Grass in the winter

[jbsoonerfan]

As I watch BPT I notice a lot of them are fishing what they are calling coon tail, hydrilla, etc. I don't think I could tell the difference so I am not sure what the lake I fish has in it. I have never really keyed on grass in the winter/early spring. I wait till it's on top and throw a frog. My question is, would the areas of the lake that I fish during the Summer when the grass is on top be a good place to try this winter/spring? I know these areas have grass but I don't really know how to approach it. Try to find the edge? Lipless right on the top of the grass? Swim jig? I fish weed edges a lot when the water starts to warm with a spinnerbait or jackhammer, just not sure if that would be a good approach right now.

[roadwarrior]

If it is alive, you are good to go. I have had a lot of luck on Guntersville ripping a Red Eye Shad

right through the nasty stuff.

[Tennessee Boy]

I like a spinner bait or lipless pulled over the top of it.  Let the bait clip the top of the grass and hold on.

[Mike L]

Submerged grass can be a gold mine regardless of type. 
“Ticking” the tops with any type of vibration lure be it a trap, chatter/spinner, paddle tail swim baits or cut tail worm will call them to you. 
Also, this time of the year a prop bait of your choice is an excellent choice. 
 

A Cut R or UV Speed Worm ripped through it and then killing it for a few seconds and then ripping straight up is usually all you need. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[PhishLI]

49 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Swim jig?

I like 3 different progressively heavier swim jigs tied on. I try the mid weighted one first to see where they are earlier before it warms up. They tend to stay buried longer into the day during cold weather. If nothing's happening with that I'll work the heaviest one through deeper. As the day warms up and the sun is out I'll use the lighter jigs as the fish rise closer to the top of the weeds. You can regulate retrieve speed a lot with trailer choices. Some weed species are misery with lipless cranks. It all depends. You can present similarly with a swim jig with less of a headache as long as the weeds aren't draped in filamentous algae, but that usually isn't an issue until really warm weather kicks in.

[Catt]

3 hours ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Try to find the edge? Lipless right on the top of the grass?

 

Swim jig?

 

I fish weed edges a lot when the water starts to warm with a spinnerbait or jackhammer, just not sure if that would be a good approach right now.

 

Yes, yes, & yes ?

[the reel ess]

Right now, for the most part, I'm targeting areas that have no grass, areas deep enough that grass won't grow. If I'm having to pull grass off my hooks, I look for deeper water nearby. I've gotten a total of 2 bites since late fall in shallow water. By that I mean water not near any deeper water. All the rest have at least been near deep water, most near a creek channel. 

[EWREX]

as long as the grass is healthy and alive, it SHOULD hold fish in or around, even in the winter time. like others said, i would tick the top with a trap or a swimjig and then focus on where deeper water relates to it and throw a ned rig, blade bait, or a dropshot

[Bankc]

Are you talking about Konawa?  If so, I think, but I'm not sure, that that's leafy pondweed.  

 

As for what to do, I can't tell you.  What I do in the winter is hit up the northern side by the water outlet of the power plant.  I tend to notice more bites on the edges and in the holes than through the middle, as that stuff can get really thick.  And I fish from a kayak, so I kind of have to pick a spot and work it, rather than explore multiple areas.  So I go for the warmest water first.  

 

But you fish that lake more than me.  I'm not that familiar with it, so I haven't gotten that lake figured out yet.  My usual lakes have almost no vegetation in them, so I typically like to go there for the change of pace and a chance to fish a completely different kind of lake than I'm used to.  I probably tend to over focus on the vegetation, since it's a novelty to me.  And I never do well when the water's cold anyway, on any lake.  So my advice is nearly worthless.  

 

Here's an interesting report on that lake though:

https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/sites/default/files/Status of Konawa Lake Fishery White Paper 02022021 Final.pdf

 

It says to eat more LMB.  

[TnRiver46]

I figured @Catt would say concentrate  on the structure under the grass instead of the grass itself 

[Bluebasser86]

Grass in the winter time will have bass in it almost without fail. It holds heat, so the water around it is usually a degree or two warmer. Their food lives there, so they have another reason to be there. Then it also gives them a place to hide, pretty much everything a bass needs. 

 

I like to find the edges and yo-yo a RES or fish a bladed jig over and through the tops.