The bulrush (junco, rush) is often confused with the bulrush. The cattail tends to grow in slightly deeper water and has a more circular cross section compared to the semicircular section of the cattail.
Depending on the time of year and the feeding habits of the bass, cattails often dominate in fish catches over cattails. I think it is mainly due to the depth of the water (it grows in deeper water). Larger bass tend to migrate to the first structure they arrive at when actively feeding, and cattail are usually closer to these deeper water migration routes.
My personal favorite technique for fishing junk is casting a Texas rigged worm. I tend to use a tougher straight tail worm than a ribbon tail. The reason is that the ribbon tail often wraps around the cattail stem, wasting time and annoying the angler, as well as scaring the fish away. My favorite worm to cast is the Zoom trick worm in the Junebug (purple/green) pattern.
The weight I use with the Texas rig varies depending on the depth of the water and the wind. The shallower the water, the lighter I go. A lighter weight gives the worm a more natural fall and can take more hits, however if it is too light the worm can snag on the cattail stems and not finish its way to the bottom. The windier the day, the heavier I go. This gives me better control during the cast, as well as a better feel for what’s biting on the other side of my line. Too light a weight on a windy day will unbalance your casts and often cause you to get tangled around a stalk of rushes.
The only time I resort to heavy weights is when I’m flipping a matted deck on the cattail. I will use 1/2 – 1 ounce weights in this type of situation. If there is a caked covering on the cattail, you should remove the tip and turn the mats over. If you don’t, you will miss out on many opportunities to catch above average bass.
When working the bulrush, the patches/lines start from the bulrush approx. 10-15 feet and pitch. If possible, pitch forward of the boat and restrain any pitching to the side or rear of the boat. The reason for this is that bass are often spooked by the passing of the boat, and by pitching to the sides or to the rear of the boat, they are often lunging for startled fish or fish that have moved due to being spooked. .
Always keep an eye on the line, whether you are throwing, tossing, or flipping a soft plastic. Any twitch of the line or lateral movement of the line often indicates a strike, so reel in the reel and set the hook even if you don’t feel the typical strike!
When casting, work deep into the reed patch and toward the outer edge of the reed. Try to make contact with the stems whenever possible, but don’t neglect open pockets and work right in the middle of those pockets as well.
If you follow these tips, I’m sure you’ll catch more with less!