Problems adjusting grass fishing

[JohnCal]

I’m really have a hard time of fishing in grass at nearby lakes.  My favorite bait is the shakey head and every cast returns with grass/slim on the hook each time.   I only recently encountered this issue as I’ve fished mostly light grass lakes in the past.  I’m looking for some advice on how to fish these areas and what baits to use.   I don’t want to be clearing this slime of my hook each time.  I’ve heard to use spinners, crankbaits on edge of grass on deeper side.  Maybe I need to get rid of my thinking to throw as close to shore as possible as this will obviously have to take me through the grass.  Some areas in my region where I encounter this is Sandy River Reservoir, Diascund Resevoir, and Chickohoiminy Lake in VA.  Awesome fisheries that I want to get good at but I can’t seem to get past this issue. Any advice on helping me improve with this skill is greatly appreciated.   I’m not even sure what type of grass I’m speaking of but it starts just near the shore and is present until the water deepens.  

[softwateronly]

Neko rig, Tokyo rig, Jika rig?  It'll keep the line tie elevated a touch to keep the slime off.

 

also drop shot...

 

scott

Edited April 19, 2021 by softwateronly
forgot words

[Bankbeater]

I like to use weightless plastic worms, senkos, and flukes.  Maybe a split shot rig if you can find some thinner vegetation.  I also like to use a 1/8 oz. jig.  When that gets hung up in the vegetation, I can usually clear it by taking up the slack in the line and giving a quick jerk.

[928JLH]

Lipless crank baits and chatter bait. Longer casts and count it down to a depth where the lures just tick the top of the grass. When it does hang up violently rip it out hard enough to keep your hooks clean.

[cdlittle]

When the grass gets nasty here in Chicago, I use swim jigs, weedless swimbaits, Texas rig, Super Flukes, and weedless drop shot. 

 

If you have that super slimy, neon green crap like we do, I've found that a floating plastic, Texas rigged with a pegged 1/16 weight doesn't pick up much of that.

[NHBull]

Shakey Head doesn't work well in grass.  I go to Weedless worm on DS with a cylinder weight or NEKO rig for similar effects

[Catt]

 

[Dens228]

I'd tie on a 3/8 oz swim jig with a paddletail of your choice, 30 lb braid or above and rip it through the grass.     Wait, I do that..........

[BrianMDTX]

There's grass...and there's slime/muck. Bottom baits in ponds with slime/muck are a mofo to keep clean unless your bait is rigged totally weedless and most of the time, weightless as well. I can fish Zoom Tricks, Senkos, craws and other creature baits, Fat IKA's, etc. as weightless Texas rigs and keep them pretty clean. Add a 1/8 oz bullet weight and yuck. As the water is not more than 7' or 8' deep, that's not a big issue. If it's just grass, you should be good with a standard TR or similar rig.  

[RDB]

35 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

There's grass...and there's slime/muck. Bottom baits in ponds with slime/muck are a mofo to keep clean

^^This^^^
If it’s the slimy lime green goo, it’s best to avoid.  It’s going to stick to anything that touches it.  Bass don’t like it either.  If it’s regular vertical vegetation, there are a lot of options.  The highest potential areas are going to be the edges (inside, outside, top, bottom, pockets, irregularities).

[hokiehunter373]

4 hours ago, cdlittle said:

When the grass gets nasty here in Chicago, I use swim jigs, weedless swimbaits, Texas rig, Super Flukes, and weedless drop shot. 

 

If you have that super slimy, neon green crap like we do, I've found that a floating plastic, Texas rigged with a pegged 1/16 weight doesn't pick up much of that.

 

1 hour ago, BrianMDTX said:

There's grass...and there's slime/muck. Bottom baits in ponds with slime/muck are a mofo to keep clean unless your bait is rigged totally weedless and most of the time, weightless as well. I can fish Zoom Tricks, Senkos, craws and other creature baits, Fat IKA's, etc. as weightless Texas rigs and keep them pretty clean. Add a 1/8 oz bullet weight and yuck. As the water is not more than 7' or 8' deep, that's not a big issue. If it's just grass, you should be good with a standard TR or similar rig.  

These answers are exactly what I've found to be true.  I've got the same green slimy crap in every pond I fish.  Seems like no matter what you do, you're picking snot off every cast.  Weightless and weedless have been the best options I've found.  I have good luck with spinnerbaits as well.  I'm ready for the top water bite to heat up so I don't have to deal with that junk as much.

[Bluegillslayer]

4 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

use weightless plastic worms

Bingo

[BrianMDTX]

2 hours ago, RDB said:

If it’s the slimy lime green goo, it’s best to avoid.  It’s going to stick to anything that touches it.  Bass don’t like it either.

Sometimes you just can’t avoid it lol. So mitigate it as best as you can. Some areas in the pond I fish are worse than others. In the bad spots, I will only fish baits that either stay off the bottom, or are as weedless as possible. I catch decent bass there, so not sure whether they like it or not! 

Edited April 19, 2021 by BrianMDTX
It's weedless, not seedless!

[Catt]

Two keys when fishing grass

 

Stay as near vertical as possible, the farther your pitch or cast is the more problems you will have coming through the grass. That's way flipping or punching is the better option.

 

Most anglers try forcing a jig/t-rig through grass which is all wrong, you gotta finesse em through grass!

 

When you feel it starting to load up in the grass...stop. Release pressure, pull up until you feel heaviness again but apply slightly more pressure, then release, continue until it breaks free. You want the motion to be similar to & as fast as working a shaky head, you're just applying more pressure.

 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Catt
Operator Error

[JohnCal]

Thanks everyone, great tips!