What would you recommend if you wanted to fish fairly quickly through an area of thick lily pads and coontail (or other weeds), looking for active fish?

Frog it or punch the thickest mess in the mess.

I fish very weedy midwestern lakes and the swimjig is my go-to, followed closely by the money minnow swimbait rigged on an owner beast hook .

I like a buzz toad or a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Worm

I’m a fan of a swim jig if I’m gonna stay on the outside of the pads. I’ve had more success throwing a frog like a Booyah pad crasher or even a hollow body Ribbit and work it slow on top. 

Toads are really good for this.  Rage Toad, Rage Shad, Yum Tip-Toad are all good options.

Zoom Magnum Ultra Vibe speed worm or Rage Cut R

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

T-Rigged Swim Senko works really well for me.

Swim jig or toad

Toads . I have a  love/hate relationship with them . They get bites , I'm just not very good at hooking the bass afterwards . My largest bass caught this season was on a Stanley Ribbet . 

If the lilypads are in small clusters, and the coontail isn't right on the surface then I will use a Mann's one minus.  If I'm going to be dragging across the top of the vegetation I will use a senko or a fluke.

2 hours ago, Pickle_Power said:

I like a buzz toad or a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Worm

You beat me to it! Speed Worm

Swim Jig with a Keitech fat trailer

45 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

Swim Jig with a Keitech fat trailer

This.

7 hours ago, scaleface said:

Toads . I have a  love/hate relationship with them . They get bites , I'm just not very good at hooking the bass afterwards . My largest bass caught this season was on a Stanley Ribbet . 

Me too. Until I started throwing them on the most ridiculous heavy action rod. Old Deep South flipping stick I bought from @SPEEDBEAD. years ago. He was too weak to cast it, so I took over. Awesome toad and frog stick. 

4 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Me too. Until I started throwing them on the most ridiculous heavy action rod. Old Deep South flipping stick I bought from @SPEEDBEAD. years ago. He was too weak to cast it, so I took over. Awesome toad and frog stick. 

Ya ~

Now that you mention it, he does look pretty feeble.

A-Jay

Dark Sleeper 3/4 oz rips through some nastier stuff similar to a swim jig..

A fluke, simple, easy to use and can be worked fast or you can let it drop down in high percentage areas.

I use either a fluke or a Big EZ paddletail rigged on a big sledhead fished on top like a toad. 

2 hours ago, fishwizzard said:

I use either a fluke or a Big EZ paddletail rigged on a big sledhead fished on top like a toad. 

Sledhead?   

 

 

I found them . A jig head with screw lock .

15 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Sledhead?   

 

 

I found them . A jig head with screw lock .

 

Sledhead refers to the shape of the weight on the jighead. There are sled heads without screw locks. 

14 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Sledhead?   

 

 

I found them . A jig head with screw lock .

 

They are commonly used to rig tubes and such for smallies but I had some made up on 6/0 hooks for rigging paddletails.  They come through cover way better then a weighted swimbait hook and they protect the nose of the plastic really well.  

Sprinker Frog, Zoom Trick Worm, hollow body frog, weightless T rigged Senko. If it's not a complete mat of vegetation, I also agree with the soft swimbaits.

Swimming a good old fashioned 7" power worm with a light tungsten bullet weight pegged to the nose of it gets bit now as good as it ever has. They'll bite a swimming worm when they won't touch a swim jig, swim bait, or toad on top.