SENKOSAM Posted June 11, 2014 Posted June 11, 2014 Tried my best to get a frog bite going yesterday and only got a few blow ups and one 14" bass in the pads. The day seemed perfect: cloudy, calm to a slight breeze, 74 degree water with stain, post spawn and no recent fishing pressure from other anglers. Yet last week we clobbered them under partly sunny skies and wind speed of 8-12mph all day. Yesterday flipping and pitching were the best producing presentations for bass that were camped out near pad edges. Nothing on swimming lures such a swimbaits, spinnerbaits or crankbaits. Maybe sometimes calm water and overcast skies are too calm. Of course the grub bite was on near islands of pads but only for pan fish and a few pickerel. Quote
Bassin Bob Posted June 11, 2014 Posted June 11, 2014 I think the sun has to be out to push the bass under the pads. Quote
ColdSVT Posted June 11, 2014 Posted June 11, 2014 My fav froggin is in the rain followed by windy days Quote
frogflogger Posted June 11, 2014 Posted June 11, 2014 Calm days can be problematical - I've had a couple of stellar days when it was calm by letting the frog set still for a very long time - there is no limit to how long you can dead stick a frog - my only issue is my own impatience - I've caught some good fish dead sticking that sucked the frog under with nary a ripple not unlike a trout sipping a dry fly. Quote
shawnmc Posted June 11, 2014 Posted June 11, 2014 The bass can scatter on those calm cloudy days. They tend to get in the thicker cover(pads, mats) on those sunnier days where you can target them easier. Quote
Super User BassinLou Posted June 11, 2014 Super User Posted June 11, 2014 Frog just wasn't on the menu, that's all. Tomorrow could be a whole different story. That's bass fishing. Quote
SENKOSAM Posted June 12, 2014 Author Posted June 12, 2014 Today the topwater bite was on!!! Cloudy sky after a morning rain with a 8-10mph breeze. Not only was it on in the pads, it was on over a rocky flat. The jig bite was on a rock point. Quote
papajoe222 Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 You 'discovered' why there are so many different types of lures out there. They all catch fish under certain conditions and some under many different conditions. The problem for us is determining when conditions are prime for one bait over another and getting past the mentality that this or that worked the last time when evdently something is different than last time. You were able to recognize the frog 'bite' wasn't on and changed your presentation and location until you figured them out. Many times we are clueless to the change in conditions and that is the only way. Congrats on your versatility, now for the tough question; What changed? If you figured that out in the end, next time you'll be able to, at the very least, consider that change and at the very best, recognize it when you see it. One of the traps I fall into is attempting to force feed a particular bait (usually a Spook) to fish that don't want it. I'll change cadence, location, color, etc. until I catch one and then pat myself on the back for sticking with that bait. Just goes to show you how hard headed some of us can be even when we know better . Quote
sparky241 Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 My fav froggin is in the rain followed by windy daysyour froggin on windy days? I couldn't hardly get the frog to the patty's when I tried that Quote
SENKOSAM Posted June 12, 2014 Author Posted June 12, 2014 I don't have a clue what changed and wouldn't have tried the pads, except, after seeing my partner catch two bass on a rocky flat that had no weeds, figured something had changed to support a top water bite. He started catching bass on a hollow bodied frog as soon as we entered the pad field and then I put on my own poured frog. (The one on the left.) Most times the strike was purely reflexive, few fish followed and struck or struck again after a blow up. One clue that something had changed was that crappie were schooled in open deeper water whereas they had been tight in the weeds the day before. In my mind, change for one species means change for other species and I start out with a clean slate of options. Take nothing for granted, as my partner proved. Quote
ColdSVT Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 your froggin on windy days? I couldn't hardly get the frog to the patty's when I tried that Cast low...sometimes ill park my boat right in the pads if i have to Quote
SENKOSAM Posted June 12, 2014 Author Posted June 12, 2014 I also use Lake Fork Frogs and they cast a mile. Of course, I not talking gale force winds - 10 -15mph tops. Quote
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