Fishing Heavy Cover with Mark Lassagne

Bass Angler Issue 42 – Ask Uncle – Originally published by The Bass Angler Magazine in South Africa

The Bass Angler February 2015 – Ask Uncle
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PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO CATCH BASS OUT OF LILY PADS AND HEAVY SURFACE MOSS? EDDIE, NELSPRUIT QUESTION
We all know that summer heat drives big bass to either deep water or heavy, shaded cover. Therefore, we presented this month’s question to an American fishing industry and tournament professional, Mark Lassagne, who tells you all you need to know about fishing lily pads and moss beds. The knowledge presented here will benefit bank anglers, boat anglers and tubers.
In “the California Delta” has a plethora of vegetation, Hyacinth, Coon tail, Pond Weed, Primrose and other types of invasive vegetation. If you’re not getting into the thick vegetation, you won’t catch fish. Bass love heavy cover, as protection from the heat/cold and for the unlimited food supply. Thick, matted vegetation has the ability to harbor a good population of bass, but not all matted vegetation is good. Fishing matted vegetation can be extremely productive with the right equipment, baits and knowledge.

EQUIPMENT:
Just like you wouldn’t tow your bass boat with a Corolla, you can’t fish heavy cover with a finesse outfit. My setup includes an Okuma Matt Daddy 7’11” (TCS-C-7111XH) extra heavy rod with just a little tip action. I match that up with an Okuma 7.3:1 reel, 65 to 80lb braid. Make sure the drag is locked down; if it slips you can easily lose a big one. I use a 6th Sense PEX-X stopper, River2sea 1 or 1.5 ounce Trash Bomb tungsten weight and a Gamakatsu Heavy Wire hook tied with a Snell knot. Each of these items have been carefully chosen for the purpose of fishing heavy cover.

BAITS:
My number one bait by far has been the Yamamoto Flappin Hog, followed by the Reaction Innovations 420 Beaver, Missile D Bomb and Jackall Sasuteki Craw. The best colour for me has been Green Pumpkin with red flake. Green pumpkin is the number one seller for most every plastics company, so the colour choice is not unique. However, every body of water is different. It’s pretty dark under a weed mat so I’m not overly picky on colour – close is ok. I generally have one rod rigged with a punch skirt and one without. Over the last year I’ve had better results without a skirt.

PRESENTATION:
Presenting the bait correctly is fairly simple, but does require some practice. Some anglers toss the bait up in the air and have it come crashing down, but I’m not a fan of that. I’ll pitch the bait out using a swing type cast causing the bait to fly low. I cast towards a small hole in the lily pads or weed mat. If the bait does not penetrate on the landing I’ll shake it a little and move it small amounts until it drops through. I use a 1oz weight. If the bait does not go through, I will switch to a 1.5oz.
The most important part of the cast is the drop through the vegetation. The reel should remain in free spool and once the bait penetrates, hold your rod at 10 o’clock and let the line peel off the spool at  controlled speed. When the bait hits bottom, shake it a few times, pull it halfway up, shake it a couple more times,
lastly pull it to just under the mat and shake it again.

BITES:
Most bites come on the initial fall but I’ve caught several bass over 7lb shaking it off the bottom, so it’s worth the effort. The bite can be different on any cast and that is why the rod is so important – hence a light but sensitive rod. Sometimes the strike will feel like you hit something hard, other times you may “feel” something… just not right. Often, the line peels off your reel. If you’re really lucky, you will feel a noticeable tic. No matter which way they bite, make sure you get a good hook set. Reel straight up, causing the bass to flop out on top of the mat, then winch him to the boat. With my set up I can flip an 8lber in the boat.

LOCATION:
Not all matted vegetation is the same. I focus on matted vegetation and lily pads covering areas that normally hold bass, such as points, pockets, drops and ledges. I try to stay away from vast areas covered with vegetation. However, don’t overlook a special spot within a vast area. I have one bank that has hyacinth for 300 yards but in the center the depth drops from 3ft to 6ft. That spot most always holds a couple of fish. I have found that most big bass are caught in 5 to 10ft of water.

My best results have come from fishing new areas day after day, fishing in the moment and developing patterns. I’ll look for patterns, such as fish on a point in 5ft of water, pockets or drop-offs, always trying to figure out where they are and what presentation they want. Once I get a clue I’ll work to expand on it.
NOTE: I found that picking apart heavy vegetation is unnecessary. I’ll generally cast five or more feet apart, then if I catch a fish, I’ll return a few minutes later and go over it again.

Mark Lassagne (luh-SAYN). I live in Dixon, California and proudly served our great nation as a US Marine. As a competitor, I love tournament bass fishing and have had some outstanding success competing up and down the West Coast. Besides tournament fishing, I own and run Bass Angler Magazine – a nationwide publication focusing on the how-to aspects of bass fishing.. FOLLOW MARK ON: facebook/mark.lassagne or www.ezbass.com

Mark Lassagne

Mark Lassagne is a professional bass angler, outdoor writer, and publisher based in Northern California. As the founder of Bass Angler Magazine and the BAM Tournament Trail, Mark has dedicated his career to growing and promoting the sport of bass fishing, especially on the West Coast. With decades of tournament experience across the country—from MLF Toyota Series events to his own BAM Pro Tour—Mark brings a unique blend of on-the-water knowledge and industry insight. The content of his writing focuses on helping anglers of all skill levels to catch more fish, understand cutting-edge techniques, and stay connected to the latest trends in bass fishing. When he’s not behind the wheel of his Ford F-350 hauling the BAM stage, you’ll find him chasing bass in California’s best fisheries in his Bass Cat.

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