How I Approach Fishing Heavy Weed
Over the last few weeks I’ve been fishing a lake that’s absolutely choked with weed. I’m not talking about the odd weed bed here and there—I mean proper wall-to-wall stuff where finding a clean spot is a challenge in itself.
Rather than writing the lake off, I decided to put the effort in.
The first job was clearing a few areas. Armed with a weed rake, plenty of rope and a lot of patience, I spent hours dragging weed out. By the end of it I’d removed what felt like a small forest, eventually creating a handful of clean spots at around 20–30 yards. It was hard work, but incredibly satisfying knowing I’d made those spots myself.
One thing I quickly realised is that less can be more. Instead of creating huge clear areas, I’ve kept the spots fairly tight and natural. They don’t scream “someone’s been here”, and I think they blend into the lakebed much better.
The other challenge is, of course, playing fish safely. On really weedy venues, fish welfare has to come first. There’s no point catching one if there’s a high chance of causing unnecessary damage trying to drag it through acres of weed. I made sure I had everything planned before even casting out so that, if I did get a bite, I could deal with it as quickly and safely as possible.
Fishing in weed definitely isn’t for everyone. It takes time, effort and plenty of confidence in your rigs and tackle, but I actually enjoy the challenge. It feels like you’ve earned every bite rather than simply casting to a polished gravel spot everyone else is fishing.
I’ve also noticed that the weed itself isn’t always the enemy. It holds natural food, gives the carp somewhere to feel safe and often shows you exactly where they want to be. Instead of avoiding it altogether, I’ve tried to work with it and present a bait in the little openings and clear patches.
It’s been one of the most rewarding types of fishing I’ve done recently. Hard work? Absolutely. Worth it? Without a doubt.
How do you tackle heavily weeded lakes?
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Do you clear your own spots?
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Fish the natural holes?
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Stick to solid bags or chod-style presentations?
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Or do you simply leave the lake until the weed starts dying back?
I’d be interested to hear how everyone else approaches it.