Weedless search bait

[billmac]

What would you recommend if you wanted to fish fairly quickly through an area of thick lily pads and coontail (or other weeds), looking for active fish?

[Hook2Jaw]

Frog it or punch the thickest mess in the mess.

[Bass Rutten]

I fish very weedy midwestern lakes and the swimjig is my go-to, followed closely by the money minnow swimbait rigged on an owner beast hook .

[Black Hawk Basser]

I like a buzz toad or a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Worm

[bigjean663]

I’m a fan of a swim jig if I’m gonna stay on the outside of the pads. I’ve had more success throwing a frog like a Booyah pad crasher or even a hollow body Ribbit and work it slow on top. 

[J Francho]

Toads are really good for this.  Rage Toad, Rage Shad, Yum Tip-Toad are all good options.

[Mike L]

Zoom Magnum Ultra Vibe speed worm or Rage Cut R

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

[Jigfishn10]

T-Rigged Swim Senko works really well for me.

[EGbassing]

Swim jig or toad

[scaleface]

Toads . I have a  love/hate relationship with them . They get bites , I'm just not very good at hooking the bass afterwards . My largest bass caught this season was on a Stanley Ribbet . 

[Bankbeater]

If the lilypads are in small clusters, and the coontail isn't right on the surface then I will use a Mann's one minus.  If I'm going to be dragging across the top of the vegetation I will use a senko or a fluke.

[Dorado]

2 hours ago, Pickle_Power said:

I like a buzz toad or a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Worm

You beat me to it! Speed Worm

[Catt]

[Columbia Craw]

Swim Jig with a Keitech fat trailer

[Dens228]

45 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

Swim Jig with a Keitech fat trailer

This.

[J Francho]

7 hours ago, scaleface said:

Toads . I have a  love/hate relationship with them . They get bites , I'm just not very good at hooking the bass afterwards . My largest bass caught this season was on a Stanley Ribbet . 

Me too. Until I started throwing them on the most ridiculous heavy action rod. Old Deep South flipping stick I bought from @SPEEDBEAD. years ago. He was too weak to cast it, so I took over. Awesome toad and frog stick. 

[A-Jay]

4 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Me too. Until I started throwing them on the most ridiculous heavy action rod. Old Deep South flipping stick I bought from @SPEEDBEAD. years ago. He was too weak to cast it, so I took over. Awesome toad and frog stick. 

Ya ~

Now that you mention it, he does look pretty feeble.

A-Jay

[FryDog62]

Dark Sleeper 3/4 oz rips through some nastier stuff similar to a swim jig..

[smalljaw67]

A fluke, simple, easy to use and can be worked fast or you can let it drop down in high percentage areas.

[fishwizzard]

I use either a fluke or a Big EZ paddletail rigged on a big sledhead fished on top like a toad. 

[scaleface]

2 hours ago, fishwizzard said:

I use either a fluke or a Big EZ paddletail rigged on a big sledhead fished on top like a toad. 

Sledhead?   

 

 

I found them . A jig head with screw lock .

[jr231]

15 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Sledhead?   

 

 

I found them . A jig head with screw lock .

 

Sledhead refers to the shape of the weight on the jighead. There are sled heads without screw locks. 

[fishwizzard]

14 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Sledhead?   

 

 

I found them . A jig head with screw lock .

 

They are commonly used to rig tubes and such for smallies but I had some made up on 6/0 hooks for rigging paddletails.  They come through cover way better then a weighted swimbait hook and they protect the nose of the plastic really well.  

[the reel ess]

Sprinker Frog, Zoom Trick Worm, hollow body frog, weightless T rigged Senko. If it's not a complete mat of vegetation, I also agree with the soft swimbaits.

[ww2farmer]

Swimming a good old fashioned 7" power worm with a light tungsten bullet weight pegged to the nose of it gets bit now as good as it ever has. They'll bite a swimming worm when they won't touch a swim jig, swim bait, or toad on top.