Help a fella out

[Drew03cmc]

Hey, I'm fishing a small pond close to home a few times a week and it's quite matted. I'm determined to learn to frog and I assume I'm geared well enough for it, 6-6MH Vengeance, Kastking Stealth and 30# braid. I had one hit last night, but, like a dope, I pulled the bait away. What can I do to increase success? I'm casting to mats, skittering it across and leaving it in the pockets, and so forth...it's a bit frustrating.

[NYWayfarer]

I have the same combo, the Stealth Vengeance, and love it. You are equipped fine.

 

To increase success be mindful of time of day fishing. Frog bite in my area is best just before it gets dark. Color is also a factor, I try and match my frogs to the colors of the actual frogs in the area. Sounds like your retrievals are spot on with what I do.

[moguy1973]

I fish a couple local park ponds that have that thick slimy matted algae on them and I do a lot better with texas rigged soft plastic Zoom Horny Toads than with hollow belly frogs.  Pulling the horny toads across the mats seems come through them better than the hollow bellys and the hookup ratio is better usually.  I've never had good hookup ratio with the hollow belly frogs.

[Junger]

When you see the frog get hit, don’t set the hook yet. Instead drop your rod tip down toward the water while reeling in the slack then set it hard. 

 

Also try working the frog fast or slow and figure out how they want it.

[Drew03cmc]

I may try the Noisy Flappers or Damiki Air Frogs I have. I don't know...I know I have to give them a beat to suck it in and turn their head. I got my first frog bite and overreacted. I think a toad would be more conducive to my style of fishing.

[keagbassr]

1 hour ago, moguy1973 said:

I fish a couple local park ponds that have that thick slimy matted algae on them and I do a lot better with texas rigged soft plastic Zoom Horny Toads than with hollow belly frogs.  Pulling the horny toads across the mats seems come through them better than the hollow bellys and the hookup ratio is better usually.  I've never had good hookup ratio with the hollow belly frogs.

I agree with this 100%. When I see these mats out comes the toad rod. Only thing different is I like a big bite baits top toad.

[soflabasser]

7 hours ago, Drew03cmc said:

 

Some of the waters I fish are similar to the waters in the above picture. I tend to do well with hollow belly frogs, zoom horny toads,  weightless texas rigged soft plastics, and poppers thrown in the pockets of open water.

[NHBull]

I found frog fishing difficult until an old friend gave me a piece of advice.

”when you want to set, don’t “, when you do set it like you would a shark.  I don’t use the technique much, but my percentage went up

[Sam]

Change from braid to 17 pound fluorocarbon.

 

Bend hooks out about an eighth to quarter inch with two pliers: one to hold the hook and the second to move it away from the frog's body. Do this on both sides of the frog.

 

Smear some MegaStrike on the frog.

 

Cut one leg about an inch to an inch and a quarter shorter than the other to make the frog walk.

 

Consider adding a trailer hook to one of the hooks.

 

Make sure the baitcaster reel's drag is tight.

 

When you see and hear the strike, do all you can NOT to set the hook. Count to three or four or wait until you feel the weight of the fish on your line. Then set that hook by ramming the rod straight up and over your head as hard as you can.

No slack in the line so you reel in as fast as you can with the rod tip up around 11 o'clock to Noon to take in the slack after you set the hook.

 

Then play the fish with the rod tip up and the line always tight.

 

Let us know how you do.

 

P.S.  You can go to Jo-Ann Fabrics or Hobby Lobby and the like and purchase a package of fake eyes. The ones that are white with the black dot in them that moves around inside the plastic.  Glue the eyes on each side of the frog's head and see if that increases your strikes.

 

It will either increase your strikes or scare the heck out of the bass!

[moguy1973]

47 minutes ago, Sam said:

Change from braid to 17 pound fluorocarbon.

 

 

I'm not sure about using fluorocarbon for topwater since it sinks.  I think it would make it hard to set the hook if the line is underwater.  All the big frog guys use big lb braid for frogging.

[Drew03cmc]

I'm using braid for a few reasons. I hate fluoro for anything other than a leader for clear water. It handles awfully for me. Braid cuts through weeds and has zero stretch. A palomar and I'm done. With fluoro, I'm spitting on the line to keep it from burning up. 

[Sam]

6 minutes ago, moguy1973 said:

I'm not sure about using fluorocarbon for topwater since it sinks.  I think it would make it hard to set the hook if the line is underwater.  All the big frog guys use big lb braid for frogging.

And so do I but fluorocarbon line can be used successfully fishing frogs.

 

Mono floats but it has stretch to it.

 

No problem setting the hook with fluorocarbon, so far.  Give me time!!!!!

[Bruce424]

Stick with braid. Not setting the hook will take practice. 

Learn to walk the frog. Little drum taps

[Drew03cmc]

I'm working on walking with my casting setups. So far, I can only walk baits with my spin tackle, but it's getting better.

[Bluebasser86]

I like popping frogs in stuff like that. You can pop them in those little openings between the slop and let them just sit there, but they'll still come across the thick stuff just fine. The popping pad crasher is my preferred frog. 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Sounds like your doing everything right, just be patient and stick with it.

 

I would swap to a popping frog as well. I've had really good success with them

[Lead Head]

Another vote for a popping frog here. I also find them easier to walk than standard pointed frogs. They are the best of both worlds for me.

[Drew03cmc]

Caught one on a Noisy Flapper last night along the edges. New frog rod is amazing!!!

[Drew03cmc]

An update on this, I caught my first hollow body frog fish today, a magnificent beast of about 11 inches and 12 ounces. I must have brought in 2lbs of vegetation with him though...I missed 4 other bites on the frog. 

[Log Catcher]

1 hour ago, Drew03cmc said:

An update on this, I caught my first hollow body frog fish today, a magnificent beast of about 11 inches and 12 ounces. I must have brought in 2lbs of vegetation with him though...I missed 4 other bites on the frog. 

That is one more fish than I have caught on any kind of frog or toad.

[NorthernBasser]

1 hour ago, Drew03cmc said:

An update on this, I caught my first hollow body frog fish today, a magnificent beast of about 11 inches and 12 ounces. I must have brought in 2lbs of vegetation with him though...I missed 4 other bites on the frog. 

Nice job! Frog fishing the slop is probably my favorite thing to do. I like the poppin' ones, but if the slop is quite thick, I notice the regular frogs slide over the vegetation easier. I do add a few bb's in the bottom hole to add a little weight and rattle.

 

This is one of many I caught yesterday on the frog.

 

[Drew03cmc]

Toads are probably my favorite baits. I love tossing a toad and buzzing it across the light weeds and mats. 

[Jaderose]

6 hours ago, Drew03cmc said:

An update on this, I caught my first hollow body frog fish today, a magnificent beast of about 11 inches and 12 ounces. I must have brought in 2lbs of vegetation with him though...I missed 4 other bites on the frog. 

This is why you stick with braid.  Wait until you're dragging in a 9lber.  I will also concur with what others above have said.  For those conditions, use a poppin frog.  I cut the logs completely off of them but that is just me and is due to a happy accident I had a month of so ago where I tied on a poppin frog so old the legs disintegrated.  Froggin is the crack cocaine of fishing.  When you finally dial it in, it's the best there is.  I'm crazy about froggin.

[Drew03cmc]

23 minutes ago, Jaderose said:

This is why you stick with braid.  Wait until you're dragging in a 9lber.  I will also concur with what others above have said.  For those conditions, use a poppin frog.  I cut the logs completely off of them but that is just me and is due to a happy accident I had a month of so ago where I tied on a poppin frog so old the legs disintegrated.  Froggin is the crack cocaine of fishing.  When you finally dial it in, it's the best there is.  I'm crazy about froggin.

If I drag in a 9lb bass, I'd be the happiest sonofagun alive.

[Smalls]

It took me a while to not have my frog flying back at my head every time a bass struck it. It’s a natural reaction. 

 

When you see the blow up, start reeling, but wait until you feel the fish until you set the hook. And set it hard. Especially with that rod. You’re a little under gunned. Even without thinking about heavy cover, those are some pretty serious hooks you’re trying to stick through it’s mouth.