Super User AK-Jax86 Posted July 22, 2013 Super User Posted July 22, 2013 Went fishing this morning with my buddy to some ponds that are over 40 years old. We get there around 6am and his first cast we hear a monster attack his frog but he missed it, he said he thought it was a 12lb. Double digit fish are common in all the ponds in this golf community. At around 7:15 I cast my frog along the bank and see a huge wake come towards my frog and then nothing. I reel it in and let it sit by some pads. All of a sudden a 10# comes out of nowhere and grabs my frog I tried to set the hook but it spit it out. Now to the fish that was landed lol My buddy was using a tilapia colored trick worm on a weighted hook, and I switched to a Tsunami Swim Shad. He was walking along the bank and saw a 15# sitting by a mat. He throws his worm out and the fish crushed it he went to set the hook but the fish bit the worm off there was about 2" or worm left of the hook. So I cast my swim bait in that area and then out of nowhere two more fish show up next to the massive one. It turns around and as my shad is coming towards it the second biggest one slams it. I set the hook and the fight was on. Out of nowhere my Pflueger Presidential reel with 30# braid on a 6'9" St Croix Mojo Bass rod, breaks off!! Then the fish starts going back out towards deeper water. I grab my braid and then manage to pull the fish to land and grab it. When I took the hook out there was no way it was getting off it inhaled the swim bait. So we had to postpone our trip and go to Academy Sports and buy a new reel. I bought a Abu Garcia OrraSX30 with 30# braid. So that fish cost me $130 lol 24 inches 1 Quote
JayKumar Posted July 22, 2013 Posted July 22, 2013 Cool story. Next time get a Shimano! And maybe wait a sec before setting the hook on those frogs.... Quote
Mccallister25 Posted July 22, 2013 Posted July 22, 2013 I have the Pflueger President. I also have a Shimano Sedona. Both great reels, especially for the price IMO. Quote
Super User flyfisher Posted July 22, 2013 Super User Posted July 22, 2013 Nice fish but I am more impressed that you can tell the weight of a fish by seeing it hit your bait. 1 Quote
Revival Posted July 22, 2013 Posted July 22, 2013 Nice fish but I am more impressed that you can tell the weight of a fish by seeing it hit your bait. I was thinking the same thing. I wouldnt be able to tell the difference between a 10lb, 12 lb and 15 lb fish. I just know that they all would be huge (to me). What was the weight of the fish in the pic? Quote
Super User AK-Jax86 Posted July 23, 2013 Author Super User Posted July 23, 2013 Nice fish but I am more impressed that you can tell the weight of a fish by seeing it hit your bait. I was thinking the same thing. I wouldnt be able to tell the difference between a 10lb, 12 lb and 15 lb fish. I just know that they all would be huge (to me). What was the weight of the fish in the pic? 7 but I have no room to say how big a double digit fish is since I have only hooked into one but never landed it. But my buddy catches them left and right so I was just going by what he said. It's funny cuz whenever we catch a nice size fish he calls out the weight and it's usually spot on Quote
Super User AK-Jax86 Posted July 23, 2013 Author Super User Posted July 23, 2013 always a silver lining in it, ya got new gear and still landed the fish Yea and Pflueger is replacing my reel for me!!! Overall great day. I only had 4 top water strikes missed em all and the only other bite was on a swim bait that's going to get me a brand new reel to replace the older one, thanks to that fish 1 Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted July 23, 2013 Global Moderator Posted July 23, 2013 That 6' 9" Mojo is a pretty soft rod to be fishing frogs on. You might want to check out something like the 7' MH if you're primarily fishing frogs with it otherwise I foresee a broken rod in your near future as well. I'd be getting back to that pond as soon as possible if fish like that are chasing with the vigor you're describing. Quote
Super User AK-Jax86 Posted July 23, 2013 Author Super User Posted July 23, 2013 That 6' 9" Mojo is a pretty soft rod to be fishing frogs on. You might want to check out something like the 7' MH if you're primarily fishing frogs with it otherwise I foresee a broken rod in your near future as well. I'd be getting back to that pond as soon as possible if fish like that are chasing with the vigor you're describing. Yea I mean the rod does the job. I have a ddge charger and I can just fit my rod in the front seat I think the extra 3 inches would make it a little tougher to get in and out. But I have a 2 year warranty from Dicks, and I have St Croixs warranty, so if it breaks I can go to Dicks Sporting Goods and they will refund my money and I can get another St Croix rod or use it towards another purchase... That's a nice deal Quote
CPBassFishing Posted July 24, 2013 Posted July 24, 2013 The fish did not spit your frog out. You just didn't wait long enough. Wait to see your line moving, wait another second, and set the hook. Quote
Hyrule Bass Posted July 25, 2013 Posted July 25, 2013 The fish did not spit your frog out. You just didn't wait long enough. Wait to see your line moving, wait another second, and set the hook. i disagree. waiting, counting to three, feeling the weight of the fish, etc, all that crap has cost me more fish while frogging than it has helped me hook. now i just set the hook as soon as the bait disappears under water and i have much better success. i figure by the time i react and the rod flexes from the hookset enough time has passed that the fish fully has the frog in its mouth if it didnt get it all initially. i find waiting just gives the fish more time to spit the bait, especially since i dont use scents or anything... 2 Quote
Super User AK-Jax86 Posted July 25, 2013 Author Super User Posted July 25, 2013 i disagree. waiting, counting to three, feeling the weight of the fish, etc, all that crap has cost me more fish while frogging than it has helped me hook. now i just set the hook as soon as the bait disappears under water and i have much better success. i figure by the time i react and the rod flexes from the hookset enough time has passed that the fish fully has the frog in its mouth if it didnt get it all initially. i find waiting just gives the fish more time to spit the bait, especially since i dont use scents or anything... I agree with you 100% on that Quote
Super User AK-Jax86 Posted July 25, 2013 Author Super User Posted July 25, 2013 But it all depends how they hit it. A lot of times on misses, especially with the frogs I use, they have the legs in their mouth so you miss the hook set A little mod my boy told me about was to paint the legs a neutral color like black, white, silver so they attack the upper body Quote
flyfishman Posted August 5, 2013 Posted August 5, 2013 AK: for what its worth, those graphite composite spinning reel seat stems flex big time while under a strong fish fighting load. Those reels are more suited to finesse tactics with light weight braid and light drag settings. I've had good luck with 10lb Spiderwire stealth braid on an inexpensive Shimano Sienna 2500. That line is tough to break, confident it would land those large fish but I use light drag settings. Use the baitcasting gear better suited to heavier braid if you want to pressure 'em and move 'em from cover. See you out there. Quote
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