Tips for Fishing Dense Vegetation

Fishing in heavy vegetation can be challenging but also highly rewarding, so be patient, precise with presentations, and persistent when working dense vegetation. 

By understanding the nuances of weed bed make-up; using the right techniques and equipment; and remaining alert, you increase your chances of landing a potential personal best that may be lurking beneath the vegetative canopy.

Here are some tips to help you catch more and bigger bass from heavy vegetation:

Use heavy tackle: Working baits in and bass out of heavy vegetation can put a lot of strain on your gear, so use a heavy rod and line to pull fish out of the weeds. A 7-foot or longer heavy or extra-heavy rod with 50-65 lb braided line will give you the power and sensitivity needed to handle big bass when fishing thick cover; a 7-foot M/H action rod with 15-25 lb fluorocarbon line works well when fishing weed edges and lanes.

Use weedless lures: Heavy vegetation can quickly tangle and snag your lures, making it difficult to fish effectively. To combat this, use weedless lures like plastic worms, frogs, or spinnerbaits that are designed to be fished in and around vegetation without getting snagged.

Try punching: If the vegetation is particularly thick, you may want to try a punching technique. This involves using a heavy weight and a weedless rigged, thin-profile soft plastic bait to punch through the vegetation and get your lure to the bass below.

Fish the edges: Look for areas where the vegetation meets open water or where there are breaks (indents, lanes, points) in the weed line. Bass often hang out in these areas, waiting for prey to venture out into the open. When fishing edges additional baits like lipless and squarebill crankbaits, walking and prop-type topwaters, and suspending jerkbaits come into play.

Target shady areas: Vegetation provides shade and bass are known to seek refuge in these cooler areas during the hot summer months. Fish these shady pockets with snag-proof baits like jigs and Texas-rigged soft plastics.

Take a moment and watch as bass pro and 2022 Classic Champ Jason Christie offers some great insight into his approach to selecting baits when fishing dense vegetation below: