Water hyacinth -- A Good Place to Find Bass?

[Hoover]

My lake (Livingston) here in East Texas has an abundance of water hyacinth.  I believe that the state considers it a pest plant because each year it sprays the hyacinth to kill it back.  It grows very thick like water lillies and can break off and float in huge rafts.  However, it seems to me that the hyacinth would give good cover to bass.  Is this true?  Does anyone have experience fishing water hyacinth? If so, how would you fish it?    Thanks.

Tom

[RoLo]

Yes and No

Water hyacinth is not rooted in the bottom, but is a free floating plant.

Hyacinth rafts in big open water tend to shuttle back-and-forth like a pinball, changing with the wind. These nomadic rafts only hold transient bass.

On the other hand, floating rafts that are lodged in coves or pinned by prevailaing winds against main lake points provide great holding sites!

The dangling root system of water hyacinth is a maze of vegetation that supports many forms of life.

The biggest problem with fishing hyacinths is penetration.

An approach I favor is using a 1/2 oz Owner Sled Head jig dressed with a soft-plastic with few or no appendages

(forget yamamoto plastics, they fall apart in heavy cover).

When fishing with live minnows, it takes a little know-how (for instance an anal hook-up) to encourage the shiner

to swim underneath the mat.

Roger

[Matt Fly]

I like that poetic explanation Rolo.

"Hyacinth rafts in big open water tend to shuttle back-and-forth like a pinball, changing with the wind. These nomadic rafts"

Bravo Sir Rolo,  nicely done!

[RoLo]

I like that poetic explanation Rolo.

"Hyacinth rafts in big open water tend to shuttle back-and-forth like a pinball, changing with the wind. These nomadic rafts"

Bravo Sir Rolo, nicely done!

That's the red wine talking ;D

[Hoover]

Hey, Roger, thanks for the insight.  Now my next question is how would you fish these bunched up plants in coves and on points -- with a jig?  Would 1/4 oz jig work or should I go heavier?  Could you also use a Texas rig worm or weighted senko?  Thanks.

Tom

[Bassn Blvd]

Hyacinth are found in darn every S.Florida lake.  I use a screw on weight that is heavy enough to penetrate.  1/4 - 3/4, depending on how thick the Hyacinth are.  A lot of times I will get reaction strikes as apposed to strikes from jigging the bait in one spot for a period of time.  I also throw a fluke parallel to shore, if the bank is lined with the plant. The fluke can be twiched to dart underneath the plant.  Very productive at times.

[RoLo]

Hey, Roger, thanks for the insight. Now my next question is how would you fish these bunched up plants in coves and on points -- with a jig? Would 1/4 oz jig work or should I go heavier? Could you also use a Texas rig worm or weighted senko? Thanks.

Tom

A real nice mat puncher is the 1/2 oz Owner Sled Head Jig.

This jighead employs a premium 4/0 hook, a bullet-shaped nose for good penetration and a secure trailer-retainer.

The Sled Head uses a very annoying but very secure "screw-lock retainer" that really hangs onto the trailer.

To my knowledge, only two distributors carry the Sled Head: USAngler and J&M.

You'll want a trailer made of TOUGH plastic (nothing yamamoto), and one with very short or no appendages to hang-up.

I personally like the Gambler 5" Flapp'n Tail Worm (junebug or black/blue).

Fishing a Mat Puncher couldn't be easier.

Begin by punching a hole in the mat, using either a lob cast or rocket cast, whichever works better for you.

Promptly pay slack-line as needed, until the fall ends. If more weight is needed (often the case),

thread on a 1/4 or 1/2 oz bullet sinker and peg it against the jighead.

Yo-yo the lure in place, about one-foot up and down. Then either pay line or retrieve line to change the depth and repeat the pumping action.

The floating mat of course, serves as the fulcrum. Try different stroke lengths and different speeds (e.g. ripping in mid-summer is often best).

A "feeding" bass will generally latch on post-haste, so it's usually best to spend more time moving from hole-to-hole, than in any one drop.

To be sure, some of the largest sows in the lake spend their lives under those canopies

Roger

[=Matt 5.0=]

Roger, I have some of the Owner Sled Heads. They carry them at Dick's and BPS...Use them as shakey heads.

Great post by the way...Long Mike would be proud.

[Matt Fly]

I like the other verse of the poem.   I like the pinball action of the floating mats when that opportunity arises.

I love to cast past mats and run a suspending Tennessee Shad up under them and take a peak see.  4-6ft model works well.    

[Catt]

BASS MASTERS CLASSIC XXIX 1999

LOUISIANA DELTA

Winning angler: DAVY HITE

Flipping floating hyacinths with a junebug Gambler Bacon Rind, rigged with the 3/8-ounce screw-in sinker and a 5/0 Owner Rigging hook.