2 Techniques From Buddy Gross: Grass Mats and Frog Baits
For every degree of water
www.scalesgear.com
written by Evan Anderson
Sweetwater hosts Joey Nania and Miles Burghoff head out to Nickajack Lake just outside of Chattanooga, TN to meet up with 4-time FLW Tournament winner Buddy Gross for some bass fishing. “Any time you go to a new body of water, it’s best to go fishing with one of the experts of that specific place,” says Nania, followed by Burghoff with, “Buddy is just one of the best TVA fishermen. He’s really good offshore, he’s also really good shallow, he’s just the total package when it comes to fishing TVA lakes.” In this episode, they’ll take a look at some of Gross’s techniques for fishing grass mats and using frog baits to bring in loads of bass. Here are 2 of Buddy Gross’s favorite techniques for Nickajack Lake.
GRASS MATS
“This is where it all started for me,” says Gross as they head out onto the lake, clad in their brand new Scales Gear. Gross grew up around Nickajack Lake, where he began fishing tournaments, and now lives in Chickamauga, GA, giving him good access to the whole TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) lake system. “He knows exactly where to go on Lake Nickajack,” remarks Burghoff.
A chilly fall breeze blows as the three anglers, grateful for long-sleeved Scales shirts, pull up to their first grass mat, a staple target during this time of year. “This lake has abundant grass supply, so the grass is always where I start,” says Gross as he casts into the mat. Grass mats look like big green patches floating on the surface of a lake. They’re quite common in Tennessee, especially in the TVA lake system, and are excellent spots to find bass. “Finding the right mat is all about finding that thick cheese,” says Burghoff, “It’s like this yellow algae on the surface. And what that does is it kind of breaks up the light penetration in the mat, breaks down the grass underneath, and creates all those little tunnels.”
“This lake has abundant grass supply, so the grass is always where I start.”
FROG BAITS
Gross’s preferred bait for fishing grass mats in the fall is frog baits, a type of bass lure designed to look and act like a frog. “The fall seems to be the best time for a topwater bite in the grass,” says Gross, “Typically earlier in the year we’d be flipping more, but right now is just an awesome, awesome time for a topwater frog bite.” As with any topwater lure, frog baits are an exciting way to catch an aggressive fish like bass because of how visual an experience it is. Bass will viciously attack a topwater lure, jumping out of the water as they hit it. “There really is nothing that gets me more excited visually than seeing grass mats,” says Nania, “and that place looked 100% perfect.”
According to our Sweetwater hosts, it’s important to choose the right frog. “I had some little bb’s in mine,” says Nania, “and that’s one of the biggest tricks is taking that hook on that Zman frog and putting some bb’s or some little weights on there.” Burghoff adds, “The thicker the mat the more weight I add to that frog...it allows those fish to have something to track.”
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The day is marked with booming laughter and big smiles as the trio of anglers heads back in. “I moved to the TVA...to learn that type of lake, that river fishery that the TVA is. And Buddy’s been there his entire life. So he probably knows all those lakes better than anybody,” reflects Burghoff, “He knew exactly where to go, exactly how to approach everything, and he really showed us what he could do on the TVA.” Nania reflects, “Fishing with Buddy was just a total example of being really dialed in, being really confident in your setup, and going out there, performing, and catching a bunch of fish.”
Scales brings you S6:E1 of episode Sweetwater “Our Pal Buddy.” Watch below or download the Waypoint TV app available on any device to watch full seasons for free anytime.
