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Fishing in weeds  |
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The trick is to know how to fish in, over, and around weeds or at least keep them from ruining your fishing, whatever species you may be chasing. You see, anglers have long understood the connection between fish and weeds and despite their fear of breaking off a big fish and constantly cleaning their hooks, it seems to be in their blood to fish where the fish are. Unfortunately, that means fishing in the weeds. Follow some of the guidelines compiled below before you tackle that ominous patch of lily pads this weekend.
Timing
As with most fishing, timing is everything when targeting weeds for fish. Typically the best times to target weeds are the time periods on your favorite body of water when conditions make the weeds into a sort of oasis for the fish. Picture the late fall season. You are searching for that last largemouth of the season and can't seem to find the fish. All of the regular weed edges are gone, as are the dense lily pads that held those big bass in August. You move to deeper water and begin to pull weeds from your line. You have stumbled upon a solitary clump of weeds on the bottom. The next tug on your line is not a weed at all, it is a largemouth. Similar situations will occur throughout the ice-fishing season with fish keying into the few remaining green areas of the lake bottom. In summer, the densest lily pads you can find are sure to hold at least a few bass as they seek the relative cool and shade that the overhead cover provide. Get your bait through the canopy and you will catch fish.
Baits and Technique
Much has been said about fishing with weedless baits and lures. However, as anglers that have tried most everything, we all know much of this is nonsense. The type of bait you use largely depends on what type of weeds you are fishing. If you are targeting fish in heavy lily pads or other heavy surface vegetation you have to get the bait down through the top layer of weeds to the depths where the fish are lurking. This is best accomplished with a weedless rig like a Texas rigged worm. The heavy weight of this rig along with a slender profile and virtually snag proof hook will help you catch bass. If you are fishing a submerged weedbed it may be a better option to use a fine tuned crankbait that will just skim the surface of these submerged weeds and draw fish out of them instead of trying to get right in the weeds with the fish. The same principle holds true when targeting weed lines along deep-water areas. Fish will use these sites as ambush points, so it makes sense to run your bait along the edge of them rather than through them. Again, bait that you can control at the perimeter of the weeds is the best ticket rather than one that is weedless. Besides, in many cases, a quick snap of the wrist while retrieving your lure will free any weeds you may have hooked.
Gear
Fishing in the weeds means using gear that is light enough to present a bait properly, yet heavy enough to pull the lunkers out and into the boat. When you set the hook, you need the backbone in your rod, and the strength in your lien to pull the fish from their hiding spots. As any fishermen knows, the big ones always seem to find the thickest and heaviest weeds in the lake to take you into when hooked. Your gear should match the type of weed fishing you are doing and leave a little extra for the unexpected. A medium heavy-to-heavy action seven-foot rod is the norm here. The heavy action along with the extra few inches at the tip will give you the backbone you need to pull back hard on a fish when setting the hook and pulling them from cover. The line should match the situation with heavy duty, abrasion resistant line tops on the list. The new no stretch braided lines are ideal for fishing in heavy weeds because they do not stretch and deliver a great deal of hook setting power to the fish. These lines also make it possible to fish a much heavier pound test line while enjoying the easy casting of a small diameter line. Beyond a stout rod and line, and the appropriate bait for your fishing conditions you should be able to pull even the largest fish from cover with relative ease.
Don't be afraid to target weed area son your favorite body of water. In most cases, this is where the biggest fish will be holding and will also be the least fished area on the lake. Few fishermen take the time to properly rig and fish these areas opting instead to skirt them and keep their lines and hooks clean. Unfortunately, this also means not catching many fish when the weed bite is on.
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