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Swimbaits along pad edges


MIbassing
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Hey guys,

 

I have a few lakes with some nice lily pad and weed edges that surround the entire shoreline, along with docks and cattails mixed in. Do any of you fish baits along these edges? I was thinking about throwing a hard gill, rat, or slammer along the pad/cattail edge and around docks. 

 

Just wondering what type of swim bait you would recommend. I don't think glides would be as effective, but i could be wrong. I would go out and experiment more but i only go to this lake a couple times a year.

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sounds about right man. I throwing trash fish in clear water in thats stuff to.. if the water has some color I switch to a 6" or 7" hollow belly for more vibration, even though some people say those arent real swimbaits (never understood this snobbery :shock: ) 

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I fish a slammer similar to a frog fish just not as sloppy. Usually try to pick lines thru pads and twitch it through. I think the bill on a wake baits helps the bait pass through the pads better without hook getting hung up. Or I try to fish parellel to the deepest out side edge.

Floating gill baits are very effective through pads as well.

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wake a slammer in and around the pads, lots of stop and go, youd be surprised how well a slammer or nez rat comes thru the pads, as long as they arent solid grown in. 

 

ive done well swimming a real prey pond shiner along the weedlines too 

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Hey guys, curious as to why you think glide baits wont

 

I have a few lakes with some nice lily pad and weed edges that surround the entire shoreline, along with docks and cattails mixed in. Do any of you fish baits along these edges? I was thinking about throwing a hard gill, rat, or slammer along the pad/cattail edge and around docks. 

 

Just wondering what type of swim bait you would recommend. I don't think glides would be as effective, but i could be wrong. I would go out and experiment more but i only go to this lake a couple times a year.

Curious as to why you think glide baits wont work?
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glide baits will definitely work. imagine the pad line as a slalom course. running that bait in and out of the shade is a great way to get a fish to bite

+1 I've had success with glide baits the same way. swimming it parallel to the lily pads and once in a rhythm, crank the reel hard once to get the bait to glide up under the lily pads.
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glide baits will definitely work. imagine the pad line as a slalom course. running that bait in and out of the shade is a great way to get a fish to bite

x2

gliding the bull shooter 160 in and out of pad edges has produced immensely for me this summer...

If thats not working, punch a jig in there :D 

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Like Tyler & Chris have said the big bill on a swimbait will get you through pads that will surprise you at first. The key is when you get the bait up to the pads you just keep a VERY slow steady pressure on the bait and wait for the pads to slowly part. The bill keeps the pad stems away from the hooks but only if you do this very slowly. Pull quickly or jerk and you will hook the pads. I've been doing well with the morning wood ratin the thick pad patches but anything with a big bill is worth a try. Just key on that very slow steady pull.

In more scattered weeds you have more options. I bought a billed hard gill from a SU member and it is definitely more weed free than a regular hardgill without the bill.

Also, if you have the kind of pads that are heart-shaped, the part you will mostly get hung up is in the notch where the stem meets the leaf. If you have any wind, the pads will mostly orient with the notch on the upwind side so you are better off casting downwind.

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