Pulling Big Bass from the Grass
Capt. Mike Gerry tells how to catch tournament-winning bass in the fall.

One of the most difficult things for anglers to do in late September is to find bass big enough to win a tournament. On lakes like Guntersville there’s an enormous amount of matted vegetation in the shallow waters. The grass, milfoil, duckweed, and hydrilla are at their thickest and bass are buried way back under the matted weeds feeding on bait. Getting to them is extremely difficult, but it can be done if you’re willing to put in some prep time on the water before the tournament and some hard work the day you fish.

First, you have to be willing to risk your motor getting clogged up in the deep grass. To win a fall tournament on Guntersville you need to trim up your big motor and cut paths through the matted grass to the icky, slimy, nasty, overgrown areas in a foot of water. When the baitfish are pushed way back into the thick grass, so are the big bass, and the only way for you to get back there is to cut a path to them using your big motor.

When you have done this and found some monster bass willing to hit your “rat,” then take a little more time and make sure your path is cut clear enough to get you back into the thick grass on the day of the tournament. You don’t want to be wasting time cutting paths during your limited tournament fishing hours.

The next thing is to be able to move quietly within a hundred yards or so of the grassy areas you found holding big fish. Moving silently improve your chances of catching those monsters. Here is where the work comes in.

Buy or make a push pole that’s light enough for you to handle easily andstrong enough to shove your boat through and over the thick grass. On tournament day, follow your path all the way to your destination. Raise your big motor out of the water but don’t drop your trolling motor. It is just not quiet enough and generally gets too clogged with weeds to be effective in such areas. Instead, use your push pole to move the boat. If the wind is up, it’s a good idea to work up-wind first so that the breeze will help you return to your exit path later.

This is spot fishing. Keep your eyes peeled for holes in the grass. They don’t have to be big; just wide enough to slip your lure through or across.

You have two options; go down through the grass to reach the fish, or make them come up to you. To reach fish under the mats, use heavy jigs or Texas-rigged soft plastics so you can get your bait to the bottom. I get the best results using a 4-inch tube with a 3/4- to 1-ounce sinker pegged above it. The bass will be hiding in the coolest water they can find, just under the canopy of floating vegetation and will usually hit your lure as it passes through the hole. If you don’t get hit as your lure drops to the bottom, bring it back up to the edge of the hole and shake it just under the mat. Often, bass lurking nearby will mosey over to investigate and will clobber your lure.

Sometimes the bass are willing to come up after your offering. Cast past the hole or opening, reel your rat back to the hole, work it across the open water, and then reel in and cast again and again. Look for movement in the weeds surrounding the hole that indicate movement of fish. If nothing happens, try the next hole. When you’ve exhausted all the holes within a short distance, pick up your pole and reposition the boat.

The big catches are hard to come by, but they’re possible if you’re willing to take risks and invest some hard work to catch them. And now you know how.

Captain Mike Gerry
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
Web: www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
(256) 759-2270