Why Weeds Attract Bass

Big-bass methods for fishing thick cover.

Anyone who spends a weekend pulling crab-grass and dandelions his lawn will tell "weed" is a negative term. And just as most suburbanites view these lawn plants as pests, so most bass fishermen regard aquatic vegetation as something to avoid. That's why they refer to coontail, milfoil, hydrilla and eelgrass as "weeds." Whatever you call them, weeds are wonderful. If you never do anything else to improve your bass fishing, learn how to fish aquatic plants. More and bigger bass will be your reward — perhaps the lunker of a lifetime.

The Nature of Weed Cover
There are several reasons why aquatic weeds make the best possible bass cover. 
Once you understand them, you'll want to spend more time fishing weedbeds in your home waters. First and foremost, weeds produce oxygen through photosynthesis — the process by which plants "inhale" carbon dioxide (that occurs in both the atmosphere and the water) and "exhale" oxygen. They're the only type of bass cover that does. Without oxygen, there would be no life. And where bass waters are deficient in oxygen fishing is usually poor. But weedy lakes are typically rich in oxygen, which leads to plenty of healthy fish. Photosynthesis takes place with the help of sunlight. Plants consume oxygen, which is one reason why bass fishing around aquatic plants is better during the day, and often best in bright sunlight. Have you ever noticed the bright green, almost chartreuse, color of the leaves on your backyard trees when they first bloom in the spring? As plants bloom, they crank out lots of oxygen. So, when searching for bass, look for super-green plant growth, especially in the early spring. The water around this new growth will be super-rich in oxygen, which may attract droves of baitfish and bass. Here's a tip: If both types are available, always fish green weeds rather than weeds brown or purple in color; the latter are poor oxygen producers. Weeds also filter the water, helping to remove suspended particles. That's why weedy lakes are often clearer and purer than lakes without vegetation. As every bass angler knows, weeds provide cover and shade. One look at the greenish coloration of a large-mouth and you'll see how this fish is easily camouflaged in a weedbed. Even the thickest weedbeds have open columns and holes through which bass can freely roam. Bass are predators, and use cover for hiding and ambush. It is many angler's opinion that weeds are the best possible bass cover — better than wood or rocks. Weeds, to be sure, are the hardest cover to fish, but more on that in a moment. Weeds form a distinct "edge." Bass are always attracted to "edges" in their environment — places where two different conditions intersect. A weedline is a classic place for bass to hide and hunt, as is a clump of weeds at the end of a 
point.

Types of Weeds
On a typical lake, the bass angler may encounter several varieties of plants. 
Emergent weeds — those that protrude above the surface — include cattails, 
maidencane and saw grass. They tend to grow in shallow water. Water lilies often 
ring the shoreline, attracting droves of insects at midday when their flowers 
bloom, which is always the best time to fish them. Water hyacinths, an import 
from the Orient, are not rooted in the bottom and will drift with wind and current. They provide a super overhead mat for bass to hide under. Aquatic grasses like eelgrass and pepper grass, and so-called "junk" weeds like hydrilla, milfoil and coon-tail, are my favorites for bass fishing because they're the biggest oxygen producers. "Pond scum" or algae is another form of weed growth. It is usually found in shallow ponds during summer months. One rule in weed bassin' is to fish areas where more than one type of weed is present. Some lakes have a "monoculture" of hydrilla or coontail — no other weeds are present; others may have milfoil, hydrilla, lily pads and more. The more types of weeds, the better the bass fishing. A proliferation of weed varieties offers bass more types of forage and hiding opportunities. You'll notice that weedy lakes often have a different forage base than lakes lacking vegetation. Bluegills, shiners, perch and crawfish are usually abundant around weeds. Non-weedy lakes are inhabited by baitfish such as shad, alewives, ciscoes and silversides — species that live in open water and feed on plankton.

Fishing Weedy Lakes
It's safe to say that bass fishermen don't love weeds near as much as bass do.
In fact, most anglers will avoid weeds and fish wood, rocks or open water 
instead. "Weeds clog up my lure!" "I can't feel my bait when I'm fishing a weedbed!" "I don't know where to fish in the weeds!" "I lose too many bass in the grass!" "I can't get my boat through the beds!" If these complaints sound familiar, maybe it's because you've uttered them when bassin' in aquatic vegetation. The proper equipment is necessary for fishing weedy lakes. Most important is a weedless trolling motor prop. No matter what brand you select, make sure it's really weedless. Push-poles are also handy when fishing weedy lakes. A lightweight aluminum boat is perhaps your best choice in a lake with dense weedbeds. It draws little water and can move easily into the inner recesses of the bed, where few other anglers have fished. A depthfinder is important for locating offshore weedbeds, especially in deeper water. It's best to use baitcasting gear and heavy line (20- to 50-pound test) around weedbeds. The heavier line is important when drifting live bait like wild shiners for big bass in grassy areas. For artificial lures, a good choice is low-diameter 20 to 30 pound mono. Long rods are extremely useful when fishing weeds, especially surface plants like lilies. A long rod enables you to keep your line off the weeds during the retrieve, which prevents it from tangling. Plus you'll like the extra power and control a long rod gives you when you hook a big bass in heavy weed cover. When fishing weedy lakes many anglers use a collapsible flipping stick (for weedless metal spoons and subsurface lures like plastic worms or jigs) and a 7-foot, medium-action rod (for lightweight weedless frogs and "rats," spinnerbaits and buzzbaits). Don't use high-speed baitcasting reels in weeds; these lack the winching power that you'll need to pull a big bass out of heavy cover. Bass won't be everywhere in a large weedbed. Try to pinpoint places where the weeds intersect another structure, such as a dropoff, point, stump, fallen tree, ditch, boat dock, hump or change in bottom composition. Also, key to variations in weed thickness — the spot where thick grass begins to turn thin — may be a hotspot for bass. Of course, boat lanes, holes and cuts along weed edges are ideal holding spots for bass. So are isolated clumps of submerged vegetation. Don't be content with fishing the outer perimeters of a weedbed. If you don't locate bass at the edges, move deeper into the grass. In lakes with extensive weedbeds, schools of bass — fish that have never seen an artificial lure — lurk in the innermost reaches of the beds. Push, pull or drag yourself in, then fan-cast with weedless surface lures until a bass shows itself. A big bass blowing up on a surface lure in heavy weeds is one of the most exciting moments in bass fishing. But missed strikes are common when you're fishing thick weeds. Avoid a jerky, erratic retrieve — it makes your lure that much harder for the bass to hit. When a bass does connect, lower your rod tip and give a quick three-count before setting the hook hard. This will help avoid pulling the lure away from the fish. And when you do hook the bass, avoid putting too much pressure on it should it bury itself in weeds. You will often straighten or rip out the hook. It's usually safer to go to the fish than to try to pull the fish to you.

Best Lures For Weedy Places
· SOFT PLASTIC FROGS AND RATS - These are exceptionally-weedless lures and will even work on top of pond scum. To make them easier to cast on heavy baitcasting gear, cut a slit in the top and insert pieces of floating plastic worm into the cavity for added weight and a glass worm rattle for sound appeal.
· TUBE BAITS - Perfect for sight-fishing in open holes within grassbeds, where bass often spawn. Use a stiff spinning rod and 10 pound line.
· SPINNERBAITS - Slow-roll these on the edges of thick weedbeds or fish them near the surface over sunken vegetation. Try a chartreuse or blue spinnerbait to 
suggest a bluegill, one of the common forage species found in weedy lakes. Try 
buzzbaits in the same colors through thin, emergent grass.
· SOFT JERKBAITS - Ideal for floating over sunken grassbeds and around lily pad edges. Fish them directly on top of matted weeds when rigged weedless.
· PLASTIC WORMS AND LIZARDS - Fish large (12" or bigger) worms and lizards on weedless hooks over the top of surface weeds. Lures with straight or paddle tails versus twist-tails work better for this application. Pitch or flip smaller worms and lizards around holes in thick beds of milfoil and hydrilla; here, curly-tailed baits work best.
· PLASTIC CRAWS - Crawfish are among the most common of all forage species in weedy lakes. Texas rig a plastic craw on a pegged sinker, then pitch or flip it around grassbeds.
· WEEDLESS SPOONS - Fish these with a bright trailer such as a bubblegum plastic eel or chartreuse pork frog. Fish them straight over the top of the bed, then let them flutter over the weed edge on a tight line into open water.
Weed Wisdom
Don't be intimidated by weeds. To fish them may be frustrating, but they're worth 
the trouble. Spend time mastering the weedy areas of your home waters, and don't 
be surprised if you catch the bass of a lifetime.