What to do About Weeds

Different types of weeds and how to fish them

There are many different types of weeds that you may encounter at your favorite fishing hole. While this may seem like a bad thing, in most cases it’s not. In fact, it can even make fishing easier. The first thing you have to do is figure out what type of weed you’re dealing with.

The most common type of weed that I have encountered in smaller ponds are cattails. Also called reeds or bullrushes, these fibrous plants usually live around the edges but can also be found anywhere the water is about 3 feet deep or less. Interesting side note here, the tops cattails look like corndogs, and if you have any gullible friends, watching them eat a “wild corndog” can make for a good time. They aren’t toxic. In fact, it is one of the only plants that are completely edible from the roots to the flower. When they reach mature wild corndog status, however, the flower is filled with a substance that looks very similar to cotton. It is not very tasty, but it is safe and it also makes a wonderful fire starter. Now, back to the topic. Cattails are a favorite hideout of many fish species. The trick with cattails is to get into a position where you can cast along the edge of them. You should try to keep your bait as close to them as possible during the retrieve without actually touching them. Cattail leaves are extremely fibrous and it can be very difficult to get your hook out of them once it’s in there. Any bait will work, but the more exposed hooks the bait has, the more room you’ll want between the bait and the cattails.

Floating leaf pond weed and some of its cousins are vine-like weeds that grow around the edges of many ponds. They can be a nuisance because sometimes they encompass the entire bank, growing out several feet, effectively providing a barrier between you and fishable water. The good news is, the shade provided by this type of weed is a magnet for all types of fish, especially in the hot summer months so if there’s breaks in the weeds definitely cast along every edge you can get to. If there are no breaks, sadly, your options are limited…but there are options. First, I have had success just dropping a small jig, swimbait, or grub straight down in the holes in the weeds and simply jigging it up and down. While not the most glamorous way to fish, it can work in a pinch. The second way is to use some type of frog or weedless worm and drag it across the top of the weeds. It can work, just know that when fishing on top of weeds you will probably miss at least half of the strikes. As frustrating as that is, it’s just part of the game. The third way to fish these types of weeds is just to cast past them. Cast parallel to the edges when you can and when you do get one, reel as quickly as possible to keep them close to the surface. They will try to bury themselves in the weeds, and if they succeed they are all but lost. The last way is the most effective, but also the dirtiest. Wear some old shoes and wade out into the weeds far enough to cast. A couple caveats here. The mud around the edges of a pond can be thick, black, and nasty. You may lose a shoe or even get stuck where it’s hard to move at all and the smell will likely last quite a while but it might just be worth it. 

Submerged Vegetation. There are several types of submerged vegetation. Hydrilla, elodea, milfoil, eelgrass, and coontail are among the most popular, but there are others. Whatever kind of submerged vegetation you’re dealing with, it can be a great place to find and catch fish. They provide a great habitat for fry and minnows to hide from predators. The cover, shade, abundant food, and increased oxygen makes submerged vegetation a great place for fish to live. In order to fish this type of vegetation effectively, you must use baits that stay above the majority of the weed growth. Small crankbaits, swimming a grub, chatterbaits, and weightless worms are all great techniques to fish above the weeds. It is important though that once you have a fish on, raise your rod tip high and reel as fast as possible to keep them from burying themselves in the thick weed growth. 

Lily Pads: Lily pads, much like floating-leaf pond weed, grow in the shallows around the edges of many ponds. While they do sometimes take over a whole pond, they are more often confined to a few patches here and there. If you can position yourself in a way that allows you to cast around the edges it can be a great way to catch many species of fish.