The First Weed Growth: Why Emerging Vegetation Is a Magnet in Late Spring

Whether you’re an angler going after panfish, walleye, or bass, there are some similarities to what you do. Sometimes the types of lures are the same, sometimes the feeding habits are the same, and sometimes the locations are the same. One thing that is overlooked by anglers as a prime place for all these fish, but can be incredibly productive, is the first weed growth. 

Let’s start with what emerging vegetation actually is. During the late spring, bodies of water start to experience new growth of vegetation. This will happen in areas that might have been dead all winter, but as soon as the water temperatures hit the right point, they come to life.

This fresh vegetation is one of the first places that all of these fish are going to be drawn to. Baitfish head to these areas, which bring in the panfish, which are then followed by bigger predators like bass and walleye. This lines up perfectly with when most of these species are also ready to build up their energy again after a long spawning season.

Emerging vegetation is a bit different than the mature vegetation that you’ll find later on in the season. This early growth is going to be smaller and more sparse, while the mature growth is going to be much larger and denser.

This matters because it allows all of these species to easily work their way through it, looking for food. They don’t have to work hard to dive into the weeds and find food. Instead, they can easily work the edges or even through it to find their next meal.

Here’s how emerging growth plays a role in finding and catching a few popular fish species. 

Panfish are one of the first species to go into the early vegetation. The small baitfish, insects, and invertebrates that they feed on will be in these weeds immediately, leading the panfish to swarm there.

They also use these areas as cover as they move between open water and shallow spawning areas during this time of year. This is true regardless of how large the vegetation growth is or where it is in the body of water.

If you’re going after panfish in the emerging vegetation, small jigs and live bait are the way to go. You can fish these by jigging or on a bobber rig. It’s best to fish these rigs over or to the sides of the vegetation to allow fish to ambush your presentation. You’ll also want to do your best to match the hatch and not oversize your bait.

One of the main places that bass are going to be this time of year is in and around their spawning grounds. This works perfectly as the emerging vegetation will oftentimes be in these same areas, which provides some of the first bits of structure for the bass in the shallows.

After spawning, bass tend to get off their beds and start looking for food. Since they have very little energy, they don’t want to go far or work hard. This emerging vegetation is close to them and also holds plenty of food that they can go after. Male bass will also hold tight to these areas to defend the fry, and will likely strike very aggressively around this new growth.

To catch bass in these areas, there are a few good rigs to try. The first is a weedless soft plastic. These can be worked alongside and through the vegetation. They work best in the shallower areas where a heavy jig isn’t required to get to the depth of the weeds. Smaller profile hardbaits can work well, too, when fished along the edges of the weeds. Just like panfish, don’t go overboard with the size of your presentation.

Walleye are a bit less dependent on structure than bass or panfish can be, but this early vegetation still draws them in. Looking for this weed growth in shallow bays and other areas where they spawn is the key.

Just like bass, after the walleye spawn, they’re going to be hungry and not have the energy to roam far to feed. Luckily, this new weed growth holds baitfish, which the walleye will go after.

When going after walleye in these weeds, there are two really good methods to toss out there. The first is the tried and true jig with a minnow. You can fish these vertically by jigging or putting them under a slip bobber. It’s best to focus more on the deeper edges of the weeds as best you can. 

If you’re fishing vegetation on an expansive flat, don’t be afraid to try a crankbait. You’ll want to cast these out to the outer edge of the weeds and work them back slowly to you.