How would you fish this?

[Tyson Madden]

Where I’m from all the local lakes in my county (5 or 6 out of the 60 lakes have bass) have crazy amount of Lilly pads. I’ve fish top water tried to Texas through them just so much cover. Every so often maybe get lucky and get a medium sized fish. 3-5 lbs. people have caught 6-8 out by luck. So my question is how would you fish the lake/ lakes with massive Lilly pad beds to constantly catch 3-5 lbs bass? Picture included of one of my favorite lakes 

[Glaucus]

Frogs, buzzbaits, punching, and weightless plastics in holes. You stuck on the bank? If so a kayak would be a good investment if possible to fish other than just that slop.

[Bluebasser86]

Is it possible the lakes just lack a good population of bass? Maybe you're doing great catching the occasional 3-5 pound fish and shouldn't change anything? 

 

I personally despise fishing lily pads and will do about anything to avoid them. If that was my only option, I'd be fishing a frog on top and around the edges, a beaver or other plastic down through them, or an unweighted stick worm on the edges and in holes in the pads. 100% braided line, no leaders, this is combat fishing with heavy gear. 

[Tyson Madden]

The 3-5 lbs aren’t consistent the way I have been fishing. I know they are they just not using the right technique. I use a 7foot medium action fast tip 25lb braided line for flipping in the few holes and a 8 foot heavy spinning rod for Texas rigs with same line 

I have a boat I use   

[NittyGrittyBoy]

@Bluebasser86, I too my friend share in your hatred of Lily pads. I fish them if I must, but only after all other options have been exhausted

 

@Tyson Madden when I have to fish pads, it's punching. My buddies like dropping weightless trickworms through holes but I ain't got the patience for that. Drop some tungsten on his snout, and like Lake Fork Guy says "give it a dangle"

It looks thick but a weedless paddletail or Spinnerbait will get some looks also

[Tyson Madden]

I’ll have to Texas rig a little better to punch. All the lakes in my local area have Lilly pads around the whole lake. Anywhere bass could possibly be? I’ve never fished deep for bass. Do you think they could possibly be on the ledge of the pads? Idk. I’m just learning new techniques to get serious about fishing. 

[Bluebasser86]

I would fish the edges of them for sure. I've caught far more bass from the edges of pads than I have from deep in the middle of them. 

 

The best thing to do is find areas that would likely hold bass even if the pads weren't there. Something like an area with a laydown, ditch, rockpile, ect. Those areas are already appealing to the fish and become even more appealing with the pads there and make locating fish less of a chore. 

[Tyson Madden]

Thank you. When I get back I’ll fish edge then move in if no luck. I’ll post my results. It’s still cold water so be hard to get anything but get out there and see where I want to try new approach. Thanks for all the help. 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/punching-bass.html

 

Here's a good article on punching. It's definitely something that takes learning, and alot of missed fish. 

 

Late spawn could also keep a few bass tight lipped. But again, if your catching 3-5lbers your doing something right! Be patient, experiment with different techniques, and dial in the techniques you already know and 6-8's will come shortly

[BIGfryFish]

If I need to fish through the pads, then I try flipping straight to them.

 

Try using something like a snagproof frog, craw or mouse with a flippin' weight attached.    You gotta get the fishes attention with splashing noise.  I try flippin' onto a pad near an opening.  Then I try poppin' it across the opening to

get a strike.   You can always change lures, weight size, or weight direction.   Whatever works for you.    

[928JLH]

Punch rig definitely. Fish the outsides early morning and evenings. They will probably pull in there as the sun comes out. Look for any kind of differences like a merging of pads with different vegetation. 

[scaleface]

Its shaped like a foot and there where the arch would be , the pads stick out a little farther, maybe indicating a slight point there . A little structure might be the place to spend a little more time . 

[Fishin' Fool]

19 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I would fish the edges of them for sure. I've caught far more bass from the edges of pads than I have from deep in the middle of them. 

 

The best thing to do is find areas that would likely hold bass even if the pads weren't there. Something like an area with a laydown, ditch, rockpile, ect. Those areas are already appealing to the fish and become even more appealing with the pads there and make locating fish less of a chore. 

I have caught so many bass by making the perfect cast right at the edge of the lily pads with senkos and historically a tube bait with a 1/16oz jighead. The lighter weight jighead provides a perfect spiral fall for a bass waiting under the pads for ambush. I really need to get back to fishing that way.

[flyfisher]

I love fishing lilly pads and have never found a patch I can't pull a fish or two out of suing a bunch of different techniques.  The usual suspects of frogs and pegged texas rigs work well.  I also prefer to throw weightless flukes and hollow bodied swim baits which i work painfully slow.  

I didn't read the entire thread so i apologize if this has already been said but after you fish the edges which i know was mentioned, just sit and watch and listen.  Look for stalks to move that are out of the ordinary, listen for sunnies or baitfish popping the surface.  This will help to let you know what is in there and moving around and where they are.  Also look for anything that is different.  In a field of lilly pads there are reasons fish are where they are and you need to figure it out.  it is almost guaranteed that if there is any type of wood cover in there that fish will be there too.  Also look for holes and depressions where the pads are sticking out of the water more or less than the surrounding areas.  

Picking apart a lilly pad field can take a while but it sure is fun...

[CrankFate]

The only thing I ever got out of lily pads was dinks.

[WRB]

Don't believe the anglers claiming 6-8 lb bass!

Tom

[Tyson Madden]

I seen a 6 lb pulled out of there right of the dock 

[Largies4Life]

My suggestion would be try going there at dusk or early in the morning. You might just entice one of the big girls to come out from the pads or the dock. Some of my biggest bass have come from under a dock or nearby structure. Best of luck!

[Black Hawk Basser]

I'd be tempted to run a spinnerbait all along those edges of pads.  Buzzbait or Whopper Plopper, as well.  Chatterbaits shed cover pretty well and I'd also give those a shot.  We don't really have lily pads around here, but other vegetation chokes out the shallows just the same, and I have a ton of success with those aforementioned lures on the edges of the slop.

 

My preferred method of fishing is aggressive and fast, so the above choices would be my first.  Of course, the heavily weighted plastics would work as well, that's just not my style unless I'm forced into it.

[Tyson Madden]

I fished caught little ones, water is very cold still so I fished deep on the ledges mostly. I was loading the boat up thought I’ll go try the dock. This dock as a very long walk way to the main dock. I didn’t have any luck was walking on the long walkway and playing with my bait in the water maybe 2 feet seeing how it reacted to different jerks etc when this lunker came out from under the dock and grab it. Scared the crap out of me because my jig was only in the water maybe 15 feet in front of me lol I got her. Then today I was fishing a different lake lost a lunker on a tree in the water. Fun fact I thought bass was in deep water in cold weather. We are still in the 40s and low 30s At night. Both this fish were pretty shawllow. The fish I lost today was at the end of the tree maybe 6 feet of water. Thanks for all the advise. 

[scaleface]

On 4/12/2019 at 9:59 AM, Tyson Madden said:

I seen a 6 lb pulled out of there right of the dock 

...and that dock is right next to what appears to be a slight point .

[Tyson Madden]

So I just fished heavy heavy cover with a jig bounced it of bottom slow retrieve and caught a 4.5 lb and 6.10 lb never caught that big of bass in one. Thanks for all your tips they helped(I fished the edge of the cover and made my bait go parallel to the hole I was fishing) 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

On 4/11/2019 at 12:35 AM, Tyson Madden said:

I’m just learning new techniques to get serious about fishing. 

Nice bass, your totally hooked now! 

[sully420]

I would flip it with a skirted punch rig like this. Loos for areas where the pads are 2 to 4' deeper than the rest and punch away.

[Hower08]

Tube jigs and magnum worms.