LARGEMOUTH BASS
LARGEMOUTH BASS
In the backs of most of the bays on Black and along some areas of shoreline, there are some huge areas of lilly pads. The pads tend to keep the weed tops a bit lower than the surrounding weeds. This leaves a bit more water for fish to navigate and allows them a better look at things. The water is generally clearer in the pads as well, so you have to be a bit more tactful in your approach.
I usuually hit these spots early morning and evening. If the day is overcast, I may put some time in there as well. The pads are mostly thicker the farther back you go and spotty as you go in. I generally start the spotty areas first with long casts to the left, right and over the top. I'll keep 2 or 3 rods rigged. One with a Spinnerbait, one with a Buzzbait and one with a Scum Frog(popper faced). Which one I start with, to me, doesn't matter. If the water is real clear, I'll go with light colors, white, chartruese, yellow or firetiger. Spinnerbaits with a willow leaf blade. If the water is off, I'll darken them up a bit. Spinnerbait will go to a Colorado blade or a combo. I try to cast 15'-20' past my target and bring it back as I said, left-right-over the top. I'll give each spot usually 2 shots of this method and then move on to the next target. You can usually set your boat so you will have multiple targets without having to move. Once I run the area, then I'll move. If I have a fish that hits short, He gets another chance then I'll leave him be. I'll be back, this time with a stinger added. Another choice is a floating stick bait. Once tossed and retrieved slowly back toward the pads, stop it about 6'-10' from the pads and slowly twitch it to the pads and past them. The idea is to create some surface distubance, much like a moth flapping on the water. This has provided many a heart stoppers.
When I get to where I'm getting to the thick stuff, I'll mainly throw the Buzz or Frog. I'm a little partial to the Frog. When they slam that baby, they mean business. Watch the surrounding pads for movement when you're reeling in. Sometimes it's just a small turning of a pad, some times they get pushed aside from a fish on the move. If a strike was not provoked, I won't cast directly to the same spot but give it a little lead to see if it's still interested and hasn't moved off. Generally the second cast will produce some action. I've let the frog sit in a opening or on a pad for a minute or two without any movement or perhaps just a nudge to keep it a point of interest. Most times, when you get it moving again, it doesn't go very far.
If it's not super thick,sometimes I'll downsize a spinnerbait to the safty pin style for panfish. I find them a bit easier to target small holes holes in the thicker pads and easier to navigate back through.
Once I run the gauntlet, I turn and run the same in reverse back out to the spotty areas.
The line where the thick meets the spotty, I can see some of you cringing already but, it is a real pain and you are constantly cleaning weeds off. Throw a medium shinner on a #6 or #8 hook - no weight - into the holes or along side a pad patch. Sometimes you don't have to worry about it getting to the weeds. You will miss some fish with the smaller hook size but it cuts down on weed fouls. Keep a close watch of your line, some pick ups are very subtle.
