Cooler Temps - Dying Grass

BassQualifier · 09-19-06, 09:17 AM

Since fall is upon us, I was wondering at which water temperature grass beds like hydrilla and milfoil start dying off and make the bass move to other cover like wood or rocks. I've read that when the water temps get cooler, the grass dies and starts taking up all the oxygen and the bass are forced to find more oxygenated cover in surrounding areas. Is this true?

It is still warm here, around 80 or so, so when might I expect to see the grass beds starting to die off this fall? Thanks.

JB · 09-19-06, 09:26 AM

water temps in the low 70s here and we have seen some redness or brownish tint to the tops of the hydrilla beds, most of it is still alive, so I am guessing the rest will die off soon once we hit the 60s..about 67 degrees the bass turn on around ohio(water temp)

Captmikestarrett · 09-19-06, 11:53 AM

Temp may not be the question. I have seen hydrilla in 65 degree water bright and green. Sunlight penetration and amount of sunlight available each day sets the die off stage. Just like leaves on a tree. Think about it.

Capt Mike

WTL · 09-19-06, 01:05 PM

And some of it survives no matter what. It just goes dormant like your lawn, but I know on G'ville you can find the bottoms of hydrilla beds in january.

BassFisherman1 · 09-19-06, 01:22 PM

where i live it is already in the 60 to 75s so the grass is dieing off but yes i read that to that when the grass dies off it takes more oxygen so the bass have to find more oxygen

flbassman · 09-19-06, 03:49 PM

Wow. I wish I lived somewhere colder. Today, with the heat index, the high was 92.

WTL · 09-20-06, 12:00 AM

Flbassman,
no you don't.

You will be plenty happy to live in Florida in a couple months, and I'll wish I was there. And I supposedly live in the deep south!

JB · 09-20-06, 09:57 AM

40ish here tonight, come on up! rofl

flfireman · 09-20-06, 05:10 PM

Hey we are experiencing a cold front right now. We only had a high of 80 something. At 6 am it was 74 out. If this keeps up the bass will be ready to play.

flbassman · 09-20-06, 05:16 PM

Yup, came through last night. Today was beautiful!

Vabass22 · 09-20-06, 09:45 PM

Caught a nice one in about 6 feet of water, stuck in the hydrilla last time out. This (IMO), is the time to fish hydrilla. I use a soft plastics, t-rigged, with a heavy weight, so it will get down fast.

lizardsrule · 09-21-06, 11:41 AM

Yeah that cold front is really here rotflmao, it's 85 degrees right now, but it was around 57 degrees this AM. I was loving it this morning, then it cranked right back up. Of course this weekend's forcast is again upper 80, lower 90 for me. When I came off of Wildcat Lake this past saturday at 5pm, the water temp(surface) was 88 degrees. It's gonna take quite a few "COLDFRONTS" to get it back down into the seventies.

Lizards

flbassman · 09-21-06, 03:58 PM

Welcome to florida liz

ACtually though, it'll cool off pretty good come late october, but it can still swing. Two years back, Day before christmas was in the 70's, and christmas eve evening was in the low 40's, raining and dropping fast. Was a clear 27 Christmas morning....

BassQualifier · 09-22-06, 09:37 AM

Thanks for the great responses! I have always been a bit unsure as to when the grass starts to die off, but that is good advice Captmike as far as the sunlight is concerned. As a general rule of thumb, at what month for your area would you consider the grass to be dying off? Considering it is a typical season. Thanks!

Captmikestarrett · 09-22-06, 03:33 PM

A typical season for the grass is emergence in Northern bays around April and disconection from ground root about the end of Sept. But fishing here is year round unless we ice over. That has happened maybe six times in the last 30 years. We have a year round LGMouth season (no closures) in tidal waters and an adjusted Spring season. We have several types of SAV (sumerged aquatic vegatation) here. Hydrilla is the main SAV but we also have milfoil, eel grass, elephant grass, water cress and some coontail(year round). So while the hydrilla dies off and creates huge mats that float back and forth with each tide the root structure remains and many other grasses as well..

The Potomac for all it's years of being poluted and a festering sewage runoff is now a gin clear river thanks to an invasive hydrilla.

ALL PRAISE THE HYDRILLA>>>>>

Capt Mike

Vabass22 · 09-22-06, 11:15 PM

Where are you from qualifier?

bassnman30 · 09-24-06, 01:19 PM

I've found that even though the grass may be dying, the bass will still us it.

09-19-06, 09:17 AM	#1
BassQualifier BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Virginia Posts: 55	Cooler Temps - Dying Grass Since fall is upon us, I was wondering at which water temperature grass beds like hydrilla and milfoil start dying off and make the bass move to other cover like wood or rocks. I've read that when the water temps get cooler, the grass dies and starts taking up all the oxygen and the bass are forced to find more oxygenated cover in surrounding areas. Is this true? It is still warm here, around 80 or so, so when might I expect to see the grass beds starting to die off this fall? Thanks.

09-19-06, 11:53 AM	#3
Captmikestarrett BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: May 2006 Location: Accokeek MD Posts: 3,315	Temp may not be the question? Temp may not be the question. I have seen hydrilla in 65 degree water bright and green. Sunlight penetration and amount of sunlight available each day sets the die off stage. Just like leaves on a tree. Think about it. Capt Mike __________________ Capt Mike Starrett light tackle guide Potomac River http://www.indianheadcharters.com

09-19-06, 01:05 PM	#4
WTL BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,466	And some of it survives no matter what. It just goes dormant like your lawn, but I know on G'ville you can find the bottoms of hydrilla beds in january. __________________ Selling live waterdogs for less since 2005.

09-19-06, 03:49 PM	#6
flbassman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Jacksonville Florida Posts: 2,840	Wow. I wish I lived somewhere colder. Today, with the heat index, the high was 92. __________________ R.I.P. Zooker

09-20-06, 12:00 AM	#7
WTL BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,466	Flbassman, no you don't. You will be plenty happy to live in Florida in a couple months, and I'll wish I was there. And I supposedly live in the deep south! __________________ Selling live waterdogs for less since 2005.

09-19-06, 09:26 AM	#2
JB BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,655	water temps in the low 70s here and we have seen some redness or brownish tint to the tops of the hydrilla beds, most of it is still alive, so I am guessing the rest will die off soon once we hit the 60s..about 67 degrees the bass turn on around ohio(water temp)

09-19-06, 01:22 PM	#5
BassFisherman1 BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Flippin,Arkieslaw Posts: 46	where i live it is already in the 60 to 75s so the grass is dieing off but yes i read that to that when the grass dies off it takes more oxygen so the bass have to find more oxygen

09-20-06, 09:57 AM	#8
JB BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,655	40ish here tonight, come on up! rofl

09-20-06, 05:10 PM	#9
flfireman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Palm Bay, Fl Posts: 2,751	Hey we are experiencing a cold front right now. We only had a high of 80 something. At 6 am it was 74 out. If this keeps up the bass will be ready to play. __________________ In the Lord all things are possible.

09-20-06, 05:16 PM	#10
flbassman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Jacksonville Florida Posts: 2,840	Yup, came through last night. Today was beautiful! __________________ R.I.P. Zooker

09-20-06, 09:45 PM	#11
Vabass22 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Northern Va Posts: 1,120	Caught a nice one in about 6 feet of water, stuck in the hydrilla last time out. This (IMO), is the time to fish hydrilla. I use a soft plastics, t-rigged, with a heavy weight, so it will get down fast.

09-21-06, 11:41 AM	#12
lizardsrule BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Saint Augustine, FL Posts: 7,374	Yeah that cold front is really here rotflmao, it's 85 degrees right now, but it was around 57 degrees this AM. I was loving it this morning, then it cranked right back up. Of course this weekend's forcast is again upper 80, lower 90 for me. When I came off of Wildcat Lake this past saturday at 5pm, the water temp(surface) was 88 degrees. It's gonna take quite a few "COLDFRONTS" to get it back down into the seventies. Lizards __________________ There are three types of Snakes I hate 1. Live Snakes 2. Dead Snakes 3. Sticks that look like Snakes. And Gators too!

09-21-06, 03:58 PM	#13
flbassman BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Jacksonville Florida Posts: 2,840	Welcome to florida liz ACtually though, it'll cool off pretty good come late october, but it can still swing. Two years back, Day before christmas was in the 70's, and christmas eve evening was in the low 40's, raining and dropping fast. Was a clear 27 Christmas morning.... __________________ R.I.P. Zooker

09-22-06, 09:37 AM	#14
BassQualifier BassFishin.Com Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Virginia Posts: 55	Thanks for the great responses! I have always been a bit unsure as to when the grass starts to die off, but that is good advice Captmike as far as the sunlight is concerned. As a general rule of thumb, at what month for your area would you consider the grass to be dying off? Considering it is a typical season. Thanks!

09-22-06, 03:33 PM	#15
Captmikestarrett BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: May 2006 Location: Accokeek MD Posts: 3,315	On the Potomac A typical season for the grass is emergence in Northern bays around April and disconection from ground root about the end of Sept. But fishing here is year round unless we ice over. That has happened maybe six times in the last 30 years. We have a year round LGMouth season (no closures) in tidal waters and an adjusted Spring season. We have several types of SAV (sumerged aquatic vegatation) here. Hydrilla is the main SAV but we also have milfoil, eel grass, elephant grass, water cress and some coontail(year round). So while the hydrilla dies off and creates huge mats that float back and forth with each tide the root structure remains and many other grasses as well.. The Potomac for all it's years of being poluted and a festering sewage runoff is now a gin clear river thanks to an invasive hydrilla. ALL PRAISE THE HYDRILLA>>>>> Capt Mike __________________ Capt Mike Starrett light tackle guide Potomac River http://www.indianheadcharters.com

09-22-06, 11:15 PM	#16
Vabass22 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Northern Va Posts: 1,120	Where are you from qualifier?

09-24-06, 01:19 PM	#17
bassnman30 BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Lexington,NC-Worlds best BBQ. Posts: 1,945	I've found that even though the grass may be dying, the bass will still us it. __________________ Lexington,NC.

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