Bass Digest/April, 2014
7 REASONS
PUNCHING CAN BE CHALLENGING
I've seen it too many times: fisherman buys into the hype, blows his/her budget on a brand new set-up made specifically for a technique and is disappointed when she/he cannot measure or replicate the same results as "the pros". The new set-up then gathers dust on the rod rack and probably ends up on Gumtree a few months later. The truth is; as simple as punching may be, everything in life takes practice before you succeed. But even with lots of practice, if you don't have the right information, then punching can really be challenging.
These are some of the challenges you might face:
Not being able to do a flip cast
This is vital to punching. The better you become at flipping, the more fish you will catch. Accuracy and a silent entry are crucial to close quarters’ fishing. If you can't flip then google flipping and research it. There are plenty of resources out there that can help you. Once you give it a try, you will be surprised at how quickly you pick it up. Punching without flipping is like a car without wheels, you are not going to get anywhere. So just bite the bullet and do it, start practising in your garden during the week and you might find that you will feel like a pro by the time you get on the water.
Finding fish seems impossible
Just like every type of fishing, if you find the pattern you will catch the fish. There are two basic things you need to take note of while punching: water depth and type of cover. There is no rule as to where the fish will be or at what depth, so you will have to figure this out
on the day and find a pattern. As a guideline, the grass is probably the best place to start punching; the thicker the better. Most often bass tend to make their homes on sections where the bank becomes deeper
with dark shadows and heavy grass or fallen reeds floating above them but don't bet on it; I've caught a few big bass punching grass in less than 30cm of water in midday sun. Note where the bites are and find
places that match that description (depth and type of cover). These will most probably be your hotspots for the day, some producing 2 or more fish. If you are not getting bites, try anywhere that is different to the depth and cover you have tried. When you get a bite
build on what you have just learnt and hopefully the next fish will come quicker. Another thing to observe is when the fish are biting: on the fall, on the way up or are they snatching it once it drops into open water? All these will tell you how long to leave your bait in for
and how deep in the cover you need to be punching. Sometimes the fish will just nip your lure and spit it out immediately. If this happens, jiggle your lure a bit and then try casting 10cm away. Carry on trying until you find that spot that just drives the fish crazy. Often it will be a spot that is deeper into cover. And never forget that bass like to ambush from the shadows, so a bank with the sun behind it should produce more fish.