When Will the Pads Arrive ?

[ShoreGuy1984]

During what period of spring do the pads start to grow and thickening up? I never paid much attention to the growth of the lily pads last year, or the years before. I would like to know because I can not wait to throw a hollow frog into a big patch of lily pads! Isn't it usually in mid June?

[MN BassFisher]

I think it depends on water temperatures but yeah I would guess in the next 2-3 weeks they will be thickening up quite a bit. They are already popping up in some spots I've been fishing although not many. I can't wait to run poppers outside and in breaks of lillies and wait for the explosion!!

[bemidjibasser]

some of the dark bottom shallow bays are showing a lot of pads already, but they are not very thick yet. Lots of red pads on the bottom getting ready to grow up and poke through though.

[Nick Kuhn]

Not many pads are up at this latitude, but fish are holding up in the ones that haven't broke the surface yet anyways. A jointed floating rap worked like a jerkbait over the top of them was pretty successful last weekend despite the not-a-cloud-in-the-sky weather conditions.

[SledNeck]

I love rippin a booyah through the pads

[lookincalifornia]

i am a big fan of spinnerbaits in sparce pads. and buzzbaits!

[JimBuck]

I'm seeing a few in the south metro in sandy exposed sections of the lake. Love the texas-rigged weightless SlugGo in the spring.

[ShoreGuy1984]

They are sure starting to come up now! Was tossin a black Bronzeye Jr today in some pads. The pads I was fishing were great for sight fishing. I was on shore, and up on a high bank and the water was super clear. When I first approched, I spooked a decent sized bass, which was under some weeds/pads that were about three feet from shore. I sure wish I would have approched more carefully. I think it was about my forth cast, when a pike came up and checked out my black bronzeye. I paused when I seen the pike, then jerked the frog a little bit. The pike came a little closer, then I jerked it again, then the pike lost intrest and swam away. I came out empty handed at this spot, but will come back for sure.