Northwest Fishing Reports

I just got a little kayak and looking to hit little lakes around centralia and was wondering to bass hang around algea or not?

They can and will. Anything that'll give them cover, shade, an ambush point/spot. If you are talking about the big clumps of green slim, then yes, but I've only caught real little ones around them.

If it's the really thick stuff on the surface, they love hiding underneath it during the summer. Best approach is froggy fishing. It's a blast! I'll have to dig up some old photos.

Thanks guys that's good news

Now with that being said what's a good bait to use in algea waters?

I tend to try and fish plastics or jigs that can punch through the slime. You might get away with something like a frog or a mouse on top.

Here's some old photos, a lake back in Michigan. We use to call it fishing in the slop, is the algae,vegetation similar to what your looking at? Frog action was incredible in the middle of the day during summer times. Had some good times with my buddies, brings back some memories.

Looks almost identical to the lake I'm looking at

Mikeel1987, I think I know the water you speak of and it has a lot of bass and other panfish in it. It is tough to fish with all the weed clumps. Topwater is a good choice on top of the mats with frogs and mice like others have said but there are open water areas around the shore and in between the large mats. Shallow diving lures without a lot off hooks is a good choice. Spinnerbaits, plastic worms, and especially soft plastic jerk baits like the Flukes should work well. I try to fish this lake as early as possible in the year when there is still plenty of open water and shoreline structure to hit. Not a real big fan of fishing the slop but the can be caught in there, thats for sure.

Ya it's that lake right off the freeway at the harison ave exit can't remember the name tho

Its called Hayes Lake.

rockjiggr wrote: open water areas around the shore and in between the large mats. Shallow diving lures without a lot off hooks is a good choice. Spinnerbaits, plastic worms, and especially soft plastic jerk baits like the Flukes should work well. I try to fish this lake as early as possible in the year when there is still plenty of open water and shoreline structure to hit.

We pretty much did the same techniques your describing. We also did well with shallow running crankbaits (1' minus) and texas rigged 10" berkley worms (red shad or black).

That which is pictured isn't what I'm speaking of. The stuff I'm talking about is the light green slimy stuff that is in balls just under the surface, or on the surface, and can be large--many yards wide.

It clings to everything, but is usually sorta easy to get off.

Those pictures are of slop, which can be part algae and other stuff, which can be great for bass, frogs and such are great lures for that slop.