My friend I are going to hit South Lake early in the morning to drag some frogs across those lilly pads - may do the same on MontyChello this Saturday morn. If Chad Hoover can do it, then so can we! Welcome any folks that can join. My friend is our pastor but he's super cool! I think he'll only drink one of your beers!

where exactly is South Lake? Any time i google it, it gives me that snooty rich people city

Its just south of downtown Farmersville.

Quite the opposite end of the spectrum!! Actually when you pull into Farmersville going east on 380 they are doing a ton of road/bridge construction right there where you need to turn right. So you have to meander around the construction to make a right turn onto Main street to head south - go all the way through town and make a left at where Main street sort of dead ends at a road called Old Josephine Road. Then about a half-3/4 mile on the left is a sign for the South Lake park. Not much to the place but snakes and lilly pads!!

Hey Ben! Could not make the trip yesterday but wondering how ya'll did on South Lake? Hope they were taking the frogs and kicking strong. Never been there but might try it for an early morning half day trip a week from Friday on 7/12 depending on your success report. I've never used frogs but won a handful in a raffle a while back and been looking for a time and place to throw them. Thanks for any insights. Mike

OK fellas, here's how the day went. Got on the water by about 6:30 a.m. You have a ton of lilly pad vegetation from the boat ramp on out to mid lake and all around the entire lake pretty much. We had a great day. I think we boated over 20 bass but lost a half dozen or more. Caught lots of perch or bream. Stayed in those lilly pads at the ramp all morning long then went out to the edge of the pads in deeper water after taking a lunch break. There was a couple guys that launched in a bass boat and I think they had some success but I don't think they did as well as we did. The bass were stuck in those pads using them like umbrellas or canopies. It was such a blast. You would just cast anywhere into the pads and drag across them - maybe aiming for a little clearing, when you're bait would fall off one - WHAM - set the hook and crank like a son of a gun! Although they aren't that big (our biggest was maybe 2 lbs) they will get you wrapped down around those pads. We lost several and some broke us off. Anyhow, the wind picked up through the day and the pads would hold you if you parked yourself in the thickest clump. Otherwise you had to anchor. Our success came mostly on that new Shell Cracker (watermelon red flake) or purple worm. The bream tore that worm up though! That Shell Cracker was the best producer - that is that new Strike King KVD bait that looks just like a little perch or blue gill. Only problem is that they are really soft and a couple of catches and they're tore up. And only 6 to a bag @ $5.99 per - kind of expensive. Nevertheless, they seemed to work better than the top water frog (zoom or spro). And here's why I think - that Shell Cracker when rigged flat like (on its side wounded like) when casted on those pads would probably mimick a struggling bait fish. We had hits through the pad - literally trying to knock it off the pad. Lots of little ones though just peck you to death. We fished weightless and when you pulled it off the pad it sank really slow and the bass shading right under a pad would nail it. When it got hotter we moved out to the edges and casted back into the edges with worms and senkos but you had to dead stick them and wait and wait and pretty soon you would get a hit or see your line move. Great day so hope this info helps anyone headed out there. I've only been able to find those Shell Cracker's at BP - not Academy, Cabelas or Dicks. But there are other brands that make something similar so sure they would work. Didn't try any other rigs - was thinking a weightless lizard may have had some success. Will post some pics when I can. Mike, I might join you on 7/12 in the a.m. possibly. Now I'm out to find other pads to crash at! I am supposed to head to Monticello Saturday morning to hit those pads but that will be from a bass boat.

Good report - thanks Ben. looks good for me to be able to go out there 7/12. Will post up and would be good to have some company.

Good report. I've had good success with weightless finesse worms at SL....same technique - cast into the little pockets between pads - slow fall...wait for the bite. I believe we need to start taking some of those smaller (but legal) bass out of there to improve the quality.