Besides punching, how do you fish milfoil

[Mjmj]

I usually punch it in the summer, but I am thinking I would like to run a moving bait through the sparser areas

[Mike L]

Any submerged grass in fairly shallow water is perfect for swimming a worm or paddle tail over and through.

I personally like a speed worm, Cut R, Fat Max ribbon tail or Skinny Dipper, but Any swim worm of your choice will work. 
You can drop it in the holes as you come across. 

Other than bed fishing and punching that is my next favorite presentation. 
 

 

 

 

Mike
 

[Throwafrog]

As my username suggests...throw a frog

[TnRiver46]

^haha! Yes throw a frog!!! Also A chatterbait will come through it fairly well, and a swim jig very well. Weightless flukes and stickworms for finicky fish 

[Ogandrews]

Frogs obviously. Swim jigs are one of the best baits for situations like this. For really thick weeds I like going up to a 1/2 or 3/4 oz swim jig and plowing it straight through the thick stuff. A 3/8 will worm but a heavier one will stay down better while going through them. I usually throw it on a Flippin stick with 65lbs braid to a 20lbs mono leader or straight 65lbs braid. A weedless swimbait is also always a good option, as well as pretty much any technique on the outer and inner weed lines

[Mjmj]

I knew I should've said punching or frog?. swim jig was sorta the answer I was looking for. I was also curious about a paddletail. 

Thank you

[Catt]

 

[Black Hawk Basser]

Buzz toad, like a Yum Tip Toad or Keitech Noisy Flapper.  I also love Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Worms in this situation.

[Mjmj]

Bought a few swim jigs last night. I went out this morning.  Nothing for  the first hour and a half. Then the wind picked up. Got my first swim jig bass. (2.5lbs) caught a 1 over also in the milfoil. I then got some balls and decided to fish the nastiest part of the lake. What you see above the surface is about a third of the wood. 5 minutes casting into this mess and bam a 4 lber. I caught 2 more 2 lbers and had to call it a day

[Quarry Man]

chatterbait

buzz bait

[primetime]

I would have a hard time not pitching that area, but as others said...Swim Jigs, Swimming worms, Mojo Rig to cover water if possible with a trick worm, or fish a fluke or Senko. I would also throw a floating jerkbait over the grass or a torpedo.

 

If not too thick, maybe you can rip a trap through that area....Looks like an awesome spot..The kind of place you can really figure out over time.

[galyonj]

On 5/19/2020 at 2:45 PM, Mjmj said:

Bought a few swim jigs last night. I went out this morning.  Nothing for  the first hour and a half. Then the wind picked up. Got my first swim jig bass. (2.5lbs) caught a 1 over also in the milfoil. I then got some balls and decided to fish the nastiest part of the lake. What you see above the surface is about a third of the wood. 5 minutes casting into this mess and bam a 4 lber. I caught 2 more 2 lbers and had to call it a day

Your chances of catching the big girls go up commensurate with how frustrating it is to get to and fish in a given spot.

[NorthernBasser]

Gambler Big EZ burned weightless across the top.

[Michigander]

As several others mentioned, swim jig.

[camman]

i love using a texas rigged zoom speed worm.  I swim them like a swimjig or chatterbait, but like to drop it in pockets.  

[RoLo]

Besides punching, how do you fish milfoil

 

Horizontal probing

 

Roger

[Mjmj]

Thank you everyone for the replies. Please don't get me wrong,  I love punching milfoil. The issues I was having  is this time of year the milfoil is dead on the top(about a foot below the surface)  and the new growth is about a foot below the dead stuff. With the wind we are having it was tuff to pick out the pockets. I found a bunch a few weeks ago in tme milfoil with a chatterbait,  but was getting tired of ripping it through and then picking the dead milfoil off my lure. 

21 hours ago, primetime said:

I would have a hard time not pitching that area

That area is about 2 acres. The lake (60 some acres) has multiple areas like this. Right now with everyone off, everyone is pitching this area. I wanted to try the swim jig in there(experiment)  this area is great in the summer when you can figure out the depth the fish are holding.  I've had days just in this area with 5 or more bass over 3 lbs, just pitching this area and another one. 

[primetime]

On 5/22/2020 at 8:30 PM, Mjmj said:

Thank you everyone for the replies. Please don't get me wrong,  I love punching milfoil. The issues I was having  is this time of year the milfoil is dead on the top(about a foot below the surface)  and the new growth is about a foot below the dead stuff. With the wind we are having it was tuff to pick out the pockets. I found a bunch a few weeks ago in tme milfoil with a chatterbait,  but was getting tired of ripping it through and then picking the dead milfoil off my lure. 

That area is about 2 acres. The lake (60 some acres) has multiple areas like this. Right now with everyone off, everyone is pitching this area. I wanted to try the swim jig in there(experiment)  this area is great in the summer when you can figure out the depth the fish are holding.  I've had days just in this area with 5 or more bass over 3 lbs, just pitching this area and another one. 

One technique that often works over submerged grass, especially when it is pressured, is to work a floating jerkbait over the grass. You can get a Bomber Long A Floater, Rapala Floater, Bagleys bang o lure, or something jointed also can be the ticket with a Rebel, or even the Red fin as a wake bait...It can take some time to get used to the feel of ticking the grass, then ripping it off, or often times finding seems to simply work it really slow so it avoids the grass all together. It is one of my favorite techniques here in Florida when everyone fishes Grass the same ways as mentioned, and sometimes a different look truly works as Bass to become educated "I truly believe that". Most people would throw a fluke as a jerkbait, or a weedless frog or toad on top to avoid the weeds, and of course that can work at times, but bass are not always willing to come to the surface, or at least the bigger ones. Something about a jerkbait fished over grass just seems to catch bigger fish imo than soft baits "When it works". I learned this technique when I first moved to Florida fishing as a Co-Angler, and they guy I learned it from was an extremely accomplished angler and Guide. Having Wind can actually help and slight chop on the water is beneficial imo....

 

It takes patience on most days, but if you can figure out where the fish are positioned, it can be extremely effective. I generally use the Bomber Long A #15 which runs shallow, but when you fish it on heavy braid or heavy mono, you can work it with only a few inches of water underneath. I find it is also a good way to find fish as they often miss it, so you can follow up with a soft bait, or just keep focusing on the area. Using braid with treble hooks is not considered "Correct" but it floats, and in order to get fish landed, you need to keep them from burying in the grass & it helps feeling the bait, but I do like to use mono either as a leader or straight & Heavy mono keeps the lure more buoyant. 

 

I have also started fishing the Swim Senko again and forgot how well that bait works. It is the perfect combo of swimbait, Jerkbait, and pitching bait....Something about the GYB design and tail makes it worth the money imo, and makes a fantastic trailer on a swim jig or chatterbait.

 

Hope that helps....If fish are aggressive, sometimes a wake bait fished quickly can be the ticket. I tend to use the Mann's wake, Bandit Footloose, Red Fins & the older Strike King Wake shad...

[GioFromNJ]

my favorite weed setup is 65# braid, 3/16 worm weight with a texas rigged stanley ribbit frog on a 4/0 EWG. you can jerk it once submerged to get rise/fall action or you can reel it over the top/thru stuff