Bass in The Grass!

Bass in the Grass!

On the point Without a doubt the favorite spot for a bass to hang out is in the grass. From the time he is half the size of a minnow, vegetation offers the perfect blend of shade, cover, ambush spots, and such goodies as grass shrimp, worms, baitfish and snails.

When the bass gets larger the grass provides a navigation route, protection from boats and sun, and is also a favored habitat of shiners, frogs and snakes.

A fisherman would do well to consider the fishing area as if the vegetation is a part of the puzzle, but only part. In the absence of any vegetation the bass will concentrate his visits to the areas of cover and structure such as logjams in coves, stump fields, points, creek channel junctions or ditches. Heavy cover near deep water access is almost always going to attract a bass during some part of the year.

It stands to reason then that once the vegetation factor is added in, those favored hangouts of the bass may well just get better than ever. The pockets and breaks in the grass will be more attractive if they are on a point, in a stump bed, near a creek mouth, or on some other type of cover that would on it's own attract a bass.

The types of vegetation present can determine what the bottom consists of, as certain grasses grow in certain depths, and certain types of soils. The presence of Bonnet Lillies, also known as

Lotus Pads

Lotus Pads
for example, usually denotes a muck bottom, which may not have as much oxygen as other cover. Muck bottoms however, hold heat well and may be just the place to fish following a cold front.

Hydrilla

Hydrilla grows in water over 4 feet deep. Bass will be in hydrilla after the water reaches a higher temperature. Hydrilla is the most dominant feature of vegetation in many central Florida lakes, creating quite a navigational hazard at times in the late spring and summer. In central Florida the favored vegetation (which we love and hate) is Hydrilla. Hydrilla is anchored to the bottom and can grow as deep as 30 feet to the top.

Kissimmee Grass

Kissimmee Grass grows in around 2-4 feet of water and may contain lots of Bass. Kissimmee grass can be fished with lots of methods, both artificial and live bait.

Arrowhead Grass

The favorite spawning spot for bass. Also locally called Flags. Grows inside the Kissimmee grass line. Usually if the water is normal for winter-spring, a lot of the arrowhead is in fairly fishable water.

Reeds

grow in clumps among the Kissimee grass and Arrowhead. Pay careful attention to the matted areas. J

These are areas where the sawgrass has fallen over and is providing a shay surface for a bass to hide under. Bass lurk all in around the reeds. Reeds are in two categories. Sawgrass, which look like cattails, and buggy whips, which are thinner and much less matted. Sawgrass is thicker and often makes a nearly impenetrable wall along the shorelines and islands. Both hold plenty of bass and other creatures.

Coontail

Coontail is generally a long cylinder shaped weed that grows in deeper water and offers great cover for bass to ambush from. It is another favorite of central Florida anglers.

Hyacinths

One of the most hated aquatic weeds is the African Water Hyacinth, which clogs waterways and is difficult to control. Hyacinths can offer some terrific fishing for the fisherman willing to swim a shiner under a floating hyacinth island. Heavy tackle is needed here.

Eelgrass

Also known as Ribbon Grass, this is a delicate grass that usually is found in clear water rivers and lakes, and is usually found in 3 to 5 feet of water growing a foot or two off the bottom. It is a favorite hiding spot of shiners and bass.

Methods of fishing will vary a bit from grass type to grass type, but all can be fished with shiners and also several methods of artificial baits. I generally start out in early morning fishing the edges, and getting into heavier cover as the day goes on. Midday may dictate flipping the heaviest cover you can find, with a return to the edges as dusk approaches.