Getting gills in the slop?

[Shoemoo]

There's a pond around here that has some nice gills in it, but it's very shallow. The maximum depth is about six feet or so. It's about two acres, and most of it you could hit the opposite bank with a good cast. It gets very overgrown with submerged weeds and slop during the summer.

What's the best way to fish it without constantly getting hung up?

[bxn]

maybe try lures that don't sink really fast as to not get hung up easily.like try plastic baits panfish size just on a hook without any splitshots or any weight to bring it down.it will sink slowly if you let it.last wed i was out on a lake with my dad.some of the baits we used were twin tail grubs that i poured.we fished them without any weight near bluegill beds and nailed gills,and even got a few crappies on em.hope this helps.maybe try a small shallow diving crankbait,work it slow as to let it get up out of the weeds easily.

[MuskyGary]

Sounds like fly rod fishing to me. Early morning or late evening. Cast into the pockets in the weeds with a bluegill bug or poper; let it set. Be quick on the hook set and skim em out of there on the surface!

[quivira kid]

Fly rod, 6-8lb mono for a leader, nymph about 8-12" under an indicator. Let it plop out there, and set the hook when the indicator disappears. The 6 or 8 lb mono will be enough you won't have to baby it to drag em out.

[jonnythefisherman1]

sounds like a job for vertical jigging! just drop on to a lily pad or other structure and drop into the water. this gets the larger 'gills attention. use a jig that looks like a type of insect that is local around the area. or use weedguards (small black rubber bands, just open hook eye, slip in and close, then slip the other end behind the hook barb and close shut. if none of this is any good. then take a minnow, slip a jig head under the gill and stab it in the stomach and let the hook out the back, upturn the hook and cast the minnow, then jig agressively.

[T.C.]

I fish in Florida, which is the hydrilla capital of the country i think. Most of the lakes i fish around here are filled with hydrilla under the surface so you have to be careful what you use when your fishing so that you dont get hung in all the hydrilla. when i crappie fish i troll so that my jigs are just above the hydrilla but bream fishing is totally diff. i use weighted corks so that the corks stand upright, im one of those guys that if my cork or bobber is layin down in the water it really botheres me. use a weighted cork and just put a hook on your line. DO NOT put on a weight. When you use no weight and you throw out, the weighted cork gives you enough weight to be able to cast where you want and when it hits the water the hook and your bait slowly sinks, this is what comes in handy with alot of grass under the surface, usually if you find a spot where gills are holding they will take the bait as it is slowly decending. If they dont hit it, the bait just rests on the grass as apposed to having a wieght on where it forces it into the grass where the bream wont hit it. just my stradegy, but give it a try it might work for you too

[Fatman]

Fly rod set up with a slip float rig

Fatman

[Perch Jerker35]

Yall might call me "gung ho" but for fishin heavy brush and the like I use my 6' MH rod with 30# straight braid. Put you a nice heavy #4 hook on there with a worm and you shoukd be able to drag anything out of the weeds. I've pulled out stumps half the size of a jon boat with that set up before. Use a uni knot or a high friction knot when tying braid. Just my $.02

[Shoemoo]

Well, I don't fly fish so don't have a fly rod. I do have an 8' ultralight that will probably work for casting flies if I put on a casting bubble. My problem is weeds getting caught on the hook when I start the retrieve. Fish won't bite if the bait is covered with weeds in my experience.

If I'm using a slip float, should I just cast out and let it sit?