How would you guys fish this.

[Whopper-Stopper]

I just started fishing a huge lake today. Actually, it is more of a marsh or a swamp than it is a lake. It is no more than 3 1/2 foot deep and bout 2/3 is covered in lily pads and other plants. In some places grass extends from the bottom all the way up to the surface.

We went there this morning and caught a few bass and a bowfin on spinnerbaits and jigs. We lost one 3+ bass.

There were decent bass hitting on top everywhere but we didn't use topwater because we were doing good on a spinnerbait.

I would imagine that this lake would be tough when the water temps warm up.  How would you guys fish this?

[tipptruck1]

I would try to pitch and flip some plastics in the weeds. But if your havnig luck with a spinner bait keep useing it. Sio good luck on catching the fish.

[Landis76]

Well from that pretty vague description, I would try and find something unusual to pair with the pads and grass since they are so plentiful. Maybe find an area with that pads and/or grass and laydowns and standing timber. Or better yet, find a creek channel that butts up to an area with the pads and/or grass. That would be an awesome area for this time of year. Trick is, when you have a lot of the same cover everywhere, pair it with something unique. I'd use a heavy jig or pegged soft plastic to punch thru the pads and/or grass and maybe a rattle trap to work the outside edges. Sharpen your hooks man! Hope that helps.

[FatBoy]

I'm no expert, but to me lily pads and heavy cover scream for a top water frog assuming frogs are part of the existing forage.

Just my $0.02.

[DR_Bass]

Im with alandis the slightest change in depth next to the cover can make a huge differance when your fishing those kinds of conditions.

[Whopper-Stopper]

Well from that pretty vague description,

I wasn't being vague, thats all there is. The only thing I left out is that the water is stained and clear in areas that has grass on bottom.  

[senile1]

The problem with places like this is which location do you start with.  If you have acres of a 3 1/2 foot deep lake covered with Lilly pads and grass, the bass have a great number of places to hide out and since the depth is the same, it makes it very difficult to choose a likely spot.  Under these conditions, I agree with Alandis311 that you should look for something unique such as a breakline between grass and pads or some other type of weed.  You didn't mention any timber so I'm assuming there is none, but are there points or slight variations in depth that you could take advantage of?  Also, in a lake this shallow the bass will seek the heaviest cover in the heat of summer.  Keep this in mind as you seek a location.  

When you think you have some likely locations, any number of lures should work in a lake this shallow.  In summer, I'd try to punch through the pads and grass with a t-rigged worm, fat ika, tube, etc.  I'd also try a jig and pig.  I think these would be your best baits, but weightless plastics, spinnerbaits, frogs, and surface crankbaits and flukes should work at times too.  At dusk and dawn, I'll bet you would have a ball with a chug bug, jitterbug, etc.  

[Siebert Outdoors]

I'm no expert, but to me lily pads and heavy cover scream for a top water frog assuming frogs are part of the existing forage.

Just my $0.02.

Thats what I was thinking also.

If that didnt work pitch a tube or jig in there.

[roadwarrior]

Sounds to me like the perfect situation for fishing a Slug-Go, weightless and weedless.

I would try all soft platics, weightless and weedless.

[fly_freebird90]

I would throw a frog or pitch a jig in the pads.

Good luck.

Ross

[senko_77]

I would alternate between a horny toad and senko.  also, drop a jig into the vegetation in the deeper water

[Landis76]

Well from that pretty vague description,

I wasn't being vague, thats all there is. The only thing I left out is that the water is stained and clear in areas that has grass on bottom.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I was trying to imagine what kind of grass, what kind of lake is this, is there any rock, bridges, etc., where it is, how huge is it, etc.

[Jerkbate]

First if the bass were hitting the top, I'd definitely have to try a torpedo or popper.  

I'd look for any depth variation.  If there isn't a creek channel and the lake is pretty much a flat bottom, I'd look for small rises or holes in the bottom.  These variations may be less than a foot or so.  With the depth at only 3.5 feet you should be able to find these areas with polarized glasses.  

Look for: places where the pads or grass make a point that sticks out from the mass, any opening in the pads, any places where there is an indention or change in the straight edge of the pads.  In very heavy pads and grass, I've caught fish in beaver runs that come through them.  These runs act like trails through the pads that the fish will follow and hold on the edge of.  

I'd fish these area with a lizard, trick worm, or fluke type bait.  I prefer to fish them weightless.  I fish one lake that sound similiar to yours, and one of my most productive baits this time of year is a bubble gum Zoom Trick worm fished weightless.  During the day I fish it slow allowing it to flutter down before shaking it a couple of times. Don't pump the rod like you would with a weighted bait.  Simply shake it a couple of times and let it sit a couple of seconds and repeat.   Keep tension on the line so you can detect the bite.  Once it gets late in the day I fish it a little faster with short twitches and not so much pausing.

[Whopper-Stopper]

Thanks for your ideas guys. I wasn't having trouble getting fish this morning but I know that when it starts to get really hot that the fishing will get tough.  I'm just trying to get a head start on them.

One more thing I learned is that you should make sure that the fish on the end of your line is a bass. I almost lip-landed a bowfin this morning that would have cut my thumb up pretty bad.  

[Landis76]

What is a bowfin?

[papa smurf]

I fish a place that's almost identicle to what you described.  When it gets hot most of the bass will bury up under the pads during the day and move out at night.  Your best bet will probably be to flip a tube into the pads during the bright sun and work the edges during low light periods.

[Whopper-Stopper]

Alandis: I hope I didn't sound rude when I said that I wasn't being vague.

A bowfin looks like this.

It is a junk fish that has teeth, breathes air, puts up a good fight and ruins perfectly good spinnerbaits.

[Landis76]

Weird. Never heard of it.

[SuthernProg]

Bowfins= Satan's Spawn

They also ruin Grass Frogs.  >

Prog

[mudcatwilly]

Go with a heavy enough jig to punch through the weeds and lily pads and use colors to resemble what the bass are eating.  I would also throw a weightless senko and drag it on top of the lily pads and then let it fall through the clearings.  Also, if spinners are working, then use spinners, duh!