We used to use a frog lure. Actually throw it on top of a lilly pad or on the bank and jerk it into the water. The bass would hit it as it hit the water. In heavy lily pads it was fun to see a bass come blasting out of the water through the pads and hit the lure. I've even had them hit the pad before I could get the lure into the water thinking it was a frog and trying to knock it into the water. I also used to use a little grasshopper lure which seems to work really well.