Are you still punching ?

Is there any other species?
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goldrod
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Are you still punching ?

Post by goldrod » Wed Jun 23, 2021 10:16 am

How has your approach changed over the years and your equipment

Initially I said “changed” but I think evolved is a much better term
Last edited by goldrod on Wed Jun 23, 2021 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DirtyD64
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Re: Are you still punching ?

Post by DirtyD64 » Wed Jun 23, 2021 11:32 am

Makes me sad, we don't have any where to punch in Northeast AR. We had some grass in one spot in the river a few years back but it didn't come back. Most I do is use the 3/8 and sometimes 1/2 heads where you can attach a skirt and drop through moderate brush. Are there other people that literally have no where to punch at???

goldrod
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Re: Are you still punching ?

Post by goldrod » Wed Jun 23, 2021 2:53 pm

DirtyD64 wrote:
Wed Jun 23, 2021 11:32 am
Makes me sad, we don't have any where to punch in Northeast AR. We had some grass in one spot in the river a few years back but it didn't come back. Most I do is use the 3/8 and sometimes 1/2 heads where you can attach a skirt and drop through moderate brush. Are there other people that literally have no where to punch at???
That sucks man
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Re: Are you still punching ?

Post by DirtyD64 » Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:41 am

goldrod wrote:
Wed Jun 23, 2021 2:53 pm
DirtyD64 wrote:
Wed Jun 23, 2021 11:32 am
Makes me sad, we don't have any where to punch in Northeast AR. We had some grass in one spot in the river a few years back but it didn't come back. Most I do is use the 3/8 and sometimes 1/2 heads where you can attach a skirt and drop through moderate brush. Are there other people that literally have no where to punch at???
That sucks man
I am assuming you are deep south or somewhere? Think CA has some good punch areas too... Not sure AR, TN, Missouri, and the more inland Southern states have the best grass/mats for punching. Looks so fun though.

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Finnz922
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Re: Are you still punching ?

Post by Finnz922 » Thu Jun 24, 2021 6:31 am

My first experience punching was reading some article and thinking, "oh, I can do that." Unbeknownst to me, I didn't have the gear for it. I had 1 heavy power rod and that was an X4 Destruction. I purchased some 1.25oz slither rigs and punched Mozingo Lake in Missouri for a club tournament. Day 1 was awesome! I had 5 fish for 24.8lbs all on punch rig. Anchored by a 7 and a 6.5. I was in heaven. Day 2 the bite changed and we fished another area. I had what I thought was a bite and set the hook hard. To this day, I don't know exactly what I did wrong. There was no fish when I got the line in even though I swore there was bite. What did happen was that I blew my Destruction up into 3 pieces. With no other heavy rods or long MH's I was sunk. finished with 2 fish that day and a second place finish. Missed first by less than a few pounds.

After searching the web for proper gear assuming it was the gear (though probably more so the angler) I stumbled across Bub Tosh talking about blowing up rod after rod punching. He was pimping his new sponsored rod brand, Irod. Instead of just buying one, I called Matt Newman at Irod and spoke with him for quite a while and he put my mind at ease. I purchased Bub's 7'11" Punch Rod and Fred's 7'5" Magic Stick and never looked back. I have bumped up to 80lb line which I am about to go back to 60/65. I have also added Bub's Air Punch rod to my arsenal. Love that rod! Reels are just OG Zillions in 7.1. For me, I get more big bites with skirted rig then without although I get bit more without. So I always have 2 rigs setup and with 2 Air 754's, 2 Genesis 754's, and a Crusher Croaker 784 I always have a rod or two I can change out to add if I need more setups.

I feel real good about the gear and hooksets. What I am trying to get better at is figuring out why one mat is better than the other. In Nebraska and Northern KS a lot of the shorelines and weeds are similar with little change. There is obviously some reason some mats produce more or bigger fish. I am still learning as to why.

I could die a happy man as long as I can frog and punch fish everywhere I go.

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Hobie-Wan Kenobi
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Re: Are you still punching ?

Post by Hobie-Wan Kenobi » Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:08 am

It's more like power flipping to me. I live in northern Michigan and get a surprising amount of vegetation for living so far north. I rarely have to "punch" through mats. More like tangles of milfoil mixed with lily pads.

This year been rough. Water levels are low and those spots where bass hide up in are too shallow to hold them it seems. Kinda sad for me. I love punching and frogging but, it's different this year.
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Finnz922
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Re: Are you still punching ?

Post by Finnz922 » Thu Jun 24, 2021 12:19 pm

Hobie-Wan Kenobi wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:08 am
I love punching and frogging but, it's different this year.
Man, you ain't kiddin'. Only 2 lakes I regularly fish have any weeds this year. Game and Parks claims they didn't do anything and they blamed carp spawn for why ALL the weeds are gone, but what do you do. Another technique :-({|= .

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Hobie-Wan Kenobi
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Re: Are you still punching ?

Post by Hobie-Wan Kenobi » Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:35 pm

Finnz922 wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 12:19 pm
Hobie-Wan Kenobi wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:08 am
I love punching and frogging but, it's different this year.
Man, you ain't kiddin'. Only 2 lakes I regularly fish have any weeds this year. Game and Parks claims they didn't do anything and they blamed carp spawn for why ALL the weeds are gone, but what do you do. Another technique :-({|= .
The vegetation is there from all the sun we had. The temps still been all over the place, leading to an oddly early ice out but, late "start"
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DarkShadow
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Re: Are you still punching ?

Post by DarkShadow » Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:20 am

If I frequented the Delta and Clear Lake much, I'd definitely would develop my punching game.

But, when you're fishing deep, So Cal reservoirs, that fluctuate so much in water level that year around vegetation that you can punch is non existent, you hone other patterns.

Our lakes aren't built like most of the country's. I was catching fish in 20 feet the other day and I considered that 'shallow.' Hydrilla? Lilly pads? Tules? I wish.

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