Different types of herbariums
As soon as spring is well advanced and the water warms up, the grass beds start to grow in the shallow and sunny areas. They immediately attract all the aquatic fauna, insects, freshwater shrimps, white fish, crayfish... Grass beds provide an extremely rich habitat for all forms of life. And of course, the pikes follow the movement, guaranteed to find ambush positions and prey in abundance.
One can imagine a vegetal carpet covering the surface. This type of spot is of course inhabited, but it is not necessarily the best. We can also think of water lilies, the epitome of black bass fishing. However, this type of position is not as favorable as one might initially think. It is necessary to prefer by far, the immersed grass beds which preserve a layer of free water between the top of the grass beds and the surface, it is the grass of the myriophyll type.
These plants can either form a carpet on the bottom, of variable density, or create a kind of floor, with a void below, and a free space above and occasionally depending on the depth join the surface. These are the areas to look for in priority, in spring, but really all the beautiful season until fall.
Topwater for pike in grass beds
Whenever possible, start your day with a surface lure. A stickbait is a possibility as long as the water is free of floating grass debris. If not, a wakebait like Digital Squad Fishing's big Tyrant is the way to go. It will fish just under the film, but still make a big wake on the surface. This way, it can get away from floating weed without collecting it (too much) while remaining a true surface lure.
Beware, do not believe that the surface lure is reserved for fishing in the heart of summer, this is not the case! In fact, the opposite is true. The best months to fish with a surface lure are May, June, October and November. In summer, you'll have to prospect as well as very early in the morning or really late in the evening or even on rainy days.
Skirted lures
The next option is the skirted lure, either spinnerbait or chatterbait. The latter is interesting when the weedbeds are like "mountains" and you have to stick to the ground with very marked ups and downs. We generally add a big shad on the hook to offer a more beautiful bite. Spinnerbaits are to be chosen on windy days in particular. You can choose a spinnerbait with a big willow leaf paddle to send powerful flashes of light. A slow retrieve just above the vegetation gives the best results.
Soft swimbaits for big pikes
Skirted lures are good for getting hits, but will rarely interest a real big pike. If you want to hit a big fish, it's best to use a soft swimbait, such as the Fierce Swimmer in 8 inches. With its eyelet on the back, it is possible to pass the armament exclusively behind the head and thus largely reduce the snags in the weeds. This lure is perfect for slow and lazy fishing perfectly adapted to pikes ambushed in the vegetation. The technique consists in passing as close as possible to the weeds, even if it means touching them from time to time.
In case a weed gets caught in the treble, you must make a false strike to free the hook. This sudden and brutal movement is excellent for triggering an attack. It is thus advisable to mark a short pause before taking again the recovery.
Finally, think of observing the grass beds, the best ones will retain a lot of life: insects, small fish, carp etc... The presence of pike then is certain. If the bites do not come, try to change the lure or simply the color. Pike like bright colors: red, fire tiger etc...
