Summertime Bass Fishing

jetman67 · 07-26-2004, 08:53 AM

The lake I fish in has heavy vegetation growth this summer. Even hard to get around with a weedless prop. I got some hits yesterday but all that came up on my line was thick weeds.

Suggestions???

Bob the Jets Fan™ · 07-26-2004, 01:45 PM

Can't help you, J. Weeds are the worst thing about fishing. The bass just love to hang out in them.

I had the same problem a couple weeks ago, on my only fishing outing of the year.

jetman67 · 07-26-2004, 04:45 PM

Im going back out on the lake Wednesday Night. I think I will try the Texas Rigged Plastic Worm. its the only true weedless lure I can think of. Other than the Frog Popper.

Shadetree · 07-27-2004, 12:53 PM

Fishing in late july/early august???

Fish at night and fish with topwater lures. A LM Bass hitting a Black Jitterbug worked slooooooowly on the surface in the dead of night is by far the most exciting way to fish for bass. When that thing gets slammed by the bass, breaking the nighttime silence, you'll practically jump out of the boat.

Warfish · 07-27-2004, 01:30 PM

Night Fishing with a quality Popper (in Black) is a great option for weedchoked waters.

In the day, well you have a couple of options. Poppers will still work, especially when worked over "edges", weedlines, shadow lines (if any), points, edges when the water drops off to deep water, all near or ne3xt to the veggies.

A weedless rigged worm, or better yet a grub, is also a good option. Worked slow or fast, either way it will still be hard to not get hung up, but patience and practice will help. Big Bass often crush a worm run through weeds super slow, almost twitch by twitch.

Finally, you could try a Spinnerbait. Depending on the thickness of the weedgrowth, you might be able to burn one through, which can be a great technique for active fish. If the weeda re too thick for that, you could also try a roll and fall action with a spinner, bringing in into the weeds, reeling in a bit, then letting it fall in the gaps in the weedgrowth.

One other option (a difficult one) is live bait. Minnows under a float (the smallest possible that keeps the minnow from diving into the weeds and hanging you up) with a VERY short leader could work, if the growth isn't too close to the waters surface. You'd need at least 8-10 inches of free open water between the surface and the top of the weed growth. When this is possible, Bass often just destroy a wriggly live minnow fished this way.

07-26-2004, 08:53 AM	#1
jetman67 Wants a Superbowl, Thats It!!! Hall Of Fame Charter JI Member Join Date: May 1999 Location: Somewhere Posts: 10,380	The lake I fish in has heavy vegetation growth this summer. Even hard to get around with a weedless prop. I got some hits yesterday but all that came up on my line was thick weeds. Suggestions???

07-26-2004, 01:45 PM	#2
Bob the Jets Fan™ Editor of the Internet All League Charter JI Member Join Date: May 1999 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 4,255	Can't help you, J. Weeds are the worst thing about fishing. The bass just love to hang out in them. I had the same problem a couple weeks ago, on my only fishing outing of the year.

07-26-2004, 04:45 PM	#3
jetman67 Wants a Superbowl, Thats It!!! Hall Of Fame Charter JI Member Join Date: May 1999 Location: Somewhere Posts: 10,380	Im going back out on the lake Wednesday Night. I think I will try the Texas Rigged Plastic Worm. its the only true weedless lure I can think of. Other than the Frog Popper.

07-27-2004, 12:53 PM	#4
Shadetree All Pro Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,464	Fishing in late july/early august??? Fish at night and fish with topwater lures. A LM Bass hitting a Black Jitterbug worked slooooooowly on the surface in the dead of night is by far the most exciting way to fish for bass. When that thing gets slammed by the bass, breaking the nighttime silence, you'll practically jump out of the boat.

07-27-2004, 01:30 PM	#5
Warfish JetsInsider.com Legend Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 35,000	Night Fishing with a quality Popper (in Black) is a great option for weedchoked waters. In the day, well you have a couple of options. Poppers will still work, especially when worked over "edges", weedlines, shadow lines (if any), points, edges when the water drops off to deep water, all near or ne3xt to the veggies. A weedless rigged worm, or better yet a grub, is also a good option. Worked slow or fast, either way it will still be hard to not get hung up, but patience and practice will help. Big Bass often crush a worm run through weeds super slow, almost twitch by twitch. Finally, you could try a Spinnerbait. Depending on the thickness of the weedgrowth, you might be able to burn one through, which can be a great technique for active fish. If the weeda re too thick for that, you could also try a roll and fall action with a spinner, bringing in into the weeds, reeling in a bit, then letting it fall in the gaps in the weedgrowth. One other option (a difficult one) is live bait. Minnows under a float (the smallest possible that keeps the minnow from diving into the weeds and hanging you up) with a VERY short leader could work, if the growth isn't too close to the waters surface. You'd need at least 8-10 inches of free open water between the surface and the top of the weed growth. When this is possible, Bass often just destroy a wriggly live minnow fished this way.