Frogging Lilly Pads

[nepabassfishing]

I've never been a guy to throw a bait into heavy cover, but I've decided I want to try and fish a thick patch of lilly pads on my local lake.  I've had success fishing the perimeter around the pads with soft plastics and top water baits.  However, I feel like in order to have a shot at the monsters I need to throw deep into the cover.  If I throw a plastic frog with a 7'6" heavy action rod, a 7 gear reel, and 20lb test braided line will I have a chance to pull a big fish from the cover or will I be fighting a losing battle?  Just curious.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[fishguy613]

id go with 50-65 braided line and with that setup youd be able to horse out a toad

[nepabassfishing]

Wow, 50-65?  Glad I asked.  I thought 20lb braided would be more than enough.  Thanks for the scoop!

[kikstand454]

You probably COULD go with 20#......but why settle? If you're going to go buy some anyway, get at LEAST 40# and go from there. It handles better on a baitcaster anyway. I like 65# myself.

[OntarioFishingGuy]

Go 40-50lb. You will be able to cast further.

[long island basser]

Definitely throw that frog in the middle of heavy pads and laydowns, you'll be missing out on catching more bass if you don't .

I use 40 lb braid but most guys I know use 50 or 65.

Don't know if your fishing from shore or a boat but sometimes you gotta go in the cover to get them out.

[iceintheveins]

Fifty is the minimum, 65 is better when the cover is outrageously thick or the chance of a 6 pound plus bass is greater. Twenty pound braid is too thin to throw on a baitcaster, it will bind up and dig in on itself. I wouldn't throw anything with less than a eight pound diameter on casting gear. Actually 10 pound diameter is the thinnest I use for a BC, thinner calls for spinning gear.

 

With 50 - 65 you should have no problem. 

[Catch and Grease]

I prefer 50lb but some people will go all the way to 80lb depending on the cover...

[tcbass]

I use 40lbs Power Pro and now Sufix 832 on my rods even my frog rod.

I've never had a problem. Although I'm not fishing huge pads like Florida and other places.

[Sam]

65 pound braid tied directly to the frog.

 

Heavy or extra heavy rod.

 

7:1 reel.

 

Frog of your choice.

 

Remember to say "got her now" before setting the hook.

 

Always keep rod tip up after your cast (at 12 noon) so as not to have the braid get entangled in the pads or grass.

 

Then slowly drop the rod tip as you manage the frog back to you.

 

And remember, the bass usually wins this competition but when you do land one it should be a nice lady.

[War Eagle 44]

I, like the vast majority of the other guys here, would go with a minimum of 50# braid. I've fished (this year) 20, 30, 50, & 65# on my casting reels and I just don't see this big "casting distance" guys are claiming to get just by going to 40#. I've always felt that 50# braid is the magical size that just has an all around great feel on casting gear. I find it to be my sweet spot as far as braid and "regular" 100 to 200 sized baitcasters are concerned. 

 

I've used as low as 20# but moved up to 30# on my Curado 51E that I use mostly for lighter lures and more open water, "around the edges" type fishing. I didn't have any major problems with 20# as long as it was properly spooled the first time. Meaning I had to spool it using a fair amount of tension to prevent the dreaded dig in on hook set. Also not a necessity but I found it very helpful at the end of the day to make an extra long cast and while I reeled back in just hold tension on it again for the next trip. 30# doesn't really call for as much "special" attention, just spool it good the first time and it should be ok.

 

For the last year and half or so I've switched to 65# for all my frogging, I haven't seen that big a difference in the distances I'm able to cast. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying I can cast 65# just as far as 50# but I get at least 90% of the distance. I never once broke 50# while fishing I was just starting to get scared I was going to so I made the switch and haven't looked back. I like the extra peace of mind I have with 65 over the few feet of distance I lost with the 50.

 

Either way 50 or 65# braid with your set up and you should be good to go. I wish you the best of luck because there's nothing like a good frog bite in all of bass fishing.       

[shawnmc]

I've never understood guys who don't throw into heavy cover. Big nasty bass live in big nasty places.  Go in and get em!

[aestabrook]

What style retrieve are you guys seeing the best results on? I'll typically give it 3 or 4 cranks and then pause for a second. I have had a ton of fish roll on the frog and just as many bite, but I've yet to get one in the boat. Maybe I'm not waiting long enough before setting the hook, I'll give it a 2-3 count next time and report back. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am fishing in the Metro west area of MA. Milford/Hopedale.

[ABW]

I don't think 65 lb braid is necessary, 50 is more than adequate for me. Plus the casting distance decreases when bumped up from 50-65.

[BassinLou]

Throw that frog in the most cluttered nastiest patch of cover you can find. Make sure you have at least 50lb braid and H rod. Work the frog in various sections of that cover, and when the blow up happens.... and it will..... keep your cool for a few seconds... make sure your frog has been inhaled and ..... swing for the fences and stick that pig!! 

[War Eagle 44]

I promise you these guys that keep telling you that you're going to kill your casting distance with 65# are wrong. Yes 50# will cast slightly farther than 65# but nothing drastic, I'm talking a few feet less not yards. Look up Dean Rojas or Bobby Barrack frogging video's on YouTube and see what pound test line they tell you to fish. 

 

Now I don't really have a ton of experience fishing pads but I fish heavy grass all the time. In my area when the grass "tops out" and is to thick to have actual lanes through anymore then I have to start targeting the small holes. I would think this is very similar to fishing the openings between the pads (though I could be way off), when I do this I find my best method often involves dead sticking the frog on the edges of the opening. Both sides, I'll ease it up to the edge of the opening and let it sit for maybe up to 30 seconds before I "hop" it into the water completely where I'll briefly pause it again maybe 5 more seconds just to see if there are any takers then I'll swim/walk it across the opening to the other side and again pause the bait for as long as I feel I can stand it. 

 

90% of my bites are when the bait is sitting completely still on one edge or the other. It's pretty rare that they hit it as I'm walking it across the opening. It seems to me though that if they do hit it as I'm working the lure I can just skip all the waiting junk the rest of the day because they are in a very active mood and they just want to eat. I'm also not big on the whole counting or trying to remember to say a phrase before I set the hook, the only thing I wait for is to make sure I can't see my frog anymore. If my frog isn't there I swing as hard as I can right then.  

 

It seems to me that over the years I've had far less fish "roll" or "boil" on the Bronzeye Jr than the regular size so if I've started my day with the 65 and I'm getting plenty of strikes but they just aren't taking the bait I'll switch to the Jr and usually that will do the trick. I guess if I were in your shoes I'd try dead sticking the Jr in the holes between the pads and see what happens from there. Just to clarify here when I say "holes" you know I'm talking about the really small holes between the pads right, I'm certainly not telling you to go look for some really big holes in this thick cover to fish. I'm sure you did understand it's just I've been told several times in the past that I don't always do a great job of getting my point across well.