punching mats -- is it a slower technique, or quicker, in terms of once your bait is down there...

[fishhugger]

have been punching mats a little. it's a 7 acre lake, ringed with 'grass' --- as in, milfoil type weeds, etc, pretty shallow depth, maybe 2' to 6'? sorry, an approximation on the depth, but it is shallow. currently, i'm wrestling with how to get my texas rig down there - i'm generally entering via holes in the veggies.

 

but is this type of fishing generally fished slow, where you may leave the bait down there awhile, move it a bit, leave it, rest it, etc? or is it faster, or significantly faster (i'm hoping for the latter, lol). i saw one video, sorry, i forget the person, but i think it was a pro, who worked really quickly, just tossing the bait down, working it, seemingly quickly moving on. he seemed to want to quickly work the different areas of each mat, and move on.

 

thanks!

[MN Fisher]

If you're tossing your weight/plastic in the holes, I'd call that pitching.

 

Punching is just that...punching through the mat with a heavy flipping weight to find the bass hiding underneath. For pitching, I'll use down to a 3/8oz weight, for punching nothing less than a 3/4oz will do and mostly it's a 1oz.

 

For me, it's a fast technique...toss it in..jerk it a couple times...pull it up and try another spot.

[Tracker22]

Punching is my favorite and most productive technique. 99% of my bites come on the first fall. I’m in and out. 

[GRiver]

Me too, most of the bites I get were ether as it made contact with the water or on the way down.

[papajoe222]

For the shallow water you mention, I'd say it's a faster technique. Punch through, let it fall to the bottom, let it sit for maybe two seconds and pull it out cast to the next spot. 

The only time I slow down when punching is in deeper water (10-12ft.) when the bite is slow. I'll let the rig fall to the bottom and kind of shake it in place, then bring it up to the bottom of the canopy and shake it there before I move on. I wouldn't call it slow, but it does take a little longer. 

[fishhugger]

k --- ty for the correct term... i guess i'm pitching, not punching.  i'm just figuring that the holes would have more space within, for bass.

 

 

well, i'll try the punching, then... thanks for the tips! have a good weekend.........

 

 

[CrashVector]

In summer, I drop it through, bounce it once or twice, then move on.  It'll usually get hit on the fall.

 

In cooler months, I'll hop it a few times, wait, hop it again, then move out.

[fishhugger]

thanks so much... relieved this is generally a pretty quick in'n'out technique.  i have done slow things --- just not in the mood now. i don't think i've ever seen anyone punching or flipping much at my pond. they may do stuff on top of the mats... frogs... that's it...

 

have a good week end......

 

 

[Captain Phil]

The fall of the bait is generally what triggers the strike.  The more drops you can make, the more strikes you will get.  When fishing dense hydrilla mats, there is no visual indication of a strike.  When fishing reeds and Kissimmee grass there can be.  Many times you can see the cover move when the fish strikes or moves toward the bait.  I can remember a few times when I saw a fish move toward the bait from a foot or two away from the drop.  I kept bouncing the lure and the fish ate it.  This was in the dead of winter and is not what normally happens. Normally the fish gobbles the lure and I don't know it's there until I lift the bait.  This is why you should always check the bait before you lift it off the bottom. 

[padon]

17 hours ago, fishhugger said:

k --- ty for the correct term... i guess i'm pitching, not punching.  i'm just figuring that the holes would have more space within, for bass.

 

 

well, i'll try the punching, then... thanks for the tips! have a good weekend.........

 

 

thats the deal with punching. you need a heavy weight to get through the mats the grass under those mats are more open that you think . bass hide in there to get out of the sun and ambush bait fish. its a reaction strike. drop it through let it go to bottom jig it up the drop back. if no bite go to the next one. you my punch for 3 hours with no bites then catch 5 in a spot the size of a trashcan lid. look for seth fieder video punching grass on you tube.

[fishhugger]

4 hours ago, padon said:

thats the deal with punching. you need a heavy weight to get through the mats the grass under those mats are more open that you think . bass hide in there to get out of the sun and ambush bait fish. its a reaction strike. drop it through let it go to bottom jig it up the drop back. if no bite go to the next one. you my punch for 3 hours with no bites then catch 5 in a spot the size of a trashcan lid. look for seth fieder video punching grass on you tube.

will watch more of  seth fieder on YT... he explains very well, thorough, detailed, concise... thanks! well, went out this afternoon with a heavier weight (1/2 oz),  still pitching, but not relying on 'holes' anymore...  have had a terrible time since the seasons changed, almost biteless, actually. but tonight, relying solely on mats, went much better... lost a fish (i suck at hook sets), but had a couple bites... really interesting..  used something like a rage craw, or something.... green pumpkin w red specks.. i actually found it last week where i fish. 

 

 

[rtwvumtneer6]

On 11/19/2021 at 7:27 PM, Tracker22 said:

99% of my bites come on the first fall

Maybe not 99% but it's typically a lot.

 

23 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

bring it up to the bottom of the canopy and shake it there

And that accounts for the rest.

 

Think of it as a reaction bite.  When it crashes through, they grab it out of instinct.  When you shake it under the canopy I assume it looks like a bait fish.  Letting it soak in there is not what I would consider efficient.  

[fishhugger]

25 minutes ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

Maybe not 99% but it's typically a lot.

 

And that accounts for the rest.

 

Think of it as a reaction bite.  When it crashes through, they grab it out of instinct.  When you shake it under the canopy I assume it looks like a bait fish.  Letting it soak in there is not what I would consider efficient.  

thanks for the post... yeah --- efficient.  working in grass has been a little intimidating, but the answers here have really helped... and the reaction stuff.... that's a new concept for me too.  uh, it's a little hard waiting for tomorrow to go out there again... 

[rtwvumtneer6]

23 minutes ago, fishhugger said:

uh, it's a little hard waiting for tomorrow to go out there again... 

If it makes you feel any better, a lot of us on here live in areas that freeze and we have to wait months to fish open water again.  

[Captain Phil]

Flipping, pitching or punching (whatever you wish to call it) is somewhat difficult for some anglers to learn.  It takes time to build confidence in this tactic if you want to be good at it. You can often go a long time between strikes.  The strikes you get will be worth the wait.  When I started I left all my rods at home except my flipping stick.

 

Here in Florida, it works year round.  When fun fishing, I prefer to catch bass on top water or on a spinnerbait.  When those don't work, flipping is my fall back tactic and it rarely lets me down.  When tournament fishing and the bite is tough or I need a big fish, flipping and pitching takes the money.  A good flipper can make you wonder what lake he/she was fishing?   

[Catt]

10 hours ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

When you shake it under the canopy I assume it looks like a bait fish. 

 

If you listen you will hear a slight sucking sound, that's sunfish (bream, bluegill, redear) feeding on the underside of the mat.

 

Seth Feider has great videos but I would add Greg Hackney!

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, Catt said:

Seth Feider has great videos but I would add Greg Hackney!

I lean towards Seth's vids for one main reason.

 

His 'home lake' is Minnetonka - which is my main fishing location - so I learn a lot about my fishing hole in addition to learning techniques specific to it. ?

[Catt]

23 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

I lean towards Seth's vids for one main reason.

 

His 'home lake' is Minnetonka - which is my main fishing location - so I learn a lot about my fishing hole in addition to learning techniques specific to it. ?

 

Exactly the reason I watch Hackney, his home waters are South Louisiana...my home waters.

 

An important key on who to watch on YouTube is are they fishing your area. Yes I know you can learn from everyone but watching a Pro fish your home waters will have you questioning your abilities.

[T-Billy]

6 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Exactly the reason I watch Hackney, his home waters are South Louisiana...my home waters.

 

An important key on who to watch on YouTube is are they fishing your area. Yes I know you can learn from everyone but watching a Pro fish your home waters will have you questioning your abilities.

I fish the lakes Fletcher cut his teeth on. There's a reason he packed up and moved to Guntersville. ?

[fishhugger]

8 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

Flipping, pitching or punching (whatever you wish to call it) is somewhat difficult for some anglers to learn.  It takes time to build confidence in this tactic if you want to be good at it. You can often go a long time between strikes.  The strikes you get will be worth the wait.  When I started I left all my rods at home except my flipping stick.

 

Here in Florida, it works year round.  When fun fishing, I prefer to catch bass on top water or on a spinnerbait.  When those don't work, flipping is my fall back tactic and it rarely lets me down.  When tournament fishing and the bite is tough or I need a big fish, flipping and pitching takes the money.  A good flipper can make you wonder what lake he/she was fishing?   

all this stuff mentioned has really helped... - especially about working quickly and efficiently

 

gtk flipping is a good fall back tactic... my fishing, the past two days, has picked up, actually, since i been flipping... or pitching, ... i been having a turrible time the past two months.  but i enjoy the pace of flipping --- it seems to be the opposite of most other styles of bass fishing??

 

still getting used to how --- CLOSE it all happens. jeeze - i'm sure guys have had hooks fly past them on an attempted hookset, but do you ever have a bass go flying past you??? just wondering.

 

[T-Billy]

Another good tutorial. Tharp's one of the best in the game with a flippin stick.

[Tracker22]

Might I add another pointer. Don’t sweat the long flips i.e. 10,20, 30ft. I’m amazed at how many big fish I catch right under the boat. IMO, bass feel secure hiding in the weeds. I mean don’t be banging around in a tin boat but bass don’t scare that easy in the weeds. You could be parked right on top of a biggen.

[fishhugger]

2 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Another good tutorial. Tharp's one of the best in the game with a flippin stick.

yeah - i watched that one... it's a little advanced, but probably in a week or two, he'll make sense to me... one thing is clear: that man loves his weeds...................... i've never ever been on a lake like that... 

[Captain Phil]

14 hours ago, fishhugger said:

still getting used to how --- CLOSE it all happens. jeeze - i'm sure guys have had hooks fly past them on an attempted hookset, but do you ever have a bass go flying past you??? just wondering.

 

 

We first learned about flipping from Dee Thomas in the seventies.  Back in the fifties Jason Lucas, the Roland Martin of his time, mentioned it at the end of his book "Lucas on Bass Fishing".  This fishing method came from an old southern fishing technique call Tullie Dipping or Doodle Socking.  Dee adapted it to tournament fishing and "Flipping" was born. When we first tried it, we couldn't believe bass would be right under the boat.  It took some time for me to gain confidence in this technique. It works better in some lakes than others.  Twenty years ago when the Harris Chain water was the color of coffee, if you weren't flipping you weren't catching.  As the water cleared, other techniques became stronger.  

 

As you fish, be very observant of the cover so you can detect any movement out of the ordinary.  You will learn the see fish activity before you catch a fish.  Not all weed beds hold active bass at the time you are fishing them.  There are always some bass shallow as long as there is enough cover for them to hide and ambush food.

 

Setting the hook when vertical fishing can be challenging at times.  Different fish hit the lure in different ways.  Some fish hold the lure motionless and some swim around with it. If they move, they often tangle the line around the cover.  Don't get into setting the hook before you find out what's going on.  You may find you have 6 feet of slack line heading off into the woods.  If you detect weight on the end of your line, crank down and take up the slack being careful not to signal your intentions to the fish.  If your hook is sharp, you shouldn't have any trouble hooking the fish.  The hooks I use will stick most fish from it's weight alone. 

 

If the fish is small, it may fly by your head.  It happens. If the fish is big, you may be in for a tug of war.  I have been pulled to my knees by a bass a few times.  Big fish tend to dive under the boat.  When you hook a ten or eleven pound ticked off bass on three feet of line, it can get exciting.  Here's an old photo of me with a 10-3 I caught flipping in Little Lake Harris.  I had more hair back then. ?

 

[Catt]

55 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

You may find you have 6 feet of slack line heading off into the woods. 

 

That should never ever happen!

 

If you're fishing 8' of water & it takes 12' of line to "reach" bottom you've been bit.

 

By the same token if you're fishing 8' of water & your jig stops at 6' it's either on something or you have been bitten!