Lilly Pad Pond Help

[BuffaloBass716]

Hey everyone, im new to BassResource and new to bass fishing in general.  I am looking for some insight on a pond that a fish, it is connected to a creek and has the majority of the water covered with lilly pads with a slimy grass that grows on the bottom. The water is also muddy (around a foot visibility). I know im new to using soft plastics and caught a few but it is really slow fishing. I know there are bass in there but im not sure what to do or how to get them biting more often. I mostly texas rig a plastic worm but I think the bass are looking for something different.  Any help or tips you can give would be great! I'll try to attach a picture of a bass I caught from there. Thanks!

[OkeechobeeAngler]

Get ya some frogs and have some fun. What rod, reel etc. are ya using ? 

[Stren_g]

Try frogs, especially in the morning and late afternoon. Maybe try spinnerbaits along the edges of the lily pads as well. Overall the best advice I can give is to find out what the bass are eating and match your lures as best you can.

[smallieking]

Use a pegged Texas rig beaver. If the bass are small in the pond(in ny), u won't get a lot of bites on a frog. Flip a beaver around and catch a ton of fish

[Nice_Bass]

Jawbreaker spoons have always been my favorite in pads.  Too bad I don't have much pads around here, or anymore spoons.

[AK-Jax86]

I would throw a frog over the pads.

You can also use any plastic you are fishing and just drag it across the pads, that's what I generally do and I find a spot and drop my plastic. Nothing like skimming your worm across the top drop it in a little hole and BOOM.

As someone also said you could throw a spinner bait, or even a crank, along the edge of the pads and it's hard for those bass sitting and waiting to resist crushing your lure. I would even throw a jig, swim jig or even a football jig and bounce it off the bottom at the edge of the pads.

Hope some of this helps! I am about to go to my spot that has a lot of pads and see if I can get any top water action.

Good luck man, and I hope the info we all provided helps you locate and land those fish

[Bass Slayer 72]

Additionally to the post above this one, I love to throw out a 3 hooked bass stopper worm, you can use a weedless to pull it across the top, or chuck one into the openings or around the edges. We’ve caught a lot of bass this way, also dead sticking is every effective.

[endless]

When I usually fish Lillie pads I'll wacky rig the outside face of the pads, Buzzbait the holes or openings, and frog either with a hallow body like Spro's, Live Targets, or use plastic frogs like Rage Tail, Ribbits.

 

BTW Welcome to the forums!! 

[BuffaloBass716]

Get ya some frogs and have some fun. What rod, reel etc. are ya using ? 

Honestly, I use my dads old spinning rod and reel from when he was growing up (over 30 years ago). I thought about buying the spro bronze eye frog but I dont really have the rod for it. I know id need a heavy rod with some good braided line on there. I have skipped a worm along the top of the lilly pads but ive never had one even try to hit it. Ive never had luck with any top water there.

[BuffaloBass716]

There are tons of sunfish in the pond, I threw a nightcrawler out there and it got eaten alive in seconds like they are piranhas. I think with the water being so muddy, the bass just cant find anything and the have to stumble on my bait to find it and pick it up.  It is also fished pretty heaviely, there are always people there but ive never seen anyone else have much luck either. Thanks for everyones help so quickly! Bass Resource is great!

[endless]

There are tons of sunfish in the pond, I threw a nightcrawler out there and it got eaten alive in seconds like they are piranhas. I think with the water being so muddy, the bass just cant find anything and the have to stumble on my bait to find it and pick it up.  It is also fished pretty heaviely, there are always people there but ive never seen anyone else have much luck either. Thanks for everyones help so quickly! Bass Resource is great!

Far as murky muddy water stick to dark colors or anything with noise or vibrations. Spro make's a popping hallow body frogs and your plastic frogs like Rage Tail makes a kicking noise as your reeling it in. Buzzbaits, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits with a Colorado blade if want to use them. When I fish my lilie ponds I use Plum Apple for wacky. Heck I use that color everywhere and anywhere. I just love it. Just when can get you a nice MH or H rod and some braid for the pads themselves. When I fish the outside edge of the pads like when I wacky I just use my finese M-F rod with 8lb test. It seems like for me anyway when I wacky they only hit on the cast and the cast have to be dead face with the outside of the pads. Then I frog the pads, openings, and holes with my H rod and I think I have 50lb braid on it but I have used 30lb before on a MH.

 

These are the holes and openings that I will use a buzzbait, chatterbait or spinnerbaits when I do use them.

[BuffaloBass716]

Far as murky muddy water stick to dark colors or anything with noise or vibrations. Spro make's a popping hallow body frogs and your plastic frogs like Rage Tail makes a kicking noise as your reeling it in. Buzzbaits, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits with a Colorado blade if want to use them. When I fish my lilie ponds I use Plum Apple for wacky. Heck I use that color everywhere and anywhere. I just love it. Just when can get you a nice MH or H rod and some braid for the pads themselves. When I fish the outside edge of the pads like when I wacky I just use my finese rod.

I'll definitely have to try some new colors and soft plastics. Next year hopefully I will have a nice amount of gear for bass fishing since this is my first year going after big bass!

[29JMP29]

if you only have a spinning rod, you could try using a lighter weight buzz frog like a stanley ribbit or a zman frog.  both of those are fairly light weight and you could probably get away with throwing them on a spinning rod.  maybe also try a smaller buzzbait, just aim for the openings in the pads.