Fishing in the Grass

Fishing in the Grass

I love bass fishing in the grass or thick lily pads. I can't say I ever caught any real large ones with this method, but I love hooking one a half dozen to a dozen times a day, compared to a couple fishing on the edge.

The technique takes a little practice. In heavy grass I fish from an old fiberglass 17' Coleman that I put a bracket on for a trolling motor. I use the motor to get into the area then shut it off and paddle. I think even the vibrations from a trolling motor spook some smart bass.

Oh yeh. It might not be cool, but wear your life jacket. It won't do you much good lying in the bottom of the boat when the bass wins and you're flopping around in the weeds.

Why are the bass here?

First to get out of the sun, so pick a hot day.

Next they are looking for an easy meal. Temp them with your lure.

The Gear

I personally like a 7' to 8' stiff rod with a fast reel.

I always use at least a 65 pound test braided line. When the fish hits you want to set the hook fast with no stretch in the line, and reel him in hard to minimize his ability to tangle your line in the grass or other growth. He also may have a few pounds of weeds on him and the line when you try to get him in the boat. Try ½ to 1 and ½ once weights to get through the top layer if your bait lands out of the clear area. By the clear area I mean the path that your boat makes through the weeds. There may not be a path depending on the type of vegetation. Even if there is a clear area it will be very temporary depending on the wind and water movement. Casting accuracy is important when fishing in the weeds. It's best to put the bait in the water in the path behind the boat, if any, or in a hole in the weeds where it can be easily seen by the fish.

How to Cast

When I was in about the 5th or 6th grade in the 1930's my father took me to a pond in a public park that had a number of white hoops, maybe 2 ft. in dia some distance off shore. It seemed like a long way then, but they probably ranged from 25 ft. to 50 ft. We would use a bait casting rod with a white wooden plug on the end of the line. The object, as you might have guessed, was to learn to put the plug in the ring.

I never saw anyone cast with their rod almost horizontal and put a plug in a ring. I sometime see fishermen cast this way. It's okay in the middle of the lake and they don't care where the bait lands. They get it in the water if they don't hook someone else first. If you cast like this, don't try to fish in the weeds, because it won't be worth all the trouble you get into.

This isn't bait casting lesson, but just a list of the basics.

Hold the rod in front of you with the spool horizontal.

If you're right handed turn the rod about 10 to 15 deg clockwise.

If you're left handed turn the rod about 10 to 15 deg clockwise

Put your thumb where it feels natural over toward the side of the spool

If you hold the rod with only your thumb and index finger it should push the handle up toward your thumb.

Now swing the rod directly upward and let the plug swing behind the rod. Don't keep your wrist too stiff.

Now look at your thumb. If the rod is at 12:00 o'clock and you're right handed your thumb should be flat on the reel at 10:00 o'clock.

Now bring the rod down with the lower part of your arm and with the upper part motionless and snap your wrist forward.

End the downswing with the tip of your rod pointed at the target.

Release the spool on the way down and stop it just before the plug hit’s the water.

That last one takes some practice.

When fishing in the weeds, cast your bait higher in the air than you would in open water. You want the bait to sink right down to the bottom when it hit’s the water.

Texfisherman