It’s a hot July summer day and you’re sweating, so you get under an umbrella for some shade. You then jump into the deep end of the pool to reach the coolest water you can. Largemouth bass are doing the same thing. They are looking for shade in the shallows or swimming into deep, cooler water to feed and stay comfortable in the summer. One thing that’s available in both areas: grass.
Summer grass means bass. My favorite way to catch them all season long is locating healthy grass growth and fishing it in various ways. There are three proven techniques that are commonly employed to snatch green out of the green stuff.
My go-to technique and favorite method in any type of grass is flipping. The two baits that are most effective are the jig and Texas rig. Look for milfoil, hydrilla, or coontail for good flipping grass. If you can find isolated patches, these are more likely to hold bass. I look for grass growth in or around other types of structure, such as wood or rock. When it comes to the Texas rig, I use a ¼-ounce bullet weight pegged over a worm hook. It is extremely effective in grass due to its weedless nature and natural presentation. Change weight based of depth and grass thickness, but lighter is better for a slow fall.
When the wind blows and eliminates your ability to effectively pick apart grass with the flipping technique, switch to moving baits—specifically, a chatterbait or a belly-weighted weedless swimbait. You can cover a ton of water with moving baits over grass and trigger more bites. Fish them along grass lines, weed edges, or right over the top of grass flats.
Fish tend to look upward when sitting in heavy grass, hoping to ambush baitfish above them. I use a 3/8-ounce Owner Beast hook with any 4- to 7-inch soft plastic swimbait that looks natural to the specific body of water. Slow-rolled swimbaits over grass can produce some massive fish.
When the sun is rising or setting, low-light conditions are great opportunities to fish topwater baits over grass. Make long casts over grassy areas to cover water and pull fish from the vegetation to the surface. Walking baits and prop baits excel at this. Try a traditional spook bait or a Whopper Plopper If you are targeting specific, isolated grass patches. Fish a popper over these areas so you can hold the bait in the strike zone longer. Topwater fishing over grass may lead to some of the best bass fishing you can find.
Summertime Strategies for Big Largemouth Bass
