[Guest]

I went fishing first thing this morning for about an hour and didn't do too bad. The pond is covered in MOSS!!! None of the moss is floating, it is all on the bottom. You could see the bass come out of the moss and hit your lure. I just couldn't get to close to the stuff because I was fishing with a spinner bait and that seems to be all they wanted. What would yall have done in this situation? What other baits would you have used?

The water was crystal clear with scattered clouds. The temp was between 60-65.

Like I said before, I didn't have a bad day but I know if there was some other bait that I could of used in this moss pit, I would have done a whole lot better.

 

[fisherpal2k]

BigTex, I would try a fluke or a weightless worm slithered thru there. Saw the pics and it was gooodddd!

 

[Ouachita]

I'd say the spinnerbait was a great search bait to determine their presence and avtivity level. I would have switched to a diving crankbait that would barely tic the weed tops at whatever depth they top out at. A slower, more natural lure would draw attention from more mature bass. Immature bass are much more inclined to chase an unnatural looking spinnerbait. Look for a lure that would be buoyant that you could make appear to be a stupid shad feeding on tips of weed, dipping nose down, easing over to the next tip. There are hundreds of biat choices for that application. Light, natural colors in clear, in sunlight, and firetiger type colors under clouds.

Jim

 

[imonembad]

Maybe, that drop shot we all love so much?

 

[jwbarker]

Crankbait! Depending on how close to the surface the weeds are you can use anything from a Mann's -1 and further on down. The trick is to use a bait that just barely hits the top of the weeds and then rip the bait free causing a reaction bite.

 

[Ouachita]

I've learned, re-learned over and over again :, not to fish IN the weeds unless less than about a foot tall. Like we've already said, ticking the weed tops is as deep as you want to go. One reason is it's unlikely a bass will see a lure in thick weeds. They hunker down in the weeds watching the water above the weeds, or along a weedline watching out. Another is most lures will harvest too much weed if spending time in there. You might rip it free from down in there only to rip-rip-rip constantly, gathering some strands each time. Most lures won't swim right in the weeds.

A major reason I stay out of weeds is I want to begin holding a bass out of the weeds the instant I get a bite. A bass taking a crankbait right at the tips will dive into the weeds with it. Once that happens all odds are in favor of the bass getting off or breaking off. It can swim along plowing weeds and accumulating them until a 4# bass plus weeds plus thrust of the bass exceeds line test.

Jim

 

[hi steel basser]

I've had alot of luck with a senko in moss. IT's too light to sink in, but it can be ripped out to draw a reaction strike. My 2 sens.

 

[Ouachita]

I like Senkos for weeds too, but I split it up where to use them. If weeds are close to the surface and thick, unless the worm falls right near a bass, it doesn't get seen. A shallow running crankbait or jerkbait zipped over the weeds will get heard, felt and seen. When there's plenty of water over the weeds then a slow falling Senko is easily seen from a distance, and ripping and sinking it along above the weeds will do wonders, while a crankbait might not work there because they get too good a look at it in deeper water, the surprise/reaction bite option spoiled. It takes some experimenting to decide which is best.

Jim

 

[pawleysi]

i have found that a johnson spoon with a worm or other plastic is amazingly weedless in some sloppy stuff. the spoon just sort of glides on top like a snow ski. carolina weight drops down into the stuff. also a weightless jerk but it doesnt make the same commotion with the weeds as a spoon. im putting in some carp to make some edges. dont 100 % weed coverage.

 

[imonembad]

Please don't bring up snow I'm sick of it!!!

 

[Ouachita]

When bass are hitting a spinnerbait in cool water, I will try something a LITTLE faster or LITTLE slower with a better hookup history, not right away considering something radically slow like a weightless worm creeping along or sinking, drop shot, slow dragged grub, etc. Those make great follow-up baits to use in summer when a bass isn't connecting with a spinnerbait, but remains interested in it. Now if the bite improves or if instead of smaller bass the larger bass load up on something a LITTLE slower, I might experiment going still slower, but not radically. Step it down. A Dare Devil type spoon that flutters down fairly quickly, or a 1/4-1 oz spinnerjig like the Blakemore Road Runner BuckTail would be a little slower and maybe easier to catch and deal with than a spinnerbait. If the bite is shallow, a little slower would be that shallow running crankbait with a wide wobble. Most any brand or model thin sided crankbait should be good in cooling water. Whatever you like or have in those are worth trying. A little faster would be a Rattl Trap. In the Fall I keep one of those tied on, a spoon, a spinnerbait, a 3-4" grub for bottom crawling after a cold front, and a CC Spoon for country mile casts into breaking bass. That's about over with here. :'(

Jim

 

[jwbarker]

Ummm...how about a in-line spinner bait; I am thinking of the terminator in-line with a single hook that comes with a plastic grub which is rigged weedless on the hook. Another option would be ripping a shallow diving jerkbait or something on the lines of a Yum dinger or Zoom fluke...

 

[Ouachita]

In moss I'd think an in-line spinner would be very prone to clogging with weeds. Too much sticks out, each hook point begging for stem. I'd rather go with something like a Rapala DTF that wades through, the hooks shielded better, the lure moving slowly and methodically along a predictable path, and easy to rip out of trouble. The flats swim more like cold water prey. They stay in a strike zone an admirable time with little effort. WHADDAYA think?

Jim

 

[Guest]

Bobby,

In Texas I have learned that rattle traps fished in and over weeds are as effective or more effective then any other bait I have used. In the winter time all the way through spring time the best color would be red. Any variant of red as long as it is mostly red not orange. Rip the bait free of any grass and you will get reaction bites that no other lure generates.

The best set up for this is a med heavy rod with braid. The stiffer rod and braid allows you to flick the bait up out of the grass with minimal effort allowing you to reel in a clean bait more frequently then if you are using a softer rod with mono or flouro.

I have mimicked this same technique to excellent results here in Florida. In fact, it is almost all I have been doing for the past 2 months.

If the grass is too thick then a buzzbait worked over the top can produce nicely for you. Another option in real thick slop is to try a Lunker City Salad Spoon. Those are great surface lures that are weedless.