Time of day/conditions to throw a frog?

[Matt Duprau]

Whats your ideal time to throw a frog, both time of day and conditions?

[Hog Basser]

I treat it like any other top water.  I fish them early morning and late afternoon as sun rises and sets.  Also fish them on overcast days, but they could be successful other times as well.  

[tander]

Agree early morning and late afternoon is best, but you can throw a frog all day. I like bright sunny days, the bass get under the pads for shade and I could throw a frog from the time I get there to the time I leave.

[Bluebasser86]

All day long. Fish under those mats will eat one all day long. 

[herbu]

There are a number of sinking frogs now.  Sort of like a Rage Craw, but a frog.  I fish 'em on a belly weighted hook and sort of hop/swim them on the bottom like a craw.  Have caught some, but don't seem to be as effective for me as the craw.  And like any other bait, later in the day seems better.

[Raul]

3 hours ago, Matt Duprau said:

Whats your ideal time to throw a frog, both time of day and conditions?

There is no "ideal time", or, the ideal time is whenever you throw the bait and it works, but if you go around thinking ( or questioning ): "when will it be the right time to throw this ? " you will never find out and you may have missed a great opportunity.

Contrary to the most popular belief, "frogs" are not just for fishing pads/weeds, you can fish them in open water.

[Matt Duprau]

2 hours ago, Raul said:

There is no "ideal time", or, the ideal time is whenever you throw the bait and it works, but if you go around thinking ( or questioning ): "when will it be the right time to throw this ? " you will never find out and you may have missed a great opportunity.

Contrary to the most popular belief, "frogs" are not just for fishing pads/weeds, you can fish them in open water.

You're quite the piece of work. It was an opinion based question, there's no right or wrong answer. Always curious to hear different inputs from different anglers. Some guys prefer to throw a frog a certain time of day and others all the time, it's whatever works for you and helps you put as much fish in the boat as possible. I'm always on here asking different peoples opinions, but I don't need a smartass response from someone who thinks they're better than everyone else. Im not a new angler, im new to this site.

[Torn Thumb]

Seems all that dudes responses are like that. Tad snooty.

 

[WIGuide]

I'll throw a frog just about any time the water is wet and above 60-65 degrees. 

[flyfisher]

i have one tied on all the time once water temps go up to around 65.  I also throw them all day long if the cover dictates it, grass mats, lilly pads, reeds etc....they all can produce.  The best time to throw one is whenever you want, you never know when you will stumble on to a hot time and not realize it till it is too late.

[doyle8218]

 

2 hours ago, WIGuide said:

I'll throw a frog just about any time the water is wet and above 60-65 degrees. 

This^

["hamma"]

Once the frogs emerge from the mud, til the pads die off. It is actually one of my favorite techniques,... I do use them over the thick mats, and not so much over open water although they will catch bass there.

I have refined my pad fishing to include not a frog but a 1/4 oz jig and pig. Once you get the hang of it its a blast!,. and also doubles to pitch/flip the edges too. Just,..cast and start reeling before it hits the pads and slowly continue til you get a hit, if the fish misses,.. wiggle it into the hole and jig it a few times. Has payed off for me in the past many times over.

I still use frogs over really thick emergent weeds (other than pads) Grass, hydrilla, coontail, milfoil etc.

 There's just something about that explosive topwater hit that just get ya heart pumping

[68camaro]

I prefer early morning and towards dusk, I use trailer hook which really helped hook-ups. My favorite method is along edge of pads or scum, or throwing on them and walking them off. Open water between pads or scum is really good but I never had much luck in pure open water.

Blowups 12" in front of me in the pond scum are not uncommon at all:) 

 

[jtharris3]

I love fishing a frog. I'll generally throw them at anytime of the day.

[the reel ess]

I usually do as everyone else and fish them early or late. But on a really weedy body of water I'll use them anytime. I've also caught some bass on a Spook Jr in the middle of the day lately.

[buzzed bait]

seems i'm opposite of most.  early and late, i'll throw something else like a buzzbait or walker or popper.  after that dies off, i'll throw the frog.  the frog will still be catching them at high noon even when some of my other topwaters don't seem to be producing.

[Scarborough817]

all day long when it's hot over any pad bed you can 

[BassB8Caster]

16 hours ago, 68camaro said:

I prefer early morning and towards dusk, I use trailer hook which really helped hook-ups. My favorite method is along edge of pads or scum, or throwing on them and walking them off. Open water between pads or scum is really good but I never had much luck in pure open water.

Blowups 12" in front of me in the pond scum are not uncommon at all:) 

 

Regarding the trailer hooks; are the bass swalling these hooks at all? Or does it push to the side when they grab the frog? Im all for increasing hook ups with frogs!

[flyfisher]

21 hours ago, Torn Thumb said:

Seems all that dudes responses are like that. Tad snooty.

 

The other thing to consider is that i am pretty sure he is form Mexico and maybe English isn't his first language

[BassThumb]

I fish frogs all day long. During low-light periods, the fish typically are a little more willing to get out from underneath the slop and hit baits worked on the edges.

[BassinLou]

On 6/15/2016 at 9:40 AM, Matt Duprau said:

Whats your ideal time to throw a frog, both time of day and conditions?

I throw the frog at any time of the day, all day, and in any condition. Throwing the frog in only specific times of the day is only hurting the angler imho. Even in the hottest and brightest part of the day, the frog will catch you quality fish, if you focus your concentration in cover ideal for ambushing prey, you could fish all day with this bait. 

[J Francho]

Yes.  Throw a frog, whenever cover dictates.  It's not a time of day type of bait.  Frogs seem like they're active all day and night.

[primetime]

I love to throw frogs, So I always try that approach first before grabbing a Jig or any other bait or lure when weeds are around. I am not a huge fan of throwing them in open water even though I know they work, but I have had days where they will hit a frog mid day, mid summer, so I always try it.....I have been using the smaller frogs this year, the 45 T Live Target size, and fish on the edges and in lighter cover seem to slam that thing better at least so far this year....I used to only use bigger frogs, and yes they get bigger bites, but I am starting to think smaller frogs equate to better hook ups, more strikes, and are easier to place and skip in tight areas...River2sea makes a tiny frog that is 3/16 and actually casts really good and Sometimes a popping frog will work better and vise versa...I love to throw topwater, and frogs to me are the best choice most days since I prefer weedy areas almost all the time.....

If you make a good half dozen casts, you should know if the topwater bite is on, For some reason mid day often yields less bites, but bigger ones...I only use a rattle in a frog when fishing on top of mats, I find a rattle is too much many days...Just my take...

[ww2farmer]

On 6/15/2016 at 3:35 PM, Matt Duprau said:

You're quite the piece of work. It was an opinion based question, there's no right or wrong answer. Always curious to hear different inputs from different anglers. Some guys prefer to throw a frog a certain time of day and others all the time, it's whatever works for you and helps you put as much fish in the boat as possible. I'm always on here asking different peoples opinions, but I don't need a smartass response from someone who thinks they're better than everyone else. Im not a new angler, im new to this site.

I'd have given you pretty much the same answer as Raul........

Welcome to the internet.........your often going to get answers to questions, or hear opinions that you might not like when you ask them on a message board. 

Here's how to NOT deal with it:

Pretty much exactly how you responded/reacted................which IMHO was like a 2 year old with a handful of sand up his butt hole.

BTW...............I AM a smartass, and think I am better than everyone else too....So Raul and I got that in common..............us "pieces of work" as you say have to stick together.

[68camaro]

19 hours ago, BassB8Caster said:

Regarding the trailer hooks; are the bass swalling these hooks at all? Or does it push to the side when they grab the frog? Im all for increasing hook ups with frogs!

They do not push to side at all, the hook is pointed up so when frog hits from bottom or rear I get nice hook in center of throat or lip. The trailer hook as increased my hookups a lot. The trailer hook can get snagged occasionally on some scum or if dragging thru plants but since it sits point up in middle behind frog its minimal.

It also helps with short strikes, alot of time fish will short strike the frog, maybe scaring it or chasing it away or just missing it, but the trailer hook will land some of these. I highly recommend.

I posted a couple days ago about a 3.9LB 18" LMB that blew up on my frog, let it go, I let it sit a few seconds and than it hit the frog with an explosive second blow up wherre he inhaled frog. When I landed it the frog was deep in mouth, neither frog hook was snagged but trailer hook was hooked very deep in throat. 

I also use scent on frogs as I do think it helps fish hold onto frog a little longer before trying to eject.