If grass grows up from the bottom, hydrilla for example, then what are you �punching�? Isn�t it just going down into thick grass? I�m not full understanding. What they have in Florida that mats up at the top, I get that. But hydrilla grows from bottom to top, yes? Please explain. Thanks! Trying to learn.

The hydrilla (or other grasses) do grow up from the bottom and form a bit of a mat at the surface, although it doesn't have to be matted to "punch". The act of dropping a heavily weighted soft plastic into the grass is referred to as punching. The bass live in that grass, even though it grows from the bottom...just like they do sticks, stumps, trees, etc. that stand up from the bottom.

Yep that's pretty much it. I was at Welsh last Wednesday and found grass all the way out to 13 feet and if you wanted your plastic to get to the bottom you had to "punch" through it with at least a 1/2 oz. weight. Or you could swim a fluke across the top of it and get bit that way too. That was free info so do with it as you wish.

Here's a good video. I used this same tactic at Fork, "Back in the good ole days" when we had hydrilla mats to pitch. The hydrilla would mat up so thick on the surface that it would be difficult to get even a one ounce lead weight T-rigged to a craworm to penetrate. Under the mat there would often be 10-12 feet of depth to it. This was before braid and tungsten existed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-P9cG8digk

This should be helpful.

https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/12342309/deep-grass

Every been to the fishery in Athens? It's been about 20 years since I've been there and not sure what it is like any more but they had water around it and you crossed over the bridge, you would go down below the level of the top of the water and you'd get an underwater view. You'd see the grass growing but it wasn't solid from the ground to surface. There were big pockets in it and that was where the bass were sitting. Those pockets were like apartments for bass. It was really worth the drive out there just to learn how the bass relate to it.

Once the grass makes it to the surface it mats up, underneath the mats is sparse grass with openings. So once you punch through the mat your lure will usually just free fall to the bottom. You can either use really heavy 1 ounce plus weight or use a lighter weight and swing your bait out and up about 20 feet into the air then pull your rod tip down driving the lure down and through the mat.

This foole , Frank The Tank, fishes Athens regularly. And I bet he�s probably pretty adept at Punching and knows exactly what it is and how it�s done. He�s just testing us to see if WE know what it is.

But, that said, Clark lake in Ennis is the punching capitol of Texas. If you hit that lake without 1-1/2oz tungsten weights and Trokar Big Nasty�s , you ain�t gonna catch the big ones.

All gone! The state heard about their own hydrilla...and sprayed it!

sshhhh. I have fished Athens. But have never punched.

Gotta love punching. When it�s really on that familiar tap tap is magnified to a JERK JERK and the rod about flies out of your hands.

Big weight, heavy braid, fast reel, broom stick rod

This. Mr. Harper knows.

Those days were fun back in the 80's and early 90's. I still remember the back of Birch and Mustang had mats all over the place, and when you'd drop a bait in the holes.....it was on!!!!

Ok. Let�s try this a different way. I get punching grass that Matt�s up top with little stalks that go to the bottom like they have in Florida. I get why to punch those. You punch through and bass can see something come through the canopy and they go attacking it. I guess what I�m not understating is what do you aim for with Texas grasses like Hydrilla where it�s actually thinner at the top then the bottom. If you are punching hydrilla in Texas, do you aim for holes or low spots where it doesn�t quite grow as high? I guess when I look at a sea of hydrilla and since it isn�t �canopies� like Florida grasses do, where do you start? Or would you be. Enter to throw a weightless bait like a Senko into holes? Asking for a friend.