Fishing Specific Areas Part 1 of 4: Dissecting Deep Grass
by Mike McKay

I often hear fisherman say that Bass will "hide out" in certain areas of a
body of water. You will likely hear things such as "they were hiding under the docks," or "they were hiding in the weeds." Well, these fisherman are wrong.

 
Even if you are Kevin Van Dam, you are never going to have fish hide from you. Sorry, but "hide and seek" isnt exactly one of the things that Bass have in their repertoire of skills, believe it or not, (just believe it).

Fish actually live in certain areas more throughout the year as opposed to staying in the same areas. There are many different places that you will regularly find bass, and one of the most overlooked, and definitely one of the most beneficial to tournament anglers is Deep grass.

In the dog days of summer, when it gets unbearably hot and you find people spending more money on Gatorade than on lures, it is very easy to locate the fish. While it is no secret that heat will make the fish more agressive, it will also make the fish very predictable. Grass provides a fish with everything that the fish needs to survive especially when the temperatures are approaching the double digits. The fish can sit deep in the grass, away from the heat, and wait to ambush baitfish that also will be holding onto the grass. The oxygen levels around the grass are always higher, which means that the fish will not have to move as much in a low current lake to breathe properly. This makes the fish even more dangerous, and as I see it, easy to catch. Show a fish an easy meal, and you will get a bite. Yes, it really is that simple.

Do not think that it is impossible to catch fish in grass when it is not 95
degrees either, grass can hold fish year round. It is simple to say that one time of the year is better than others, however. It is my experience that targeting grass to hold bigger fish is simply better in the heat of summer, but as I said before: Grass gives fish protection, oxygen, and easy food access. Its a big house with a maid and a five star chef... would you pass that up? I didnt think so.

There are many different ways to fish the grass, however there are certain things you should look for before fishing. Sometimes, grass beds can be BIG.

We're talking miles long. So finding the fish could be nearly impossible...
right? Wrong. What you should look for when grass fishing is something
irregular. Something small, something large, as long as its something
permanent. If somebody did not tie their boat to the dock, I'd say that's pretty irregular, but will it hold fish? If its MY boat, there will be some fish in the livewell, rest assured. But dont try fishing around it.
Something permanent yet still irregular is the key. Look for sudden depth changes, rocks, sticks, stumps, cars... well, stumps will do. What I try to do is to pretend that there is no grass there, that nothing is in the water and that I still have to catch fish. Obviously you are not going to be fishing in ten feet of water with nothing on the bottom but sand, you need something there that is going to hold the fish, and that is also going to make the fish keep coming back to certain areas. Remember, although it is not very pleasant, there is a reason that you might see 50 boats on one spot in the middle of a B.A.S.S. or F.L.W. tournament. Another thing that might be worthwhile for a tournament angler is to come back when the grass has died later in the year or very early in the year. Before the snow sets in here in New York I have taken my GPS and nothing else out on the water, just to go searching, sure its cold outside, but the work you put in will definitely keep you warm the next season. I promise.

Ok, so you've found an area that you think is holding fish. Good job! You have a 100yd x 100yd area with rocks, sticks, stumps and a HUGE dropoff, just covered in grass. Send GPS Coordinates of said area to:

Mike McKay, 8686
Carpenter Rd, Baldwinsville NY, 13027.

When you get back from doing that (it is essential, I promise) go catch
some fish there! Pulling up to the spot, fish it just like every other spot
you would normally fish. With a few quirks. In the morning, throw a
topwater. If there is too much grass on top of the water, you might want to try a jerkbait and snap it through the grass. Reaction strikes are great anyway, aren't they? If it is so hot that the fish are becoming lethargic, try slowing down your approach. Try fishing a a spinnerbait with a big colorado blade, to keep the bait up above the weeds, however you can still move it slowly. This will also displace a good amount of water, which really pushes the right buttons. Eight Ball Spinnerbaits make a great bait called a "Thumper" spinnerbait, which is perfect for just that. So nothing hit the spinnerbait? You probably weren't fishing an 8-Ball Bait then. But if you were, try slowing down even more than that. Try throwing a Zoom Super Fluke, and working it very slowly, making sure you leave plenty of room for the bait to pause.(Dip it in some smelly jelly, and definitely switch around with the colors) Well if you need to slow down even more than that, then there's a problem. Not a problem for you, but a problem for the fish. This is when you go to a Jig-N-Pig. Northland Tackle makes a Jig called a Jungle Jig, made especially for grass fishing. What makes it so good with the grass is its pointed head design which makes it slide through the grass. Also, this bait is virtually indestructable. It just keeps working. Try taking the jig and hopping it down a dropoff, and hold on to your rod. Seriously, I've been there, and I didn't hold onto my rod.

Well, if your anything like me, you cant fish that slow. Well, you CAN, but who wants to? This is the part of my article where I get really mad at the grass because it has not produced yet. Have you ever sat on a spot above a bunch of fish that you know are there? Try wrecking
their homes, that gets them to talk to you sometimes. In this situation, try throwing a shallow diving crankbait, 2-4', and working that back to the boat, ripping it through the grass. Fishing grass in a tournament on Lake Champlain this year, I spent too much time slowing down, but filled out a late limit in very stained water by ripping my crankbait through the grass.

Something about that bait just pulling itself free, kills the fish. Catching fish in grass is kind of like taking candy from a baby. Except the baby is most likely green, and the candy... well, is most likely a juicy "Sweet Beaver". 

In grass, what I am basically trying to say is that on days where fish don't seem to be biting anything, anywhere, grass can be a haven to tournament anglers who need a good finish, or need a good check. I wouldn't mind both, but thats just me.

As you will hear me say many times, the techniques that I recommend are what I have had success doing in the past. Mold your own techniques, because what works for one angler might not work for another angler. For instance, don't tell anybody, but I do not think I will ever figure out that drop shot rig. Ever. But, that's another story.

What I am giving are basic tools, that will help you better understand what you are doing, and more importantly, why it will work. So now that you have the tools (not to say that you did not have them before, because you may have) it is time to go out and catch some fish. If my tips helped you, I would love to know about it. You can always find me at my second home, www.reeltimeanglers.com  If my tips didn't help you, or there is anything you think I should know, then I would definitely want to hear about it.

Good luck, and tight lines!