| The words "bass" and "lily pads" are almost | | | | pads, but the better approach is to concentrate on the |
| synonymous. From the time a child begins his fishing | | | | highlights and high spots and then move on to different |
| career, he learns that bass hang out around the lily | | | | structure or another set of pads. |
| pads waiting for a minnow, frog or crawfish to happen | | | | The old standby for lily-pad fishing is a spoon, dressed |
| by. Lily-pad fishing requires a lot of patience because | | | | with a skirt of nylon, pork rind or plastic. These |
| there are usually large areas of pads and it takes time | | | | weedless spoons come with weed guards that enable |
| to find the fish. Pads grow in the shallows, which | | | | you to drag the lure across the surface of the water, |
| makes the area sensitive and dictates a quiet | | | | or you can let it sink and snake it through the pad |
| approach. | | | | stems. You have a choice of colors in both the spoons |
| Experience has shown that there are certain areas | | | | and the tails, and it is sometimes worth experimenting |
| among the pads more prone to hold fish than are | | | | with a couple of different color combinations such as a |
| other areas. Concentrate your fishing on these key | | | | light spoon and then a dark spoon. When a bass hits |
| spots and then move on to the next set of pads. If | | | | this lure, come back on it hard and fast to set the |
| you happen to establish a pattern in the pads, then you | | | | hook; strike instantly. |
| would naturally fish your pattern in every set of pads | | | | Plastic worms are another good bait for lily-pad fishing, |
| you could find. | | | | and they can be rigged with or without a slip-sinker. |
| You already know that anytime there is a change in | | | | You can crawl a worm from lily pad to lily pad, pausing |
| the shoreline or the bottom composition changes, you | | | | to let it rest and then slither off a particular pad; or you |
| could find bass. The same theory holds true when lily | | | | can use a slip-sinker and let it fall beneath the pads, |
| pads are present. There could be fish where the pads | | | | fishing it like a weedless spoon. When a bass hits the |
| start and where they stop. Try the corners and then | | | | worm in the pads, pause a second before setting the |
| motor out to the first major point. | | | | hook. |
| When you find small pockets reaching back among | | | | The weedless frog is an old-time lure that has taken |
| the pads, it can produce a fish or two and is worth a | | | | its share of bass. It's basically top water and should be |
| few casts. One or two points that extend farthest into | | | | fished around the pads as well as on top of them. You |
| the lake might also be good. Work either side of the | | | | can pop it up on a pad and let it sit there for several |
| point and back into those pads. | | | | seconds before moving it off. Do this two or three |
| When you have found a pocket going back into the | | | | times and a bass might surprise you when it slams the |
| pads from the outer edge give it a good working over. | | | | lure. |
| Then you can move into the pocket and fish it. Any | | | | Of course spinner baits are a good bet in the lily pads |
| tiny offshoots warrant a cast or two. | | | | because they are basically weedless and can be |
| Many assortments of lily pads have small circular | | | | worked in a variety of retrieves. You might want to |
| openings completely surrounded by pads. It's tough to | | | | buzz the spinner across the top of the pads or allow it |
| get a fish out of this type of cover, but you can | | | | to sink. Combine both retrieves by buzzing and |
| certainly get them to hit. Cast back and across these | | | | stopping until you find the formula. When the extended |
| openings and work the lure through them. | | | | wire on the spinner bait comes back beyond the hook, |
| Finally, don't forget to consider the direction of the sun. | | | | it is much more weedless than spinner baits with |
| Indentations on the shady side could harbor a fish. You | | | | shorter span wires. |
| can easily spend most of the day around a set of | | | | |