Summer 2020
®
is on to get that bass in the boat before it can burry itself in the jungle below!
Slop, as it is referred to by anglers, is when vegetation forms a large blanket-like coating over the water.
There are several forms of vegetation that can create these vast regions of slop fields.
It is common to find a concentration of bass tucked up in the nastiest of cover, so by seeking vegetation you are giving yourself a good chance at a big bass!
When you see a laydown or stump surrounded by vegetation the chances are pretty good that bass will be nestled up to that wood. Same thing is true if a weed line or slop patch runs into some rip rap, a bass will be sitting there. Any time you can combine two forms of cover, the chances increase dramatically that a bass will be ready to take down your lure.
Again, the right tool for the technique is important for froggin’.
A heavy-action rod with a fast to extra-fast action is important to have plenty of backbone to hook and haul a bass out of the thickest of cover. I prefer a Witch Doctor Tackle Shaman Series 6’10” Heavy power, extra-fast action when frogging. I can fish all day with it and not get fatigued and with the shorter grip it allows for easier walking-the- dog.
For my reel, I’ll use a Wright & McGill Victory II reel that has a 7.3:1 gear ratio, which allows me to pick up the slack
very quickly and the oversized power handle gives me the solid grip on the reel when hauling in a big bass!
Spooling your reel with a line that is strong and has no stretch is imperative for success. On my reels, I use 65-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown as it has no stretch and cuts through the vegetation.
BOAT CONTROL TIPS
Fishing heavy cover, sometimes means being in shallow water. Other times it means being offshore at a thick milfoil patch.
Either way, you want to be able to navigate around the cover with ease and in stealth like manner. My Minn Kota Ultrex Trolling Motor allows me to have the power to drive through vegetation yet is quiet; so, I won’t spook any bass.
Keeping your trolling motor on a constant speed creates less disturbance then doing short bursts of high power.
Once I find the cover, I’ll deploy my dual MinnKota Talons to stay in position. With my shallow water anchors deployed, I stay in place and focus on making multiple casts to the fish holding cover. They also allow me to hook that big bass and put all of my focus and strength into bringing it out of the dense cover without losing position.
As you are out on the water this summer and the sun gets overhead, keep your eyes peeled for heavy cover. There may be some of the biggest bass on the lake or river buried in it. •
Credit Tyler Mohr
page 54