Page 182 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2024

SPORTS & OUTDOORS
THICK GRASS BASS
story and photos by John N. Felsher Invading the Vegetative Lairs of Lunker Largemouths
By late summer or early fall, aquatic grasses reach their densest growth. During mild winters, grass doesn’t
die off. It just keeps growing in
places like the Pearl and Pascagoula River deltas. In these deltas, huge grass mats stretch across significant acreage.
Grass provides outstanding oxygen, cover and hunting grounds for bass as well as prey species. Frequently, the biggest bass lurk
in the thickest weeds. Grass mats provide cooling shade. Even during the hottest days, some bass always stay under shallow grass.
“I’ve seen bass go so shallow they practically stick their backs out of the water,” recalls Paul Elias, a former Bassmaster Classic champion from Laurel.
When grass grows thick and mats on the surface, anglers must either go over the
top or through the roof to entice lunker
largemouths holding in their vegetative fortresses. Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits work well around grassy edges and little open seams, but they still hang up on thick mats.
“When bass go shallow, throwing a spinnerbait or a buzzbait can be very effective,” Elias recommends. “I like to throw a black buzzbait or a chartreuse and white spinnerbait. If I see logs or stumps, I’ll bounce the baits off of them. I also
like to run a white or black frog across lily pads.”
Nothing goes over grass mats like buzzing frogs. Rigged weightless with the hook inserted into the body or with upturned hooks, soft-plastic frogs look like natural prey as they skitter across the densest cover. Bass commonly erupt through the grass to attack these lifelike morsels, engulfing grass, frog and all.
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Grassy areas can produce big bass, like this one.