I like a frog, rage shad, or sluggo for slipping and slidding over mats and pads.

Jawbreaker spoons and Berkley blade dancer works well if you can get under or along the fringes.

Yo Yoing a jig flipped to pockets produces too, but I dont always have the patience for it so I revert to one of the above baits.

5.5 inch Mizmo tube and one ounce weight in a slop pocket produced this one a week ago. I've almost always got one tied on. Won the tourney for me and my partner in Hawgz Series down here. Went 6.18 lbs.

It helps to have at least 30lb braid and med-heavy rod. Those pads are tough and pencil reeds are tougher. Spro frogs are great but for 7.99 - OK I still buy them.

Creature baits in the pads - interesting. Do try to get away with the lightest weight possible. I'm mostly a frog guy in the pads. Senkos on the edges, but sometimes a 10" power worm and florida weight slips through the pads easy.

Spro Frog mostly, flippin a jig plastic is close second, Texas Rigged Ring Fry or Magic Shad if there are holes to let them fall into,Jawbreaker occasionally, and 'secret' weapon is 10" Powerbait worm with small (1/16 usually) Water Gremlin bullet sinker crimped right at hook dragged slowly across mat and let fall into holes.

oooooh I like the 10 inch worms

Strike king makes a bunch of floating plastics that work great in addition to everything else named so far. I also love scum frogs and j/pig. Baby birds work great too! Just let em sit til they git bit!

when the pads are a little more sparce, a willow leaf spinnerbait will work for those fish hanging under the pads. once they get too thick, you have to either punch or frog em'
i was a snagproof guy till the spros came out. love the bronzeye!
i saw a show as a kid where they were useing smithwick devils horses in the duckweed. it makes a mess, but it does work. i'd like to try a tube on a weighted worm hook.