Summer Milfoil - Edges or Up Inside?

[MinnRick]

Greetings All.  A couple of quick ones on fishing the foil in summer..

1. For tournaments on our northern grass lakes, if you've decided to target milfoil what percentage of the time are you typically spending working the edges vs. up inside the bed probing sweet spots that you've pre-located?  Are there any good rules of thumb (weather factors?) which tell you when you want to focus on the edges vs. inside?
2. I've heard many times that hard bottom spots buried up underneath the foil can be the sweetest of the sweet spots.  Aside from getting out and imaging in the early spring, are there any good techniques for finding hard bottom areas in foil beds once the weeds are up?

Thanks!

-- Rick

[Catt]

Big tip for ya Rick

 

Fish the structure under the grass!

[Bankbeater]

For me it depends on what is around the vegetation.  I look for structure like creek beds and deep spots first.  If there is wood around all the better.

[ww2farmer]

On 12/22/2016 at 5:59 AM, Catt said:

Big tip for ya Rick

 

Fish the structure under the grass!

As some one who fishes lakes with seemingly miles of endless milfoil patches what Catt said is the key. Bends in the grass line, hard spots on the bottom under the grass, points of grass, misc. junk in the grass, patches of grass very close to deep water, etc...these are all places I like to look for and start on before just blindly fishing.

 

It all looks "fishy" but it all ain't

 

That being said, when I pull into an area that I want to fish. I start outside the grass first on the deep edge, I go down the edge for a while, if I get bit, I keep working the edge. If I don't get bit on the outside edge, I go into the grass, if I get bit I fish in the grass. If I don't get bit in the thick of it, I go to the inside edge...............and if I get bit, I fish that for a while. And then there are the days, even in grass heavy lakes that they just ain't around it for some reason or another (usually bait related). On those days I like to fish shallow first, like under boat docks, around laydowns, or other shallow cover, as I am more comfortable in skinny water. If they ain't in the grass, or up shallow..............I head to isolated cover out side the grass, or major structural elements in deeper water. 

 

 

[Catt]

Bass still relate to structure even though it's covered with grass!

[RoLo]

Some anglers may look askance, but the bulk of my locational search is conducted in the comfort of my home.

It's perfectly okay to blow thru a mile of beautiful cover to get to your pre-selected coordinates.

Frankly, the only time I get choked-up about cover, is when it has a basement of unique bottom contour.

 

Roger

 

 

 

[Jeff H]

Some "beds" you'll have no option but to fish the edge and as far into it as you can reach (punch) because they are so thick you ain't getting your boat through it.  I've seen guys stuck in this stuff for hours.

[MinnRick]

Thanks all, very helpful!

[sully420]

I'm assuming you are from Minnesota as am I what seems to work best for me.

early mourning fish edges 

afternoon docks with grass near or look for holes in the grass. Spots where milfoil and other weeds meet like cabbage or pads. Evening back to the edges. On cloudy days the edges seem to be good all day on sunny days holes and matted areas seem better. I also like edges next to sand,deep water, reeds.

hope this helps

Edited March 21, 2017 by sully420
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