is it normal to punch lilys? I always see people punching mats but never lilys. I am very new to punching can somebody help with rod/reel ect. I am not sure if it matters but i will be bank fishing.

I have seen quite a few shows on TV where they are punching lillys.  For me though you can usually work a bait through the lillys unless they are extremely heavy then you may have to resort to punching.  

I punch watershield...aka small tightly packed lily. Can't swim anything through it. It's punch or walk on top.

Heavy line 25 pd co- poly and a 7'11" heavy / moderate fast rod is great for that work as well as heavy Hydrilla . Bank will make it tougher on you, but you can still do it, but it will be somewhat frustrating I believe.

Oh you can do braid if you like,...65 pd., lotta guys go that way... Cuts veggies good and may be a better option from the bank!

I seem to have pretty good success in dropping a weightless Senko in the little open pockets or on the edges of lilly pads. Not sure if anyone else uses this strategy, but it has been a producer for me this year.

The pads are tough to fish from shore as far as landing the fish goes.  If you opt not to get down into them with your presentation,a Fluke, stick worm, or speed worm can be used with the gear most guys have.  If you have a combo with braid, break out the hollow body frogs and hang on!

I've had good success working a t-rigged white senko over and through pads when they spurned my frog - if the water was over a couple of feet deep I would use a weight to let it drop through the openings - braid is a big plus in pads. Not sure the color was important but it was a confidence thing for me.

Punching pads can be very fruitful, from the small 'watershield' pads up to the pizza-like 'lotus' pads

(my favorite pads are spatterdock & waterlilies). Pads generally don't create dense, hard-to-penetrate mats

as do hydrilla, milfoil, peppergrass and hyacinths. Getting to the bottom of these dense mats often

takes 1-1/2 oz, but pad-punching rarely requires more than 3/4 oz (pads to rhizomes).

 

Roger

If I miss a fish on a frog in the pads I flip a Missile Baits D Bomb in there and usually they hit it. 

Punching pads can be very fruitful, from the small 'watershield' pads up to the pizza-like 'lotus' pads

(my favorite pads are spatterdock & waterlilies). Pads generally don't create dense, hard-to-penetrate mats

like hydrilla, milfoil, peppergrass and hyacinths. Getting to the bottom of these dense mats might require 1-1/2 oz,

but pad-punching will rarely take more than 3/4 oz (pads to rhizomes).

Roger

Exactly.

I'll only add, don't be afraid to use the heavy weights in the pads also. Has been a good way to get reaction bites down here for the last few months.

Exactly.

I'll only add, don't be afraid to use the heavy weights in the pads also. Has been a good way to get reaction bites down here for the last few months.

 

Excellent point.

The faster the sink rate, the higher the odds of an impulse strike.

 

Roger

I'll flip-n-pitch pads with a 1/2 - 5/8 oz T-rig or Jig-n-Craw.

Pads aint a problem...stems are!

Ya gotta turn that head fast or kiss em by

Good point c#tt.. Pads can pull your hook faster than needle nose pliers!