Fishing a Grassy Pond

[a_cajun_2]

Every bait I use, worms, lizzards, buzz, spinner, etc. seems to get hung up on underwater grassy, mossy stuff.  I wind up dragging the stuff in and picking it off my lure and trying again. 

Any suggestions?

[Missouribassman95]

Are you Texas Rigging the plastics?

[Lund Explorer]

How about a drop-shot rig?

Keeps the bait off the bottom where this gunk usually is.

[Sam]

Try a weightless pink or white Zoom Trick Worm Texas rogged/

Try a weighted pink or white Zoom Trick Worm Texas rigged with a bullet weight to get it to the depth you want it.

Throw a Rage Tail Anaconda Texas rigged.

Try a Senko either Texas or wacky rigged pulled across the top of the grass.

A shaky head with a Zoom trick worm may also work as may another plastic on the shaky head.

Weedless craws may also do the trick.

Your goal is to find a bait that will not get hung up and fish it between the top of the grass and the surface.

If you do use a treble hook bait, how about a Minus 1 or other shallow running crankbait or a lipless crankbait with the rear hook removed.

Just some suggestions to go along with the others you will receive. 

[evrgladesbasser]

Try a weightless pink or white Zoom Trick Worm Texas rogged/

Try a weighted pink or white Zoom Trick Worm Texas rigged with a bullet weight to get it to the depth you want it.

Throw a Rage Tail Anaconda Texas rigged.

Try a Senko either Texas or wacky rigged pulled across the top of the grass.

A shaky head with a Zoom trick worm may also work as may another plastic on the shaky head.

Weedless craws may also do the trick.

Your goal is to find a bait that will not get hung up and fish it between the top of the grass and the surface.

If you do use a treble hook bait, how about a Minus 1 or other shallow running crankbait or a lipless crankbait with the rear hook removed.

Just some suggestions to go along with the others you will receive.

Excellent advice!

[.dsaavedra.]

use some kind of scent on your bait too, lubes it up and makes it slide through gunk better

[TheLastRodBender]

T-rigged Flukes/Stickbaits weightless

Spinnerbaits ripped across, literally to the point where they make a wake on the surface...

Any floating topwater bait (popper, frog, spit-n-image)

Just some thoughts?

Also when you're retrieving, keep your rod tip pointed at the sky, it keeps the line from going underwater as much.  When your line goes under water it sinks and gets 'involved' in the muck, thus bringing it straight to the bait you are retrieving.  If you want to invest a little more money, look into line that floats, this will also help.

[Getfished]

I'm thinking you could do ok with a floating braid and fluoro leader if need be. Tie on a t-rigged weightless senko.

[JaxBasser]

I fish a pond that has the same conditions. A weightless Rage Tail Anaconda and weightless flukes work wonders.

Weightless texas rigged trick worms work well also.

[Simp]

Every bait I use, worms, lizzards, buzz, spinner, etc. seems to get hung up on underwater grassy, mossy stuff. I wind up dragging the stuff in and picking it off my lure and trying again.

Any suggestions?

Yes go buy a spro frog! Then put some briad on a reel and catch some of the biggest fish of your life! Finding a grassy pond is what got me back to fishing several years ago.

[Intrepid]

Every bait I use, worms, lizzards, buzz, spinner, etc. seems to get hung up on underwater grassy, mossy stuff. I wind up dragging the stuff in and picking it off my lure and trying again.

Any suggestions?

Yes go buy a spro frog! Then put some briad on a reel and catch some of the biggest fish of your life! Finding a grassy pond is what got me back to fishing several years ago.

braid not needed

[Phranchise1213]

If you are using a regular offset worm hook, switch to a regular straight shank worm hook. What can happen sometimes, is the weeds will get caught on the offset of the shank. If you use a straight shank worm hook, you will not have this problem. Texas rig the bait just like you would on the offset hook.

Just to show you what I mean:

This will come through better:

http://media.basspro.com/images/articles/Gamakatsu_StrtshnkLite.jpg

Than this:

http://media.basspro.com/images/articles/Gamakatsu_OffsetShnkOshgnyW.jpg

Notice the offset of the shank where the weeds can get hung up on.

Good Luck!

[Chris]

You can also move your hook threaded more towards the center of the worm so when it falls it will lay more flat to help keep it from digging in the stuff. That is with a weightless presentation or with a splitshot rig. You can also slightly bend up the front part of the off set hook or you can hook it this way so that when the lure is pulled it moves up in the water off the bottom. Sometimes with that fine snott grass your going to do some weed picking reguardless.

[a_cajun_2]

I just want to tell you all how much I appreciate all the suggestions.  Great group of guys here.

[Cecil]

Weightless texas rigged trick worms work well also.

This is what I use also

[Cecil]

If you are using a regular offset worm hook, switch to a regular straight shank worm hook. What can happen sometimes, is the weeds will get caught on the offset of the shank. If you use a straight shank worm hook, you will not have this problem. Texas rig the bait just like you would on the offset hook.

Just to show you what I mean:

Notice the offset of the shank where the weeds can get hung up on.

Good Luck!

Good call on the hook set-up