Largemouth bass love weeds. Thicker is better when it
comes to bass holding vegetation. In fact, there seems to be a
correlation between the density of the cover and the size of the
fish found there. Small ”bank runners” can be found cruising along
shorelines void of cover but very few lunker largemouth will venture
into these barren areas.
Most bodies of water are home to several types of aquatic
vegetation. In northern states, most weeds die in late fall and
decay over the winter months. Each spring, new vegetation emerges
from the lake bottom. Reeds, lily pads, cattails, cane, wild rice,
and other plant life grow in shallow water, usually less than five
feet.
Sunlight reaches this new vegetation quite easily in our clear water
lakes and it grows rapidly in May and into June, as the days become
longer and warmer. These types of weeds grow to or above the surface
and are classified as emergent vegetation. By mid-June shallow
weeds, especially lily pads, dollar pads, and wild rice, will form a
mat on the surface of the water. A “crop” of hog bass, fish in the
3-6 pound range, will take up residence below this shade providing
canopy often referred to as “slop.”
Bass anglers privy to the magnetic power of matted vegetation smile
at its site like a farmer looking over a bumper yield of wheat. They
know where the big bass are and realize they’re ripe for the pickin’
after a long lazy winter. But exactly how do we go about making
contact with these critters? For starters attack a smaller “patch”
of slop. It’s the density of the cover that holds the fish, not the
size. Fishing a piece of cover that is smaller in area won’t be as
overwhelming and will oftentimes yield more bass per acre.
Don’t be afraid to get close to the cover. Rather than position the
boat a cast away and merely tickle the fringe of the cover before
retrieving the lure through the “dead zone”, a more strategic plan
of attack is advised. Maneuver the boat right up to the edge of the
cover. Only then is each cast potentially productive from start to
finish.
Many bass lures on the market are designed to be weedless. Some are
more effective than others. The first rod I reach for when fishing
shallow matted vegetation like pads and rice is spoon. Specifically,
I call on Northland’s
Jaw Breaker Spoon. This lure was designed specifically for fishing
slop. It incorporates the unique Limber-Legs silicone skirt and
features a Y-shaped weed guard. It’s virtually impossible to get
this spoon hung up.
It’s important to employ a 7 – 7 ½ foot heavy action rod when
spoon-fishing as the length provides leverage necessary for long
casts and to pull fish out of the cover. This is particularly
important when the hit comes at the end of the cast. A heavy
superline like Berkley
FireLine is a must as it doesn’t stretch and allows for better
hooksets and better control of fish.
Make long casts in an effort to cover some acreage. Begin the
retrieve immediately, holding the rod tip at the 11 o’clock position
and reeling just fast enough to keep the spoon on the surface. Use a
steady retrieve, pausing momentarily only when the JawBreaker enters
a pocket in the vegetation.
Largemouth bass will often create a wake as the charge the lure.
This is when many anglers become frustrated with spoon fishing as
the excitement causes them to set the hook too early. Patience is a
virtue with this technique. Let the fish slurp the bait in, drop the
rod tip while reeling up the slack and set the hook forcefully.
Then, lean back and reel like there’s no tomorrow. Get the fish on
the surface if possible and skid them across the mat. Easier said
than done with a four pounder!
Like any type of top-water fishing, spooning shallow vegetation is
addicting. Savvy bass anglers will be combing the new crop of slop
this season. There’s no doubt they’ll be harvesting bushels of bass,
reaping the fruits of their labor.
This article was first printed in the 2003 issue of “Dock Talk”, a
publication of Fishing the Wildside.
Travis Peterson
classicbass.com Field Staff
