Moving baits for shallow water with grass?

[The Budget Angler]

There's this beautiful spot in a place I like to fish where there's half an acre of 2-foot deep water that drops off to about 8, and most the time (especially earlier in the season) some giants are cruising it.  Problem is, the whole thing is choked with milfoil and scum (with only a few open spots).  Bass and bait love it, but it's a pain to fish.  If I don't want to use topwater, what's something that will slip through (or over) the grass and also not hit the bottom?  I know a lot of people throw chatterbaits around grass, but I was under the impression that these work better on weedline as opposed to actually in the grass.  I just got brave enough to start throwing squarebills into woodpiles, but I don't think the trebles would be good in grass.  Anyways, any advice is welcome!

 

Tight lines!

[Bankc]

Anything without an exposed hook might work.  That includes a swim worm, fluke or soft swimbait with the right kind of hook. 

 

Might as well try a chatterbait or jig.  Sometimes I can get them cleanly (enough) through.  Other times not.  Or find a crankbait that runs at the right depth to stay over the tops of the weeds.  Maybe a squarebill.  Maybe a wakebait. 

 

It's kind of hard to say anything for sure, as each weed pile can be different.  Some are so thick you can't hardly get anything through.  And that's usually okay, because if they get thick enough, there won't be many fish in them.  And sometimes the weeds harden off a bit after a few months, so stuff that gets caught up in April or May might come cleanly through by July.  There are definitely things to try, but to know anything for sure, you just have to try it yourself.  I like fishing thick braided line (30#+) in these situations, just to make sure I get my lure back if I make a bad decision. 

[JackstrawIII]

My favorite lure for spots like that is a paddletail swimbait on a weighted swimbait hook. They're incredibly weedless and can be worked across the top, dropped into pockets, or swam around cover. 

 

Texas rig is also a go-to in spots like this, if you want to fish more vertically or need more weight to get through the cover. 

[tholmes]

I'd try throwing a Johnson Silver Minnow spoon with the trailer of your choice.. They come through grass pretty well. 

 

Tom

[Functional]

Pulling through

swim jig

paddle tail bait with belly weighted hook

horny toad with weighted hook

T-rig

 

Casting parallel to weed line

spinnerbait

crankbait

chatterbait

T-rig

top surface (walking, popper)

jerkbait

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, TheLastBestFish said:

There's this beautiful spot in a place I like to fish where there's half an acre of 2-foot deep water that drops off to about 8, and most the time (especially earlier in the season) some giants are cruising it.  Problem is, the whole thing is choked with milfoil and scum (with only a few open spots).  Bass and bait love it, but it's a pain to fish.  If I don't want to use topwater, what's something that will slip through (or over) the grass and also not hit the bottom?  I know a lot of people throw chatterbaits around grass, but I was under the impression that these work better on weedline as opposed to actually in the grass.  I just got brave enough to start throwing squarebills into woodpiles, but I don't think the trebles would be good in grass.  Anyways, any advice is welcome!

 

Tight lines!

I fish a couple of big flats here that set up very similar to what you're described above.

They do not get a ton of fishing pressure I think mostly because they are a PIA to fish compared to open water areas.  Guys will see me in there and poke their nose in to see what I'm doing, but they never stay. But it's almost always loaded with bait; especially late summer & fall. 

Entire areas are choked out like in the clip below.

https://youtu.be/Vsl5A_YmHzs?feature=shared&t=305

Just about every hole or small open space in the weeds is like GOLD.

Here's my deal;

Topwater on early calm mornings with little to no wind.

When there's a breeze - burning a spinnerbait or Chatterbait just under the surface in whatever open water above the weeds there is.

I can't reel fast enough - they will always catch it if they want it.

'Probing' the weeds rarely works. 

I rarely fish anything slow in there, so no plastics or jigs, they just don't get bites.

Exception is if there is enough open water over the weeds - like 3 feet - burning an A-Rig is killer.

But it's a lot of work. And that works with or without wind. Sun or clouds. 

Good Luck

A-Jay

[Reel]

Also like the Horny Toad or similar bait on a screw hook ( weighted or not) that you bring over the top or let sink into holes.

[Pat Brown]

Sounds froggy.  I'd be froggin. (I know it's a topwater but...that's because you're fishing a spot where you should try a top water). Could try weightless plastics buzzed over the holes.

[Bass Rutten]

Soft jerkbait

Swimjig

Spinnerbait

Swimbait (weedless boot tail)

Swimming worm (speedworm)

 

5 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

Sounds froggy.  I'd be froggin.  Could try weightless plastics buzzed over the holes.

He mentioned no topwater

[Pat Brown]

Just now, Bass Rutten said:

Soft jerkbait

Swimjig

Spinnerbait

Swimbait (weedless boot tail)

Swimming worm (speedworm)

 

He mentioned no topwater

I mentioned him mentioning it 😂👍🏼

 

I don't follow instructions well and this is supposed to be fun!

 

It's *obvious* that he should *try* one 😉

[Bass Rutten]

1 minute ago, Pat Brown said:

I mentioned him mentioning it 😂👍🏼

 

I don't follow instructions well and this is supposed to be fun!

 

It's *obvious* that he should *try* one 😉

100% agree, frog was my first thought too.

[The Budget Angler]

22 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

Sounds froggy

It is for sure but I hate frog fishing because I never catch anything.

1 hour ago, Bankc said:

Maybe a wakebait

As soon as I posted this I remembered wakebaits.  I might be making a trip to Academy

53 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Topwater on early calm mornings with little to no wind.

When there's a breeze - burning a spinnerbait or Chatterbait just under the surface in whatever open water above the weeds there is.

Just simply a matter of cranking it in, huh?  I'll give it a shot!

27 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

It's *obvious* that he should *try* one

Man, I really hate frogs!  How do you fish them?

[A-Jay]

18 minutes ago, TheLastBestFish said:

Just simply a matter of cranking it in, huh?  I'll give it a shot!

Not sure the term 'simple' applies to this deal. 

You'll need to put some time in and do the work.

There's no magic bullet.

You'll need to find them, present a bait correctly,

trigger a strike, hook & land the bass without letting her get you all fouled in the soft cover.

If that's your idea of simple then yea, piece of cake.

Good Luck

A-Jay

[The Budget Angler]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

If that's your idea of simple then yea, piece of cake.

Nothing is simple in fishing, that's what makes it so fun XD.  I once challenged myself to build a rod and find all the stuff on the side of the river.  Found a long stick and 10 feet of line connected to a fly, tied the line onto the end of the stick, and crawled across a beaver dam (my feet fell through twice) just to have the stick immediately snap in half on hookset.  The fish that broke it was about 8"

[A-Jay]

15 minutes ago, TheLastBestFish said:

Nothing is simple in fishing, that's what makes it so fun XD.  I once challenged myself to build a rod and find all the stuff on the side of the river.  Found a long stick and 10 feet of line connected to a fly, tied the line onto the end of the stick, and crawled across a beaver dam (my feet fell through twice) just to have the stick immediately snap in half on hookset.  The fish that broke it was about 8"

Either way, you're catching 10 pounders.

So it's just a matter of time.

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/220718-new-to-fishing-looking-for-recommendations-in-socal/?do=findComment&comment=2716432

Good Luck

A-Jay

[Spankey]

I like to use a swim worms, 3.5”-4” craws and Creatures rigged weedless both weighted and weightless. One might just be laying in an open pocket. On the grass edges into the drop off to deeper water I’d throw a DT. But there is a 100 different way to fish it I guess. 

[JJP]

2 hours ago, JackstrawIII said:

My favorite lure for spots like that is a paddletail swimbait on a weighted swimbait hook. They're incredibly weedless and can be worked across the top, dropped into pockets, or swam around cover. 

 

Texas rig is also a go-to in spots like this, if you want to fish more vertically or need more weight to get through the cover. 

X2 on the weighted swimbait hook with paddle tail. I like the reaction innovations skinny dipper on a 5/0 owner 

[LrgmouthShad]

[PhishLI]

Try these in the 3.6" version at 5/8oz

Fish Arrow Heavy Poop Stick Bait | Tackle Warehouse

 

Use this hook in 5/0

Owner TwistLock Open Gap Centering Pin Hook | Tackle Warehouse

 

Swap out the hook's stock Medium spring keeper with these in Large

Owner CPS Centering Pin Spring | Tackle Warehouse

 

This bait rigged this way will come through the heaviest of veg and pads, and it's heavy enough to where it'll fall nicely into holes. Fish it fast or fish it slow. Lob it up and it'll punch through pads.

 

[LrgmouthShad]

@PhishLI what a piece of poop 

[river-rat]

21 hours ago, tholmes said:

I'd try throwing a Johnson Silver Minnow spoon with the trailer of your choice.. They come through grass pretty well. 

 

Tom

 

The Johnson Silver Minnow was my first thought also.

 

I would also try swimming a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Worm or a 10" Worm with a 3/16-1/4 oz. slip sinker.

 

 

 

[WRB]

Weedless doesn’t get much love on this site but it’s best choice if you don’t want a top water frog or toad.

Nemire Red Ripper spoon

Jognson Silver Minnow (sharpen the Hook).

Tom

[waymont]

Fluke!!!

[Choporoz]

Toad, frog, chatterbait, weightless SKRT Cut-R or Rage Bug

 

I was in heavy milfoil last night at dusk ... 3-5 FOW with average about 12" between grass top and surface.  White chatterbait with horizontal white Rage Bug trailer was far and away best bet ... last night, anyway 

[Functional]

17 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

if @Pat Brown was a little bit more tan....