Fall Frog'n !

[ChrisD46]

While traditional frog techniques for mats & weeds (although thinning) are still in play for Fall - the real action is about to heat up bombing a shad or all white colored frog out in open water to ride the shad bite ! While shad colored spooks and spinner baits have their place in Fall , I believe less bass are going to see a open water frog which could be an advantage ... What says you regarding your favorite frog'n techniques  and frog colors for Fall ?

[doyle8218]

Living in Miami I don't see seasons like I did in NY. I fish frogs year round. I only use 2 colors white and black.

[IgotWood]

I don't think color is all that important. All the fish sees from below is a black profile of your bait. A black bait contrasts well with a white or gray overcast sky, while a white bait contrasts better with a bright blue sunny sky.I guess if you're fishing super slow, a fish may have more time to track it and be able to see it in color. But for the most part, I think it's just a contrasting shadow against the sky.

[crypt]

Frog color for frog fishing.

[RyneB]

IV been on a wooden mouse bite the past couple outings. seems like the mouse bite picks up when the farmers start harvesting the fields. every fish I caught this morning was on a mouse, out fished a wacky worm and tube.

["hamma"]

Try a 1/2 oz silver Johnsons weedless spoon tipped with a white 3 inch grub, works great on the pads and when in open water it wobbles and flashes like crazy. Ive got some vicious strikes both ways.

[primetime]

To me a Frog is nothing more than a weedless Topwater lure like a spook or Popper. I use them in any area that I can't fish a hardbait clean. Florida is different, we have good Frog bites in the Fall, I stop throwing them probably in November/December depending on weather, but you can use them in areas all year long if water temps on the surface is 60% since we still have mats in winter where it is worth taking a shot.

I like to use black,white, or something with some orange on the belly or chart....I actually really like the LT Mouse when fishing pressured areas or ponds. I don't land as many fish, but I feel I get bigger strikes with the mouse....You have to really bend out the hooks or sometimes you get the mouse back with both hooks firmly set into the plastic....All depends on how the fish compresses it I guess.

[Paul Roberts]

4 minutes ago, primetime said:

To me a Frog is nothing more than a weedless Topwater lure like a spook or Popper.

I agree with this ^^

With weedless frogs you risk poorer hook-ups. But... worth a go. Let us know.

[primetime]

23 minutes ago, Paul Roberts said:

I agree with this ^^

With weedless frogs you risk poorer hook-ups. But... worth a go. Let us know.

Sometimes just seeing the strike is worth it, until you realize the fish is not coming back for seconds or a soft bait....I feel like every fish that I miss on a Frog is 5-10lbs since they sound louder. I missed one the other day and my buddy on the other side of the lake came running laughing thinking I fell in the water (Which is not all that rare for me)

I am not sure I have ever heard a topwater strike that loud, and it took the Mouse underwater, line was moving to the side, I got nervous, but I lowered my Rod reeled in the slack, and set the hook as hard as I could....Nothing but a Mouse came flying back to me with both hooks jammed in the ass end of the mouse. I was so upset and fished the same spot for over an hour with nothing, Of course I now think it was maybe a double digit fish but you never know, it could have been a 4lber who decided to really smash it. I like the 4lb story better. I think I waited too long, but The hooks being stuck in the back sounded better at the time, I think it was maybe both? Still upset. Sounded like a bowling ball fell in the lake.

[Paul Roberts]

Ouch! I know the feeling. Well described. I actually feel your pain!

In my previous post I was thinking about the match fishing show between ...Jacob Wheeler and ... another pro. Wheeler was ahead and the other had missed a big fish on a frog. So he revisited the spot just as the clock was running out. I was surprised to see the spot had no cover! I said out loud, "Don't throw the frog!" He did, and got a big blow up, and... no hookup. Sometimes "confidence" baits are only that. 

[lou304]

I had the same thing happen to me a few years ago, I actually describe it as like someone threw a bowling ball into the water. I still have nightmares about that fish. 

One thing I have noticed with frog bites is, usually the bigger fish just inhale it while the smaller ones clobber it like they are trying to kill it.

[thebillsman]

Love froggin. 

I fish the Pad Crashers in Bullfrog and Dart (black). 

I do three things when fishing frogs. First, a slow paced walk the dog with big side to side movement, but you must be aware of the slack line. Next, a steady retrieve flicking the frog back to the boat, causing a lot of commotion bobbing on top of the water. And last, steady pulls. Pull 8", sit, pull 8" sit, and so on. In an attempt to mimick a swimming frog. 

I have most of my luck early in the AM. Top water is the best and fishing frogs is definitely and acquired skill.

[RHuff]

I finally had my first two frog blowups on Friday evening right before dark. Fished a bullfrog pattern (green on top and chartruese belly) with the skirt legs over large patches of lillies. I was throwing it right onto the bank and very, very slowly working it out to about 10 ft or so past the bank. I was finding me a nice little opening in the lillies and giving it a soft pop just to make it dance in place without really moving. They were murdering it after the second or third pop when it was sitting still. 

[ChrisD46]

In the South East from TN. down to South GA. that Sept. to Nov. period is prime time for Frog'n  ... Heard recently of a group of froggers at Lake Guntersville , AL. who call themselves : "Cheeseheads" and no they are not Packer fans ! They love that Fall time when the mats get "cheesey looking" from the top mat layer starting to decay and foam ... Great stuff !