RISE ABOVE
Frogs and other weedless topwater baits are perfect for covering large overgrown areas without getting hung up .
PHOTO BY BRANDON ROWAN
River2Sea Ish Monroe Phat Mat Daddy Frog . Color : yellow head | Strike King KVD Popping Perch . Color : bluegill
war on grass has been raging for decades on our freshwater lakes and streams . When water skiers rule and property owners mistake their lakes for swimming pools , those life-giving plants , inappropriately dubbed “ weeds ,” face hostile mobs all too ready to force their extinction . Too bad . Aquatic vegetation is critical to the health of our waters , and a healthy bass population is often a glorious byproduct of a fishery rich with underwater and lake-rimmed gardens provided by Mother Nature .
Knowledgeable bass anglers sing its praises and work the grass beds high and low . Yet vegetation poses its share of challenges to even the welcoming angler : Where to start ? What to target ? What baits to use ?
The best way to make friends with bass-friendly grass is to understand how bass take to this splendid habitat and to adopt tactics to fish it effectively .
Here ’ s how four veterans of Major League Fishing competition turn potential weed woes into full-on splendor in the grass .
Ish Monroe : One-Two ( Frog and ) Punch
California ’ s Ish Monroe is quick to recite a litany of reasons why aquatic vegetation supports a healthy bass fishery . He cites oxygen , cleaner water , protection for fry and a healthy food chain . But history makes the better case .
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
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