Fishing Pad Fields Effectively

Lily pad fields are a great place to catch bass, especially during the summer months. Bass love to ambush prey from the cover of lily pads, and they can be found in all types of lily pad fields, from thick mats to sparse patches.

Here are a few tips for fishing lily pad fields for bass:

• Use the right gear. Lily pad fields can be tough on tackle, so it's important to use gear that's up to the task. A medium-heavy or heavy action baitcast rod with a fast tip is a good choice, paired with 17- to 25-pound fluorocarbon or 30 to 50-pound braid line.
• Choose the right lures. There are a variety of lures that can be effective in lily pad fields, but some of the most popular include frogs, toads, swim jigs, and flipping baits. Frogs and toads are topwater lures that are great for fishing over the top of lily pads, while swim jigs and flipping baits can be fished through and under lily pads.
• Target the right spots. The best places to fish in lily pad fields are around the edges, in holes and pockets, and near other types of structure, such as weed beds, docks, and fallen trees. Bass like to ambush prey from these areas, so they're a good place to start your search.
• Work your lure carefully. When fishing lily pads, it's important to work your lure carefully to avoid getting hung up. Cast your lure past the target area and then reel it back in slowly, making sure to keep it in contact with the lily pads. If you do get hung up, don't panic. Just try to gently ease your line free.
• Set the hook hard. When you get a bite in a lily pad field, it's important to set the hook hard. Bass are often buried deep in the lily pads, so you need to set the hook hard to drive it home. Once you've set the hook, reel the fish in as quickly as possible to keep it from getting back into the lily pads.

Take a few minutes and watch as bass pro Bob Downey explains his approach to identifying the high percentage pad field spots to target in this video from the folks at W2F…

Tips for Fishing Dense Vegetation

Fishing in heavy vegetation can be challenging but also highly rewarding, so be patient, precise with presentations, and persistent when working dense vegetation. 

By understanding the nuances of weed bed make-up; using the right techniques and equipment; and remaining alert, you increase your chances of landing a potential personal best that may be lurking beneath the vegetative canopy.

Here are some tips to help you catch more and bigger bass from heavy vegetation:

Use heavy tackle: Working baits in and bass out of heavy vegetation can put a lot of strain on your gear, so use a heavy rod and line to pull fish out of the weeds. A 7-foot or longer heavy or extra-heavy rod with 50-65 lb braided line will give you the power and sensitivity needed to handle big bass when fishing thick cover; a 7-foot M/H action rod with 15-25 lb fluorocarbon line works well when fishing weed edges and lanes.

Use weedless lures: Heavy vegetation can quickly tangle and snag your lures, making it difficult to fish effectively. To combat this, use weedless lures like plastic worms, frogs, or spinnerbaits that are designed to be fished in and around vegetation without getting snagged.

Try punching: If the vegetation is particularly thick, you may want to try a punching technique. This involves using a heavy weight and a weedless rigged, thin-profile soft plastic bait to punch through the vegetation and get your lure to the bass below.

Fish the edges: Look for areas where the vegetation meets open water or where there are breaks (indents, lanes, points) in the weed line. Bass often hang out in these areas, waiting for prey to venture out into the open. When fishing edges additional baits like lipless and squarebill crankbaits, walking and prop-type topwaters, and suspending jerkbaits come into play.

Target shady areas: Vegetation provides shade and bass are known to seek refuge in these cooler areas during the hot summer months. Fish these shady pockets with snag-proof baits like jigs and Texas-rigged soft plastics.

Take a moment and watch as bass pro and 2022 Classic Champ Jason Christie offers some great insight into his approach to selecting baits when fishing dense vegetation below:

Tips for Fishing Aquatic Vegetation

Many of us fish waters where aquatic vegetation provides the most prominent cover for bass in the lake. Learning the fundamentals of fishing vegetation in bass lakes across the nation is often the key to success.

One of the key elements of fishing any type of bass cover is learning the relationship between the cover itself (in this case vegetation) any structure related to it.

KVD from the Bass Pro Shops team provide great insight in how to fish for bass using vegetation for cover under a variety of environmental conditions:

So the next time you head to your favorite vegetated bass lake, remember the tips provided by KVD and as always … tight lines and full livewells.

Finding Bass in Submerged Grass

What is the one type of cover most anglers fish?

Vegetation…

Although all forms of vegetation are not created equal, there are some basic principles you can apply when trying to unravel the main fish holding areas…

And in this video, the folks from Angling Edge TV show you how to locate the weedy hotspots in this case relative to milfoil.

Personally I catch more bass "out of the grass" each season than from any other type of cover or structure!

How about you?