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Old 01-07-09, 12:49 PM   #1
TRUMAN BASSER
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Default Seasonal Grass Fishing Strategies

Every bass fisherman knows that bass love to hang out in the grass. Grass provides oxygen, protection, and great hiding spots for bass to ambush their prey. While you will have some success in just fishing the grass there are some seasonal trends and tactics that you should try.

In the early spring time when the water is in the 50 degree range almost nothing works as good as a rattletrap for fishing the grass. That bait coming through the grass can causes vicious reaction strikes from often times large bass. I often like to key in on the deeper grass edges because the big females tend to hold on these until they move up to start spawning. A lot of times your grass located close to deeper water is where the big ones will hang out. If you can trace the transition areas from the main lake back to the spawning flats you can intercept the bass as they make their seasonal move. I like to throw a red rattle trap because I feel that bass are keying in on the crawfish this time of the year in preparation for the spawn. Crawfish have a higher calorie content than a skinny old shad. You will want to vary your retrieve from fast to slow to see what produces the best results. I’ll throw the trap with a 7 foot AiRRUS Copperhead Cranking Stick on 14lb test line. If the water has more color to it a slow rolled Pig Sticker Spinnerbait can be hard to beat. I like to throw ones with willow leafs. The bigger willow leafs also give off a lot of vibration with a really slow retrieve and they stay down better than Colorado blades. One of the keys to a Pig Sticker Spinnerbait is the thinner diameter wire which gives off a lot more vibration than other spinner baits. Often times letting your spinnerbait collide with the grass and pulling it out will produce. I like to throw my spinnerbaits on a AiRRUS UXLC681MH Ultra XL rod on 14lb test line. If the bass are in a negative mode and won’t chase down the trap or a spinner bait I like to work a hard jerk bait or a senko really slow on those deeper grass edges. Fluorocarbon line really helps out with both these techniques. For the senko I will usually throw 14lb test and for the jerkbait 10lb test because I don’t want to hinder its action.

When the water starts to warm into the 60’s the bass can really start to make a move to the shallows to spawn and this is when I like to throw a buzzbait or a spinner bait around the shallow grass. A lot of times I like to still slow roll my spinnerbait and I will slowly retrieve my buzz bait almost under the surface just barely on top. For some reason that slower retrieve with a buzzbait catches large fish. Spawning fish also like to come up and kill a buzzer. It is also a great time to throw a frog. Make sure you have a follow up bait on hand like a senko or a zoom super fluke in case they come up and miss. I like to fish the lakes secondary points that have grass on them when the water is at this stage because you’ve got fish moving to the flats and fish coming off the flats and they like to use secondary’s as rest stops. When looking for the spawners you want to really used your Polarized sunglasses to look for holes in the grass or light spots. Also any stickups or stumps in the shallows that get a good amount of sunlight are good places to throw your offering at. The key to fishing for spawning fish that you can’t see is to move your bait very slowly through the area because sometimes they can take a while to bite. I’ve been there and seen it happen where you fish through all this beautiful cover and fail to get a bite when the fish should be there. Often times they are there its just that they are bedding and they need a slower presentation. One of my favorite baits to flip is a sweet beaver. For some reason the fish love that bait and it comes through the grass really well.

When the water continues to warm most fish can be found in the post-spawn stage and I like to work the shallow grass with a double fluke rig, a frog, or a big floating worm. The deeper grass edges are also a place to try with a carolina rig or a big plastic worm. Big crank baits can also produce on these deeper grass edges. Right after the spawn the fish can be a little tough but pretty soon they are putting the feed bag on again. There is no better time for cranking other than the fall than early summer. I like to take a deep diver and tick the grass with it so that it is just getting hung up periodically. When you go to pull it free a lot of times that is when you’ll get bit. You can load the boat in minutes when you find them. This time of the year can really lend itself to junk fishing. A lot of times you’ll catch your fish on a wide variety of baits both shallow and deep.

Late summertime is probably my favorite time to fish just because your not dealing with as many variables as in the springtime. It is one of the most consistent times of the year for myself. Often times you can scrap up a couple of keepers early by working frogs and buzz baits in the morning in and around shallow grass lanes and then you usually end up fishing thicker grass as the day goes on. On a lot of lakes there will be more oxygen shallow than out deep and if you like fishing visible cover this can really be a time of year when you can shine. I really like a sweet beaver when flipping the grass because it’s a big fish bait and it really comes through the grass well. I like to also flip a ½ oz Thunderstruck Jig with a beaver trailer when I’m looking for a bigger bite. When your fishing the thick stuff you want to use a heavy line whether it be mono or braid whatever you prefer. If you can afford it 60 pound braid works great when fishing a frog. It just slices through the vegetation. If your going to flip with braid you might have to alter your hook set a little but it will help you get the fish out of the grass and into the boat. I like to throw the frog and flip with a 7 foot Medium Heavy AiRRUS Co-Matrix 457 rod. This time of the year you have to make the bass bite sometimes so don’t forget to step up to a heavier sinker on your plastics or a heavier jig to get a fast drop.

Fall is an awesome time of year to fish the grass. One of my favorite baits to throw this time of the year is a white chatterbait. When the water starts to get down to the 60’s and into the 50’s you can have some awesome days throwing this bait around shallow grass. I like to fish the pockets especially if they have bait. I like to take the bait and throw it to the holes and lanes in the grass and just run it at a steady pace. I tie my own skirts with the Naked Bait Company Skirt expander and I’ve been making them have a skirt trailer that tapers much like that found on the Pure Poisons by Strike King. For trailers I like to use the split tails or twin tail grubs. This is one of the most exciting baits to throw in the grass other than a top water. The strikes can be insanely vicious. This past fall I don’t know how many 4lbers I caught throwing this bait in the grass. The vibration the bait sends out really can pull the bass from a distance. I like to use 14 to 17lb line on this bait and the way they hit it sometimes I ought to be using 20lb. Be careful in throwing this bait though because it can be addicting. Fall is a great time of year to fish the traps again in the grass. I like to burn my traps this time of the year sometimes as fast as I can reel. Fish will just crush a trap. Make sure you got some needle nose pliers handy in case they decide to swallow it. This time of the year the bass can be both deep and shallow after the lake turns over. On cloudy overcast days the shallow bite can be intense but on sunny blue bird days your deeper grass can produce better with a jig. You just have to listen to what the bass are telling you and adjust. I like to throw a lot of white baits this time of the year because I feel that bass are keying in on the shad.

Hopefully I have sparked some ideas to try if you are going to be tackling some grassy lakes this upcoming year. If your lake has grass you can almost count on bass to always be using it. Grass offers bass so many benefits. The grass is usually where its at!
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Old 01-07-09, 01:13 PM   #2
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great info i love throwin buzzbaits along a ling of grass!
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Old 01-07-09, 09:54 PM   #3
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Thats some good info on fishing grass, In the lake i fish grass is a big key all year long and we catch bass from the grass all year. A carolina rig with a 1/8 sinker and a 2' leader works well.
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Old 01-07-09, 11:29 PM   #4
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Default I love seeing grass in lakes

I try to find any kind a vegetation and look for channels or maybe were a boat made a cut through the thick stuff and work a jerk bait or a slow crank thru the gap and man when the strike comes it’s crazy water busting action time

Later Will
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Old 01-08-09, 10:08 AM   #5
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Nearly all of the reservoirs I fish are loaded with grass weed beds. And I tend to fish the grass 80+% of the time. In the spring I tend to work the inside edge as much as the outside edge. I really like deep driving cranks worked right on the bottom along the edges, while a spinnerbait does wonders up near the top. When there isn't a horizontal bite that I can find, It's drop shot time, or weighted creature baits, as well as 1/2 oz jigs pitched into weed holes. Early mornings, late afternoons, cloudy days, or weeds in the shade have produced some nice LM while working a Super Fluke over the top of the weeds.
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Old 01-12-09, 10:23 PM   #6
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[quote=Joel;217064]Nearly all of the reservoirs I fish are loaded with grass weed beds. And I tend to fish the grass 80+% of the time. In the spring I tend to work the inside edge as much as the outside edge. I really like deep driving cranks worked right on the bottom along the edges, while a spinnerbait does wonders up near the top. When there isn't a horizontal bite that I can find, It's drop shot time, or weighted creature baits, as well as 1/2 oz jigs pitched into weed holes. Early mornings, late afternoons, cloudy days, or weeds in the shade have produced some nice LM while working a Super Fluke over the top of the weeds.[/quote

Joel: I know me an you dissagree on wether to use a leader or not, but you right on here. Sounds like your from Alabama. Ha.
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Old 01-12-09, 10:29 PM   #7
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I dont know , but Redbullcuban , I would buy that cd your using for an avitar just for the cover...
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Old 01-13-09, 09:58 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frogman51 View Post
Joel: I know me an you dissagree on wether to use a leader or not, but you right on here. Sounds like your from Alabama. Ha.
Right about now I wish I was in Alabama. The deep freeze will be here on Long Island by Wednesday. So todays high of 40 will drop to maybe a high of 17 or so. NYC reservoirs are already frozen over and with the deep chill on it's way, the ice will be getting even thicker. Even with the change in rules that now allow us to use our boats to fish all year long, the body of water you're fishing needs to be ice free. And there just isn't any open water.
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