Need Some Tips On Fishing Around Lily Pads.

[BassinNCstyle]

I am on vacation at lake Marion. There is a lot of lily pads in some areas but I am not use to fishing them. I know about frog fishing but any other tips for fishing this type areas? Some areas are heavily infiltrated with them while some have a couple feet between them.

Thinking about trying a crankbait it space out areas.

Any tips appreciated! Thanks

[BigBassLoveSenkos]

Soft plastics, all day all night.  I'd also use braid and base the weight on the thickness of the pad stalks.  If the water is super clear, a fluoro leader will help.  Senkos, frogs, jigs. Medium/heavy rod.  Have fun!  

[BigBassLoveSenkos]

I've used as light as 20# power pro around smaller lily pads, up to 65# braid in the swamp.  Hope this helps.

[FrankW]

HI BassinNCstyle,

Lilly pads can hold some nice fish. I prefer braid (20lb to50lb)and don't use a leader. Fish holes in thick pads, cuts, points or any irregular spot. Isolated pads are the best. That is, find little patches of pads that are away from the main group or by themselves. The most productive is isolated pads with other grass mixed in. I think the best baits are plastics and frogs or other top water, weedless baits. I fish worms, tubes, creature baits and soft jerk/swim baits. I have better luck getting through the pads with a larger frontal area like a tube or creature bait. Thin worms seem to hang more frequently for me in pads.

If you want to fish a crank bait in pads you need to get up to the edge of the pads. Cast parallel to the edge as close as you can get and not hang up. A crank bait is not my preferred bait for pads.

Frank

[Fish Murderer 71]

Chatter baits seem to work really well in the thinner areas of the lillypads I fish.  Wacky jigs with a senko are a bass slayer.  10" worms and big lizards on a t-rig, There's a punch jig that someone (I can't remember who posted it) put on here that looks like it would work very well in the pads.  Have fun!

[Catt]

Bass Assassin Tapout Worm

[Catch and Grease]

Soft plastics, all day all night. I'd also use braid and base the weight on the thickness of the pad stalks. If the water is super clear, a fluoro leader will help. Senkos, frogs, jigs. Medium/heavy rod. Have fun!

If you do end up putting a leader on make sure its a strong enough one to fish the pads... Don't get 50lb braid then wimp out on the leader. i personally don't worry about leaders in cover like pads unless I'm not getting bit at all....

[F14A-B]

What FrankW said, pay attention to that and go do it,,,, he covered it so I don't have too! Lol!!!

[BigBassLoveSenkos]

If you do end up putting a leader on make sure its a strong enough one to fish the pads... Don't get 50lb braid then wimp out on the leader. i personally don't worry about leaders in cover like pads unless I'm not getting bit at all....

 

Agreed.

 

Forget the leader.  We still dont know if the OP is dealing with clear or stained water.  Even if it is clear, the pads themselves should help conceal the braid.  

[Bassfishing375]

Every time I fish pads or anything else I will fish some sort of change or transition whether it be depth change, or vegetation change. Also look for any areas where the pads come out to a little point or anything like this.  If catch a fish in a specific area keep fishing the same area cause there can be a lot more fish there, you will be surprised how many people will move on.

[skeeter1980]

I love throwing a swimjig,in and around lillypads.

[BigBassLoveSenkos]

I love throwing a swimjig,in and around lillypads.

 

Same here, with a swim bait trailer.  

[Christian M]

There is a small lake about 45 minutes away from me that is designated a "lunker lake" by NJ fish & game. Toward the back of the lake it gets reallly choked up with Lilly's and hydrilla. A few years ago I began focusing on jig fishing. I quickly realized that if I used a jig w/a beaver trailer that matched the water & vegetation, I could flip & pitch along the weed lines & catch some really nice bass. The Lilly's are virtually the only cover that the bass have to hide under during the hot summer days. Since then I've been landing big bass around and in the holes near the vegetation while EVERY OTHER angler fishes a frog or fluke on top...try a jig, you might be surprised.

[BassinNCstyle]

Agreed.

 

Forget the leader.  We still dont know if the OP is dealing with clear or stained water.  Even if it is clear, the pads themselves should help conceal the braid.

I would say it's semi clear. I have never used a leader before, because I fish cloudy ponds back home. The fish I caught today were on nanofil.

[BassinNCstyle]

I think I am going to try a jig. Need to replace mono with braid first. Thanks for all the input. I will let you know how it goes.

[geo g]

I too agree with what Frank W.  said.  Isolated clumps are better then a huge clump.  Fish will use them to seek shade.   An isolated clump will draw fish from a larger area.  May catch two or three from isolated pads.  I like to Use t-rigged plastics on small clumps and frogs or swim baits on huge clumps.  You can always flip the big clumps.

[Gary0155]

I fished a strip pit recently that was covered with lilly pads all around the edges. I had alot of explotions on a Booyah pad crasher but I was unable to bring one in. I switched to a buzzbait and just casted along the edges and had alot of success.

[PersicoTrotaVA]

I rig a senko style bait texas rig weightless.  Then I take a nail weight and stick it in about about 3/4 in. from the tip of the tail and push that nail into the worm towards the hook and bury it in totally.  I prefer a lighter nail like 1/32 to 3/32.  You want to use a heavier rod and braided line.  Cast it right into the middle of the pads.  If it lands on a pad, twitch it and when it gets to the water, it will fall tail first and shimmy on its way down, bass underneath can't resist it.  It makes a smaller profile so it can slip into smaller holes between the pads.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I'd start on the outside edge focusing on inside and outside turns and transitions to other weed types with spinnerbait, soft swimbait/jig and senko or other plastic. Second probe just inside the edge, then inside line and third work progressively deeper into the pads. depending on how thick the pads are I'll pitch to the openings using enough weight to be sure the bait reaches bottom. Try a lizard or other creature with a 1/8-1/4 weight across the pads letting it drop into holes. The sam ca be done with a weedless spoon with or without a trailer.

[flyfisher]

Soft swim baits have done very well for me in lily pads.  they come through pretty clean and create some massive hits.  The other thing i always look for is any other type of cover in the pads with wood being my favorite.  If i see a downed log in the middle of the pads I know there are going to be fish there.

[NorthFloBassin]

Flipping jigs in pads can be deadly and catch monster bass, a lot of people don't think about flipping pads but trust me it works, my tournament partner caught a 9 pounder flipping a black n blue jig into pads

[RHuff]

In the spring when the lillies are growing in but not mature yet, try working a willow leaf spinnerbait or a chatterbait through the stems. Cause it to get snagged and rip it on through the pads. This especially works in shallow water 10 feet or less, preferably on flats. 

 

In the summer and early fall when the lilly pads are in fully thick. Rig up a 3/8 oz archie head style jig with a creature bait as a trailer. A rounded football head will get hung up in thick vegetation. A jig with a pointed head will come through easier. My rule is clear water - green or brown with matching trailer and muddy real murky water - black or black/blue jig with matching trailer. My favorite trailer to use is the Strike King Structure Bug. 

[scaleface]

Its been a couple of decades since I fished a good pad field . Use to slay them on a Texas rigged Jelly Worm .