Top Summer Bass Lures for Fishing Weedy Water

Lily pads, milfoil, hydrilla and others are all names of common weeds and plants that choke swamps, ponds, lakes and rivers during the warm summer months. These usually drive summer anglers completely nuts, as they will tangle up the hook and rigs of most common fishing tackle. Unfortunately, these spots can be a huge draw for fish, as they can hide under the canopy of plants, safe from predators and other threats. Largemouth bass in particular are known for hiding and cruising under these mats of algae and other plants. Bass fisherman and fisherwomen must become adept at getting their lures through (or at least close) to these tangled masses for optimal success. Try these tips for targeting bass hiding under these snag-prone areas to improve your fishing trips today.

Texas Rig
The Texas Rig is one fishing setup every bass angler simply must know how to use. It is the best way to make a plastic worm (or other plastic bait) weedless. Simply insert the hook (specially designed for plastics) in the head of the lure, pull it through until near the eye, then (with the top part of the hook still embedded in the lure), rotate the free sharp end, and bury it back into the plastic worm. Some anglers like pushing it back through just enough to show a little bit of it sticking through, making it easier to set the hook when a fish grabs it. This rig can be fished in a multitude of ways, with or without weights. A bult, often pegged to the line right before the hook is tied on, is the most popular weight for it. Be sure to set the hook hard to penetrate the worm and the fishes' mouth at the same time.

Blast a Jig
Another tactic for getting under and into thick algae cover is to use a heavy bass jig with a weed guard. Tip this jig with your favorite plastic (look into a swimmer rig, basically a plastic minnow on the end of the rig). Using heavy gear, use this heavy jig to "blast" through the algae, into pockets and holes underneath the weeds. Fish it like you would fish most jigs, but get ready for some hard hits!

Heavy Line + Heavy Gear
Make sure to use some heavy gear and heavy line for fishing this sort of algae cover. This is especially important to use when you are fishing with lily pads. Large bass can quickly wrap your line around the thick stems of the pads and make fishing a sad experience. Braided line is recommended, and most anglers will suggest using a baitcaster for such fishing. Using 4lb or 8lb test line in such situations is just asking for problems.

Froggin' the Pads
Try throwing a plastic frog, topwater style, ontop of the pads or other algae growth while fishing for bass. This is a pretty popular technique but it is important to master for good bass fishing. Expect to have a lot of missed hooksets, but do not get disappointed by such happenings. Bass have a hard time hitting moving frogs, but with practice you should be able to hook the majority of them. Look into the Ragetail plastic frogs or the Spro frogs for some good bass-catching lures.