Punching Mats

Over the last few years punch skirts have come into the bass fishing world with a vengeance.  The punch skirt is designed so you can cast into the heavy cover bass like to hide in during the summer months.  The punch skirt has swept across America from California where they are used to punch through the heavy mats on the California Delta.

The Anatomy of a punch rig

The punch skirt is really part of a punch rig.  The rig starts with a bobber stopper or weight peg.  Then comes a large bullet weight, the weight is usually 1 once or more, followed by your punch skirt, then a flipping hook.  Beaver style bait is usually Texas rigged.  I use an Atomic Tackle Company punch bomb which comes with your bullet weight and skirt.  I use a Trokar flipping hook.  The hook has a keeper barb at the top which helps keep the plastic in place and saves you plastics.  The surgically sharpened hook gives me better hook ups with less force.  I top it off with a Biffle Bug.

Gear

When using a punch skirt rig you want a strong rod.  One problem anglers find is that there flipping rod does not work effectively for punching heavy mats.  The Bub's Punch Rod by iRod is made for punching mats.  The rod has a fast tip but the straight of a flipping stick.  I use a Quantum Code Baitcaster with a 7:1 gear ratio.  I like the 7:1 it helps me get the fish out of the heavy cover quickly.  Some guys like a lower gear ratio, but I stick with the 7:1 for the quick line retrieve.  I use 65 pound Vicious braid.  Braid has no stretch so when you set the hook you have no worries of damaging the line plus braided line will help cut thru those thick mats.

How it works

Punch skirts are designed to make any soft plastic a jig.  The punch skirt gives a Texas rigged soft plastic more bulk.  The punch skirt being separate from the hook makes the action different from a jig in the fact that the hook, weight and skirt are separate.  When the bait falls you get more action from your soft plastic because it can move side to side unlike a jig.  Also because you can Texas rig your soft plastic it makes the rig weed less so you can put the rig in any kind of grass mats.   

How to fish it

When fishing the Atomic Tackle Company punch bomb I flip or better yet toss the bait into the air.  The idea behind the rig is that you toss it up and when it comes down it punches thru the matted grass you are fishing.  So I flip the bait into the grass mats.  You want to let the punch bomb fall on a controlled slack line.  This way you can feel if a bass picks it up on the fall.  If this happens you want to reel down and set the hook.  If you do not get a bite on the fall let the bait hit the bottom.  Hope the bait once or twice.  Because the rig is weed less you can work it back thru the grass, hopping it as you come or you can work it like you a pitching your bait.  If you work the bait as if you are pitching it pull the bait from the grass and make another cast.

Where to fish

When look for a place to start on a lake with a large amount of matted grass one came feel over whelmed.  I start by first looking for points or inside turns (which is opposite of a point) in the grass.  You want to look for irregular features within the grass beds.  Another productive spot to look for is where to different types of grass meet.  Some of the best grass beds are close to deep water.  Matted grass produces bass more during the middle of the day.  Wear as the weed edge produces bass better early and late in the day.

Other Options

The punch rig also makes a great follow up bait when fishing a hollow belly frog over matted grass of lily pads.  If you get a short strike on a frog, quickly reel in the frog and pitch the punch rig to the spot of the blow up and let the punch rig sink.  A lot of times a bass will try and stun or kill a frog and circle back to eat its prey as it sinks to the bottom.  The Punch rig gives you a big profile like your hollow belly frog.  If you get to the bottom with no strike, hope the punch rig once or twice.  If there is still no bite reel in the punch rig and continue throwing the frog.

So the next time you are out fishing think about fishing that matted grass.  With the right tackle and gear you might just be able to pull a hog from that stuff.  Remember the tips I have shared with you and you should have a hog in no time.