What are some good baits to have rigged up when fishing very dense lily pads, hydrilla, and matted grass?

Water is very clear with cypress trees scattered.

When I here Lilly pads fist thing that comes to mind is a frog. If you are fishing from a boat also try to punch through the pads. If you don't know what that is look up punching through weeds. It's a very rewarding technique. Also, since you said it had clear water I would try some bluegill type baits. Or anything that matches the hatch. With those cypress trees I would try and flip jigs into them or some type of beaver or craw type bait. And on the edges of the Lilly pads try a popper or a slowly dragged t-rigged worm, bass should come straight out of there.

Suggestions:

1.  As stated above, frogs. If you are not proficient throwing a frog go to 2 below.

2.  Wacky rigged Senkos or YUM Dingers pulled across the pads.

3.  Half ounce tungsten weight with a 3/0 EWG hook and a plastic without a lot of appendages, like a Strike King Rodent or a "beaver" type bait to slide through the grass.

4.  Use braid. Tie directly to the hook.

5.  Heavy 7 foot or longer baitcaster.

6.  7:1 ratio reel to pull them out of the pads and grass.

7.  Spinnerbaits and Bandit 100s or wake crankbaits parallel to and around the grass and pads. Remove rear hook to reduce snags on crankbaits.

8.  Drop shots into any holes.

9.  Shaky heads into any holes.

10. Use your trolling motor as little as possible and be as quiet as a Bamasux fan when Bamasux is losing. No noise. Be a phantom.

11. Take your paddle and make a few holes in the pads or grass and them come back in a few hours or days and fish those holes.

12. Unweighted white or pink Zoom trick worms crawled across the pads and into any holes. Use a spinning rig for this technique.

13. Buzz the area with a buzzbait. If possible, buzz across the pads and grass. Otherwise, buzz with your Cavitron around the pads and grass.

14. Wear purple and gold for good luck.

 

Any plastics of you choice. Clear water is natural or watermelon colors.

 

Good luck.

Cypress trees. I forgot the cypress trees.

 

Any plastic of your choice rigged weedless to avoid getting hung up on the knees.

 

The more knees the better.

 

Spinnerbaits and crankbaits around the cypress trees can work as can buzzbaits or topwaters.

 

Just keep going around a cypress tree at least 10 times with your plastics, dropping it all around the tree and its knees. Then move on to the next tree.

 

Always look up to see if there are any critters in the trees or moss.

 

Pitching and flipping cypress trees and their knees is always fun. Just remember you will get hung up and lose your baits, as you know.

 

I like to use spinning gear for the finesse approach.

 

Once again, trolling motor down to 30% and be very quiet.

I have had good luck with a 3/8 jig pulled across the top of the pad like in #2 above.  It is heavy enough to go to the bottom, but light enough to stay on top of the lily pad.

I have had good luck with a 3/8 jig pulled across the top of the pad like in #2 above.  It is heavy enough to go to the bottom, but light enough to stay on top of the lily pad.

 

Yes Bankbeater, a 3/8 jig pulled across the pads and dropped into the holes can work. I have pitched and flipped jigs into grass and pad holes but never thought of dragging it over the pads due to the exposed hook.

 

I can cover the hook's barb with the Paca Craw trailer and give it a try.

 

Thanks for the info. Sincerely appreciate it.