What lures/techniques for fishing Hydrilla/Milfoil?

[SPAZ]

There is a lake nearby my house thas has scattered Hydrilla/Milfoil. I'm not sure which species of vegetation it is but I would like to use a technique or lure that would be effective.  They are scattered and not overly thick. I tried a swimming senko but I found that they snagged a little too much for my tastes. I know a spinnerbait is an option but I would like to try something else.  

[Shane J]

I would try a Rage Shad over the top of it, or a Rage Anaconda fished weightless. When t rigged weedless, the Anaconda can easily slip through some nasty stuff, and it's DEADLY!!!

[DINK WHISPERER]

I would start with a Spro popping frog for the active fish and than follow up with a T-rig plastic.

[bigtimfish]

A swimming senko caught a bunch of grass? Is it attached to a swivel? Are you covering the knot and eye with your bait, or is it exposed? Senko type baits,flukes and slug go's is about as weedless as it gets unless you throw frogs. Good luck

[Gangley]

ZOOM Horny Toad.  I have had great success when fishing them in the heavy weeds, hydrilla, and pads.  Rig them weightless, but instead of making a ruckus on the surface, retrieve them 2-3 inches beneath the surface which creates a bulge in the water.  Its just a different retrieval for a frog that most fish havent seen, and it has worked out very well for me.

[SPAZ]

A swimming senko caught a bunch of grass? Is it attached to a swivel? Are you covering the knot and eye with your bait, or is it exposed? Senko type baits,flukes and slug go's is about as weedless as it gets unless you throw frogs. Good luck

No swivel. Just had the swimming senko on a 1/8 and 1/4oz weight pegged with a bobber stopper.

[bigtimfish]

Ever try them weightless?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I've been throwing a weightless senko with a spinning rod with good success. They're dense and compact enough that you can throw them a mile and control depth with retrieve speed. Push the head up over the eye and knot like bigtimfish said.

[Stagerlee]

I would say a good ole' Texas rig. Or a jig head with some type of brush guard.

[Fat-G]

I would start with a Spro popping frog for the active fish and than follow up with a T-rig plastic.

X2. A T-Rig Plasic with a heavier Tungsten Slip Sinker is a deadly combo. A worm works best, as it slips through the weeds.

[bigtimfish]

I agree Tx rigs are great I have been fishing them for 25 years. But believe it or not, that bullet weight will still catch weeds. Try the swimming senko weightless.

[Catt]

Throw in/around the outside grass line at moon rise and moon set.

Rattle Head spinner bait 3/8 oz Gold/Silver double willow; skirt white/chartreuse/blue

Stanley RFE-Jig 5/16 oz; Black/Amber-Chartreuse/Orange accent

Trailer: Rage Tail Baby Craw Okeechobee Craw

[TheHammer84]

Either a frog, or a plastic jerkbait like the SK Coffee shad or Slug-go.  I approach both the same, t-rigged and weightless, run them over top, and let them sink in to any holes between the weeds.

[Matt Fly]

I like to concentrate on the grass beds that are windblown as well.

Early morning, I will always check inside grasslines if the grass parallels the shoreline.

Outside grassline late morning.     I love to fish afternoon grassmats with the wind blowing into them.

[Wayne P.]

If you like using Senkos or Swim Senkos in vegetation, get some Yamamoto Grub Guards. Put it on like a Tx rig slip sinker with the knot outside the lure body and knot inside the Grub Guard. Use a Gammy Skip Gap hook and hang-ups/sliding down will be greatly reduced.

Another way to use the Senko in vegetation is put the hook in the skinny end. Its not as durable as the fat end but it slips thru the grass better.

[Dalton Tam]

I'd try a zoom superfluke watermelon red weightless, then a stanley ribbit, spro frog, and if those don't work, I'd try a 6" zoom lizard (watermelon purple) tie it on weightless and pop it over the grass, let it fall into open holes in the grass, or let it fall slowly fishing the edge of the grass.

[Capt Ray]

I fished Lake X last weekend and as usual the grass was thick.  I located the grass that was holding the brim.  Swam a lightly weighted mag Ultra Speed worm through it.  When you feel the hard vegetation let the worm fall, then pull it up and through the grass.  The bass would load up on it as you pulled it free.  Kind of like bumping a crankbait off stumps.  

[Fishing Rhino]

I'm not familiar with milfoil or hydrilla.  I don't know how it compares to coontail.

That being said, I've had great luck using a Strike King Caffein Shad rigged weedless on a 4/0 Owner unweighted twistlock hook.

I've pulled it through the deepest, densest coontail, and it rarely comes back with even a thread of the stuff.

That, in spite of the fact that its action makes it dart and dive into and around some if it.

The coontail doesn't form mats, and in spite of its appearance, allows the shad type of baits to pass through without a hitch.