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