What is your punching set up?

[MattT]

Spent quite a bit of time punching today. With no success.  Had some trouble getting penetration.  Was using one ounce tungsten.   I tossed a missile D stoyer.    What do you find that works?

[cortman]

Rod: Megabass Orochi XX Perfect Pitch
Reel: Shimano Exsence DC 8:1
Line: 65 b. Seaguar Smackdown or 65 lb. Power Pro
Weight: Tungsten, typically 3/4-1.25 oz
Hook: Gamakatsu 3/0  straight shank flipping hook
Bait: Netbait B-Bug or Berkley Havoc Pit Boss

[MattT]

Cortman. Do you have a color preference?

[cortman]

Cortman. Do you have a color preference?

I have good success with black/blue and magic craw in the B-Bug, and a sort of alabama craw and black and green pumpkin with the Pit Boss. Can't go too far wrong with the old standby colors. A purpleish bait like a PB&J works well too.

[MattT]

Good info thanks.  Anybody else?

[68camaro]

Current setup up is:

7'0" JB Customs Frog n Rat Rod, Heavy Power, Fast Action.
Lew's Team Lews LITE Speed Spool TLL1SH Baitcaster 7.5:1
Set up with 50LB Bushido Braid, 75 feet of mono backing.
Jigs - Dave's Tournament Tackle or Nujig
Bullet sinker up to one and a half ounces depending on matt thickness.
Plastic - Beaver tails, craws, fat ika's, Pit Boss etc...usually always in Pumpkin Green.

[68camaro]

Spent quite a bit of time punching today. With no success.  Had some trouble getting penetration.  Was using one ounce tungsten.   I tossed a missile D stoyer.    What do you find that works?

You really need to drop it on them.....last week I spend 45 minutes picking apart a lillypad patch with zero luck, paddled away to new spot and 2 kids in jonboat troll over to my spot and 5 minutes later I hear them all exited. They landed probably a 5lb'er in area I hit earlier

Go figure.....

[SteveTX]

Rods

• 7'3" Mag Heavy Ex Fast Dobyns Savvy Series Micro SSM735C
• 7'3" Mag Heavy Ex-Fast Powell Max 3D 736 CEF Frog Mag Heavy
• 7'11" Heavy Mod-Fast St. Croix MojoBass MBC711HMF

Reels

• 6.6:1 Quantum Smoke SL150SPT drag 17lbs.
• 7.1:1 Lews TS1SH drag 14lbs 
• 7.0:1 Quantum Energy PT E100HPTA  drag 16lbs.

Line

• Power Pro 65 lb Moss Green
• Power Pro 50 lb Moss Green

Soft Plastic Baits

• Havoc Devil Spear color A lot but I like Pearl Blue Shad
• Havoc Pit Boss color Just about any of them. Lime Purple Passion is a nice one.
• Zoom Horny Toad color White has been good.
• Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver color Just about any of them.
• Netbait Paca Craw color Just about any of them. Brown/Orange has been very attractive.

Bobber stop
I typically use 2 stops. I like the Eagle Claw Bobber Rubber Stops. I like having the red one on top as I can spot it easily. Also they don't seem to wedge in the end of my weight.
Weights
I use Tungsten as much as possible but sometimes I use lead. I use all different weights depending on the area I am trying to punch.   
Hooks
I've been using the Lazer Trokar Flippin' Hook in 5/0, 3/0, and 4/0.
Punch Skirts
Don't use them all the time but I do some time. I've used the Jewel Bait Hole Punch Skirt in Missouri color. Also just picked up some Stanley hand tied skirts that look awesome.

[-Shawn-]

Impulse 7'6 XHXF 
50lb Power pro original... I use original because it cuts vegetation better than anything else.
Reel is a Shimano Curado

[MattT]

You really need to drop it on them.....last week I spend 45 minutes picking apart a lillypad patch with zero luck, paddled away to new spot and 2 kids in jonboat troll over to my spot and 5 minutes later I hear them all exited. They landed probably a 5lb'er in area I hit earlier

Go figure.....

Been there done that.   

[Nutoy]

Rods:
Witch Doctor Hydrilla Gorilla, 7'-6" XH Fast
Witch Doctor Hydrilla Gorilla, 7'-11" XH Fast
You can boat flip 8 lbers with these rods.

Reel:
Shimano Castaic w/ upgraded drag

Line:
Power Pro 65
Power Pro 50

Weights:
1/2 - 1 1/2oz Tungsten
3/4 - 1oz Seiberts Tungsten Punch Skirts

Hooks:
3/0. 4/0, 5/0 Berkley Fusion Heavy Cover Flipping hook

Baits:
Zoom Brush Hog and Baby Brush Hog. Watermelons and Green Pumpkins for clearer water, Junebugs and Blk/Blu for colored water.
Reactions Innovations Sweet Beaver and Kinky Beaver. Same colors as above.
Missle D-Bombs, Same colors as above.
Havoc Pit Boss, Same colors as above.

Try different weights. Sometimes a faster fall rate will trigger a reaction bite, especially in clearer water.
Different baits will have different actions on the fall. Some days they'll want a bait with a lot of action, some days a bait with no action will get bites.

[MattT]

Gonna go pick up some  of these baits and give em a shot.

[SteveTX]

Gonna go pick up some  of these baits and give em a shot.

Looking at your location I would think you could use Mikes input or some of the guys from that area for specifics. He may fish some similar or same waters and have some more detailed bait info that may give you a much more specific answer. I would think he can help with some specifics on what you may want to use for your actual rigging as well. He likes punching a lot based on his performance in the UB IBASS TOURNAMENT I would recommend listening to him. 

[MattT]

Looking at your location I would think you could use Mikes input or some of the guys from that area for specifics. He may fish some similar or same waters and have some more detailed bait info that may give you a much more specific answer. I would think he can help with some specifics on what you may want to use for your actual rigging as well. He likes punching a lot based on his performance in the UB IBASS TOURNAMENT I would recommend listening to him. 

Yeah. Mike shared info with me this week.  We fished the same waters on Saturday. He caught a boat load.  I did not. 😎

[SteveTX]

Yeah. Mike shared info with me this week.  We fished the same waters on Saturday. He caught a boat load.  I did not. 😎

You know I'm in that tournament.  I would not have minded if you happened to have accidentally cost him a fish or two. 

[MattT]

You know I'm in that tournament.  I would not have minded if you happened to have accidentally cost him a fish or two. 

Haha.   No such luck.  I talked to him afterwards.
Me and my son fished caddo Saturday (same as Mike and close to where he said he was catching them) .  Caught 2 over. One on frog and one on jerkbait   Caught 15 or so on lipless crank and fluke.   I caught 6 back to back on fluke. Came back by that spot tried punching the grass that we caught the smaller ones on.  No success. Spent a lot of time punching both me and my son. Had different set ups.  And nothing all day on the punch. 

[Mike Cork]

Punching areas that you find the smaller school fish can produce a giant

I keep it very simple. Black and blue, June bug, or sapphire blue. I've seen these colors change Day to day with no apparent reason other than confidence.

If I'm punching for the day I have three rods, 3/4 - 1 - 1.5 all ready to go. I like to use the lightest I can get away with. The lightest that will cleanly fall through the grass. I've had to go as high as 2 ounces before.

Two baits, the pit boss or the Mr Twister Buzz Bug.

SteveTX, awesome to hear your going to get to fish the benefit!!! Make sure to find me at weigh in

[SteveTX]

SteveTX, awesome to hear your going to get to fish the benefit!!! Make sure to find me at weigh in

I meant the Sept 2017 UB IBASS TOURNAMENT. You know the one your kicking everyone's tail at.

[Mike Cork]

I meant the Sept 2017 UB IBASS TOURNAMENT. You know the one your kicking everyone's tail at.

Oh... well this one is a month long... it's always tense to the end.

[MattT]

Good stuff.  Thx

[Russ199A]

Rod - Dobyns 765 Champion
Reel - E7 Curado 7.1
Line - Stren Sonic braid 65 or 80 lb
Weight - 3/4 to 1.5 oz OR an Okeechobee rig with the weight on the bottom of hook
Hook - 5.0 gammy G-lock or a 4.0 Trokar punch hook
Lure - Pit boss, MT buzz bug, beaver, D-bomb or a rage bug or craw
Colors - Blk/Blue, Blk/Brown, Junebug or bloody mary

One other thing I do is double up on weight pegs.
Lastly, when you feel the bite, set the hook, don't wait too long. Get them up and out of the grass as fast as possible so they don't get you balled up.
Good luck.

[Skillet]

...last week I spend 45 minutes picking apart a lillypad patch with zero luck, paddled away to new spot and 2 kids in jonboat troll over to my spot and 5 minutes later I hear them all exited. They landed probably a 5lb'er in area I hit earlier

Go figure.....

Damn those kids for catching a fish eh?

[cjr4497]

I know this is old, but it is still relevant to those just getting into punching. i have been doing this for about 15 years on my home lake with great success. the cat is out of the bag now though so there are not as many under the mats as there used to be. i keep 2 setups in the boat:

Setup #1:
Rod - 7'11" St. Croix Mojo Bass xtra heavy
Reel - Lew's superduty 7.1
Line - power pro braid 65lb
Weight - 1.5 oz
Hook - 3/0 or 5/0 straight shank heavy wire
knot - snell

Setup #2:
Rod - 7'6" Powell Inferno 765 CEF (do it all stick. prolly my favorite rod)
Reel - Shimano Curado 7.1
Line - power pro braid 50 lb
Weight - 1oz with punch skirt
Hook -3/0 or 5/0 straight shank heavy wire
knot - snell

i alternate between the punch skirt and no punch skirt until i find what they prefer. to be honest i am going back to 50# on my heavier setup when what i have on now wears out. i found that i had more bites with the 50. i have never broken off with 50. also, if you do get hung. use a cleat to break the line. otherwise you will damage your reel.