5 Must Have Lures for Bass Fishing Mossy Ponds

Much like many anglers I grew up fishing local ponds and have always enjoyed the thrill of chasing big bass in small bodies of water. One thing that many anglers are faced with while pond fishing is water that is filled with moss, grass, weeds, and mats.

In these conditions it can be easy to get snagged, stuck, or have your lure come away with a lot of grass or slime. This can make using certain baits and technique difficult and can ultimately be frustrating. That’s why using the right lures and strategies while bass fishing in mossy ponds is key.

For this reason, I have put together the following guide on what I believe are the best bass fishing baits and lures to use when fishing in ponds that have heavy grass, moss, weeds, and lily pads.

Let’s get started.

Best Bass Lures for Mossy Ponds

When I first started bass fishing in ponds, I’d throw out my favorite crankbait only to have it get struck in the vegetation or come back with a bunch of moss on its bill. Needless to say, I didn’t have any success and became frustrated.

Over the years I discovered through trial and error and with the help of a few friends that there are certain lures, tips and tricks I needed to learn to have success catching bass in highly vegetated ponds.

To help you save some time and headache I’ve put together the following list of what I consider to be the best lures and baits to use when fishing mossy ponds.

The 5 Best Bass Fishing Lures for Mossy Ponds

Frog

The frog is by far the best and most effective way to catch bass in ponds that have heavy vegetation. There is nothing like seeing a big bass blow up on your frog from underneath the pads. This is my favorite way to catch them.

When fishing in mossy and highly vegetated ponds you want to be using a frog that has a pointed nose and one that is designed for heavy cover. Other frogs like popping frogs will get hung up and can’t come through the grass as well.

If I could only choose one frog to pond fish with, I would choose the Savage Gear DC Walker Frog. The action, color and overall designed makes it an ideal pond frog that will help you catch a ton of bass.

The best color of frog will vary depending upon the day. I like to rotate between two colors: a white and black based frog. The bass will tell you which one they prefer.

Fishing with a topwater frog will allow you to fish over the top of weeds, grass, moss and other vegetation without getting stuck and hung up. Not only is it weedless, but its well known for being a big bass bait and can help you catch some monsters.

If you would like to learn more about frog fishing for bass check out this article: Frog Fishing Essentials – Best Frog Lures for Bass Fishing

Weightless Soft Plastics

Another bass fishing technique that I’ve had a lot of success with at ponds that have a lot of grass in them is by using weightless soft plastic baits like a Senko, worm, or creature bait.

On most ponds there will be small gaps and wholes in the grass that are perfect for sliding a soft plastic bait into. These areas will hold fish and allow us to give them a different kind of presentation. These baits also work well for ponds that have a ton of grass at the bottom of the lake. Where you would other wise get slime or gunk on your bait.

I like to Texas Rig my baits meaning I’ll make them weedless so they don’t get hung up and I can slide the bait in and around grass and cover.

Here is my favorite setup for this technique:

Punch Rig

Sometimes the most effective way to catch bass in the grass is to punch through it with a punch rig. On a lot of ponds there will be heavy vegetation at the surface, but it will open up towards the bottom. The punch rig will help you break through the initial vegetation and get to where the fish are at.

For this technique you’ll want make sure you have a heavy-duty setup that will allow you to pull the bass out once you catch them. You’ll also want to use a heavy enough weight that will help you punch through the grass.

As far as baits go, I like to use slender, soft plastic creature baits that can easily slide through grass. This will help them fall easier and will result in more bites.

When punching grass mats and vegetation I like to look for subtle differences and changes in the grass. I’ll look small gaps or anywhere I think a bass might be hiding.

Here is my favorite pond punching setup:

For more tips on how to punch through as fish grass for bass check out this video for some tips.

Swimbaits (Weedless)

An excellent often overlook bass fishing bait to use when fishing in ponds with moss and grass is a weedless soft plastic swimbait.

This bait works great in and around thick grass and also excels when the ponds have a lot of slime and mop on the bottom. You can cover a lot of water like a crankbait but won’t have to worry about it collecting slime as you bring it in.

With most ponds not being very deep I like to fish my swimbaits without any weight. I just let the weight of the hook sink the bait to where I’d like it to be and straight winding it in.

Here is my favorite weedless swimbait setup:

Chatterbait

Sometimes the best way to fish vegetation is around the points and edges. My lure of choice in these situations is a chatterbait. The flash, vibration and action of the chatterbait can drive bass crazy.

It’s not as weedless as the other lures mentioned in this list but it can still be a great tool to use in mossy ponds. Throwing it in and around the grass lines and points allows me to get in the thick stuff but still be able to rip it through without getting hung up.

I like to throw two different chatterbait colors a white & chartreuse or a black and blue. Both can work extremely well in ponds with stained and murky water.

As far as the trailer goes there are a lot of great options out there, but the ones that I like the best are swimbaits and slender soft plastics that won’t get tangled up in cover.

For more tips on how to fish and use a chatterbait for bass check out this article: The Best Chatterbait Trailers That Catch More Fish

Best Pond Bass Fishing Setup

Having the right setup is half the battle when pond fishing for bass. Sure you can use any old setup but I find the right gear to be extremely helpful and can help you have a lot more success.

Here is my favorite pond bass fishing setup:

Rod: I absolutely love the Dobyns Fury. It’s extremely versatile and is great frog frogging throwing t-rigs and punch rigs. You can’t beat the price and performance of this rod.

Reel: A strong and reliable reel is a key piece of equipment when pond fishing. My favorite high performing reel that won’t break the bank is the Daiwa Tatula. It’s smooth, reliable and is well worth the cost.

Line: When fishing in thick grass and vegetation using braid is a no brainer. My favorite is the Power Pro 65lb. Heavy line is a must for pulling bass out of cover.

Pond Largemouth Bass Fishing Tips

Follow the Bait Fish

Understanding where the bluegill and other bait fish are at in your pond will help you determine where the bass might be hiding. Bass need to eat and will be close by to the baitfish. If there are pads or grassy areas where you see bluegill feeding on insects these can be great areas to target bass as well.

Use Heavy Line

If you are fishing at and around heavy grass, moss and vegetation having heavy duty can be super important. Without it you’ll be unable to pull the bass out of the cover and will struggle to land fish. Upsizing your line in these situations can help out big time.

Choose the Right Colors

The color and profile of your bait or lure may seem like small thing but it can make a world of difference. Most ponds are going to have stained or murky water. This makes the best colors to use typically black and blue, red, junebug, white and chartreuse.

For more information and selecting the right color of baits and lures check out this complete bass fishing color guide: How to Choose the Right Bass Fishing Colors

Mix Up Your Retrieval

Using a steady lure retrieval will catch fish, but if you really want to trigger more bass into biting, than mixing up your retrieval speed and cadence is key.

Bass are opportunistic predators meaning they take advantage of easy pray and small changes to your retrieval like a pause, increase in speed or deflection off cover are fantastic ways to trigger their predatory response.

For more bass fishing tips make sure to check these two articles: Top 25 Bass Fishing Tips for Beginners & What Are the Best Bass Fishing Baits for Ponds?

Related Bass Fishing Resources

Final Thoughts

Bass fishing in mossy or highly vegetated ponds can be a great way to catch some big bass. Understanding the right lures, techniques, tackle, and areas to target are all keys to having a successful day out on the water.

The next time you are out on the water and faced with these conditions give the lures and strategies we discussed in this article a shot. I promise you’ll have a lot more success.