lilly pad techniques

[scrutch]

one of my favorite local lakes is virtually surrounded by lilly pads every year.  I KNOW there are 6-7 pounders in there.  trouble is, later in the season around august, the pads grow (and the water level drops) so that the pads are 6 inches or more ABOVE the surface of the water.  This makes it nearly impossible to flip a frog or anything else deep into the pads where the bigun's are.  My line is always getting hung up on the pads destroying any lifelike presentation.   > NE1 have any tried and true techniques for this frustrating situation?

[J Francho]

Bubba Shot 10" worms.

Dropshot with 3/4 - 1 oz. weight, XH, long rod, 65# braid.

[JacobK]

giant bullet sinker, 1oz or higher, braid, heavy wire hook, peg the bullet, T-rig your fav plastic. hold on tight. 

[Dan:]

skip under them. You might only be able to do that along the edges.Also, try using really heavy jigs or t-rigs. I know the problem you have and it's not fun.

[DINK WHISPERER]

All i ever fish is thick pad fields here in FL. I found that areas with scattered pads near thicker parts are hawg magnets. Top water baits produce well in those areas. If you are in the thick stuff a stout flipping combo will be best. Accuracy and stealth are IMO the number one factors in successfully fishing pads. Practice hitting the target 100% every time and it becomes second nature. Trust me, i almost quit when i first started fishing the pads. I use a pitching method rather than a flip. You get more distance and stand a better chance at hooking a big one before it hears you. Try to be as quite as possible and keep the motor as low as you can get away with. They tend to spook easy when a boat is coming through thumping pads around.

[Dan:]

Topwater baits are not an option for what he's describing.

[DINK WHISPERER]

Topwater baits are not an option for what he's describing.

Guess you didn't read the first three sentences? Just letting him know they are not always in the thickest parts.

[Dan:]

Topwater baits are not an option for what he's describing.

Guess you didn't read the first three sentences? Just letting him know they are not always in the thickest parts.

um, yeah. But maybe you can explain to me how the bass are supposed to get to topwaters that are sitting or tangled on lily pads that are 6 inches ABOVE the water? I get what you're saying, maybe if there's an opening he can use them there, but it doesn't sound like he has many of those.

[NewAngler]

Topwater baits are not an option for what he's describing.

Guess you didn't read the first three sentences? Just letting him know they are not always in the thickest parts.

Guess you didn't read the OP.

[A-Rob]

get a heavier sinker for flippin' some pros use 1.5oz weights down south.

tournament frog around the pads

Don't make long casts. Just make little flips/pitches. If you cast too long, with too much line out you will be catching weeds with your line all day. Seems counter-intuitive but it is way more efficient b/c your casts will be quality. The heavy cover will protect you from being too visible.

Good Luck! catch some bigguns!

[scrutch]

i guess there are a few pockets here and there and I do work those edges.  these pads are really thick, and deep too, at some places they're 30 to 40 ft from the edge to the shore.  Lots of great ideas    keep 'em coming.

[A-Rob]

I have read an article, and also do this while I'm fishing, but try to fish transition zones, as opposed to the heart of the jungle.

I'm sure you have, but what about the edge you mentioned was 30-40 feet out, I'm guessing thats b/c theres some deeper water out there, maybe the bigger bass are on those edges?

Also may focus your flipping attention where there is a mix of lillypads and other cover...again look for those transitions. It may help ya narrow down the zone, I've personally been overwhelmed on lakes where there's too much good looking cover you don't know where to start/eliminate areas.

Again, good luck!

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

All excellent advice so far. Might I add that using a 3/4 oz. swimming jig with a large grub or paca trailer could produce as well,you just gotta crash and yank it through. I know what kind of pads your talking about and yes they are a beast especially when the wind is up and it makes your line tangle even worse in the stems.

[zero]

hollow bodied frog or rage frog it has been my number 1 togo lure for lily pads and i do flip super brush hog or brush hog to lily pad with 1 oz weight and beaver too

[J Francho]

I'm thinking this is pretty close to what the OP is describing.

I like Bassin_Fin@tic's swim jig ripping plan.  Something I'll file in the memory banks. 

[Bankbeater]

Depending on the depth, you may be able to pull the boat into the lilypads and try to fish them vertically.

[nboucher]

I fish a pond that with a huge area of dense lily pads as well.

Believe it or not, one of the biggest fish I've pulled out of there6lbs-pluscame on a weightless Senko that I very very slowly dragged across the top of the pads. If it fell into a small break, I'd let it fall. I get bit when the Senko is just coming off the pad. In the middle of a hot summer day the dragonflies really like to hover over these pads, and the bass come up and get them, which is why this technique works, I think.

You could do the same thing with a frogI havebut I suspect the shape of the soft plastic is less important than its behavior. It's the slight disturbance in the pads, I think, that triggers a strike.

Of course, jigs have also worked there for me, as have weighted lizards.

[Dan:]

scrutch, does it look anything like the pads in the background here?

Pretty much eliminates any topwater options, even frogs. They end up climbing up over the pads and don't stay in the water very long.

[RyneB]

if topwaters are not an option. Iv always had luck with texas rigging with a heavy heavy weight. If theyre kind of scattered, i have found throwing a swim jig on braided line through the pads will just murder them.

[Shakes]

Frog it! Tie on a frog and drag slow across the tops of the pads in the summer. Big bass can't stand it. Make sure you toughin up the line a bit... maybe a 40 lb + braided line.

One of my favorite techniques is running either a spinnerbait or chatterbait through the pads, ticking the stems. It's fairly easy to remain weedless as long as you stay out of the thick thick... leave that to the frog. But for edges, and small patches of lillies, through one of these. Can't wait til lillies grow here this year!

[Dan:]

once again. You cannot throw frogs on top of pads that are half a foot above the water.

[basspro215]

I say punching the pads Texas rig with a good size weight and your favorite plastic and that the end of it

[eyedabassman]

Try this,fishing a floating TUBE.  There are two companys that make a floating tube or you can put a ear plug or some styrofoam! When they won't eat a frog or keep missing a frog - try the floating tube.

[Fat-G]

Try these:http://www.dirtyjigstackle.com/products.php?cat=36

Brokeju suggested these to me. They look legit. Get the 1 1/2 oz. 65+ braid, and a STOUT stick.

[eyedabassman]

Try these:http://www.dirtyjigstackle.com/products.php?cat=36

Brokeju suggested these to me. They look legit. Get the 1 1/2 oz. 65+ braid, and a STOUT stick.

Nice looking jigs!