Top Secrets for Catching Bass in Thick Cover

The oppressive heat of summer in the southern U.S. can test your will to remain on the water. Everything lying on the exposed boat deck becomes a heat sink requiring frequent splashes of lake water to cool things to the touch. However, should your local reservoir have fields of aquatic vegetation, these hot days can produce some of the best bites of the year from big fish buried deep within the shade of that grassy cover.

A case in point for me is flipping hydrilla in Toledo Bend reservoir a couple of years ago when the grass, which had a consistent presence in the massive body of water, made a comeback. Probing the edges of a hydrilla bed with a heavy soft plastic in 12 feet of water, I hit a “scrape,” a school of bass hiding under the hydrilla canopy. Confined to a 20-yard stretch of submerged vegetation, those fish provided non-stop action for about 20 minutes, resulting in multiple 3- to 5-pounders landed. When the bite was over, remnants of broken hydrilla stalks cluttered the boat deck as reminders of the epic battles that had just transpired.

HIDE AND SEEK

For many years, the conventional wisdom in bass fishing circles was that largemouths protected their eyes by burying themselves deep into shady places during periods of bright sun. That, as it turns out, is simply not true. They lurk in the shadows for another reason: It provides the best camouflage for ambushing prey. Aquatic vegetation affords bass unrivaled concealment, and with the presence of multiple forage species in the same fields of grassy cover, they have plenty of opportunity to feed.

While bass waters in different parts of the South have a wide range of vegetation types, fishing aquatic greenery during summer can be broken into two basic categories, deep and shallow, each requiring distinct approaches for extracting bass. Despite any variations in the watery-salad habitats, the principles explained below are universal and should provide a roadmap to catch fish in almost any type of weedy cover.

SHALLOW-MINDED

Shallow vegetation, like lily pads, pondweed, hyacinths, reeds and others often found in 5 feet of water or less, tend to grow en masse along expansive, shallow flats. Therefore, locating something unique within these massive swaths of cover will make your search efforts considerably more efficient. For example, when approaching a field of lily pads, key on the holes within the mass of pads. That’s where bass are most likely to feed. You may have heard of the “edge effect,” and this is one such scenario.

A smaller group of pads isolated from the larger field is another ideal spot to target, as the scattered cover offers bass more points from which to ambush passing forage. Similarly, a long stretch of shallow cattail reeds could have bass scattered throughout. Nevertheless, focusing on small points within the reeds, or wherever the stalks are lying horizontally in the water, will increase your odds of connecting with fish.

From moving baits to Texas-rigged soft plastics, techniques for shallow vegetation abound. Early in the morning and during periods of heavy clouds, working buzzbaits or topwaters such as poppers and walking baits around the perimeters or alleyways in the cover can draw strikes from bass feeding in the low light. Buzz toads are another excellent choice, as they go over and through most vegetation without fouling. Should strands of stringy grass entangle in the prop of your buzzbait or buzz toad and hamper its action, try switching to a kicking toad like Stanley’s Ribbit or Zoom’s Horny Toad.

Once the sun gets high, fishing a hollow-body frog on top of the vegetation is an effective and exciting way to pull bass from their shady lairs. Working bladed or swim jigs within the alleys and openings in the shallow grass is another excellent method.

Lastly, casting or flipping a Texas-rigged soft plastic into small holes and openings is sometimes the only way to root out bass unwilling to chase moving baits. In fields of pondweed or other thick cover that isn’t matted at the surface, swimming a Zoom Speed Worm or Yamamoto Speed Senko with a 1/4-ounce weight can tempt bass lurking among the thinner strands of shallow grass. Just concentrate your efforts on the thicker patches to increase your chances of success.

By the way, to get your soft-plastic offerings beneath heavy surface mats, go with a 1-ounce weight pegged against the hook and worm. The heavier, more compact lure will punch through more easily and let you reach the bass holding under the mats. Should any wood be scattered within the grassy fields, direct your flips to the convergence of these two cover types, as the wood will provide added shade.

DEEP THOUGHTS

When tackling bass in deeper vegetation, say 8 feet or more, the salad usually consists of hydrilla, milfoil or coontail, all of which are common in 8- to 15-foot depths and can grow in places as deep as 20 feet if the water is clear enough. The presence of deep offshore grass can be inconsistent year to year in many reservoirs, as variable water clarity and fluctuating lake levels can hinder its growth. Also, some state and local water authorities have proactive herbicide programs to reduce or eliminate invasive species of offshore grasses. However, should you find lush, green fields of hydrilla or other offshore vegetation in water 8 feet or deeper, fish it. It’s guaranteed to hold loads of quality bass all summer.

Techniques for deeper weeds resemble the shallow approaches in many cases. For instance, topwater plugs, toads and buzzbaits remain the top tools to draw bass roaming the perimeters of grass beds during low-light periods. Keeping the boat moving to cover more area will help you bring more fish to hand with the sun coming up. Even when fishing deep grass during midday, the sudden emergence of cloud cover makes an opportune time to pick up a buzzbait and take advantage of bass suddenly on the prowl.

In bright-sun conditions, pulling a hollow-body frog over matted grass has been a longtime favorite of anglers across the South. The method involves bombing the frog far into the mats and pulling it in steadily with short twitches of the rod tip, pausing the frog whenever it finds any small opening or clearing. It’s an exhilarating and visually-pleasing way to fish, as bass explode from under the mat to attack the faux amphibian.

Another consistent means of fishing deep grass beds in clear, sunny skies is by flipping heavy soft plastics along the edges. Because the depth will be greater than when using this tactic in shallow greenery, the weight pegged to the hook and soft plastic ought to be a 1- to 1 1/2-ounce tungsten bullet. It also helps to use a heavy-duty 4/0 flipping hook and a beaver-style bait, a killer combo that’s become a favorite of many pros.

Searching out the edges of grass beds and flipping into small openings can be tedious work, and much of it is likely to go unrewarded because, under the blanket of thick mats, bass are often grouped tightly rather than widespread. It’s not uncommon to fish for long periods without a bite when fishing deep grass, so boost your chances by studying the underwater topography before pulling out your flipping stick. Pinpoint areas where bass would be likely to concentrate even if the grass wasn’t there, such as ridges, creek channels and humps.

Paying special attention to visible points along grass edges can also dramatically increase your catches. If given the choice, pick matted grass growing in jagged, irregular edges as opposed to stretches of uniform, straight edges.

PARTING SHOT

My final piece of advice has to do with presentation. When fishing a soft plastic with a heavy sinker, you’ll likely feel it free-falling toward the lake bottom as soon as it punches through the mat. But most bass will hold close to the matted vegetation over their heads, which is why it pays to raise the tip of your flipping stick high to lift the bait and dangle it against the underside of the canopy.

Remember that practice makes perfect, so spend some time during the remainder of the summer fine-tuning the tactics discussed here. Your reward will be an experience any angler would relish: a big bucketmouth struggling vigorously beneath a thick wad of aquatic flora in an attempt to rid itself of that doggone hook in its mouth.

SALAD UTENSILS

• Recommended gear for bass in the grass.

There’s a time and a place for a finesse approach, but fishing in heavy vegetation isn’t it. Due to braid’s lack of stretch and superior abrasion resistance, it’s the clear choice in fishing lines for probing the green stuff. It allows for better hooksets than mono or fluoro and enables dragging fish—and several pounds of weeds in tow—out of thick cover. For buzzbaits and topwater plugs worked around the perimeters of the grass, 30- to 50-pound braid will suffice. For fishing frogs or punching through mats, go with 65-pound.

Many anglers opt for the rougher 4-strand braid over the smoother 8-strand when fishing vegetation, as the coarser line cuts through stalks of vegetation better, an advantage when fighting bass through thick clumps of grass.

As for rods, pull out the big guns when flipping and punching through the grass. Whether fishing shallow or deep, a 7-foot 6-inch, extra-heavy-action rod is needed to drive the hook home and dig bass out of matted grass. Match the rod with a high-speed baitcasting reel—7:1 or 8:1 gear ratio—to gain back line quickly between flips.

The same type of reel and a 7-foot, heavy-action rod that allows long casts and offers the required hook-setting leverage are ideal for fishing buzzbaits, frogs and poppers in low-light conditions.