Where can I get some weed?

[Savage]

Okay, the topic might not be properly named....  but hey, I'm looking for some info on weeds and what to look for when fishing!

Back in 2006, a topic was started about weed types, but it died after only 3 posts.  I think alot of guys are clueless (including me) about weed types.  We've all seen plenty of weeds, but I don't know any of their names, or what to look for, or what time of year they die off, etc.  Dan replied to the topic back in 2006 with this post:

An interesting topic for me. I get asked once in a while and hear different names all over the country.

I have an exotic weed link on my home page under Resource links. It has links by common name and you can see pictures when you try the links.

There's a lot on the Internet if you search. I have a good aquatic plant book upstairs... somewhere... Not sure if I can get my hands on it quick - I got it from MUCC though so they may still have it in their catalog.

I tracked down that link you refer to Dan, and it seems to be dead right now.  Do you or anybody else have some other links you can suggest?  I have spent about a half hour this morning surfing the net for weed info (wow, pathetic right?) and I still have not found much.

I'd like to get some names associated with the weeds I've seen, and try to find our which weeds I should look for on the water.

[dmills4124]

Ya you sure could use a better topic. I too have searched the net for hours looking for articles with pictures on weeds,(ie)coontail, sandgrass,cabbage weed, canada waterweed, broadleaf cabbage. just to mention a few I have read about in BASS Master, FLW Outdoors and North American Fish Club magazine ariticles. All I have found are sites for the biology experts with all the latin names and all. Non of the what I found was directed toward the bass angler. I have spent a lot of time at borders books with the same results. I live in ohio and my next stop is going to be the ODNR to see if they have a childrens class I might be able to sit in on. I do know there is a tremendos amount of really educated anglers here and more than one will have some answers for sure.
Lets sit back and see what pops up.
later
don m

[Durand Dan]

Having a degree in Horticulture I can assure you that the info you are looking for will take many articles and hours on the water to compile. Check out this site to begin to learn about the different types and their growing conditions.

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/aquatics.htm

[motocross269]

Wheeewww...scared me I thought we were going to have to start mandatory drug testing for Team Bass...

[Savage]

When someone is talking about "cabbage" what weed is that?  I can't find any reference to cabbage on any of the formal biology sites....  Lots of mention about it in article for fishing, but of course no pictures.  Also, when guys talk about "sandgrass" are they talking about eelgrass or is there a couple types?  What are the tall slender weeds I find growing in Northern lakes?  I think they look like kelp, they have really long stems with broad leaves spaced very sparsely.

Still confused......

[djkimmel]

I updated the link from the old gone one to the nice one provided by Durand Dan above.

Cabbage = pond weed - many varieties of pond weed in the Great Lakes region; curly pond weed, tobacco cabbage, broadleaf, more.

Sandgrass usually means the crinkly stuff that grows low to the bottom, especially in sandy, clear lakes; perch grass, skunk grass, several varieties. I think they are really an algae, but I'll have to look that up again. BTW, I think there is a real sandgrass that most people aren't talking about when they say sandgrass.

Most people don't mean eelgrass when they say sandgrass, but some probably do since, as we all know, there are no standards!?!

You're last description sounds like cabbage... aka pond weed, but not sure.

Aquatic plants info is definitely on my list of things to add. If only I had more time. I LOVE this stuff!!!!

[dmills4124]

Well here comes the next question. Musky, pike, bass all like to hang out in grass and along the edges of grassy areas. I have been told by more anglers if I want to catch bass to find grass and I'll catch a bunch. RIGHT! AH Right? Which grass? They say 80% of the fish are in 5% of the lake. Which kind of grass and were in the lake. Look for points. Points point to bass. Is that points with grass? Points that drop of into deep areas? Deep areas with grass?
It is confusining to say the least.
Thanks for listening....and answering to anyone who does either.
later
don m

[djkimmel]

They say 'grass' will hold most of the bass when it is present. It seems to be a fairly good guide. In general, grass translates from most anglers to whatever the local prevalent weeds are kind of like 'blades' often mean spinnerbaits, but not 100% of the time.

98% of the time anyway.

Structure will almost always enhance 'grass' just like irregularities in the grass itself will too. Ideally, you often want to find cover (grass, stumps, rocks) on structure (point, dropoff/ledge, sunken island).

I think the saying is usually that 90% of the fish are in 10% of the lake... but my memory ain't what it used to be...

[Revtro]

A while ago in the FLW mag, they had an article on weeds, with pictures.  The problem with a lot of these articles, is that they talk about grass and weeds that are prevalent in the South.  Many of them don't exist up here as far as I can tell.  In Lake St. Clair for instance there seem to be a couple of prevalent types of weeds, but not being a botanist, I have no idea what they are officially called.

The one I refer to as cabbage is the medium broad leaf variety that grows up very tall and takes over a whole area.  It's tough to fish because it's so dense and heavy. 

What I call grass on St. Clair is the stuff that is the skinny blades that grows from the bottom.  It looks like you didn't cut your lawn for a month.

Then there is the short stuff that grows in the sand and is a lot more sparse.  I guess it's sandgrass, but I have often heard it referred to as pepper grass.  It's the short sprouted stuff that mainly grows where there aren't a ton of other weeds. 

Then there's the algae stuff that seems to grow everywhere.  It's just goo.  To me, goo = less bass.  i don't know why.  Personally, i try to stay away from the goo and look for rocks with grass around or in them.  Or flats with weedbeds scattered around.  Those weedbeds are a type of weed I have no name for.  It's not the cabbage, and it's not the grass.  I guess I just call them weeds.  The stringy stuff with smaller leaves. 

Ok, so I guess that doesn't help much.  I wouldn't mind knowing the names for these types of vegetation and which ones are considered more friendly to bass. 

[djkimmel]

I don't know Rev... lots of technical terms in that post...

[Revtro]

I feel like Greg Focker in Meet the Parents...  The Jerusaleee toosly poosly...

[Savage]

The Rev has a point, there are some pretty strange weeds on St. Clair that I have never seen anywhere else.  The stuff I see in the river growing off bottom that looks like actual grass is what I would actually call "grass".  Everything else I'm not sure about.  I have found that on natural northern lakes, there are always bass along the inside weed edge at the dropoff.  The dropoff might be 100 yards from shore though....  Also on northern lakes that don't have much weeds, the bass always sem to be on the weds they can find.

???Still don't know what cabbage is........

[dmills4124]

I have found some more info with pics. Will anyone tell me how to post pics to this site. I found inthe "Freshwater Fishing Secrets by North American Fishing club, pages 88 & 89 published 2006" Broadleaf cabbage, and sand grass called-chara.
later
don m

[joshimoto son]

Don,

http://www.greatlakesbass.com/forum/index.php?topic=138.0

This link should tell you everything you need to know.
I personally think think that Dan should hire someone to post pics for all of us. Just email the pics and little Alvin will resize em and get em up.

Josh

[dmills4124]

THANKS JOSH
I'll be sending another indepth write-up on nimisila res with topo map. Both were scaned and will be sent as a bitmap
later
don

[djkimmel]

I feel like Greg Focker in Meet the Parents...  The Jerusaleee toosly poosly...

I really love a good Jerusaleee toosly poosly...

[djkimmel]

Elodea is a nice grasslike aquatic plant that holds bass in a lot of lakes.

Cabbage - go to Houghton Lake and coast along the north side of East Bay (... or is that the east side of North Bay... anyway) where it drops nice and steep. Just down that drop you'll find tall stalks, not real thick, with wide green to brown leaves. They'll be 6 to 8 feet tall. Tall, like a skinny tree with sparse leaves. That's cabbage.

On some lakes, it can grow 12 or more feet tall. I think I saw some 18 feet tall once on a southern MI lake. It can grow in 20, maybe 22 feet of clear water, but usually 6 to 14 feet of water for northern pond weed.

Tobacco cabbage will often grow shallower and has more brown to dark brown leaves that are much bigger and wider. This version usually makes a shorter, but wider plant.

Crinkly cabbage is darker green than northern pond weed with small, crinkly leaves. These plants tend to be thicker. A lot more leaves, and often grow in large rafts. Considered a junk weed, but will hold bass on lakes where it dominates.

Most pond weeds have small seed pod structures at the top of their stalks, often sticking a few inches out of the water.

dmills, send me the pictures. I don't have an Alvin hanging around, but if I find one, I'll let you all know...

[djkimmel]

Funny about weeds... I think Kim Stricker was reading this and rushed this week's Hook'n'Look show together about weeds. That part of the show was very interesting. Underwater video swimming with the fish through weed beds. You'll have to check it out. He covers some of the specific weeds, mostly pads, but you'll see some elodea and milfoil, along with assorted small pond weeds and other stuff I'd have to look up too.

[joshimoto son]

THANKS JOSH
I'll be sending another indepth write-up on nimisila res with topo map. Both were scaned and will be sent as a bitmap
later
don

I'll be waiting...

[Savage]

I was really surprised to see how transparent the lily pads are from underneath.  I always had them figured as too thick for fish to see what's on top!