I took up fishing this spring as a way to spend some time outside during the quarantine.  Grew up in Arizona and only have a bit of experience with trout fishing.

In upstate NY I've got access to lakes and rivers full of bass, northern pike, walleye, and other species.  The past couple days I've had a bunch of success on floating rapalas as the fish were very active.  Today it was windy and the fish were sitting much lower, in the weeds.  I tried some crankbait and spoons and they were getting hung up on plants every cast.  Luckily these plants are coming in with the lure so I'm not getting snagged but it does ruin the retrieve.  I had a bit more success with a grub on a jig head but it would still bring in a big chunk of plant every other cast.

How should I fish days like today?  What rig can get some depth without hooking a piece of underwater plant every cast?

There are a number of ways you can fish weeds. For thin weeds just about any technique will work. If you are throwing crankbaits you will need to rip the bait thru the weeds.

For medium to thick weed cover you need to change things up. One easy technique is slip bobbers sized and rigged with the correct size live bait for the fish you are fishing for. I like to use medium light to medium rods and fairly heavy braid. You will need the rod and heavy line to get the fish out of the cover. I run the braid thru the bobber and then put a small swivel. The. Mono or fluro down to the hook.

If I break off I only loose the sinker and hook.

I haven't had any issues with breaking line or getting snagged bad enough to cut line.  I'm fishing a medium rod with 15 lb braid.

I can rip the lures through the weeds but then they bring in a 4-8" long section of the weed in with them, it totally ruins the action of the lure.  I felt like I was spending as much time pulling plant material off my bait as I was in the water.

On top early and late.

Texas or Carolina rigged worms or crawfish don’t collect too much crap.

Spinnerbaits just above the weeds.

Weed less jig and crawfish doesn’t catch too much crap.

Chatterbaits, swim jigs, and soft swimbaits rigged weedless can really shine around grass and what not too.