Finding Chesapeake Bay | Great Quality Art

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The Chesapeake Bay lies between the states of Maryland and Virginia. As the biggest estuary in North America, it plays an important feature in the economy and the ecology between the two states. Maryland sits in the northern part of the bay while Virginia rests in the southern part.

As the bay spreads in these two states, you may need to create a bigger itinerary when visiting the place. Some of the best destinations in the Bay are:

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Chesapeake City

The first stop you should visit in the Chesapeake City, located in the northern part of the bay. Here, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal connects the bay up north. Since the canal is still in use, you can see different ships passing here from Delaware to New York. You may also want to drop by at the C&D Canal Museum where they exhibit artifacts from the history of the waterway.

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Fort McHenry

One famous landmark to visit in the area is Fort McHenry. It served a very pivotal involvement in the history of the region. After the British troops burned down the US Capitol and White House, they immediately went to Baltimore. With 4,500 troops, they sent their warships and bombarded Fort McHenry and other nearby harbor locations. For 25 straight hours, brave soldiers defended the fort and defeated the British.  Today, the fort offers scenic views of the harbors.

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Dock Bars of the Bay

If you want to experience Chesapeake’s hospitality and local scene find some time going to this dock. Waterfronts bars are always the best seat in the house. The place has several bars to choose from ranging from tiki bars to their famous oyster houses. You can spend the whole afternoon watching the open waters or a championship game on TV.

https://www.carvedlakeart.com Carved Lake Art is located in beautiful Charlevoix, Michigan

Annapolis

Another great stop is in the country’s Sailing Capital – Annapolis. If you are a boating enthusiast, you might want to go here. It is also the capital city of Maryland which draws hundreds of tourist every October for the annual sail and power boat season. The historic town shares it a very dedicated passion for sailing to tourists. The best time to visit the sailing town is from April to September with Wednesday Night Sailboat competition to cap off the day.

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Captain John Smith National Historic Trail

You would not want to leave the Chesapeake Bay without exploring Captain John Smith National Historic Trail. The trail follows the famous journey of Captain Smith during the 17th century while exploring the whole bay. Maps are available in National Park Service which composes 3,000 miles of trail from Maryland going to Virginia until reaching Delaware and D.C.

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Smith Island

There are places that you may skip during your trip, but for whatever reason, do not miss Smith Island, as you may not be able to see it again. Captain John Smith discovered the island where it was commissioned as one of the cultural treasure in the US. Because of extreme weather condition, and mostly due to erosions and rising seawaters, the island is gradually diminishing. You can either catch a ferry or ride a bike from the popular Smith Island Cake going to this island.

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Oxford

Oxford is considered as one of the oldest towns in Maryland which host some waterfront activities for families. The town still has the charm of the old waterman’s port with Yachting magazine dubbed the as the “best waterfront town in the world”. It was once a main shipping industry in the Eastern Shore, exploring the town will give you an insight on how it used to be back in the days.

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Havre de Grace

Another historical place in the Chesapeake Bay is Havre de Grace. The Concord Point Lighthouse is hard to miss during a trip here. The lighthouse used to house John O’Neil who defended the lighthouse during the 1812 war. The town is known for its shopping districts, maritime museums, and antique shops.

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Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse

Just a few miles from Annapolis, Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse is accessible via tour boats leaving the town. You might find it intriguing to visit the only lighthouse that has pilling screwed directly into its sandy bottom. Book early though, as the place only provides limited public viewing.

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Fells Point, Baltimore

Referred to as the ‘nest of pirates’ a few decades back, Fells Point now has trendy bars and restaurants that offer a scenic view of the water. Once house some of the main shipbuilding industry, it still has some of those Belgian-block stone streets worth of a visit. Today, it now hosts many visiting boats in Broadway Square.

https://www.carvedlakeart.com Carved Lake Art is located in beautiful Charlevoix, Michigan

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

If you want to see the whole histories of the region in just one go visit Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. They museum displays log canoes, Drake tail oyster boats, and skipjacks. It’s a great place to learn more about the nautical history which founded its civilization. The restored lighthouse always fascinates tourist.

Our most popular items right now are these, Maps Of  Chesapeake Bay

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Traveling to Charleston | Best prices on Bathymetric Art

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The Colorful Past of Charleston

Cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, and pastel antebellum houses decorate the Charleston area. The South Carolina port city was founded in 1670 and reflects an elegant French Quarters. Charleston is known to its Battery Districts, used to house a federal stronghold. It holds a very important mark in American history; the very first shots of the Civil War were fired in its waters. One could spend a week exploring the Famous Battery promenade and Waterfront Park overlooking Charleston Harbor.

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Why travel to Charleston?

Why Charleston? Well, it seems that time forgot this city. You can spend time marveling the famous antebellum architecture which adorns the city. The surrounding plantations backdrop the city, adding to the Southern charm. While the historic Charleston and their wonderful person add up to the hospitality of the city.

Let the city inspired the inner artist in you. Visit some of the very scenic places such as Middleton Place, the Battery and the French Quarter, which resides in the Waterfront Park. You can never run out of things to do in Charleston.  Even at night, you can explore the spooky side of the city.

Here is a list of activities that your family can enjoy in visiting Charleston:

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Fort Sumter National Monument

The site was one of the historic spots of the first clash between the Union and the Confederate armies in the Civil War. The Rebels bombarded the place for 34 hours until the Union forces finally surrendered.

Middleton Place

Middleton Place Gardens accurately display the sophisticated symmetry of 17th-century European design. This place offers a scenic view with intricately sculpted terraces and parterres. With swans inhabited the area, it is as romantic as a scene taken from Romeo and Juliet. The 65 acres area is considered as America’s oldest landscaped gardens. It houses 18th-century rice plantation and National Historic Landmark perfect for a long walk.

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Charleston Outdoor Adventures

Nature lovers will love Eco-tours within Charleston. Charleston Outdoor Adventure can take you to see the wild dolphins in the open waters. As an experienced naturalist, they provide guests with environmental Eco-tours and rentals all over the Folly Beach and Charleston area. Their services provide travelers to explore the saltwater estuaries through:

· Kayak Tours

· Inshore Fishing

· Guided Paddle Board Tours

· Charter Boat Eco-Tours

· Paddle Board Rentals

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Wild Blue Ropes Adventure Park

Minutes from Downtown Charleston resides Wild Blue Ropes Adventure Park. Just off from Folly Road, the premier High Climbing Ropes & Challenge Course Adventure that features 72 suspended obstacles course. Some of the obstacles can reach 35 feet in the air. They also have Night Climbing outdoor adventure. Everyone can choose a perfect activity because the adventure park offers different levels, ranging from beginner to expert.  The place can even host children and adult birthday parties, Summer Camps, and school activities.

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Charleston Culinary Tours

For a gastronomical escapade, Charleston Culinary Tours can give you a taste of their multi-cultural culinary adventure. The tours combine only the best of Charleston famous cuisine, cocktails while indulging on some of its histories.  There are four tours available in the city, namely:

· Charleston Culinary Tour

· Chefs’ Kitchen Tour

· Farmer’s Market Tour

· Mixology Tour

Ranging from various bars, well-known restaurants to their local produce in their Farmer’s Market.  The tours highlight some of their best tasting cuisines. Embarking on one of these tours will give you a deeper insight of Charleston’s unique cuisine and some of its cocktail concoctions.

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Candlefish

Want to learn a new trade while traveling? Candlefish is a perfect place to learn the art of candle-making. They offer a wide assortment of candles, gift items, souvenirs accessories and other home products. Find inspiration while combining different scents to match the perfect candle for your home.

Topographic Art on Display

Of course, our bathymetric chart of Charleston is more than just geographically accurate. It’s also a versatile piece of art that can be used in settings ranging from offices to universities to homes. Crafted from Baltic birch and highlighted in a gorgeous aqua wash, it’s a nautical chart that’s also a standout piece of contemporary art.

from Carved Lake Art Blog http://blog.carvedlakeart.com/2017/07/traveling-to-charleston-best-prices-on.html

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Summertime Crappies

Into the Deep for Summertime Crappies and Bluegills

Consistent Panfish Action

By:  Dave Duwe

Maybe some of you can relate to this childhood memory.

My dad and I always went fishing in the shallow bays for bluegills in the spring.  We had a great time. As summer grew closer, we continued to fish those shallow bays and I always wondered, “What happened to the fish?”  The big bluegills became 3 to 4 inches by the middle of summer and we just thought the big fish weren’t biting. I guess we weren’t too good at figuring things out in those days. We just didn’t know how much we didn’t know!

When the dog days of summer get here, bluegill and crappie fishing seem to get tough. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you know the right tips and tricks to dial them in when they are down deep. When spawning ends and the water gets warm, most fish will head to the depths of the lake for safety, food and comfort.  If you want to find them, you need the right techniques to bring the big fish into your boat.

Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years, having been a guide on Delavan Lake and one of Wisconsin’s deepest lakes, Lake Geneva. Both of these lakes are located in Southern Wisconsin.

There are two summertime patterns for deepwater panfish that I’ve found very successful. The deep weedline bite is in 15 to 22 ft. of water. Or, as summer wears on, the suspended fish over open water that is even deeper.

For the deep weedline bite, the biggest key to finding the bluegills and crappies is a good fish locator.  My go-to graph is a Humminbird 859, linked to my Minn Kota Terrova bow-mount trolling motor. Before I start fishing, I will slowly move down the weedlines, looking for schools of active panfish.  Once I locate them, I will start to fish. The deep weedline doesn’t hold just one or two fish. Typically, there are large schools that will show up as a cloud on the graph. I prefer the weedlines off of the main lake basin. I start in 15 to 18 ft. of water and have gone as deep as 25 ft.

Of course, my bait of choice is hand-picked worms that my son digs from the garden and my wife’s flower beds.  Unfortunately, there are only so many worms one can find. So, in that case leaf worms also work great. Due to the depth of the water, I find that using a small #12 Kahle hook with a small split shot, positioned one foot above the hook, is the easiest way to get the bait down to the fish.  The presentation is vertical underneath the boat. I use 4 lb. test fished on a spinning reel and 6’6” light action rod. The length of the rod is important to get a solid hook set in the deep water.  Once the bluegill bites, I like to lower my rod tip, giving the fish time to eat the bait before a strong hook set.   Another presentation option is a small version of the drop shot rig; basically the same principle as the bass version, just downsized. For the drop shot, I keep the drop sinker about 6 inches from the hook.  Keep in mind, the deeper the water, the heavier the weight. The hook set is the same with either method. Bluegills are usually tight to the bottom, within 1 to 2 ft.

Crappies on the deep weedline, are typically positioned slightly different in the water column. Unlike the bluegills, the crappies are consistently right on the top of the break, before the weedline drops to the deeper water. The only structure is the weeds. I concentrate on the change and subtle points on the weed edge.  The crappies like the points on the weedline or the slight turns. I position my boat in 20 to 25 ft. of water casting into 12 to 13 ft. of water.  By keeping the boat slightly deeper, if the crappies are down the weedline a bit, you’ll still be able to catch them.

I prefer a small 1/32 oz. jig head, with small plastics for the crappies.  I like a 3/0 round split shot, 12 inches above the jig. This aids in longer casts and it takes less time for the jig to drop to the preferred depths. The color of the plastics can vary depending on the lake, but start with purple and chartreuse, as I have found success with those colors just about everywhere.

If you are unable to locate schooling bluegills and crappies on the deep weedline, there is a good chance they are suspending over the deepest water in the lake. When fishing for blugills in the lakes I fish, I have found 40 to 42 ft. deep is the magic depth, with the fish suspending 10 to 15 ft. down.  I like to drift through the school, using my trolling motor to control the speed of the drift.  Due to the depth, anchoring isn’t really an option. The bait and rig combinations can be the same for suspended fish as they are for the deepwater weed line fish.  Another option is to use a Lindy slick jig in 1/32 oz. It will give the bait a horizontal presentation. I will tip the slick jig with a couple of wax worms or a leaf worm.

The crappies suspend in shallower water, typically 20 to 25 ft., with their position 10 to 15 ft. down. The crappies seem to prefer to be closer to the weeds, as they like an escape route from the bigger game fish. The presentation will be the same as the weedline fish. In either location, I like to use a stop and go retrieve. I have found that the longer the pause the better chance for success. I’ve noted, in my experience, most people retrieve too fast and need to be reminded to slow it down.

Deep water fishing presents some challenges that many anglers aren’t willing to accept. However, the rewards of a bucket of tasty bluegills and/or crappies are attractive enough to venture away from the shade of the shore and the known shallow hot spots.  Down deep the results can be worthwhile.

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Weekly Morning Trail Mix 7-17

Morning Trail Mix

To bring in the work week lets start our Monday out right with some of Morning Moss’s Weekly Morning Trail Mix!

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Traveling In The East Coast: BEST Places To Visit In BLOCK ISLAND | See our Bathymetric Art

Block Island can be seen off the coast of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Block Island is coextensive with the town of New Shoreham and was named after the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block.  The island is a popular summer tourist destination and is known for its bicycling, hiking, sailing, fishing, and beaches. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean - east of Montauk Point, Long Island, New York, and 13 miles south Rhode Island, from which it is separated by Block Island Sound.

Introduction

Traveling is just like seeing a new place for the first time or returning to a favorite place. Travelling has more benefits than satisfying one’s need to make money, as well as to see loved ones and enjoy one’s self on vacation. Any of the following mode of transportation by plane, train, ship or automobile, travel is generally a pleasurable experience, at least for the people who can financially afford comfortable and safe methods of travel, individual of any range of  ages, from all countries, travel to foreign places for many different reasons – namely work, family and leisure.

What are the Types of Attractions in Block Island

Outdoor recreation simply resembles leisure activities that can be done in a natural setting and benefit the body, mind and/or spirit and can also simply be enjoying the peace and quiet in a non-physical way.

Outdoor Activities in Block Island

•    Mohegan Bluffs

•    Ballard’s Beach

•    Crescent Beach / Fred Benson Town Beach

•    Mansion Beach

•    Pond and Beyond Kayak

•    Clayhead Nature Trail

•    Beach Rose Bicycles, Inc.

•     Fishing Academy

•    Greenway Walking Trails

•    Coast Guard Beach

Hiking Trails in Block Island

•    Mohegan Bluffs

•     Greenway Walking Trails

•    Clayhead Nature Trail

Parks & Nature Attractions in Block Island

•    Mohegan Bluffs

•    Rodman’s Hollow

There are other sights to see when visiting Block Island. The place boasts of several lighthouses, perfect for a daytime stroll and other unique places worth to see. If your muscle becomes sore with all those long walks, Block Island also has a spa and great picnic areas. The island also offers fun tours for the family, try to embark on some of those for a more memorable family time.

Block Island Landmarks

•    Southeast Lighthouse

•    North Lighthouse

•    Mansion Beach

•    1661 Farm and Gardens

•    Settler’s Rock

•    Clayhead Salon & Spa

•    Spring Street Gallery

•    Sacred Labyrinth

Tours in Block Island

•    Pond and Beyond Kayak

•    HeliBlock - Block Island Helicopter Tours

•    Block Island Fishing Charters

•    Rustic Rides Farm

•    Rooster Fishing Charters

•    Block Island Parasail & Watersports

Aside from the tourist spots and fun activities, there are different museums within the area. One can only appreciate the unique cultural diversity of the place by going to one of their museums. Rich history funded and raised Block Island from what it is now.  The island also boasts great shopping districts to buy some souvenirs back home.

Museums in Block Island

•    Block Island Historical Society

•    Jessie Edwards Studio

•    Malcolm Greenaway Gallery

Shopping in Block Island

•    Block Island Trading Company

•    Clayhead Salon & Spa

•    Star Department Store

•    Golddiggers Jewelry Shop

•    Island Bound Bookstore

•    Wild Flowers Boutique

Spas & Wellness Centers in Block Island

•    Koru Eco Spa

•    Elevation Yoga Studio

•    Block Island Yoga

Our most popular items right now are these, Map Of Block Island.

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What to do in Cape May | See our Carved Laser Cut Art

How to Spend Time in Cape May

Cape May is a city and seaside resort at the tip of southern New Jersey’s Cape May Peninsula. It’s known for its grand Victorian houses such as the Emlen Physick Estate. The estate is now a museum with a preserved interior from the era. Shops and restaurants line the Washington Street Mall, 3 pedestrianized blocks of Washington Street. The Cape May Lighthouse provides views across the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Why travel to Cape May?

Why spend vacation time in Cape May? Well, the area is considered as the country’s first seaside resort and stayed the same for decades. Not totally a bad thing, but it adds to its charming scenery. Travelers go to Cape May to admire the century-old Victorian gingerbread buildings. Either they walk, ride a bicycle, carriage and trolley bus just to see the historic districts.

For every season, there is a wide variety of things to do in Cape May. During summertime, you can enjoy their pristine beach. The water is still warm even after Labor Day. In winter, the shorelines show a different scenic beauty of solitude and peace. But a visit during summertime, the place explodes with joy from several activities.

Here is a list of activities that your family can enjoy in summer time:

Cape May Lighthouse

Cape May houses one famous 1859 Cape May Lighthouse that was fully restored. Some say, when visiting the lighthouse, you should finish climbing the 199 steps. It may sound intimidating at first climbing all those stairs, but the work is worth it. Atop the lighthouse, you can see a very beautiful scenic view of the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. It opens daily so you can drop by anytime you want.

World War II Lookout Tower

This lookout tower is amongst the 15 towers that were built in 1942. It helped soldiers aim batteries of coastal artillery. World War II Lookout Tower played a major part in the history of coastal defenses. Now, the tower became a part of Cape May Point State Park.

East Coast Parasail

For adrenaline junkies, East Coast Parasail can offer activities from the usual dip in the water. Their activities will take you above the waters in top speed. But, because of high demand, making a reservation is always advised. But for those faint hearted, you can just observe from the ground basking in the sun.

Cape Kayaks

Explore and experience this natural habitat with an experienced guide who will not just simply guide you but also point out migrating wildlife as well as indigenous species.  Enjoy paddling through the pristine waters of Cape May & Wildwood Crest’s Salt Marsh. To make the experience educational, rent a kayak to explore the flora and fauna as you paddle across the water. Have a blast in the sea renting surf kayaks while experiencing summertime in Cape May.

Cape May Food Tours

After all those activities, it’s time to replenish lost energy with one of Cape May Food Tours to fill your hungry tummy. While there are numerous fast food chains and cafes within the city, food tours will take you to the city’s unique culinary take. Let your taste buds explore the city while learning more about the beautiful Victorian resorts. Tour guides will share some of the surprising facts about Cape May. They will even take you on a tour about the architectural style of the city that enchanted visitors for centuries. Food tours include specialty cuisines from local restaurants, ethnic eateries, and specialties food stores.

Spas & Wellness Centres in Cape May

All those activities and strolling in the town will leave you sore to the bones. Relax those aching muscles in one of the Spas & Wellness Centers in Cape May. Some of the mind relaxing activities include Pilates and yoga. They even take their classes on the beach during good days. You can choose from these studios:

• Balance Pilates & Yoga Studio
• Sea Spa
• Cape May Yoga
• Cape May Day Spa
• Aqua Vie Day Spa

Shopping in Cape May

And then, it’s time to go home. But don’t leave Cape May without bringing something along with you. The city is also lined with shopping districts to buy a souvenir. You can either head to:

• Washington Street Mall
• West End Garage
• Great White Shark
• Sea Weeds by the Sea

Topographic Art on Display
Of course, our bathymetric chart of Cape May is more than just geographically accurate. It’s also a versatile piece of art that can be used in settings ranging from offices to universities to homes. Crafted from Baltic birch and highlighted in a gorgeous aqua wash, it’s a nautical chart that’s also a standout piece of contemporary art.

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Fish Lily Pads For Bass

Fishing Emerging Lily Pads for Bass

By:  Glenn Walker

For many anglers once the calendar hits May, one thing is on their mind when they are in search of catching bass and that is vegetation, specifically the new lily pads that grow in many lakes and rivers.

There are several reasons that lily pads play such a key role in bass habitat, the first is that they provide bass with cover, both from the sunlight shining into the water, and also it provides them with an ambush point to feed, which leads into my second point. 

The amount of activity that takes place around lily pads is great, small insects will land on to these floating green circles and in turn bring in bluegills, sunfish, etc., all of which are mighty tasty to a big ‘ole bass!   The next time you pull up to a stretch of lily pads, be sure to listen for bluegills popping away underneath the pads.

I also feel that lily pads hold quality bass more often than not, because of the water quality and bottom composition where they are growing.  A good portion of the time lily pads grow in nice clean, bottom areas that have some current flow, this keeps the water oxygenated and the food supply keeps getting replenished.

Lily pad fields can develop in many places on your favorite lake or river.  Pads can also develop in numerous backwater lakes and sloughs on rivers.  On lakes, pads will start to pop up in shallow bays and shallow flats, the depth of water that lily pads grow in ranges, but I like to look for areas that have deeper water nearby.

Some lily pad fields may be very large in size and could take a huge chunk of your day to dissect the area.  That is why you need to evaluate that area and determine what irregularities are present the bass may be further relating to.  Certain things I look for are:

• Other forms of cover, such as wood mixed in with the pads
• Pockets of open water located within the pads
• When a section of the pads form a point or indentation
• If there is a depth change in the water under the pads

I use a two-prong approach to look and identify these key characteristics.  First, I like to idle by the areas I want to fish and use the Side Imaging on Humminbird Helix 10 unit to look for any unique characteristics that show up on my screen.  I then move my cursor and save those spots in my GPS.

Once I have a list of spots I want to fish in the lily pads, I’ll move along the pad line by staying on my Minn Kota Fortrex trolling motor and moving at a speed that is slow and quiet enough to fish, but yet still cover water effectively.  Then once I find that mother lode of bass grouped up in a small section of lily pads, I’ll deploy my dual Minn Kota Talon’s so I can focus on fishing and not move into or away from the targeted cover.

One important item that I use on my Fortrex is a T-H Marine G-Force ELIMINATOR Trolling Motor Prop Nut. By replacing your standard trolling motor prop nut with this, you’ll decrease the amount of vibration and prop noise, both of which can wreak havoc in the shallows.  The built-in cooling ports will also reduce the operating temperature, in turn providing longer battery and trolling motor life.

My lure selection is based off of fishing the two different areas of the pads, the area that is in the midst of the pad field and then the edge of pads.

When I am fishing the area in the pads, my favorite lure for this is a Snag Proof Ish’s Phat Frog or Bobby’s Perfect Frog.  With either of these frogs, I can target the bass in the heavy cover and then work it across the pads and let it sit still when it comes to an open water pocket.  I also like to walk-the-dog with my frog across open water as bass will come out of the lily pads and hit the frog in that open water.

Since I like to work my frog with a lot of action and making casts in heavy cover, I use a 7’2” Wright & McGill Micro Honeycomb Series Rod as it has plenty of backbone, but still a soft tip so I can have a lot of action in my frog.  I pair this rod with a Wright & McGill Victory Pro Carbon baitcast reel in the high speed retrieve so I can quickly reel in line as a bass makes a run towards the boat and spool it with 65 lb. Seaguar Smackdown braided line.

Lures that I throw both on the edge and in the pads are a swimming jig and flipping a Texas-rigged soft plastic creature bait.  The swim jig is nice because it can be fished on top up the pads and then dropped off the edge; I prefer a ¼ oz. jig in a bluegill pattern for this.  A wide variety of tail colors can be used and, in my opinion, one needs to experiment with tail colors until the bass tell you what they want.  Some of my favorites are white, pearl blue, salt and pepper and chartreuse.

When I am flipping a Texas-rigged soft plastic creature bait, I am putting this bait right along the edge or placing it in the open water pockets between the pads.  I’ll use a soft plastic bait that doesn’t have many appendages, as this will keep the bait from getting hung up on the vegetation, baits such as the Zoom Bait Super Hog, Z-Craw and Super Speed Craw are some of my favorites.  When it comes to color selection, I like a black/blue or green pumpkin base and then, depending on the water clarity, use a green pumpkin with a colored flake in it.

I prefer to use a 3/8 to ¾ oz. Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp tungsten weight, so I can make nice long pitches. Also, a tungsten weight is smaller than a lead weight.  To get a solid hook up on these bass when I’m flipping around pads, I like to use 20 lb. Seaguar Flippin’ fluorocarbon as it has incredible knot strength and is in best-in-class when it comes to impact strength.  I’ll rig my soft plastic on a 4/0 Lazer TroKar TK130 flipping hook, as it will stick that bass every time and the TroKar barb keeps my bait securely in place.

A great and exciting way to fish the edge of the pads is with a topwater lure, like a buzzbait.  You can cast this lure parallel to the cover, or into the open water pockets and then retrieve it to the boat and with a buzzbait it is easy to keep out of the vegetation by speeding up your retrieve, many times this will invoke a reactionary strike from the bass.

I like to use the new War Eagle Buzz Toad; this buzzbait comes with a Zoom Bait Horney Toad rigged on a dual plastic keeper system.  Between the water displacement and noise of the buzzbait blade and the kicking action of the Horney Toad’s feet, it will call bass in from distances for a meal.

The amount of success you’ll have fishing lily pads, will depend on several things, how quickly you can locate the key areas, and two, getting the bass out of that thick cover.  So, always be reading and watching the water for clues as to what the bass are doing and how they are positioning themselves in the cover. Secondly, use the right gear. It will make your day on the water much more enjoyable!

Glenn has been fishing tournaments for over ten years, spreading his passion and knowledge of the sport via articles and videos.  He keeps busy fishing events across the Midwest and on the Mississippi River.  Glenn’s sponsors include:  Bass Boat Technologies, Ducky Products, Humminbird, Jeff Belzer Chevy, Mercury Marine, Minn Kota, Plano, Rayjus, Seaguar, Simms, Snag Proof, T-H Marine, The Rod Glove, TroKar, War Eagle Custom Lures, Wright & McGill and Zoom Baits.  For more information check out glennwalkerfishing.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/glennwalkerfishing.

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