Hydrilla Tips

Bass fishing in hydrilla can be a pain or it can be some of the best fishing you have ever had while fishing in Florida! The biggest pain with hydrilla are the gnats. I am unsure of the name of these critters, but they are very small and swarm the boat in the summer. They are so thick that eventually you get them in your nose and ears. When you get close to the topped out stuff, these gnats will cover your boat, motor and clothes. Sounds bad doesn't it! Just because the gnats are there doesn't mean the fish are not! Hydrilla can be loaded with fish, so be patient and put up with those critters. You can also take a break once in awhile and get up on plane to drive 'em off you!

So now that we're over the hydrilla gnat discussion, the other issue is that trolling motor props tend to get wrapped up with the thick hydrilla. It's not bad until you start to flip the stuff and you are real close. The best way to battle this is to buy a high powered trolling motor, 80 lb thrust and up.

Finally, the last pain is that crankbaits, hard jerkbaits and even spinnerbaits will get wrapped up in the stuff. After some experience, you will know how to retrieve these lures to minimize the wrap-ups, and yet maintain contact with the weeds. If you do get wrapped up bad, don't just try to jerk it lose otherwise you may break your line. It is best to go to the opposite side of the hydrilla bed you're stuck in and do a steady pull with an occasional jerk.

OK, after all that are you still willing to bass fish hydrilla. You better, or you will be missing some of the best bass fishing you ever had.

My favorite method of fishing the stuff is to look for the deep water side of the hydrilla bed and fish maybe 25-50 yards from the topped out stuff, give or take a few yards. In this scattered stuff you can use the hard jerkbait of your choice, a Zara Spook topwater, a Rattletrap, a spinnerbait or a Texas rigged worm. Use the methods I discuss in each of the technique sections for all these lures.

If the going gets tough, I'll try two other methods. The 1st one is to go to where the underwater hydrilla stops with only a few scattered clumps every 10-20 yards. I will use a Diving crankbait in this area.

If that doesn't work I'll resort to flippin the topped out stuff. Of course you'll have to deal with the gnats, but the number of big fish I have caught doing this far outways the negatives associated with the gnats. Just look for the thickets stuff you can find a wiggle your lure on top of the stalks until it penetrates. If the lures doesn't go through, go to a little less dense stuff or look for small holes in the mat.

If there is hydrilla in the Florida lake you are fishing and you are not trying it, you'll miss a great opportunity!

BY: Gordon Holman