How many times have you heard that phrase before? Right off the top of my head I can recall about fifteen different types of grass that bass like to relate to, so when you hear that statement you might want to dig a little deeper for the answer.
The one thing that we all know is that bass like vegetation but sometimes they will prefer one type of grass over the others for many different reasons. Usually while you are out fishing you will encounter many different types of grass so every time you get a bite you need to really look at the grass that the bite came from. Any angler that knows anything about bass fishing knows the importance of pattern fishing and in a lot of cases the type of grass the bass are relating to is a pattern.
There are many different lures or tools that will fish the vegetation here on Lake Okeechobee, some more effectively than others. Looking back over the years and remembering the lures we had to choose from way back then, we basically had plastic worms and Johnson spoons. Today the spoon has been replaced with buzz frogs and soft swim baits and joined by dozens of other different style lures. I know that the spoon will still catch a lot of bass in the thickest grasses here on the Big ‘O’ but the introduction of the swim bait has revolutionized the world we live in today. For the novice angler and the top pros that will tackle the Big ‘O’ this season, the swim bait will be the number one lure for angling on the Big ‘O’. It’s like an all terrain vehicle, it will go anywhere and is very efficient. Having a lure that you can cast into the thickest grass and get it back to the boat with no grass on it makes fishing the heaviest grass enjoyable. Remember, lures are tools and the swim bait is a tool you must have in your arsenal when you are angling here on the best bass fishing lake in the world, Lake Okeechobee.
The one thing all the great bass fishing lakes have in common is they all have some type of grass and we have a lot of grass here on the Big ‘O.’ Eelgrass, hydrilla, pepper grass, coon tail, reeds, bulrushes and many types of pads. Patterning a lake like the Big ‘O’ is not that hard if you will take the time to just look around every time you catch a fish and see where it came from, the type of grass, color of the water and probably the most important thing, the depth of the water. All the great anglers know that when you can see a pattern you can start eliminating a lot of areas and just start targeting the areas that have the right grass and depth that the bass are relating too.
Just remember, the next time you hear that the bass are in the grass, dig a little deeper and see if you can get a little more information about the type of grass and don’t forget to look at where you are getting your bites, this could be the start of a great pattern and a very good day of fishing. Finally keep in mind, what happened today may not be what is happening tomorrow. That is what makes the sport of bass fishing such a great challenge.
For more information on the fishing catch HOOKED UP WITH STEVE & DEB the voice of Okeechobee fishing starting Friday 1, 7am, & 4pm, Saturday & Sunday 10am east, renoviolaoutdoors.com, Saturdays 100.9fm, wokc.com, & Sunday 100.5fm wafcamfm.com 5am east. For more information visit www.OkeechobeeProSteveDaniel.com. or call 239.560.2704
