Article 12...

Fishing Matted Cover
By Denny  Brauer

Matted cover can be an awesome fishing opportunity for my favorite technique of flipping and pitching, as well as several other techniques. Regardless of whether it is matted grass or just a bunch of debris that has washed in, matted cover can be great. Matted cover has given me several high finishes in tournaments throughout my career.

Matted cover is a natural for flipping, especially when there are small holes in it for you to target. You will best be served by baits that are compact. My favorites are the Strike King Pro Model Jig and a Texas rigged Strike King Flipping Tube. Both of these baits slide into the matted cover easily without catching on the edges. When using these baits, I tend to use larger weights, generally 1/2 to 1 oz. The heavier weight simply penetrates the mats more easily. It is also important to either use a screw-in type weight or peg the sinker when using the Flipping Tube. This also will make it easier to penetrate the mats. Heavy line and a flipping rod are a must for this technique. I personally use 25 lb. Green Stren line and my Team Daiwa Flipping rod. The strength and power of the heavy line and rod allow you to hook the fish and then get them out of the cover.

Although flipping these mats comes naturally, there are other techniques that can be dynamite as well. Perhaps the most exciting is catching a bass on top of the mats. There is no greater thrill that watching a big bass come up through a mat to eat a frog. A Strike King Grass Frog on 25 lb. line crawling over some matted grass has produced some great action for me. Also, spoons like the old Timber King that Strike King made, can produce over the mats. Working the edges of matted cover with a buzzbait or spinnerbait can work well on cloudy days or in the morning or evenings.

One of the best times to target matted cover is when the water is cool. The mats will absorb sunshine, and thus heat up. The mats transfer the heat to