Getting in the "split" is a fact of life when fishing pads. Some lures come thru better than others. The first thing I do is flip, flip, flip. Then I will flip some more. I do throw frogs and such every now and then, but my passion around pads is flippin'. One thing I do use 100% of the time in pads is Stealth braid. It acts as weedeater string when under tension. You can also get your bait back if it is stuck in the "split".