Fishing the summer Hydrillia/Coontail..ideas, advice, tips??? Chime in!!!

[Bassnajr]

Hey all...

One of my favorite fisheries is overgrown with Hydrilla/ Coontail grass. I went out today and looked for breaks in the weedline etc. and there are very few. It's like this lake has a carpet of Hydrilla/Coontail on it!! Any advice, ideas or, tips on how to fish a pond like this?? I know the bass are somewhere!!!

ajr

[saint romain]

i always throw zoom trick worms, or net frogs

[burleytog]

Throw a worm with a very light weight (1/8 oz. or less).  You want the warm to stay on top of the coontail.  

Concentrate on irregularities and edges.

[Tin]

Pitch brush hogs, super hogs, or beavers into holes, pockets, points, and other irregular features in the coontail. With low light conditions, fire the buzzbait on top.

[skillet]

Super Flukes fished weightless ...

                  As Ever,

                   skillet

[Catt]

Pitch brush hogs, super hogs, or beavers into holes, pockets, points, and other irregular features in the coontail. With low light conditions, fire the buzzbait on top.

X2 plus add a Jig-N-Craw  

[fishfordollars]

Pitch brush hogs, super hogs, or beavers into holes, pockets, points, and other irregular features in the coontail. With low light conditions, fire the buzzbait on top.

Agreed. Just remember the grass has many openings and it is not as thick under the cap as many would think.

[flippinstick]

Wacky worms work well when slowly twitched past any irregularities

[.dsaavedra.]

if the coontail is as thick as you say then you could crawl anything that is weedless overtop of it and bass would hit.

[madbass]

Make some of your own edges or holes by running your big motor through the salad. Then come back later or next couple days and fish "your" openings.

[basser89]

I have a couple lakes that I fish that get choked out with hydrilla. One of my favorite techniques to use in this situation is a t-rigged tube (with the weight pegged). Use a weight just heavy enough to punch down through the hydrilla. I let it set on the bottom for a 10-15 seconds, then shake it in place and let it set again. If I don't get a bite, then I'll try another "hole".

[JShrock07]

There are many options here which most have already been covered... But try the rage tail shad. It performs just like a buzzbait only it is weedless, it moves alot of water and causes a hell of a vibration making the bass strike. You could always try a frog and if you do not get any strikes on it take the skirt off the frog and add a weight to move more water.

Good Luck and have fun!!!!

[FD.]

65lb braid, 1.5 oz tungsten bullet weight, and a beaver/craw and punch thru it.

[Sam]

Suggestions in addition to what has already been offered"

1.  Get a 12 foot pole or use your paddle and make a few holes in the grass.  Go to the bottom if necessary, otherwise just make those holes as deep as possible.

Wait about two or three hours, or the next day, and fish the holes.

2.  Ike has a technique that you may want to employ.  You set up your rig like you are drop shotting but you drop it into the grass so that the weight gets down to the plant's roots and then you jiggle your worm using a weedless hook or a Texas Rig set-up.

Use a heavy bait to get through the grass and to bring the bait as deep as possible and to get into the root system.

I have not tried this to date but I am going to be fishing the Chickahominy River later this month and may do so just to see how it works and how many baits, hooks and sinkers I can lose.

So give it a try.

3.  Here is what Ike says on his website about fishing grass:

"THICK MATTED GRASS - the tunnel effect. This occurs when vegetation mats together. It is most often seen in reference to vegetation such as hydrilla and milfoil.

The obvious targets are the outside or inside edges or bringing a weedless bait over top. The tunnel effect means that at the bottom of this matted vegetation lies a series of tunnel and canals.

By taking an extra heavy lure, such as a ¾ or 1 oz. Jig or plastic craw, you can penetrate the mat to get inside the tunnels.

It is often the case that you will only be able to achieve that initial fall, but that is enough.

The flipping technique caters to tunnel fishing. Most of the time you don't have to worry about silent entry. In fact sometimes letting the bait crash down will help penetrate the mat."

4.  As stated previously, an unweighted worm on a light hook or using a 1/4 ounce bullet weight dragged over the grass can produce strikes.

5.  A pink or white trick worm can produce strikes.

6.  And all of the above posts!!!  ;D

Just give it a try but be ready to lose some baits and tackle.

Please let us know what you do and if it works.  

[bassnleo]

65lb braid, 1.5 oz tungsten bullet weight, and a beaver/craw and punch thru it.

What I was thinking........

[Catt]

I've always found the bigger bass to be found on the bottom in matted vegetation  

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Rise above it all,.....WAKEBAIT!!!!

[crappiekid24]

Sounds like the lake I fish at. I find that I catch most of my fish fishing the edges where the weeds are taller then the other. I like to toss a weightless worms along those. I like to crawl my baits right on top. Also I like to run spinnerbaits over the top of the deeper grass and rip crankbaits. You will be pulling alot of weeds off you crankbaits but it does produce fish for me.

[IndyBassin]

dropshotting with a brick works pretty well.... until you have to set the hook  ;D ;D ;D