During the summer months, I use a 3/8-ounce black and blue Grizz Baits jig with a Big Bite Baits swimming craw in 1099 color. Even a 6-inch depth change can make a huge difference in the number of bites you get.”. I don’t pretend to be a botanist. With my jigs, I prefer a heavier rod because it allows me to pull fish out of grass and away from any structure that might cause the line to break. Gear & Tips For Fishing Lily Pads. I want to fish the biggest, gnarliest bush if I’m flipping shallow cover, not one little twig. Even more than the Senko, this versatile bait can work in almost any scenario you can think of, from 1 foot of water to depths greater than 20 feet. The first is to simply start power fishing, making as many casts as quickly as you can and hoping it will increase the odds of casting toward a willing fish. Next Tuesday we’ll talk about grass. READ MORE », Day two of the Toyota Series Northern Division event on the Detroit River saw the pros stuck in the river itself again due to the wind. READ MORE », After weighing nearly 25 pounds on day two, Kurt Mitchell put 15 pounds, 8 ounces on the scale on the final day to close out the win in the Toyota Series Northern Division event on Lake Erie. Your email address will not be published. They’ll form an almost perfect line along the channel break. I use a longer rod to give myself greater casting distance, which is especially crucial when fishing clear water where the fish can see the boat at a distance. My categories are not intended to be scientific. Weighing 24 pounds, 11 ounces, he moved up from second into the lead with a 44-10 total. READ MORE », Day two of the Toyota Series Northern Division event on Lake Erie was tough on some, but it was a party for Kurt Mitchell. I have seen my fair share of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to bass fishing. Required fields are marked *, Copyright © 2020 On The Water, LLC. “If you go ripping through you’ll … Fishing pads is something you have to do if you’re going to be any good at it. This article is focused on fly fishing bass, while Part 2 dials into fishing lily pads with tradition tackle. More anglers should take the time to get their partners in the boat and go have some fun. My categories are not intended to be scientific. Still, Smith hammered out a pair of top 10s and a 27th-place showing en route to the title, and his style of fishing was simply perfect for this season in the Southeastern Division. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. “Use the kayak to get close, then hit your spots,” says Bungard. This bait can be used for fishing anything from docks and weeds to drop-offs and flats. JOIN TODAY! And I hated it. He also adds a large soft plastic trailer with somewhat aggressive action, like a Strike King Rage Craw. But still, often the watershield won. It's a tedious and sometimes tangled proposition, but bass fishing in lily pads and other vegetation can be a rich endeavor well worth the hang-ups. These are the real big, almost giant-like pads. “Water clarity is the very first thing I notice anytime I’m targeting aquatic vegetation,” Scroggins said. Scroggins’ first choice for lily pads is a simple 1/2-ounce flipping jig. The Ohio angler has many favorite pad lakes in the North, such as the St. Lawrence River, where back bays full of lily pads can be superb for largemouth (although they rarely hold smallmouth). Snag Proof frogs, topwater baits, and jigs are all good. This is something that can change every day—even throughout the day—but fortunately water clarity reveals itself immediately. Membership Includes 1 Year Bassmaster Magazine, Plus $50 in free gear. “It’s easier to go finesse and then heavy than it is to bang up the place with heavy stuff and then go back through with finesse.”. “If there’s a basketball-size opening in the lily pads, practice until you can cast into it at 30 ft. I’ve caught many bass with casts within 10 feet of the kayak. However, the benefit of this challenge is that it forces us to become some of the most versatile bass anglers in the country. “I like to find pads that grow in bunches. So to figure out how to make the most of what’s actually a good situation, I turned to fellow South Carolina native and Jackson Kayak Product Manager Damon Bungard. Croff’s Nervous Neda. “It is truly hard to beat a stick worm around lily pads, or most aquatic vegetation for that matter,” Scroggins said. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments. I don’t pretend to be a botanist. It’s a challenge because we must find ways to convince finicky fish to bite in a wide range of water temperatures and weather conditions. And never pass up an opportunity to flip and pitch them with your favorite plastic. |, Best Airgun Rifles for Hunting Urban Predators, How to Choose Between Night Vision Or Thermal Optics, Bass Fishing in Lily Pads — Part 1: Fly Fishing, creeping into areas using a canoe, kayak or paddleboard. These tips will save you lots of headache the next time you’re faced with this type of aquatic vegetation. I tend to use a 6-foot, 9-inch medium-light Kistler KLX rod and a spinning reel spooled with 12-pound fluorocarbon line for fishing Senkos around docks and rocks. This week we’re going to talk about fishing lily pads. I’ve tried worm, top water and trolling with a minnow. “Inshore fishing like that is a lot like offshore fishing; fish like to be in those certain places more than others at certain times,” says Sprague. The combination of purplish blue and black creates a look in the water that bass have a tough time resisting. After a few presentations around the fringe he’ll flip directly into the heart of the root system. A jig and trailer is a versatile lure that can work in almost any scenario, from shallow structure to deep drop-offs. Smaller flies are easier to cast, so start there, and work your way up.”, Bungard recommends stopping 30 to 40 feet from the lily mat you’re looking to fish. Maybe it’s the high heat? There are two ways to attack such a situation. When faced with rising water scenarios or changing wind directions, this can be hugely important. Still, from the reports we have, it looks like plenty of fish will come to the scale one way or another. For me, the best area for catching fish with crawfish-imitating jigs is around any type of structure; however, when on an open flat, a swimming jig that mimics a baitfish will work better because bass are on the move, actively feeding. This way, a fly cast isn't required to cover long distances. How to Use a Signal Mirror in a Survival Scenario, The Best Recipes and Drinks for Hunting Camp, A Flyfishing Adventure to the Greatest Northern Pike River in North America, Hunting Black Bears with Hounds in the Famed Bruin Swamps of North Carolina. Another major factor is how scattered or spaced apart the pads are from one another. With 60-2 total, Mitchell earned his first FLW win and pocketed $26,206 in winnings. On the lighter side, Sprague will flip a Gene Larew Wheeler Hammer Craw on a 5/16- or 3/8-ounce Texas rig or throw a soft-plastic jerkbait rigged weightless or on a 1/16-ounce Gene Larew Bass Shooter Pinhead Jig into holes. What makes this bait so versatile is that it falls slowly with the lifelike action of a worm.