By Chris Erwin
If you are a farmer or gardener weeds are your archenemy. You fight them all summer trying to beat them back so your plants can grow and flourish.
I’ve wondered at times how something can grow when I’m doing all I can to kill them. However, when it comes to fishing in the summer, weeds are on your side.
There is an art to fishing weeds and the more you learn about it, the more successful you will be. Bass tend to hold in weeds in the summer. They provide cover, shade and a food source all at the same time. I wish it were as simple as: Find some weeds and start hauling in the fish. But, nothing is ever that simple.
You need to think about the weeds like a big under-water fish house. Sometimes, they want to be in the back yard, and sometimes they want to be in the front yard. Other times they want to be hid in the back room under the covers. Your chore is to know when and with what lure you need to be knocking on this fish haven home.
Early in the morning, bass tend to be on the very edges of the weeds or grass pockets. At times, they may even leave the weeds to move up on points and channel edges. However, as the sun takes over the day, and photosynthesis peaks, the oxygen levels will spike in the weeds and bass and other game fish will move deeper into them. Your approach and presentation must match the mood of the fish.
Lures like topwater “Pop R” jerkbaits and even buzzbaits are good choices to start with. Fan casting the weed edges, breaks and points should all be on the menu until you establish a pattern.
As the sun gets high, it’s time to change to lipless crankbaits, weightless worms, Senko type worms, or even a wacky rigged worm. Spinner baits are also a choice you shouldn’t over look. The hotter it gets, the deeper in the weeds you want to fish. Look for little open pockets or cracks in the stand of weeds.
When the evening begins to take over the day, and light gets lower in the sky, it’s time to revert back to the lures that worked in the low-light hours of the morning.
When fishing weeds, you should take note of the same kind of things you would look for any other time when building a pattern. Are the fish in shallow-water weeds or deep edges? Do they want the lure falling, slow rolling, or buzzing? If you happen to be fishing one of the weightless rigs, pay attention to how deep the bait needs to fall before you get a strike. Once you refine your pattern, you will spend a lot more time catching fish and lot less time looking for fish.
The other thing that comes into play when fishing weeds is boat position and wind direction.
You need to position the boat so the wind is not blowing you into the strike zone of the fish or into the weeds where you will get stuck and end up ruining the spot you’re fishing. I also like to have the sun to my back so I’m not fighting the glare off the water.
They are many ways to fish in the heat of the summer, and I hope to cover them all as we begin the dog days of summer.
If you have good success tell me about it or if you would like to see a particular method covered drop me a line at trimmer308@windsteam.net
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