re: Punching Vegetation for Bass - School Me

Biggest thing is the rod. You want a heavy to xxheavy action but it needs to be light in weight. If not, you will be worn out quick. You need the heavy action to lean on them and pull them out quick. I use a Powell 8' 3D Max. Best non custom punch rod I have put in my hands.

Get a high speed reel, at least 7:3:1. That is so you are not dragging the grass on the retrieve back on longer flips. That will tear your plastic up and cause fustration.

65lb braid, I punch hyacinth mostly so 1-1/4 tungsten weight (pegged) is the norm for me. I like to put a glass bead between the weight and a Trokar 4/0 flipping hook. This will protect the knot. I prefer the snell knot. It increased my hook ups. Black/blue for dirty water, watermelon red for clearer water.

It's going to take a bit before you realize what the bite feels like. They don't really smoke it like other techniques. Sometimes you will just feel pressure, maybe a twitch. If anything feels different, especially on the drop in, just set the hook. This is my favorite way to fish just keep it simple.