| The bulrush (bullrush, reeds) is often confused with | | | | often get your wrapped around a bulrush stem. |
| cattails. Bulrush tends to grow in slightly deeper waters | | | | The only time I resort to heavy weights is when I'm |
| and have more of a circular cross section as | | | | flipping matted cover in the bulrush. I'll use 1/2 - 1 oz |
| compared to the semicircular section of the cattail. | | | | weights in this type of situation. If matted cover exists |
| Depending on the time of year and bass feeding | | | | in bulrush, you've got to get your flippin stick out and flip |
| habits, bulrush often dominate in fish catches over | | | | the mats. If you don't you will lose out on many |
| cattails. I believe it's primarily due to the depth of the | | | | opportunities to catch above average bass. In working |
| water (it grows in deeper water). The larger bass tend | | | | the bulrush patches/lines start back from the bulrush |
| to migrate to the first structure they come to when | | | | approx. 10-15 feet and pitch. Pitch forward of the boat |
| actively feeding, and the bulrush is often closer to | | | | if possible and restrict any side pitches or back of the |
| these deeper water migration routes. | | | | boat pitches. The reason for this is that the bass are |
| My personal favorite technique for fishing bulrush is to | | | | often spooked by the boat passage, and by pitching |
| pitch a Texas rigged worm. I tend to use a harder, | | | | sideways or towards the rear of the boat you are |
| straight tailed worm over a ribbon tailed one. The | | | | often pitching to spooked fish or fish that have moved |
| reason is that the ribbon tail will often wrap around the | | | | due to being spooked. |
| bulrush stem thereby wasting time and aggravating the | | | | Always be a line watcher, whether pitching, casting or |
| fisherman as well as spooking fish. My favorite worm | | | | flippin a soft plastic. Any twitch of the line or sideways |
| for pitching is the Zoom trickworm in the Junebug | | | | motion of the line often indicates a strike, so reel down |
| (purple/green flack) pattern. The weight I use with the | | | | and set the hook even if you don't feel the typical |
| Texas rig varies with water depth and wind. The | | | | thump! |
| shallower the water, the lighter I go. A lighter weight | | | | When pitching, work both deep into the bulrush patch |
| gives the worm a more natural fall and can get more | | | | and to the outside edge of the bulrush. Try to make |
| strikes, however if too light, the worm may catch on | | | | contact with the stems whenever possible, but don't |
| the bulrush stems and not finish it's way to the bottom. | | | | neglect the open pockets and also work right in the |
| The windier the day is, the heavier I go. This gives me | | | | middle of those pockets. |
| better control during the pitch as well as better feel for | | | | If you follow these tips, I'm sure you will be doing more |
| what's biting on the other end of my line. Too light of a | | | | catching with less fishing! |
| weight on a windy day will throw off your pitches and | | | | |