I'm current fishing a 235 acre reservoir, 1/3 of which is covered with lily pads. I know someone that has been successful flipping the edges. Since I'm in a kayak, I can get deep into the pads where no one else has been. So, knowing that the edges of lily pads usually mark deeper waters, should I stay on the edges or venture deep into the pads?

I would be fishing the points, pockets, and holes in the lilley pads. They should hold fish if they are near deeper water, provided there are a foot or two of water under them. Frogs, punch rigs, and T-rigs should work best. I find smaller fish will roam the edges, while bigger fish tend to burrow themselves under the pads.

So the outside pockets and points are best? Agreed?

18 hours ago, Tracker22 said:

So, knowing that the edges of lily pads usually mark deeper waters, should I stay on the edges or venture deep into the pads?

Both!

I love fishing pads.  I work small holes all throughout them.  I love dropping a brush hog in on a keel-weighted twist-lock hook, they go crazy for it.  Lizards work great too.  

Explore as deep as you can. May find a biggin

2 hours ago, Catt said:

Both!

 

1 hour ago, GetBent said:

Explore as deep as you can. May find a biggin

Ditto 

 

 

Mike 

great place for an unweighted white senko type - over and off the pads - into pockets - of course all the other mentioned above

Bass could be all throughout the pad field.  If your going to fish deep into the field you are going to have sturdier fishing tackle to get a big fish out of those pads.  50 to 65 pound braid will be the line of choice if attacking deep in the field.  A 7' to 7.4' rod with plenty of backbone will be helpful in not losing bass after bass.  There are bass back in these large pad fields, you need the right equipment to get them out.   If your not prepared just keep fishing the edges, openings, and cuts in the pads with your normal tackle.

 

Yep, I got the gear. I'm hoping I can get back where the big girls hide. I know my bud got a 7.5 lb er.  I've been consistently catching 3-4 lb ers and I know there has to be more biggens in there.

froggie

 

analyzing punch cover (or any cover for that matter) starts at 15:06

 

don't cast to every square inch of the shoreline/lily pads. just pick the high percentage areas. it takes awhile to learn what they look like so in the meantime cast to 10-20 very distinctively different areas.