Favorite Soft Baits Besides Frogs And Toads For Fishing Over Heavy Weeds

[primetime]

I have been fishing a new area which is a shallow muddy swamp with a few areas that are deeper than 2-3' and basically it's a flooded field full of grass and pads, and the other half is a flooded swamp of Cypress Trees. I have only had success flipping and punching in the areas with deeper water (3-6') & sandy bottom, but I have been experimenting with various soft baits worked over the cover, and was curious to see what other baits people use instead of frogs and toads when fishing similar areas.

 

I have been having success with the Havoc Devils Spear, Subwoofer, Strike King Rage Bug, Damiki Hydra & Fat Ika Tubes, and the Power Team Swing Hammer Swim bait as they all cast well on heavy braid and casting gear without any weight or very little.

 

Also, I was thinking about trying the New Structure Jigs or Jig Rig to get a lighter weight through the weeds during the day, and was wondering if they come through better than a standard Tungsten flipping weight, and figure maybe they would also allow the soft bait to float above the mud & soft bottom since the fish are in these areas as they don't have a ton of choices when it comes to shade during the day. The deeper sandy areas are few and far between.

 

Thanks in advance, I am hoping to discover some new soft baits and jigs/rigs for this situation.

[Senko lover]

Try a Rage Tail Cut'R worm, they have great topwater action. Pit bosses and Yum Wollee Bullees can be buzzed pretty easily as well.

[Matthew2000]

You need to get in those weeds. Use a fairly heavy weight 1/2 oz and up and punch through it. Or use a 1/4 or 3/8 oz weight and fish real slow shaking you're bait into holes in the weeds. Fish you're favorite craw with a lot of action on the back of it.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

For slop(backgroung of pic) Ill work a wacky 6" senko or 7" SK ocho on top with a perpendicular weedless hook. I use hydras ikas and salty core tubes as well. Its the exposed hook on the wacky rig that really shines with hook-ups.

 

[primetime]

I also like to throw the big 7" Senkos and wallk them aggressive on slop like that...I need to get a picture up of what I am dealing with...I am facing lilly pads with Milfoil and grass which is super shallow, and I lob a 1/2 oz punch weight with a Rodent or BB Cricket and it just sits...3/4 get's through but in 2' of water is that too heavy???

 

I know the biggest fish are under the heavy stuff during the day, and fish over 5lbs rarely seem to come to the surface during the day....So far I have flipped em up in deeper water where I can see weeds growing in sand, and a 1 oz weight is ok since I have over 4'. For some reason they seem to react best to compact smaller baits on top like the 3.5" paddle tail swimbaits, and a zoom speed worm cut down to 4"....I was thinking the Strike King Caffiene Swimbaits must be heavy since the flukes are heavy and I find buzzing without a weight is easier, grub guards, bullet weights all catch moss, but good job getting fish in that water in the picture, how deep is that area?

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

That section isnt very deep like 1-3'. Ill work the bigger senkos slowly though not aggressively practically in place. Their weight will cause the slop to bounce sort of and that vibration is what I feel attracts. Ive seen movement under the slop going toward my bait then get nailed by bass coming through its rather neat to witness. Its like- oh oh theres something moving under there get ready BAM!!!

OH and the sound a strike through slop makes is rather cool a loud WHAAP even when its not my lure getting struck but bug flying or whatever 

Now when getting close to breaks or holes like the slot close to the the middle of the back of bass pictured let the bait drop in there and it get hit often.

There is one lake I fish that is a lily field but basically use the same techniques Iv already mentioned.

I dont ever "punch" through stuff with heavier presentations lean more towards finesse finding hole for lure to drop in so cant be of any help on weight size.

[primetime]

Great info, thanks, I know what you mean when you say you see them coming, it is awesome. I also like the Sea Eagle Harrison Hodge raft you have. I grew up with one since Harrison Hodge who makes Sea Eagle and the Bass Hunter boats and Panther Martin Spinners was in a town (Port Jeff) right near where I grew up on Long Island NY. I used to fish Tournaments with my older Brother and He was really good and I was lucky to win a Bass Hunter and a Sea Eagle and they handle really well with a small outboard and I have been debating selling my kayak and getting an Inflatable Sea Eagle Kayak to hit the backwaters instead of using a large boat....That is a big Sea Eagle, I know mine could only hold a 4hp but on long Island we only used a trolling motor, They last forever and are nice boats and I never was worried even in rough water.

[FishTank]

The Fat Ika works for me with a punching weight if needed.

[Shanes7614]

12" plastic worms run across the top.

[intan]

You need to get in those weeds

[RAMBLER]

Not a soft bait, but, a Johnson Silver Minnow spoon with a white trailer.

[Catt]

Sounds a lot like the marshes/swamps here in southwest Louisiana. Lots of lilies with a heavy dose of hydrilla & coontail moss.

Zoom Ultravibe Speed Craw 3 1/2"

Zoom Super Speed Craw 3 3/4"

These are hard to cast weightless so I add either 1/64, 1/32, or 1/16 oz pegged bullet weights. The weights are small enough that they will come through the grass cleanly.

Speed reel em across the surface!

As for the 3/4 oz punch weight, you'll find it aint to big.

Zoom Magnum Finesse Worm 5" is another choice

Rage Tail Cut-R Worm @ 5 5/8" is heavy enough to cast well weightless.

[scaleface]

My most successful soft plastic   for on top of thick vegetation is the Riverside Top Gun now being called Yum Swurm .

[BassinLou]

Uvibe speed worm or a magnum uvibe. Work it over the weeds and then burn through the open pockets. 

[bradc36]

Another vote here for a pit boss buzzed on the top

[Big C]

Sick Fish with a weighted swimbait hook.  It can be buzzed on top or worked slowly with pauses in the pockets of the weeds.

[Cgrinder]

Your favorite soft plastic paddletail. I like a Keitech SI Fat or a Missile Baits Shockwave. Use the smallest weighted swimbait hook that you can get away with. Owner Twistlock Lights are fantastic but be careful about blunting the hook points with heavy braid. White or some sort of Bluegill Flash pattern (Candygill Shockwaves kill 'em) are my preferences.