Swim Jig Fishing 201 Part 2 - Lily Pads and Water Hyacinth

By now I'm sure a lot of you have read my Swim Jig Fishing 101 and also Swim Jig Fishing 201 Part 1 - Lay Down Timber articles.  For those of you haven't here are the links - Swim Jig Fishing 101 and Swim Jig Fishing 201 Part 1. In this part of the series I'll be covering fishing your swim jig in Lily Pads and Water Hyacinth.  To find out more about these two types of  Aquatic Vegetation there is a great article by Reece Lindgren here on this blog.  It gives you all sorts of information you need to know about the different types of vegetation you can encounter while fishing and how bass relate to them.  Here is a link to that article Aquatic Vegetation in Relation to Bass Fishing.

I decided to do Lily Pads and Water Hyacinth together as I tend to fish them basically in the same manner.  Pads and Hyacinth both are surface cover type vegetation that give bass dark shady places to hide and a cool place to escape the sun in the hotter months of the year.  The shade will also attract the bait fish that bass feed on so that is a second big reason to target these plants.  Some may argue with me but I think a Swim Jig is the perfect way to catch bass and I mean big bass around Pads and Hyacinth.   I'm not saying it is the only way, but it is my preferred method. Because bass are hanging under the vegetation waiting for bait fish to swim by, there isn't any better bait than a swim jig.  Swim jigs are weedless and can be fished close and even in these plants and if you matched the hatch, like explained in Swim Jig Fishing 101, swim jigs look like the food the bass are eating.

Like I said above, my basic approach to fishing Pads and Hyacinth is pretty much the same as they have a lot in common. There are a few differences that I'll explain but they don't really affect the manner in which I approach fishing these plants, but they are good to know. Lily Pads have a stem or root that goes from the plant's pad on the surface down to the bottom.  Lily Pads are basically a stationary plant that you can come back to and fish trip after trip. Their stems really limit the type of baits you can throw as you need something that is weedless.  The biggest difference Lily Pads and Water Hyacinth is the Hyacinths are floating plants that don't have a root or stem that goes down to the bottom.  They tend to move about, floating with water currents and winds.  So the Water Hyacinth you fish on one day might not be in the same location on your next trip.  For Hyacinth I like to fish the formations that are also associated with other structure like points, coves, lay down or standing and even formations that are against or over rocks like dams.  You can fish less weedless baits around Hyacinth, but I still find it easier to fish something that is weedless.  Even after all these years on longer casts I still get one or two off target.  If you miscue on a cast with something that isn't weedless and your bait lands on the plants you will be dragging them to the boat.  This can mess up your fishing as those plants you are pulling out of the formation might just have been where that bass of a lifetime was hiding and now you have spooked her.

My approach to fishing both of these is simple as I'm looking for irregularities in their formations.  If the plants themselves form a point or have a deep gap in them or even a cut or break in the formation that is what I'm going to target.  I will point my boat so that I can make multiple casts at any of these irregularities.  If it is Lily Pads then I want my jig to be hitting their stems under water.  When my jig hits a stem then I pause for a second before continuing my retrieve.  Just like when you are fishing any type of structure with a Swim Jig you have to continually change your retrieve until you find just what the bass are liking that day.  Once you find out what the want then it is game on, however remember if they stop biting then it is time to play with your retrieve again.  Now I also position my boat so that I can make long casts parallel to the outer edges of the plants.  I want my jig to run as close to the covering shade as possible.  Bass will be hanging just on the outer edge of the plants waiting for something to swim by for them to eat.  Your job is to give them something that appeals to their hunger.  Another key element in deciding what type of retrieve is to watch the bait fishing in the area if you see any.  This works wonderful from time to time when you can see them and how they are swimming.  This will get your swim jigs action close to what looks natural and what the bass are expecting from something they are looking to eat.  Watching for bait fish in the area also lets you better "Match the Hatch" and select the color and size of your jig and trailer.

Now as you are fishing these plants you want to cast to everything in their formation that you feel a bass might be using as a ambush point.   Also if there is a smaller group of plants off from the main body then be sure to make multiple cast around the small group.  I've found over the years that these smaller formations away from the main group of plants will hold the bigger bass.  I'm not quite sure why this is other than maybe the big girls want a place of their own to hunt.  It seems to be like that on a lot of structure come to think.  When catching schoolie size bass you can catch multiple fish off of one piece of structure but if they are 5 pound plus bass you might only catch one or maybe two.  After they get in the 8 pound range you will rarely catch more than one fish off of that piece of structure, however you will know what type of structure and technique to use for the big girls.

Now lets get back to the subject at hand.  The one tactic I will use that is really effective on these plants is to make casts so I can actually get under the Pads or Hyacinth.  Here is a picture that might help to see as I try and explain how I go about getting my swim jig under the plants.

Basically what I do is make a long cast into a gap or opening and let my swim jig settle to the bottom.  Then I put rod tip near the water and swing it around so it pulls my line under the plants.  After making this swing with my rod I start my retrieve and my swim jig will come under the plants and at an angle that bass likely will never see a lure.  This works even better on those small groups that are off the main body and if there is a big bass under there I can bet she is going to hammer my jig as I pull it by her.  Now as you retrieve your swim jig under the pads you will feel it hitting the stems so remember to pause when it does.  If fishing Hyacinth they don't have stems for your jig to hit, but if they happen to be floating over brush, lay down or standing timber all the better.  Use the same pause technique when your jig hits this other structure under the Hyacinth.  This is why I like to look for Hyacinth that have formed up over other types of structure.  Just remember the one thing you must always be ready for when fishing like this is a crushing strike that tries to take your rod out of your hands.  Be sure to give them a crushing hookset right back so your hook gets buried good an deep.

I hope that this information will help you the next time you are out and see some Lily Pads or Water Hyacinth.  Remember your swim jigs are very versatile baits that can catch bass off of any type of structure.  I'll continue you this series in the near future with Part 3 - Cattails, Bulrushes and Grass.

Until next time, Tight Lines and Take a Kid Fishing!!!

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