Now I’m gonna let y’all in on a secret. Once upon a time I saw @Pat Brown fishing lily pads with a spinning setup and 8lb leader. He was fishing a shaky head. He said bass are line shy and this is the only way you could catch a bass. Now when he got bit and the bass dive into the lily pads, he said, “No problem, we just gotta go get her.” Took about 5 minutes but we got it done. And that folks is how you catch bass in lily pads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: What I said here may not be true and you should not try this at home. 

I don't think Pat owns 8 lb line lol

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

He said bass are line shy 

 

Disclaimer: What I said here may not be true and you should not try this at home. 

 

Hmmm... with that disclaimer I am not sure how to take this.

 

For the record lily pads are where I fish 95% of the time here in Florida. In them and around them. That said, I gotta disagree with his statement bass are line shy.

 

From my own personal experience I completely disagree.

 

I fish a lot of spring fed lakes that are crystal clear. I can see bottom in 12+ feet of water. So I know the fish can see my braid. And I never use a leader either. Straight braid.

 

On many occasions I have tested this theory that bass are line shy in clear water. I have watched as numerous baby bass in the 6 inch to 12 inch range swim right up to my moving braid line and peck at it testing it to see if they can eat it.

 

None of those fish are scared of my braid line. Not a one of them.

 

I have been using straight braid in clear water for decades and never even give it a second thought any more about whether or not fish are scared of my line. They don't show it, so straight braid it is.

 

Maybe my Florida bass are different than bass in other areas I don't know. But chasing my line trying to eat it surely is not a case of them being line shy. This one is a non-issue for me these days, and especially when I fish murky water those fish can't hardly see it if at all.

@FloridaFishinFool bass aren’t line shy and (I think) Pat doesn’t think so either. Dude uses 20lb big game. I’m messing with Pat a little bit here. But we can talk about fishing lily pads while we’re at it. 

Frogs or Jigs dragged across the top, flipping a weedless t-rig or jig right in the gaps, or throwing moving baits parallel to the edges is how I do it.... a wacky rig on the edge of an isolated patch of lilly pads does dangerous dangerous things..... 

Sounds good to me.

 

One of my favorite central Florida lakes a lot of fishermen avoid because of how its bottom is shaped is lake Minnehaha in Maitland. For me it is ideal. (There is another Lake Minnehaha in Clermont I've never been on)

 

I love its wide flat shallow eel grass fields or flats. The bass are down in that stuff and laying in holes and swimming through it. Nothing I love more than long distance topwater casts over that eel grass with tips of the grass just below surface with some sticking up out of the water. Long casts over the eel grass and the bass blow up explosively. Quite often jumping out of the water they hit so hard.

 

I either run on the surface or just below it in the tops of the eel grass. I never catch bass down deep in the eel grass at bottom or near roots. Gotta keep it up at the tops of the eel grass. Either right over top of it or through the tips of the eel grass.

 

When I move around to the lily pads I approach them from a long distance at first. Casting out around the edges 10 to 20 feet or so and then work my way in closer. I want try and catch edge bass first and those running along the edges of cover.

 

As I move into the lily pads I begin to pick apart what is closest to me in my area maybe some flipping and pitching everything near me. Without moving- my boat is right up against edge of lily pads & sometimes I let wind hold me in place up against them, next I will break out my 7'6" MH spinning rod with a weedless rubber lure on it. I prefer paddletail flukes. 4 inch to 6 inch flukes to somewhat mimic goldern shiners and baitfish.

 

Often I either use just a hook and no weight, or a weighted hook. Usually a 4 or 5. I cast that sucker as far as I can to shore. Dry land if I can cast that far. I cast all the way over the lily pads to shore and slowly work it back to me all through that stuff and let it drop down into holes and wiggle it around and bring it back up to the surface and make some surface noise with it splashing a little bit and do some hesitations in there, maybe some dead sticking.

 

But I really love those jumping out of the water explosive hits on the surface.

 

I catch a lot of bass behind the lily pads. Between pads and shore where bass move around back and forth along the shore or find a place to lay up waiting on dinner to swim by.

 

I pick lily pads apart. Denny Brauer taught me the art of starting with what is closest and steadily branch out. You don't have to always move the boat if you adjust your techniques.

 

That 7'6" spinning rod I have for this gives me the ability to make one lure do the tricks of several lures on each cast.

 

And I am not worried about any of you going to one of my honey hole lakes either.

 

When you come out of the canal there, a house real close by has a new owner who loves to threaten boaters and fishermen. He threatened myself and another member here with "I'm going to go get my gun" because he said we were on his property while sitting in a boat 100 feet offshore and 50 feet from his dock. He said his property goes all the way out to the middle of the lake and that we were trespassing. His wife was videotaping us as evidence of our crime. We called the cops on them for threatening us with a gun. We never touched his dock or his dry land. And we were trespassing.

 

The cops laughed at me when I told them when he said he was going to get the gun I yelled at him well go get it then. He was not going to shoot two unarmed boaters out in the middle of lake and I knew it. So his threat was bogus.

 

And do you know the Maitland police told me because I said that what he said was not a crime? Police told me I should not have said that to him but instead I have to be in fear for my life to make his threat a crime. I had no idea. Police did say they would go talk to the new owners from out of state.

 

So if you want some of that lake Minnehaha is the place! Otherwise that lake can be lots of fun to fish when the water is clear. It gets murky from algae in hot summers but usually stays pretty clear. And it is canal connected to 5 other great lakes too.

 

The rich homeowners around some of the lakes can be a real pain though. I had one drunk old lady in nightgown come stumbling out of her mansion yelling at me to not touch her lily pads or she was gonna call the police on me! Her lily pads. Uh huh. OK.

 

------------------ADDED

 

I would like to point out the shallow eel grass flats changes how fish feed.

 

In normal lakes a topwater bite is usually a lower light technique at first light or last light.

 

But not so in the shallow eel grass flats. The only way those bass are going to feed being down in that stuff is by looking up.

 

So in those shallow eel grass flats I can get topwater bites all day long and maybe all night too if I was out there. And I think the reason for this is the shallow water situation and eel grass growing to the surface. Bass only have to travel upwards only 3 or 4 feet at most which I think helps keep that topwater bite going longer in the shallow eel grass. My lure is a quick grab for them.

 

Now if I move into Lake Maitland just South of Minnehaha, in that lake are large eel grass flats but the water is deeper and there can be 8 to 10 feet of open water above the eel grass and the bass do not behave the same there. My technique does not work there. Only real shallow eel grass flats.

 

Can be heck on the trolling motors getting into it.

 

 

 

 

we have a few of those things around here.

1 hour ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

 

Hmmm... with that disclaimer I am not sure how to take this.

 

For the record lily pads are where I fish 95% of the time here in Florida. In them and around them. That said, I gotta disagree with his statement bass are line shy.

 

From my own personal experience I completely disagree.

 

I fish a lot of spring fed lakes that are crystal clear. I can see bottom in 12+ feet of water. So I know the fish can see my braid. And I never use a leader either. Straight braid.

 

On many occasions I have tested this theory that bass are line shy in clear water. I have watched as numerous baby bass in the 6 inch to 12 inch range swim right up to my moving braid line and peck at it testing it to see if they can eat it.

 

None of those fish are scared of my braid line. Not a one of them.

 

I have been using straight braid in clear water for decades and never even give it a second thought any more about whether or not fish are scared of my line. They don't show it, so straight braid it is.

 

Maybe my Florida bass are different than bass in other areas I don't know. But chasing my line trying to eat it surely is not a case of them being line shy. This one is a non-issue for me these days, and especially when I fish murky water those fish can't hardly see it if at all.

 

I don’t fish Florida, but I do fish for large pressured bass in clear water that is shallow and - whether they’re shy about the line AND whether they’re clear on what exactly the line is  - I couldn’t tell you.

 

But I can tell you is this: big bass get conditioned very easily, especially when they get fished for a lot.

 

When it’s calm and the fish are near the bank, they can feel me gently clear my throat or rustle my jacket or snap a twig 200 feet away and they all swim away.

 

They become very, very sensitive and attuned to their environment and any disturbance or anything that feels out of place can deactivate them extremely quickly.

During these types of conditions, anything flying over their heads or landing on the water is a cause for alarm and not curiosity.  They have learned not to even bother.
 

Sometimes you can cast your bait out and drag it back to the area after letting it sit for a long time hoping that they reset and sometimes they do if it’s a long enough time, but without fail when your line gets to where it is interacting with them you can see them swirl and swim away just from the feeling of the water displacement and something touching them .

 

 

Of course, once they start to spawn, it’s a totally different ball game and you can catch them on a pop lid if you make a good cast and twitch it around just right.

 

 

BUT make no mistake bass feel your line and they can become conditioned to negatively react to a very quickly, especially big smart ones!

 

Clearly there are times when it doesn’t matter or we would never catch fish, but  they can definitely learn to be afraid of fishing line.  
 

To be honest, it has nothing to do with water clarity.  I think it’s completely unique to each fishery and basically has a lot to do with fishing pressure.

 

also worth pointing out: heavy line is not necessarily easier to detect and light line is not necessarily going to be sneakier.  Sometimes heavier line floats on the surface longer, and therefore comes into contact with the fish less.  There’s no hard fast rules, but they can definitely learn line = death.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only lily pads that I am aware of in this entire state are in the “water feature” in front of my dentist’s office. 

26 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

 

I don’t fish Florida, but I do fish for large pressured bass in clear water that is shallow and - whether they’re shy about the line AND whether they’re clear on what exactly the line is  - I couldn’t tell you.

 

But I can tell you is this: big bass get conditioned very easily, especially when they get fished for a lot.

 

 

Thanks for that detailed reply. Very informative.

 

I avoid pressured waters and I do not target large bass. I am not looking for a new PB. I don't really care about catching the biggest bass in the lake. 

 

For me I just enjoy fishing period and getting explosive topwater bites if I can. I am just as happy with a dink as I am with a 4 or 5 pound bass. A 10 pounder would be nice, but I am not going looking for that one big fish.

 

I dial back the size of my lures just so I can catch more fish, granted smaller fish, but quantity over quality for me. If a big one bites then great. But I will never spend my time going after that one big one all the time and give up catching all those other bass.

 

So I do agree the big ones get smarter but I am not sure they have a memory beyond 15 minutes to a couple of months is what AI says. I have no idea really what bass can remember or for how long..

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/78837-memory-of-bass/

 

My point is I never worry about scaring any fish with my braid line. If the big ones are afraid of it then I guess its dinks for me for life. 👎 Still fun though. I gave up chasing the big ones decades ago.

 

I don't do tournaments either so no reason to target the bigger fish. No incentive for me. I just like catching as many as possible.

 

9 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

 

I don’t fish Florida, but I do fish for large pressured bass in clear water that is shallow and - whether they’re shy about the line AND whether they’re clear on what exactly the line is  - I couldn’t tell you.

 

But I can tell you is this: big bass get conditioned very easily, especially when they get fished for a lot.

 

When it’s calm and the fish are near the bank, they can feel me gently clear my throat or rustle my jacket or snap a twig 200 feet away and they all swim away.

 

They become very, very sensitive and attuned to their environment and any disturbance or anything that feels out of place can deactivate them extremely quickly.

During these types of conditions, anything flying over their heads or landing on the water is a cause for alarm and not curiosity.  They have learned not to even bother.
 

Sometimes you can cast your bait out and drag it back to the area after letting it sit for a long time hoping that they reset and sometimes they do if it’s a long enough time, but without fail when your line gets to where it is interacting with them you can see them swirl and swim away just from the feeling of the water displacement and something touching them .

 

 

Of course, once they start to spawn, it’s a totally different ball game and you can catch them on a pop lid if you make a good cast and twitch it around just right.

 

 

BUT make no mistake bass feel your line and they can become conditioned to negatively react to a very quickly, especially big smart ones!

 

Clearly there are times when it doesn’t matter or we would never catch fish, but  they can definitely learn to be afraid of fishing line.  
 

To be honest, it has nothing to do with water clarity.  I think it’s completely unique to each fishery and basically has a lot to do with fishing pressure.

 

also worth pointing out: heavy line is not necessarily easier to detect and light line is not necessarily going to be sneakier.  Sometimes heavier line floats on the surface longer, and therefore comes into contact with the fish less.  There’s no hard fast rules, but they can definitely learn line = death.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree.

 

9 hours ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

 

Thanks for that detailed reply. Very informative.

 

I avoid pressured waters and I do not target large bass. I am not looking for a new PB. I don't really care about catching the biggest bass in the lake. 

 

For me I just enjoy fishing period and getting explosive topwater bites if I can. I am just as happy with a dink as I am with a 4 or 5 pound bass. A 10 pounder would be nice, but I am not going looking for that one big fish.

 

I dial back the size of my lures just so I can catch more fish, granted smaller fish, but quantity over quality for me. If a big one bites then great. But I will never spend my time going after that one big one all the time and give up catching all those other bass.

 

So I do agree the big ones get smarter but I am not sure they have a memory beyond 15 minutes to a couple of months is what AI says. I have no idea really what bass can remember or for how long..

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/78837-memory-of-bass/

 

My point is I never worry about scaring any fish with my braid line. If the big ones are afraid of it then I guess its dinks for me for life. 👎 Still fun though. I gave up chasing the big ones decades ago.

 

I don't do tournaments either so no reason to target the bigger fish. No incentive for me. I just like catching as many as possible.

 

I agree that when bass aren't pressured, line makes no difference to them.

Some of the pad fields on my lakes you won't get through without at least 1 1/2 oz of tungsten. I tend not worry about line in those cases. 65lb braid, a 3x hook, and a locked drag. 

Lily pads, you say? I'm familiar with 'em

 

Spatterdock too:

Lots of lily pads around here, both silver dollar and dinnerplate. But we also have water chestnut, which forms similar style pads on the water surface. They choke out a water or shoreline even more than lilies. I do great fishing lily pads with frogs and plastics. I’ve never caught a fish off the water chestnut. 

We have no lily pads and all our bass are line shy 😂 

Just for the record, I absolutely hate eel grass. I has totally taken over in some parts of Guntersville. 

On 8/6/2025 at 10:09 AM, LrgmouthShad said:

“No problem, we just gotta go get her.” Took about 5 minutes but we got it done.

 

So he dove in and swam to retrieve his bass huh

 

No thanks but I'm not that desperate to catch a fish. 😂

 

I caught my biggest largemouth of the season thus far last weekend in the pads.  I had to use stout gear with 50 pound straight braid.  I would talon down in one area, fan cast into gaps and holes, and then move on to the next area and repeat.  It's pretty tough from a physical standpoint but it produced 10 quality fish including one giant.

 

 

20 minutes ago, gim said:

So he dove in and swam to retrieve his bass huh

Nah. The story is about me. I was the fool using a shaky head with 8lb test around lily pads 🙋‍♂️. I didn't have stout leader line with me, but I wanted to fish a shaky head. So when a decent bass bit and dove into the pads, we went over to the pad and netted it while it was wrapped around the pad. I guess it worked but it was messy. If I had more gear with me, I would have been pitchin or froggin more than likely. 

21 minutes ago, gim said:

 

So he dove in and swam to retrieve his bass huh

 

No thanks but I'm not that desperate to catch a fish. 😂

 

I caught my biggest largemouth of the season thus far last weekend in the pads.  I had to use stout gear with 50 pound straight braid.  I would talon down in one area, fan fast into gaps and holes, and then move on to the next area and repeat.  It's pretty tough from a physical standpoint but it produced 10 quality fish including one giant.

 

 

Great Northern bass by the way. Well done. Now you just need a catch a big rock bass for the season and you'll be set.