What is this?

[JoeDeal55]

Recently I was given permission to fish a new pond. Very large pond. Very small area to bank fish. Best for kayak fishing. In the summer, the edges are all covered in vegetation (see pic 1). Unknown vegetation to me (see pic 2). I had a blast kayak fishing the edge of the vegetation. Landed 9 LMB and 1 was 3lb 7oz! My question is, what kind of vegetation is this? I thought they were lilly pads but they dont flower and the leaves are smaller than lillies. The only thing I could throw on them was a frog but no luck there. Identifying the vegetation and advice on how to fish it is what im looking for. Thanks guys!

[GaryH]

Looks like Lily pads to me. JMO. There are several reasons why lilies don’t bloom. Not enough nutrients, not enough sun light and overcrowded. But I’m no botanist for sure.

[Choporoz]

I have heard them called dollar pads.   If there's a foot of water under them without too much realky thick grass, they will hold bass.  Frogs and toads across the rop; as well as plastics pulled across and let fall through. Experiment with weightless senkos and trickworms, increasing weight up to punching-style

[casts_by_fly]

It looks like pondweed.  Long leaf pondweed is very similar, though the leaves are even more elongated.  It might still be that.  This is an example from Missouri DOC.

 

If there is minimal vegetation underneath, you can swim a swim jig or texas rig through it.  Otherwise, drop a texas rig into the holes.

 

[JoeDeal55]

1 minute ago, Choporoz said:

I have heard them called dollar pads.   If there's a foot of water under them without too much realky thick grass, they will hold bass.  Frogs and toads across the rop; as well as plastics pulled across and let fall through. Experiment with weightless senkos and trickworms, increasing weight up to punching-style

My next rod purchase is going to be a heavy rod for punching heavier weights. I had a 3/4 ounce jig with a trailer but it just drug all the lillies back out to me. I through some weedless soft plastics but they just floated on top of the pads. There were very few openings.

[Deleted account]

Looks like brasania, goes by many names locally.

[Darth-Baiter]

that looks bigger than a 3.75bass!!  nice.

 

questioning your beer choice, but I digress :D.  

[ironbjorn]

7 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

that looks bigger than a 3.75bass!!  nice.

 

questioning your beer choice, but I digress :D.  

Questioning anyone insane enough to drink beer in the heat ?

[Cbump]

8 minutes ago, ironbjorn said:

Questioning anyone insane enough to drink beer in the heat ?

That’s the best time

[Spankey]

Nice fish ? up north here the lake I fish has both the flowering and the non flowering pads like that. Pads = bluegill = bass

[ironbjorn]

18 minutes ago, Cbump said:

That’s the best time

That's what a lot of people say, and a lot of people do it. I don't know how. I feel that dehydration and bloating so bad with beer in the heat.

[The Bassman]

Definitely pondweed. Beneficial bass cover.

[Choporoz]

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

that looks bigger than a 3.75bass!!  nice.  

My guess would have been 3.4375

[dodgeguy]

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

that looks bigger than a 3.75bass!!  nice.

 

questioning your beer choice, but I digress :D.  

That's not beer. It's pee pee.

4 hours ago, JoeDeal55 said:

Recently I was given permission to fish a new pond. Very large pond. Very small area to bank fish. Best for kayak fishing. In the summer, the edges are all covered in vegetation (see pic 1). Unknown vegetation to me (see pic 2). I had a blast kayak fishing the edge of the vegetation. Landed 9 LMB and 1 was 3lb 7oz! My question is, what kind of vegetation is this? I thought they were lilly pads but they dont flower and the leaves are smaller than lillies. The only thing I could throw on them was a frog but no luck there. Identifying the vegetation and advice on how to fish it is what im looking for. Thanks guys!

Nice fish. Crappy beer. Don't know about the weeds.

[JoeDeal55]

The best beer is free beer! Which is what that was lol. And I agree, I thought it was bigger than it was. Put up a good fight too. After further research I think it might be a water shield plant aka dollar bonnet. 

[casts_by_fly]

3 hours ago, Deleted account said:

Looks like brasania, goes by many names locally.

 

I think you've hit it on the head.  I don't know that we have it here locally, but I'm going to look closer the next time out.  We have the pondweed and lily pads that all grow in together, so maybe we have this too.

 

5 hours ago, JoeDeal55 said:

My next rod purchase is going to be a heavy rod for punching heavier weights. I had a 3/4 ounce jig with a trailer but it just drug all the lillies back out to me. I through some weedless soft plastics but they just floated on top of the pads. There were very few openings.

 

A 3/4 might be enough to get through it if you don't have a lot of skirt or appendages with it.  I use a 3/4 in heavy pads here a bunch.  You just need to cast it at the edge of a pad or where a couple meet instead of onto the middle of one.  Even the smallest of holes is enough to get it the rest of the way down through.

[JoeDeal55]

Oh I def got the jig through the pads but struggled getting it back out. Just pulled my kayak right up to my lure and had to fish it out with my hands lol

[LrgmouthShad]

6 hours ago, JoeDeal55 said:

The best beer is free beer

You're gosh darn right

[dodgeguy]

12 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

You're gosh darn right

Nope. There's a lot of beers that suck so I'd drink coke or water first.

[Bankbeater]

It's name is pondweed.  I won't say what I call it.

[padlin]

Pondweed stems attach to the leaves at one end of the leaves. Brassenia, locally called watershield,  stems attach to the middle of the leave, also slimy underneath.

[soflabasser]

Looks like a good place to fish a hollow belly frog, spinnerbait, etc.

[Alex from GA]

Pennywort?

[BrianMDTX]

On 8/23/2022 at 9:28 AM, dodgeguy said:

Nope. There's a lot of beers that suck so I'd drink coke or water first.

“Life is too short to drink cheap beer”. 

[jbsoonerfan]

@12poundbass is gonna want to share a kayak with you. Be careful