged fluke

 

 

oe

Flukes rigged weightless are a bass catching machines!  Also, I would try a Spro Bronzeye Popping Frog as well.  I don't know what it is about that frog, but big bass love it!  Especially in and around grass.

[Kyrazzy7]

I fish almost the same exact conditions and the booyah pad crasher frogs have been working great! Especially the albino white color.

[trisdisp57]

a lot of good information. Impaling through the mouth is a lot better than through the spine on a bluegill fish will live a lot longer and wont get the ethics committee coming at you.. lol. unless you plan on eating the blue gill

[BW208]

I fish a lot of ponds with these conditions.  A couple of my recent favorites since its hot is to use the Rage toads across the surface.  I use a owner beast weighted spring retained swim bait hook so the belly stays down.  Also I have found it to be very productive to drag a weightless weedless ribbontail worm across the top of the water.  I caught 3 yesterday like this.

[dumfish]

For me to attack heavy vegetation I would need to know how much open space there is under the cover. Then I would pattern the top or bottom.

[BW208]

Fished a pond today with heavy heavy vegetation and I caught one on a chatter bait and two on a jig.

[hookset on 3]

Try a 3/8oz. All-Terrain Grass jig. This will zip right through that moss.

 

[A-Jay]

 You can fish this rig effectively any where you want.

 

A-Jay

 

 

 

[BW208]

Try a 3/8oz. All-Terrain Grass jig. This will zip right through that moss.

 

ATTGJ-FCR-1.jpg

 

This is the exact jig I caught two 3 pounders on in a heavy vegetation pond yesterday.  Goes through the weeds really well.  That punching rig works well also.