The title of this week’s story is probably a pretty good description of what I call my lawn, but if you are a bass fisherman that likes to hit the area lakes during these summer months, you are obviously finding an abundance of weeds there as well. That’s pretty normal, and most serious bass fisherman, especially if they are in pursuit of largemouths, are prepared ahead of time to try the weeds for bass. Some fishermen just give up once the weeds begin to proliferate, but the truth is if you adjust some of your techniques and lures to avoid a lot of hang-ups and frustration, there is still some great largemouth bass fishing to be had.

Certainly, some of the old standards will still produce in the open water; minnow type lures and deeper diving plugs can still put a bend in your rod, but if you want to get into or close to the weeds, that rod bend could be more the result of a weed and not a fish. I’ll still work those lures, but if snags and hang-ups become too much of a problem, I’m digging into the tackle box for something more weedless-welcome a number of soft plastic presentations.

One of my first rigs is the well-known Texas Rig; generally, it’s a cone-type sinker that is slid onto the line. After the hook is attached and then rigged to a plastic presentation of some type, the cone sinker slides down over the head of the lure; I usually shove a toothpick into the top of the cone sinker to keep it from sliding. Rig the hook into the soft plastic lure in a weedless manner with the hook tip tucked just beneath the soft plastic. This presentation can be fished fairly effectively in weeds and snags without too much of a problem. I most often use different worms, and several types of lizard lures with this rig.

The next rig, a Carolina Rig, is similar but with one major variation; the cone sinker is separated from the lure and further up the line. Slide the appropriate size cone sinker on the line, then slide on a colorful plastic bead-red or chartreuse and then tie on a size 10 or 12 swivel. Now, to the open end of the swivel, you usually attach one to three feet of additional line with the hook and lure of choice. You can peg the cone sinker with a toothpick as well. The beauty of this rig is the sinker will go down into the weeds while the lighter, plastic lure will float or move at a higher level in the water column. Try to adjust the length of the line, so the lure stays just above the weed tops.

Another rig I have found to be effective is the good old wacky rig presentation; you simply hook the plastic worm in the middle, often with no weight, and let it sink; a split-shot can be pinched on if you want a faster drop. In weeds and structure, you may want to go to a weedless hook when rigging the worm. These lures can all be worked in and around watermilfoil, coontail, elodea, and even cattails, bulrushes, and surface weeds like water lilies.

Speaking of surface weeds like water lilies, another very effective and exciting way to target largemouths is actually with a weedless surface presentation — I’m talking about the soft plastic, weedless frog that comes in a variety of colors from real-life color to black. These lures can be cast right on top of lily pads and worked slowly into openings in pads. The hooks are tight on either side of the lure and won’t hang up. Be ready for some real explosive strikes. By the way, most of these rigs are usually best delivered with more versatile bait casting outfits. I usually switch to open-faced spinning tackle when pitching a wacky worm since it’s more sensitive, and sensitivity is very important when wacky rigging. I have also found fluorocarbon line and braided line to perform better due to the increased sensitivity.

After you get the weeds out of your yard, try hitting the weeds at a local lake-it’s more fun than working in your yard.