Boat Position In The Weeds

[Justin Swartz]

Not 100% sure where to put this post so Ill post it here. 

 

I am extremely new too boats just bought my first one a couple months ago and in these summer months we have a lot of vegetation on our lakes in Nebraska. So I decided the other day that I would fish the slop by using a hollow body frog. I guess I wasn't sure what to expect but it was kind of a disaster my trolling motor was all caught in the weeds, stop working several times had to bring it back up an get the grass off of it. Also there was a little bit of wind so I kept getting pushed deeper into the weeds. 

 

I guess my question is as I watch these bass fishing videos and such how do you keep your boat steady in this grass? I don't have a power pole so should I anchor? Also is it smart to be putting my boat into these weeds? Or should I just stay on the edges out of the weeds and cast into them? I keep watching bass videos and it seems like a lot of anglers just put there boats through the slop and lily pads, maybe just some tips on this could help me out.

[Bluebasser86]

If the weeds aren't too thick you might be able to raise your motor up high and chop through them. Be careful though because you can easily burn up your motor if you're not careful. Some trolling motor props will slice through the stuff better than others as well and there's trolling motor add ons that you can attach that will help cut the weeds. 

[Dennis1972]

myself, i like to get as deep in the weeds and lilly pads as i can and throw frogs, thats where other fisherman dont/cant go and where i catch the hogs, you cant get back there with a motor of any kind. i use my oars (pull motor out of the water) when i hit the thick stuff. i have heard push poles are real nice too but have never used one.

[Quesenek]

myself, i like to get as deep in the weeds and lilly pads as i can and throw frogs, thats where other fisherman dont/cant go and where i catch the hogs, you cant get back there with a motor of any kind. i use my oars (pull motor out of the water) when i hit the thick stuff. i have heard push poles are real nice too but have never used one.

Your way is smarter than what I've seen some guys do around here, I've seen some guys get their boats going fast to get a head start before they pull their trolling motor up and they drift as far as their boat will take them through the slop and weeds. Wouldn't want to be them when they hit a rock hiding under the surface.

 

One reason why I bought a kayak is because I can easily navigate through thick vegetation where I would be trying to go with a boat anyway.

[Bankbeater]

Welcome to the forums.

If it is windy I will get down wind, raise the motor, and let the wind push me through the weeds.  If there is no wind I will use oars.

[scbassin]

Fish the edges 1st. Then use a push pole to move around from spot to spot dropping your anchor quietly(noise is not your friend) at each spot. Make sure you tie a jug to your anchor rope in case you have to go get a fish. If there is little or no wind let the boat drift. Move it around as needed with a push pole as your trolling motor makes a lot of noise moving thru heavy weed cover.

[WIGuide]

 Maybe we don't have as big of matts around here, but usually I fish around the edges and cast into it. If it's big enough I'll go through it with my TM and move around as needed. 

[Logan S]

1:  Buy one of the weedless props, they work.  (I use the standard Motorguide Weedless model one on mine)

2:  Raise your trolling motor up so that the prop is in the water just enough to not blow out .  

3:  Trim your outboard up and out of the water.  

4:  Fish on.

 

Note that this setup is only for fishing in the slop, it will suck when you get back to open water.  When I fish a place with heavy weeds I'll always swap the TM prop for the weedless model, but I wont raise the TM until I'm actually going deep in the weeds.  

[NathanW]

It can be pretty difficult at times if you are running 12 Volt motor. I know what you mean and I have not discovered a nifty trick or anything to avoid it. By all means fish outside the vegetation and cast into it but more times than not its not a perfect world where that scenario is going to work. When I am frogging or punching and fishing from the outside edge casting in I want to meet larger fish half way and sometimes have to go dig for that fish right where I hooked it. You are going to have to plow through it. Don't be afraid to turn on the big motor to get yourself out once you have gotten yourself in. Otherwise raise your TM motor up a bit, get your big motor out of the way so it doesn't slow you down and power through while untangling your TM prop as needed. Also there is nothing wrong with coasting into a high veg area with the momentum from the big motor. Obviously use common sense when it comes to avoiding other obstructions. I don't have room for a push pole on my boat but my paddle has come in handy a number of times but mostly only when I get stuck on a bar or have to get across a shallow opening where there is lots of rock on the bottom. 

[Harry IV]

you can also buy metal props or invest in a Minn Kota fortrex. also a lot of times there are boat trails alreadt, utilize those

[bigbill]

We anchor the boat were the weeds drop off. Where u can't see them. And cast into the weeds using a split shot rig with a 12" leader and a black 6" plastic worm.

Fish it very very very slow moving it around 10" at a time. Watch your line closely for movement. You need 12/14lb test. The fish grabs the worm and will bury itself in the weeds when u set the hook. When you pull it up under the ball of weeds is the bass. It's slow fishing but can be very successful.

[WRB]

Now that you have a bass boat try fishing away from the bank and those nasty shallow weed beds. You lakes in NB are usually flatland classification type reservoirs, large wide lakes with a main river, several smaller creek arms and lots of islands and humps. The baitfish are usually threadfin shad that may hide in weed beds during low light time periods, then school up moving out to feed on phytoplankton where the wind or breezes push it.

If weed beds are your target, then fish the areas near the humps and islands with smaller beds near deeper water, they are less dense and easier to maneuver around. These are areas that usually hold large schools of bait and bass.

I would spend more time learning your sonar unit, reading maps and structure areas, boat control and catching bass then watching TV programs fishing in the big weed beds on flats, unless that is where the bass are located and you prefer fishing in the slop.

Tom

[papajoe222]

Welcome.

I keep it simple. I use an 4ft. telescoping push pole to get into the weeds with both my TM and outboard out of the water.  When I get to a spot that looks productive, I'll lower both motors and that will pretty much hold me there.  If you can approach the weeds from down wind, you can drift over them and lower the motors to slow or stop your drift.