Why Big Bass Prefer Grass

When I go to a lake to practice for a tournament or to pre-fish a body of water before filming a television show, I look for areas that will produce good-sized fish. One sure thing I can always count on is grass.

Grass is a generic term for several types of aquatic vegetation like cattails, needle grass, duckweed, etc., but I'm primarily talking about underwater grass such as hydrilla, milfoil and coontail. These three compose a holding area for bass that is almost certain to have a variety of sizes of largemouth bass, including big ones. You can almost count on bass being in the grass at some time during the course of a day.

On some lakes, there are only patches of grass. These patches will be productive, but they will not produce large numbers of fish. On other lakes, there will be large beds of hydrilla, coontail and milfoil almost choking the lake. In this case, areas of the beds that form a point and shallow flats that are near heavy cover or deep water will be better than others.

Keep in mind that the lower the light, the more aggressive the bass will be. Night fishing is always good near grass beds since the vegetation acts as a water filter and keeps the water extremely clear. Daytime fishing is productive in these waters too, especially on cloudy, rainy days and deeper down at the base of the weedbed edges.

Ideally, I prefer to work the edges of weedbeds because that is where feeding bass usually lie in wait for their next meal. To effectively fish a line of weeds, I use spinnerbaits to cover the top edges and down a few feet. I'll make a second pass with deep-diving crankbaits, probing the lower haunts of the weeds. Then, I'll fish the edge one more time with a plastic worm, working the area at the bottom of the lake where the grass begins to grow. Usually there are a few smaller plants along the bottom edge of the growth, and these make for perfect habitat for bass to move around in to feed and feel secure.

The flats are another area of grass you should fish. These are normally in the upper end of the lake where the feeder creeks and main channel flow into the reservoir or lake.

After I get an area isolated, I look for splotchy areas as opposed to solid vegetation matted on the surface. Using a topwater bait like a frog, a Pop-R or a jerkbait, I like to make a ruckus as I move the bait across the matted areas, then stop it and crawl it through the open areas.

Buzzbaits and other topwater baits are excellent for working over weedy areas that have about 3 feet of water between the vegetation and the surface. The bass in this type of cover may vary in size from 14 inches to 4 or 5 pounds.

For shallow-water areas, don't hesitate to drudge a magnum-sized crankbait through the grass. As it rips through the weeds, bass in every direction will see and feel its action. Of course, your bait will gather some weeds, but just shake them off at the end of the cast. If bass are biting your crankbait, stay with it all day for some incredible catches.

Remember, grass is a key area on any lake. If you see it, stop and fish it. Also, be sure to mark its location on your topo map for a permanent record, because grass comes back from year to year in the same area. Now that you know how to fish it, you should be able to make some terrific grassy bass catches.