What length to cut the legs on a frog?

[michael1]

I am new to frog fishing and I've bought 5-6 Booyah Pad Crashers to give a try. I have read how difficult it can be for newbies to learn to properly "walk" a frog and that shortening the legs can make it easier. As you may know the Pad Crashers are pretty long, how short should I cut them? I have heard that it might be a good idea to pull the legs back towards the body and cut them at the end of the body, like the photo attached. What say you?

[NJBasstard]

I always trim the legs back. Length of the body is about as long as I keep them but sometimes go a little shorter. Helps with walking and seam to get less short strikes that way. 

 

Also always bend the hooks out about 1-2mm from the body so the frog doesn't have to compress so much when setting the hook.

[Hammer 4]

7 minutes ago, NJBasstard said:

I always trim the legs back. Length of the body is about as long as I keep them but sometimes go a little shorter. Helps with walking and seam to get less short strikes that way. 

 

Also always bend the hooks out about 1-2mm from the body so the frog doesn't have to compress so much when setting the hook.

I do the same on my frogs. When I cut the legs, I cut them at an angle, so they flair out just a wee bit, whether that makes a difference or not, I don't know. A pro cut em like this a long time ago, so I kept on cutting them that way.

[Mike L]

It will be easier to walk If you make one leg shorter than the other. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[r3825]

1 hour ago, Mike L said:

It will be easier to walk If you make one leg shorter than the other. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

Agreed

[Ogandrews]

I don’t have a set length. I usually trim a bit off to start, a little longer than the body. If I start getting short strikes I will start trimming them back more. I have actually gone as far as complete getting rid of the legs and have had some of my best days ever frogging with legless frogs. Getting rid of the legs will give it a little more of a rolling action when you walk them and give the fish something different to bite. I have also had a huge amount of success with the booyah buzz frog, their knockoff if the fish teckel sprinker, after the paddle tail got bit off. I have never seen a frog walk as well as that bait once the paddle is gone and it has super short legs. I don’t think it is as good as the teckel for its intended purpose, but my god is that a great frog once the tail is gone.

[OnthePotomac]

No tail comment, but I do not bend the hooks up anymore and just put one of these on and you will never miss.  They usually come in with it right in the roof of their mouth.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/LAKE-FORK-TROPHY-FROG-TAIL-HOOK/1754374.uts?slotId=4

[michael1]

5 hours ago, OnthePotomac said:

No tail comment, but I do not bend the hooks up anymore and just put one of these on and you will never miss.  They usually come in with it right in the roof of their mouth.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/LAKE-FORK-TROPHY-FROG-TAIL-HOOK/1754374.uts?slotId=4

Does this affect the "weedless" aspect of this design much? If so that would be a major downside?

[ChrisD46]

On 4/22/2020 at 4:53 PM, michael1 said:

I am new to frog fishing and I've bought 5-6 Booyah Pad Crashers to give a try. I have read how difficult it can be for newbies to learn to properly "walk" a frog and that shortening the legs can make it easier. As you may know the Pad Crashers are pretty long, how short should I cut them? I have heard that it might be a good idea to pull the legs back towards the body and cut them at the end of the body, like the photo attached. What say you?

+1 ... Good advice that works well !

[Lead Head]

I guess I'm the oddball here. I trim about 1/2 in. off one leg and that's it. I don't bend the hooks out either. I throw frogs into places that make me really want them to be as weedless as possible and haven't had any hook up problems with the hooks out of the package. 

 

I'll also give you a bit of frog walking advice. For me, walking a frog is all about having the perfect amount of slack in my line when I "twitch" it. When you get it right you can almost get a poppin pad crasher to walk in place.

[Bluebasser86]

I cut mine down to about 1" long. Shorter legs give less for the fish to miss the frog trying to grab at.

[Guitarfish]

I must be hungry. Thought someone was asking a recipe question.