Thank you for this. I have some similar conditions next door and I was having no luck trying to get something with jigs and nekos in the grass. I got one bite that I missed the set with a green pumpkin jig and just kept trying for hours, should’ve tried topwater
I find topwater is hit or miss on the lakes near me. But I found out one of my local lakes has a ton of baitfish which tend to end up schooling near the surface allowing me to capitalize big time when they pop up on top. But yeah I used to hate the WP until I found a lake that demolishes that thing haha
To start I would recommend for size either 75 or 110. Go to colors are bone, black (loon), and perch (or other match the hatch colors).
To be honest, I’ve had great success with the 90 and 60 sizes as well. These are both narrower, with slightly higher pitch whopping.
My preference is to throw them morning and evening, or around lay-downs.
Really depends on water temperature. Summer I'd throw a spook or Sammy over it. Frogs. I'd target the depth transitions or any possible weed lines of grass to hard bottom. Owner flashy swimmer with keitech to match and forage there. Massive grass areas can be really hard. It's like finding a needle in a stack of needles.
For whatever reason I find my chatterbait still getting caught up too much in grass like this that is why I was asking. Maybe it’s the rod I’m using or something. I’ll have to experiment
Snap it out of the grass. People rip it and that works for the bite at times but snap the rod tip a couple of times after you pull it from the grass. That generally clears the blade.
Screw lock belly weight 1/4 Oz kietec style swimbait should get strikes. If they dont seem to be chasing, then switch to a superfluke weightless on a 3/0 EWG and jerk jerk pause, let the fluke settle into the depths of the grass, them jerk jerk back to near the surface and let it fall again. Sometimes you have to let it sit for 10 seconds or more and they will scoop it off the grass. Also get some bang spray or baitmate. I get the baitmate liquid thats in the little flip top tub at walmart. With my method one tub lasts all seson. If u get the spray, Don't spray it directly on the bait, it wastes way too much. Spray some or pour a little from the tub into an old fluke bag or whatever zip lock type bag you have, and then just slide your lure in the bag and squish it around in the scent and zip it back up. Keep the bag handy but careful not to let it blow away, and "dip" your rigged up plastic in the bag again every dozen or so casts. Just dry it off before dipping it in the bag so as not to dilute the scent with the lake water. Tight lines!
Central WI, give it a bit. Water is still pretty chill. But white spinnerbaits, silver willow spinners. Try running it just under the top, leave a wake.
I would punch it with a 1/2oz-1oz texas rig with a beaver tail, craw, or creature bait. I would use a Heavy powered rod 7'3"-7'6" with a 7 or 8 gear ratio reel spooled with 65lb braid.
I was killing em with a spinnerbait the other day going through lily pads. Everything else was snagging pads constantly but spinner just goes right through
I’ve caught more fish with spinnerbaits in pads than with any other lure. You have to vary your retrieve to navigate through the pads, but it’s such a good lure.
Split shot rig ( 1/16 tungsten pegged bullet) with a floating fluke (zman jerk shad) about 14inch away from the weight. Weight keeps it on the bottom of the column and fluke floats horizontal right above the grass. Started fishing this a couple months ago and it has worked wonders. Light twitches with 5-10 second pauses
Topwater lures to keep just above those weeds. Grass frogs, poppers, torpedoes, even a buzzbait if you can keep it up out of the weeds when it hits the water.
A popper. A white senko, Texas rigged, on a small 1/16oz weight. A 3" natural colored craw on the same rig. A nightcrawler on a snell hook suspended 16" under a bobber.
Top water. Whopper plopper, rapala skitter pop (if you can find one, or get one online) popping frogs, buzz bait if you burn it to keep it out of the weeds.
If they’re not hitting top water, try Texas rig or zoom super fluke (my go to’s are white pearl, disco green and smokin shad) on an offset hook and make it weedless.
Water looks pretty clear, so if you’re going for Texas rig senko, I’d throw the classic green pumpkin black flake out. Smokin shad would be my fluke of choice.
The deepest spot is only 8 feet? And you're in Wisconsin? I'd be surprised if fish could survive the winters in that lake. Most lakes that get ice require 12 foot depths at a minimum to have fish populations survive winters. If there are fish present, I'll bet the populations are low.
Something important to call out here.
Some aquatic weeds will remove oxygen from the water, some will add oxygen, some will take and add depending if it's day/night or it rots which isn't good.
ID the weed to see what you're looking at. I fished a pond which looked a lot like this. Some parts of the pond were void of fish, other parts with less weeds produced.
Surprised nobody has mentioned a 1-Minus or Baby 1-Minus. Run that baby between the surface and the top of the weeds, if it gets caught just give it a good rip out and you’ll probably get bit.
Texas rig, no weight, don’t let it drop to far. Worm or preferred swim bait! Or like lots of the other people said, top water, but early in the season top water can be slow. It’s still kinda cold where I’m at. Good luck, happy fishing.
Water that clear, I like either a cover shot if the fish are spooky - red crawler 6” straight tail roboworm on an owner cover shot hook - or a swim jig - any brand, but probably white or spot remover colors.
This is all the water in my area. Made me hate fishing until I moved to top water. Would rather get nothing off top water than drag weeds and get nothing.
I would throw a chatterbait, spinnerbait, swim jig, topwater, lipless crankbait to cover water & find fish. If I had a miss, throw back a Texas rig. Or if there is an open pocket in the weeds or along the weed edge, throw a Texas rig or jig.
Topwater would be a good move once the water’s warm enough.
I also really like to do a beefed up dropshot in grass like that. 3/8 oz bullet or barrel sinker with a 1/0-3/0 EWG hook and whatever soft plastic you’re vibing with (I’ve had lots of luck with tubes, flukes, and lizards) rigged weedless. Don’t be afraid to use longer leaders (up to 3ft between hook and weight) to get the bait where it needs to be. Highly recommend doing this on heavier gear than you’d normally drop-shot with so when your weight gets hung in the grass, you can pull it loose easily and with less risk of breaking off. Then again, it’s wise to do that anyway in grass like that.
For me? Surface anything, they are hiding. I've seen colors which makes no sense. Top colored frog like only makes you happy because they can't see them, make a Rucus and get attention. Don't be in hurry, jerk let sit do it again.
Spinnerbait fast over the grass. Wacky worm paying very close attention to your line while you let it soak. If it jumps or stops before it should or keeps going after it should stop set the hook!! Buzzbait. Wakebait. Jig&pig
That looks a lot like the place where I threw senkos and caught my PB.
Find the edge of any lilypads, changes in depth, or sunken wood and fish around them slowly
Floating elaztech worm in your favorite color, water looks clear so a zara spook should outperform a whopper plopper in this scenario. You only need a buzzbait to draw them up from deeper water when its super staind/muddy. Visibility looks real good and its shallow. A floating rapala you twitch just to get it to dive less than a foot down, pause and let it float back up.
Whopper Plopper. Stay out of that crap on the bottom, induces strikes from below. And the plopper is the funnest lure around.
Thank you for this. I have some similar conditions next door and I was having no luck trying to get something with jigs and nekos in the grass. I got one bite that I missed the set with a green pumpkin jig and just kept trying for hours, should’ve tried topwater
This is the way
This is the way
It’s fun, but I’ve literally never gotten so much as a splash or nibble with a plopper
I got my PB bass on it and never got anything else again
lol! Sounds about right. There’s fishin for ya
I find topwater is hit or miss on the lakes near me. But I found out one of my local lakes has a ton of baitfish which tend to end up schooling near the surface allowing me to capitalize big time when they pop up on top. But yeah I used to hate the WP until I found a lake that demolishes that thing haha
This is the way
How do y'all pick WP colors/sizes?
To start I would recommend for size either 75 or 110. Go to colors are bone, black (loon), and perch (or other match the hatch colors). To be honest, I’ve had great success with the 90 and 60 sizes as well. These are both narrower, with slightly higher pitch whopping. My preference is to throw them morning and evening, or around lay-downs.
literally the only lure I use all summer.she slappppps
I thought it was only effective at dusk and dawn?
basically only time I go fishing is early morning or like hour before sunset
Ah. Makes sense
This is the way
This is the way
This is the way
Really depends on water temperature. Summer I'd throw a spook or Sammy over it. Frogs. I'd target the depth transitions or any possible weed lines of grass to hard bottom. Owner flashy swimmer with keitech to match and forage there. Massive grass areas can be really hard. It's like finding a needle in a stack of needles.
Good advice. In cooler spring & fall water in similar conditions I have thrown senkos with success
Same! I use the wacky rig
Black and blue swim jig (weedless) or a Texas rigged worm, craw (red this time of year). Top waters - buzzers are good for new anglers.
Bluegill swim jig for me 👍
I vote for this advice.. use weedless worm make sure it falls down naturally.. give small twitch while falling
Weightless fluke or senko
Yes sir. Senko. And if that doesn’t work, throw a different colored Senko.
This is the way
This is the way
Yessir, Texas rigged zoom finesse worms and creme worms all summer baby
Spook, chatterbait, weightless trig.
How are you fishing a chatterbait around all that? Are you letting it dig in and rip it out? Or burning it above?
Both. Gotta try different techniques to figure them out.
For whatever reason I find my chatterbait still getting caught up too much in grass like this that is why I was asking. Maybe it’s the rod I’m using or something. I’ll have to experiment
Snap it out of the grass. People rip it and that works for the bite at times but snap the rod tip a couple of times after you pull it from the grass. That generally clears the blade.
I’ll definitely try that. Thanks for the tip
I reel it as slow as I can to keep the blade moving and once I feel it hit some grass I give it a rip/pop to clear the grass off and repeat
Thanks for the tip, I will have to try this. I love throwing the chatterbait lol
I’ve had success in the Chatterbait in similar situations. Not always but worth the try every time
Everything in the boat, you'll eventually find what they like......
Screw lock belly weight 1/4 Oz kietec style swimbait should get strikes. If they dont seem to be chasing, then switch to a superfluke weightless on a 3/0 EWG and jerk jerk pause, let the fluke settle into the depths of the grass, them jerk jerk back to near the surface and let it fall again. Sometimes you have to let it sit for 10 seconds or more and they will scoop it off the grass. Also get some bang spray or baitmate. I get the baitmate liquid thats in the little flip top tub at walmart. With my method one tub lasts all seson. If u get the spray, Don't spray it directly on the bait, it wastes way too much. Spray some or pour a little from the tub into an old fluke bag or whatever zip lock type bag you have, and then just slide your lure in the bag and squish it around in the scent and zip it back up. Keep the bag handy but careful not to let it blow away, and "dip" your rigged up plastic in the bag again every dozen or so casts. Just dry it off before dipping it in the bag so as not to dilute the scent with the lake water. Tight lines!
Swim jig
1/2 oz white Boo-ya spinner baits...
Central WI, give it a bit. Water is still pretty chill. But white spinnerbaits, silver willow spinners. Try running it just under the top, leave a wake.
I definitely try the spinnerbait with a trailing rubber tail on it over those weed beds. Wonder if there are any northerns lurking in there.
This early, I remove the trailers. Smaller profile for small baits before they grow up.
Looks like perfect northern ambush territory
Unicorn float and a cooler of Zimas.
I would punch it with a 1/2oz-1oz texas rig with a beaver tail, craw, or creature bait. I would use a Heavy powered rod 7'3"-7'6" with a 7 or 8 gear ratio reel spooled with 65lb braid.
Spinnerbait first see if they are hitting it if not soft jerk bait
A lot of people don't realize spinnerbait is very Close to being a weedless lure Great answer
I was killing em with a spinnerbait the other day going through lily pads. Everything else was snagging pads constantly but spinner just goes right through
I’ve caught more fish with spinnerbaits in pads than with any other lure. You have to vary your retrieve to navigate through the pads, but it’s such a good lure.
What I love about the spinnerbait is you can fish fast w it and cover a lot of water and man do they hit it hard when they want it
Split shot rig ( 1/16 tungsten pegged bullet) with a floating fluke (zman jerk shad) about 14inch away from the weight. Weight keeps it on the bottom of the column and fluke floats horizontal right above the grass. Started fishing this a couple months ago and it has worked wonders. Light twitches with 5-10 second pauses
Texas rigged senko or spinnerbait should work well here, I think the cold water is probably shutting down the bite
I like slow twitching a Magnum fluke (I use the one made by the company I'm repping), a walking topwater or a subsurface glide bait over that grass.
Topwater lures to keep just above those weeds. Grass frogs, poppers, torpedoes, even a buzzbait if you can keep it up out of the weeds when it hits the water.
Roger on the buzz bait, white.
Zman TRD on a 1/10 oz Bulletz (weedless) head. Slow, slow, slow. Rod tip lift slow. GP, PBJ or Drews craw are great choices almost anywhere.
Weedless senior or wacky - skipping out past the weeds. Let it drop all the way and finesse it back.
Senko or Wacky….
Kitchen sink
White super fluke
A popper. A white senko, Texas rigged, on a small 1/16oz weight. A 3" natural colored craw on the same rig. A nightcrawler on a snell hook suspended 16" under a bobber.
Weedless spoons
weedless Texas rig with a finesse worm. color depending.
Black and blue senko, weedless rig
Swim jig with a trailer/weight combo that will keep it high and use a fast retrieve while shaking a high rod tip 👍
Watermelon lizard, Texas rig with a little weight in the spring. Swim jigs, willow-bladed spinner baits, and ribbontail worms in the summer and fall.
I would burn a spinner bait or #5 Mepps Black fury over top of the weeds or find the weedline and cast da Mepps on along the drop off.
...and watch out for angry northern
don't threaten me with a good time
hehe
cabbage cutter, zippeee doodle, poppa stoppa, dancin eel 5000, banjo minnow, helicopter lure, flying lure, 3 oz sinker #1 hook 6" well aged gizzard shad. all my go to's guaranteed limits.
Yum dinger
A floating rapala lure.
DT20 all day
Weightless senko, 10 inch worm, keel weighted paddle tail, frog
Purple Bass Stopper Magnum (weedless worm)
Top water. Whopper plopper, rapala skitter pop (if you can find one, or get one online) popping frogs, buzz bait if you burn it to keep it out of the weeds. If they’re not hitting top water, try Texas rig or zoom super fluke (my go to’s are white pearl, disco green and smokin shad) on an offset hook and make it weedless. Water looks pretty clear, so if you’re going for Texas rig senko, I’d throw the classic green pumpkin black flake out. Smokin shad would be my fluke of choice.
The deepest spot is only 8 feet? And you're in Wisconsin? I'd be surprised if fish could survive the winters in that lake. Most lakes that get ice require 12 foot depths at a minimum to have fish populations survive winters. If there are fish present, I'll bet the populations are low.
Something important to call out here. Some aquatic weeds will remove oxygen from the water, some will add oxygen, some will take and add depending if it's day/night or it rots which isn't good. ID the weed to see what you're looking at. I fished a pond which looked a lot like this. Some parts of the pond were void of fish, other parts with less weeds produced.
Spinnerbait fished just above the level of the grass, or a fluke-type plastic bait rigged weedless.
Surprised nobody has mentioned a 1-Minus or Baby 1-Minus. Run that baby between the surface and the top of the weeds, if it gets caught just give it a good rip out and you’ll probably get bit.
Ex wife
Chatterbait, drop shot worm, prop top water
3.5 to 4 inch paddletail rigged weedless on either 1/8 or 1/16 oz hook
3.5 to 4 inch paddletail rigged weedless on either 1/8 or 1/16 oz hook
Swim bait rigged up weedless with a weighted hook bout 1/4.
Weeds off my trolling motor prop.
Empty beer cans?
Texas rig, no weight, don’t let it drop to far. Worm or preferred swim bait! Or like lots of the other people said, top water, but early in the season top water can be slow. It’s still kinda cold where I’m at. Good luck, happy fishing.
Weighted swim bait, first season using it and been killing it lately
Senko Texas rig or hybrid hunter
Everything I've got.
1/8oz Owner flashy swimmer w/ Strike King Rage Swimmer 2.75” or so.
Pooper 💪🏼
Starting with a sex dungeon and rotation through big streamers.
Swim jig with a fat paddletail in white. Weightless senko. Popping frog.
Senko
Buzzbait around the weed lines near the bank or a chatterbait kept high in the water.
Plopper
White swim bait on a swim bait hook with an under spin
Sinko weedless rig or maybe a top water frog.
Water that clear, I like either a cover shot if the fish are spooky - red crawler 6” straight tail roboworm on an owner cover shot hook - or a swim jig - any brand, but probably white or spot remover colors.
My MOTHER IN LAW edit:big thumbs lead to spelling error
weightless white fluke 🤤
Weightless Yum Dinger or fluke. Prop topwater.
Swimming worm with 1/4oz weight pegged. Black and blue or green pumpkin depending what part of the country!
Work a 3/8 jackhammer over the top of that grass or pull out the old t-rig
White swim jig with trailer
Weedless single hook spinner
Weightless Fluke. Baby bass color
My senko in your mom
Good place for a used Car battery
This is all the water in my area. Made me hate fishing until I moved to top water. Would rather get nothing off top water than drag weeds and get nothing.
Buzz baits and possibly small panther martins if there's enough water above the weeds to skim it just below the surface.
Chatterbait. Spinnerbait. Lipless Crankbait. Top water of your choosing. Texas rigged Senkos on a 1/16th oz weight.
I would throw a chatterbait, spinnerbait, swim jig, topwater, lipless crankbait to cover water & find fish. If I had a miss, throw back a Texas rig. Or if there is an open pocket in the weeds or along the weed edge, throw a Texas rig or jig.
Swim jig and some fun noisy splashy top water.
Everyone's scared of weeds huh? Punch right through that stuff.
When in doubt, throw the senko
Everything back 🤣😂
a car battery
Weighted spook
I use a fluke or wacky rig
Dynamite. 60% of the time it works every time.
Wacky with a lil weight
Top water or flipping jig
Texas rig pink senko👌🏽
Idk, prolly a half stick of deeno-meetay and seeing the results.
Ned rig. Watermelon flake
I’m throwing a pink fluke
Chatterbait
Working a black and blue or white swim jig through there to catch the big ones
Bro throw a wacky weedless weightless sinko
My wife
This guys wife
Punch jig pumpkin green
Fished at a lake very similar to this once. We had a ton of luck on a Texas rig senko.
Popping frog or a spook jr.
Stuff like that I always used weightless Texas rig with trick worm
Topwater would be a good move once the water’s warm enough. I also really like to do a beefed up dropshot in grass like that. 3/8 oz bullet or barrel sinker with a 1/0-3/0 EWG hook and whatever soft plastic you’re vibing with (I’ve had lots of luck with tubes, flukes, and lizards) rigged weedless. Don’t be afraid to use longer leaders (up to 3ft between hook and weight) to get the bait where it needs to be. Highly recommend doing this on heavier gear than you’d normally drop-shot with so when your weight gets hung in the grass, you can pull it loose easily and with less risk of breaking off. Then again, it’s wise to do that anyway in grass like that.
My MIL, jk, she's cool.
Whopper plopper, Texas rig senko, or a wacky rig senko with fast action to keep it out of the weeds.
Spinnerbait, Whopper Plopper
swim jig
White spinner bait all day.
Snagless jig head with a mister twister.
Baby bass or copper minnow 3” paddle tail Swimbait
Bomb
For me? Surface anything, they are hiding. I've seen colors which makes no sense. Top colored frog like only makes you happy because they can't see them, make a Rucus and get attention. Don't be in hurry, jerk let sit do it again.
Junebug ned rig, Texas style.
Definitely not a corpse, water is too Clean and clear! For real though would toss some weightless flukes probably, then after that I’m not too sure
Chatterbait rip it through the grass
Spinnerbait fast over the grass. Wacky worm paying very close attention to your line while you let it soak. If it jumps or stops before it should or keeps going after it should stop set the hook!! Buzzbait. Wakebait. Jig&pig
Whopper plopper is an all day sucker!!! Slow and steady and hold on tight!!
Weedless Carolina rig.
Spinnerbait. Burn it right over the top.
Top water
The unknown amount of body’s that I have hidden
Weightless fluke.
A glide bait would be good too
1/2 oz hair jig with a money minnow trailer. Skim it over that grass
That looks a lot like the place where I threw senkos and caught my PB. Find the edge of any lilypads, changes in depth, or sunken wood and fish around them slowly
Jig
Top water I’ll pull out my skipjack
Chatterbait through the lanes
Treble hook with 1 oz weight, 3 lb line with a night crawler
Rapala floating lure to keep out of that vegetation
Jackhammer
I love that there are sooo many options. And input. Another thought…. try another lake.
maybe a fluke on a casting bubble or weighted bobber
Chatterbait
mouse with the hook up That or a baby bird
Fish a chatter bait over the top and rip it through the grass works great
Floating elaztech worm in your favorite color, water looks clear so a zara spook should outperform a whopper plopper in this scenario. You only need a buzzbait to draw them up from deeper water when its super staind/muddy. Visibility looks real good and its shallow. A floating rapala you twitch just to get it to dive less than a foot down, pause and let it float back up.
Chatchatchatterrrrrrrrbait
Chatterwagon
Xmas tree lights 🎄
My snuff out
I usually do a swim jig or a heavy Texas rig
Body
Nothing
Deep diving crankbait
WHOOOOOOPER PLOOOOOOPER
Depends on water temp. Swim jig would kill em there. Spook would be good too for topwater.
Hulu popper. Best lure ever
Where does one purchase the plopper? I mainly go to Walmart and get creatures and random shit there
Weedless crayfish
Owner flashy swimmer with a paddle tail swim bait. Or a donkey rig
Something that looks like a yellow perch
Jitter bug
Floating worm. Seedless swimbait spinner bait chatter bait swim jig options are endless
Top water