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

[Captain Phil]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

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!

 

This can happen when you are fishing cover that has some height over the water.  Reeds are a good example.  You must  lift your rod high enough to clear the reeds with enough line to reach the water.   You can't pitch as the reeds are blocking your pitch.  Here on the Harris Chain there are areas where you must reach far back in sticks and bushes to get to the fish and line control can be difficult.  If you fish the edges, you will miss most of the fish.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Captain Phil said:

You must  lift your rod high enough to clear the reeds with enough line to reach the water. 

 

Sounds like fishing Roseau Cane, we would drive down dirt/gravel roads though the marshes standing in the bed of a pickup truck to get additional height to clear the cane. I've been known to stand on the cab of the truck.

[Captain Phil]

Anyone who has ever flipped and pitched for very long knows how difficult line control can be.  Real fishing is not always like you see in YouTube videos.  Bass can hit your bait at all points of the presentation.  They can take it on the drop, after a bump or two or even as you lift it out of the water.  Once they do a variety of things can happen, some of them are not good.  Because of this, some people pause the bait just under the surface as they lift it out.  It takes years of experience to be a good flipper.  My advice is to slow down.   If you fish against someone with that level of skill, you are likely to wonder what happened.  

[Bankbeater]

Usually when I pitch into vegetation I let is sink to the bottom and start bringing it back right away.  It's more like a reaction strike.  You drop the bait in front of the bass and you get bit. 

[Mbirdsley]

For me it’s a faster technique and I know within 10-20 minutes if the fish are in that kind of mood.  Pitch lure, let lure  slip through pads or crash through, let it hit bottom, if a fish hasn’t grab it sometimes I will bounce it off the bottom a couple of times, than reel back up.  Sometimes they will chase it as you bring it over the pads 

 

if they arnt in that kind of mood I’ll put the punching/pitching set up away for a bit. Than   I’ll start picking away at the outside edges of what ever I’m punching through.  Usually it could be wacky worm, mojo rig, t-rig, and or light t-rig.  Running a square bill or other crank works good to if the pads, cat tails for a definitive wall.