missed hook sets on hollow body frog

[Luke at Gouldsboro]

This past summer, I missed about 20 fish on hollow body topwater frogs. I don't know if I'm setting the hook to quick or not letting them eat it or what... Any suggestions or tips would be great. Thanks

[hookingem]

Its one of the hardest things to do in bass fishing (for me at least) but you have to wait until you feel the fish's weight before you swing for the fences on that hook set. Its hard to wait after you see them smash that top water frog and even though I know to wait i still have this similar problem sometimes. You are most likely just jerking the bait out of the fishes mouth before they have fully taken the frog in.

[7mm-08]

It could be a timing issue or it could be equipment.  You want a rod with a solid backbone and premium line that doesn't stretch.  When you get a hit don't immediately set the hook unless you want the frog to fly at your head.  Some people will say wait 3 seconds which I don't really have the patience to do but a short pause after the strike and before you set the hook should do the trick.

[RoLo]

Your hook-up ratio might be noticeably improved just by switching to a solid floating toad

In any case, hold the rod-tip high in the air, which offers two benefits:

1) The lure is better positioned to negotiate mats and surface vegetation.

2) The time consumed lowering the rod is usually enough to bolster your hook-up ratio.

Roger

[flipin4bass]

1. Frog body too stiff.

2. Not using braid.

3. Not using a fast action rod.(You want that rod to load-up fast.)

[Nixstyx]

Resist the urge! Don't set too early. Sounds crazy, and I didn't believe it when I first started frog fishing, but you really have to give the fish a minute to get it into its mouth before you set the hook. If I see my bait disappear I just reel until I feel the fish. Sometimes I never feel the fish, but in that case I haven't ripped the bait away from a bass that might come back for another bite.

For practice, try fishing at night without lights. Incredibly frustrating sometimes, but it will definitely teach you to wait to set the hook.

[saint romain]

AS SOON as he hits it, hold the rod at 10 o'clock and reel the slack until you feel him, drop the rod to about 7 o'clock and set the hook in the opposite direction you think he is swimming (you can get a general idea from the swirl or line moving). When you drop to 7 you are giving it some slack so you can just slam that hook into his mouth all at once and not give him a chance to do anything. I would definately suggest some braid, I use PowerPro. I would use a minimum of a 6'6" medium heavy rod, and thats a minimum.

[eyedabassman]

All of these are very helpful hints. But I found that if I bend both of the hooks away from the hallow body frog just alittle bit and then up just a hair my hook ups are ALOT better. You may get just a few more weeds but more fish in the boat!

[piscicidal]

First off, 20 missed fish isn't that bad. A good frog angler is still going to miss a fairly high percentage of fish. Just the nature of that beast...

Having said that though, I think most people have nailed on the high points of increasing your hook up percentage with frogs...1.) you've got to resist the urge to hit em right away. This is tough, at first, and requires a bit of "deprogramming", especially if you've used a lot of hardbaits. 2.) Use braid.

I don't necessarily agree that you want a real stiff rod. What you want, IMO, is a rod that has a fairly soft tip but a lot of backbone. You want a little compliance, for those surprise bites when you don't have the ability to immediately drop the bait. The softer tip also allows for longer casts which is essential when fishing frogs. A 735 rod is perfect, IMO, for frog fishing.

One of the things which really helped me when I first started frog fishing was holding the rod high (like RoLo described). If you hold the reel close to your chest and the rod tip high, it makes it alot harder to immediately set the hook when the fish hits. Until you learn how to wait on a frog bite, this is a good mechanism for ensuring you don't set the hook too soon.

[Intrepid]

sorry, but i dont buy that braid is a neccesity. while it may make some feel like they have an advantage with braid, i do just fine frog fishing with mono, it doesnt stretch like a rubberband as some people would have you believe...

[shallow thinker]

Everyone has their preferences... mine is for braid when fishing frogs and horny toads.  I'm making long casts into thick cover.  When I set the hook I hit them hard and winch fish out of those pads or hydrilla.  There's no stretch in braid, the smaller diameter allows long casts even with 30-50 lb rating,  and it does a better job of cutting through the salad once a fish is hooked. 

[WanderLust]

sorry, but i dont buy that braid is a neccesity. while it may make some feel like they have an advantage with braid, i do just fine frog fishing with mono, it doesnt stretch like a rubberband as some people would have you believe...

The stretch will actually help your hookup percentage. Line like so many other things is just a tool. The right tool for the job.

[River Rat316]

I normally dont like braid, but in frog fishing I use it, the only reason I use it is that I am normally fishing frogs in and around slop, the braid has a distinct advantage in weeds, it just cuts right through them, mono or flouro doesnt

[TimJ]

I can't add much to what's here...good advice.

I can add that you should have a heavy stick set up with a plastic worm or your flipping/casting lure of choice. if you tear the frog away from the strike when you miss, go right back in the hole with another bait. there's a chance that you have a hot fish waiting and looking around under there.

TJ

[brushhoggin]

All of these are very helpful hints. But I found that if I bend both of the hooks away from the hallow body frog just alittle bit and then up just a hair my hook ups are ALOT better. You may get just a few more weeds but more fish in the boat!

this is so very true. also these people who tell you to wait to feel the fish before you set the hook, are gonna cost you some fish. set the hook nice and stout as soon as you know the bass didnt swing and miss. dont give em time to identify what they've just eaten.

[JDF]

great advices from everyone. I have had the same problem fishing a frog over slop

[A-Rob]

I am picky about the frogs I use. I like Spro over Snagproof b/c I don't like how much plastic is in front of the hooks. I find the Spro hooks are easier to grip.

I like a rod with backbone but some tip to it. I use a stiff MH on my lakes (moderate junk, not heavy like the deltas). So when the bass hits I can let it eat that frog b/c the tip will give and the rod will load. I only set the hook when the rod loads. That's when the backbone comes in to play.

I use braid all the time fishing frogs, that helps stick 'em to.

[Big Bait Fishing]

i think the title of your post says it all !!! i hate hollow bodied frogs ! i only use Canyon Plastics 4.5" frogs with a single hook ( owner twist lock in 5/0 with changed out CPS screw locks to the bigger ones ) , get a lot better hook ups with a single hook , here is the frog --

[central.PA.bass]

This past summer, I missed about 20 fish on hollow body topwater frogs. I don't know if I'm setting the hook to quick or not letting them eat it or what... Any suggestions or tips would be great. Thanks

Although it is harder than heck to resist, you must feel weight on the end of the rod before you sent the hook.. seeing the splash usually doesn't cut it because a bass's first strike is usually to kill the frog and then it has a follow up strike to swallow it.. 

I set the hook more times than not on that first strike and end up with the frog on my lap. I find that when i wait to feel the pull my hookup ratio is a lot higher

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Don't over think it.

Either count to three or wait until you feel the weight of the fish on the end of the line.  Then slam em.

[Pantera61]

You can use braid.  You can use a heavy action, fast tapered rod.  You can count to three or wait to feel the weight.  You will still lose fish using frog baits.

I had one experience where I followed all the proper procedures and it was actually an open water hit and I was no further than 7' from the rod tip to the fish.  My friend's eyes were bugging out at the size of the fish as he said, "HUGE FISH!!!".  I lost the fish because the hook bent.

I think the conventional wisdom is getting 40% of topwater frog baits to the boat.  Not a great percentage but unless you're fishing a tournament, isn't the thrill of actually seeing the fish hit the best part? 

[bilgerat]

This goes against conventional wisdom about sharpening factory hooks, but get a fine file or stone and learn to put ridiculously razor sharp points on those frog hooks. Being that they are heavy wire to begin with, you need every advantage you can get.

[piscicidal]

All of these are very helpful hints. But I found that if I bend both of the hooks away from the hallow body frog just alittle bit and then up just a hair my hook ups are ALOT better. You may get just a few more weeds but more fish in the boat!

this is so very true. also these people who tell you to wait to feel the fish before you set the hook, are gonna cost you some fish. set the hook nice and stout as soon as you know the bass didnt swing and miss. dont give em time to identify what they've just eaten.

If you are using hollowbody frogs with a walk-the-dog type retrieve and/or mono, you can probably get away with not waiting. If you are burning frogs with braid, you are going to miss alot more fish if you do not wait on them (you are always going to miss fish on frogs, but you'll miss alot more by not waiting than you will waiting).  The best frog fisherman on the planet (Dean Rojas) says wait three seconds.

I got this guy this morning on a horny toad (I waited on him...  )...

[Big Bait Fishing]

the way i fish my soft plastic frogs (Canyon Plastics 4.5" frog) is that i use a buzz style frog and that i fish it pretty slow , actually i fish it as slow as i can , just fast enough to keep it moving (legs churning) and i keep the rod tip up high causing a bow in the line (50 lb. braid) so when you get a strike , the fish will take up the slack and you DON'T have to wait 3 seconds or feel the fish on the line cause when the fish blows up on your bait , you just set the hook and the fish will be on !!! so for you guys having hook up problems , remember , keep your rod tip up high and keep a bow in your line and you will see dramatic increases in fish in your boat 

[Tuckman]

I fish a frog hard all summer

Your not missing the bite, The bite is missing you.

You will miss more bites waiting then you ever will with imeadiate hooksets. There is no logic behind waiting to set the hook with a frog(or any other bait for that matter). A bass does not nibble, or chew, he sucks in his prey in a vortex. Either he got it in his maw and you blast him or he missed it.

The true art in frog fishing is not pulling the frog away when he misses it, and letting him get another shot at it. The nature of frog fishing over heavy cover requires that you be able to deal with a few missed blowups.

I do agree with alot of the others on using a soft tip heavy rod, heavy braid, and hard hooksets.