Punching through heavy grass???

[bassmaster84]

Hi guys

Been a while since I posted something, and thought it ideal to make a comeback... :blue-cool: Had a blast at TBC yesterday, but man Boskop is grass filled from top to bottom... had 2 or 3 bites, but those buggers got away! anyway... when it comes to fishing HEAVY grass, i was wondering what the more seasoned anglers do to punch through HUGE grass mats to where the piggies hide? I was texas riggin my baits and even tried mojo but kept picking up grass by the tons... used gummies, to avoid grass pinching between weight and hook, smaller bullets and even reverted to split shot weights, but the grass kept coming with... ,ive seen some screw in weights (your opinions would be appreciated) and punch skirts, but that changes the entire profile?! Also i tend to use ewg hooks, but they love bringing some grass with them... smaller gap hooks sometimes does not go through the baits too well... :eusa_wall:

What would the perfect setup/ riggin techniques be for this type of scenario?

[BillyBass]

Hi bassmaster84.

I love that kind of fishing but sadly we don't have many dams here that i am aware of where we can apply this technique. The few that I know of however, I've found that for me a heavier tungsten weight from 3/8 ounce upwards, a gamakatsu heavy cover flipping hook and a Big Bite Baits yodaddy or yomamma pitched into small holes in thick grass does the trick.

It's up to you as to whether you prefer to use this technique on braid or thick quality fluorocarbon. Personally where I've used this technique fluorocarbon like Seaguar Tatsu in 20lb has been fine for me.

The problem with fishing with light weights etc is that your bait hardly ever has a free fall to the bottom and will very often end up frustrating you by hooking up in the grass etc.

My 2c

[Sean Murphy]

Is this not the right situation to be using a Jig?

[Josvanheerden]

Firstly I would probe the top with a buzzbait or frog to see if there are any active fish. A weightless fluke or Ztoo fished in a walk the dog fashion also works quite well.

Then I will look for pockets to drop a horney toad or the fluke into.

Then I will rig the 3/4 or 1oz weight with a sweet beaver and punch through the mat to see if there are any fish underneath.

[bassmaster84]

Is this not the right situation to be using a Jig?

Hi Sean,

the jig is probably the biggest culprit in the grass gathering department... Works wonders on rocky bottoms and slight grassy patches though...

@Billy and Jos thanks for the input, It's definitely worth a try. I've noticed that bullet sinkers when sliding pinches the grass, and then brings grass with, and gummies dont really seem to keep them in place? Is there something similar to the mojo 'stops/pegs' to use for tungsten weights perhaps? The other thing I noticed is that the more of the underside of the hook exposed the more likely it is to bring some grass with... Does anyone know of a type of hook that sits flush with your soft plastic's 'belly'? This particular dam is relatively deep, so weightless baits dont punch through, and if it does takes a looooong time to reach the target zone.

I'm talking grass like enough to collectively build a 30x30 - 150m high pile! so no matter where you cast your bait is pulling through the thick stuff...

Lets hope the next dam is slightly less grassy! hehe! :eusa_whistle:

[Brenden]

Hey bassmaster84
like Billy pointed out we don't have loads of grass here but when I do get to fish in grass the Gamakatsu heavy cover flipping hook is the best hook I have used for flipping. give it a try

[dollar]

no man, youve got it back to front. build that 30x30x150 pile, give it a rest for an hour or two then fish it. my preferred baits for fishing the grass (top to bottom of the list) suspending jerk, lipless cank, swim jig, texas then mojo. if you aint catching grass then you aint catching bass. its just one of those things, it comes with the territory. if you dont like it, find areas without grass like the dam wall, rip raps, rocky ledges.
btw, the 2 or 3 knocks you felt, they were most probably the bass ejecting your rubber. it happens alot in grass, learn to be a line watcher.