All About Bass Fishing - Guide To Finding Bass In Grass Beds

Grass is a magnet to bass and other species of fish, baitfish and most forms of aquatic life. Grass provides exceptional cover for predator and prey alike. Grass also generates oxygen and improves the quality of the water. If the lake where you fish for bass includes grass beds, be sure to consider these a prime target area for locating bass.

3 Most Important Factors About Grass Beds

When grass is available, it typically holds more bass than any other type of cover.
Grass grows primarily in clear water lakes.
Bass are not as spooky when holding in grass beds.

3 Most Effective Fishing Methods & Lures

Lipless crankbaits fished in the tops of the grass.
Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and worms fished along weed lines.
Top water and swim baits worked over the top of grass beds.

Bass In The Grass

If you are fishing a bass lake with grass growing in it, it becomes important to understand the characteristics of grass and how bass relate to it. First of all grass doesn’t grow in every lake. The conditions needed for a bass lake have grass include stable water levels, clear water and muddy bottoms. Bass love this grass for several reasons. They hide in it to ambush their food and there is typically a plentiful supply of food living in the grass. These food sources include crawfish, many types of bait fish, crustaceans and many types of insects.

Fishing In The Grass

Anglers have a hard time fishing in the grass because it is so thick it can be difficult to get a lure into the proper location. Once you do get a bass hooked it’s hard to get them out of the grass and land it. First of all it is important to have special equipment, especially in your rods and reels. 7ft rods are beneficial to getting the hooked fish out from the grass. Braided line (65 lb test) can help slice thru the grass and weeds.

Choose fishing lures designed for this type of cover. You can use a crankbait or a spinnerbait but they have some limitations. You can only use them above the grass or on the edges and openings because they will get hung up in the grass. If the grass is not growing to the surface you have all kinds of surface lures that work well. If there is about 12 inches of water over the grass, this opens up a large category of sub surface minnow lures such as a soft jerkbait or a rip bait.

A technique that is used where the grass is so thick there are no openings is called punch bait fishing. This is accomplished using a very heavy weedless jig (1-1/2 OUNCE), letting the heaviness of the jig punch thru the grass. Once the lure has penetrated the matted grass on the surface, jig it up and down. Getting the bass out is not an easy task either. That is why you need special equipment and heavy line.

Finding Bass In The Grass

Bass can be anywhere in this grass. When the water temperature is in the mid 50s or higher grass generates a lot of oxygen. Typically when the temperature drops below 55 degrees grass starts dying and depletes oxygen. The bass will move out of grass once this happens. When bass live in the grass on a big flat or in a large bays, the key areas will be near depth changes. Use depth finders or lake maps to identify where the contours are located. Bass often use these small breaks as a place to hold.