Punch Casting a Bass Lure – It’s about the Allure

Punching, (punchin) is using a pitch cast with a heavy lure to punch through thick floating/matted grass canopy.

Punch casts are important for:

Getting a Lure Through Matted/Floating Grass: Using a heavy lure that will penetrate thick matted/floating grass.

Technique Considerations:
- Pitch 1 Oz to 2 1/2 Oz: Some suggest the minimum weight needed to punch through the canopy.
- Shake Lure to Get Through Canopy: Shaking the lure on the top of the canopy to get through the canopy can be better than using a heavier lure in some cases.
- Hop to Bottom of Canopy: Choose to hop the lure right back to the bottom of the canopy and let it drop again as sometimes the bass are positioned just under the canopy (as does some forage) and sometimes closer to the bottom.
- Ease Up on the Hook Set: Due to the large weight use a lighter, less energy, drop and set firm hook set to avoid either the weight bouncing the mouth open and the hook not getting set or causing a large rip in the fish’s mouth.

Height of Pitch: Only pitch to the height necessary to punch through the vegetation.
Heavier Lure: With a heavier lure requires higher powered rod and heavier line.

Pitching Lures
Flipping lures are common for Punching.