Tips On Fishing With Frogs?

[BassfisherMass]

I am going to try fishing with frogs for the first time this weekend

any tips like where i should fish shallow deep weeds pads?

any tips would help out thanks!

[ClackerBuzz]

click on forums and type "frog" in the search bar. there are tons of great threads. for me slower action always seems to work better than fast. good luck!

[unionman]

I agree with clacker. Search for "frogs" in these forums. Its not that we are giving you a lazy answer but theres just ALOT to cover. From hooksets, presentations, locations and types of frogs. Theres lots of good threads on frogs fishing here. Also check out the bassresource videos on youtube on "How to fish with a frog".

good luck.

Topwater is awesome! I find myself using them when they probably wont be very productive just because I wanna see that topwater explosion...Im addicted. lol

[BassinLou]

With the great info that all these guys have provided, you have some reading to do. Good luck this weekend. What frog do you plan to use?

[ClackerBuzz]

Topwater is awesome! I find myself using them when they probably wont be very productive just because I wanna see that topwater explosion...Im addicted. lol

x2.

i've also found my self pushing the frog on the bass while looking for that awesome explosion. now i tend to classify frog fishing as either being "on", "weak" or "off". ON= lots of blow-ups and interest (especially when you relocate/cast on fresh water.) its awesome. practice getting the "feel" of frog fishing ie the hook sets. WEAK=the nip/bite/nibble but don't commit/inhale the frog. i haven't tried it but others say downsizing to a smaller frog works well. OFF=only one nip at the frog after 30+ min's over 3-4 different locations. the trick for me was to recognize when to efficiently move on to a different technique (senko, jig, crank etc). like with any new technique its all about learning it w/ as little pain as possible lol. if you only get out on the weekends don't spend 4 hrs trying to force the frog bite b/c its frustrating. but dedicate a good hour or two if you are getting any positive results. there is nothing better than landing ur first fish on a new tech even if its 12"!

[Bass Dude]

x2.

i've also found my self pushing the frog on the bass while looking for that awesome explosion. now i tend to classify frog fishing as either being "on", "weak" or "off". ON= lots of blow-ups and interest (especially when you relocate/cast on fresh water.) its awesome. practice getting the "feel" of frog fishing ie the hook sets. WEAK=the nip/bite/nibble but don't commit/inhale the frog. i haven't tried it but others say downsizing to a smaller frog works well. OFF=only one nip at the frog after 30+ min's over 3-4 different locations.

I hear this decribed a lot with frog fishing, and always found it kind of funny! If you really think about it...this is true of every lure you throw. They are either killing it, you get a few fish, or you don't catch anything.

[fishking247]

probably the most important piece of advice...DO NOT SET THE HOOK UNTIL YOU FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THE FISH! and if a fish hits and you don't get him cast to the same spot again most of the time they will hit again.

[mikey5string]

I always have a frog tied on. It is a consistent, proven big bass bait. Throw it whenever I see isolated patches of cover near shore. Especially deadly when tall grass meets lily pads or hydrilla mats. I tend to throw it, twitch it a few times and then reel in and try again. IME the hits come as soon as the frog hits the water or shortly after.

Agree with the tip about waiting to set the hook. It is hard to wait when you see that blow up but youll end up pulling it from the fish and it will rocket back at you. I cant tell you how many times myself or my fishing partner had to duck a flying frog because I got a little to eager.

Look for a frog with a soft body. This will make for better hookup ratios. The Iobee frog by Jackall is my favorite but the Booyah pad crasher is an inexpensive alternative.

[Bass Slayer 72]

probably the most important piece of advice...DO NOT SET THE HOOK UNTIL YOU FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THE FISH! and if a fish hits and you don't get him cast to the same spot again most of the time they will hit again.

I don't know if it will help, but lake fork has a product made for frogs it's a third hook that acts as a trailer it attaches to both hooks and is said to increase hook ups and reduce those hits from the back that don't set. I purchased a pair, but have yet to try them out.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Praying may help but hasnt helped me.

I had beginners luck with my PB in fifteen minutes of using one the first time but since its been horrible hook-up ratio.

I have that trailer hook too and it hasnt helped me. I had 12 strikes in this grass area only one actually got a fight out of and it got off after about being pulled 10'. I saw the strike it took the frog down about 4 feet set the hook and brought it up and on the surface then splash gone. Another strike the frog got pushed in the air about 6" this fish missed totally.

The trailer hook though was 100% weedless never getting caugh-up in this spaghetti type weeds.

[BassfisherMass]

thanks for all the great tips i will let you know how it goes

[BassfisherMass]

well i fished with my frog i had alot of fish jumping for it and grabbing at it but i could not get the hook set

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

I feel your pain brrrrrrother

[BassinLou]

Bummer, however there was signs of life. Keep at it. With the excitement of a blow up, we forget the basics sometimes. Especially when you want to catch them on the frog. Next time you will do better. Keep your cool and do your best to keep from pulling the trigger immediately after the blow up. Keep us posted.

[MarkH024]

well i fished with my frog i had alot of fish jumping for it and grabbing at it but i could not get the hook set

Give us some details of what was happening.

Where you trigger happy? Too delayed? What kind of rod are you using? If it doesn't have any backbone to it, then you'll never have great success with frogs. 7' Med/Heavy - or Heavy with a Fast tip is a good start.

Were you in a kayak? Only reason I ask is from experience that it is MUCH easier to frog fish efficiently while standing up in boat so that you're above the water. I've tried it sitting in a kayak, jon boat, paddle boat and find it far more difficult to set the hook while seated. If you are seated, try to avoid setting the hook straight up to your face...set the hook with your rod sweeping more to the side of your body. You can get the tip of the rod further behind your body and twist your torso picking up more line slack, and getting a better hook set.

When the bass hits your frog, do a one-one-thousand count and then set the hook. It's tough to do, even I get trigger happy and I been fishing frogs for 20 years.

Hope this helps.

[ClackerBuzz]

i lost a 3-4lb my self on saturday. and i let him have it for a good 3+seconds. i actually just saw a video where the guy recommends its better to let the fish have the frog for 20seconds and spit it than loosing 20+fish b/c of setting too early. i'm going to roll with that theory for awhile and wait for them to turn their head and dive a few feet before setting. even free spool the reel to let them take some line. especially when there is lots of salad/muck on the top of water. you'll notice frog fishing is MUCH easier in clean water and when the bite is aggressive

[MarkH024]

20 seconds is pretty excessive. Id imagine you'll end up having a lot of deeply hooked fish or they will spit it before you get the chance to set. I would think the bass can determine after that amount of time if its real ir not.

I think most of it has to do with the rod and hooksets. You're not going to land every fish that hits. If they miss throw it right back in there and 9 out of 10 times they will go at it again. Only when they take it and you fail to set the hook is when it usually will spook them into not biting again.

[BassinLou]

I agree with MarkHo24, 20 seconds on a frog hookset is waaaay to long. You risk seriously injuring or killing the fish IMO. Frog fishing is not an exact science, what i mean is even if you have the proper gear, line, timing, frog, etc. You are still going to miss them, that is the game we signed up to play. However, if you are consistently missing fish i would reevaluate your gear, your timing, and how u are setting the hook.

[ClackerBuzz]

20 seconds is pretty excessive.

I believe he was using an analogy.