Top water swipes

[Jonas Staggs]

So what's the deal with the bass swiping topwater? I have yet to catch a fish on topwater. The best I can get so far are swipes. I have gotten a handful of swipes on frogs and the torpedo 

[Sphynx]

Would need more information on what's going on to give you any useful advice, but one thing a lot of people just getting into frogs don't do is trim the leg bits up, it sounds dumb, but it really does help. 

[Jonas Staggs]

2 minutes ago, Sphynx said:

Would need more information on what's going on to give you any useful advice, but one thing a lot of people just getting into frogs don't do is trim the leg bits up, it sounds dumb, but it really does help. 

Yeah I have trimmed them for walk the dog action. I'm actually fishing lunker hunt pocket frog so it has legs instead. 

 

I also have gotten swipes on the bigger standard hollow body frogs and the torpedo bu heddon.

 

Also some swipes doing the "toad dangling"

 

Basically only once has the frog ever disappeared and gone underwater from a bite. I was so amazed he spit before I could set the hook. But I also had slack line and my rod at like 12 o clock

[Sphynx]

2 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Yeah I have trimmed them for walk the dog action. I'm actually fishing lunker hunt pocket frog so it has legs instead. 

 

I also have gotten swipes on the bigger standard hollow body frogs and the torpedo bu heddon.

 

Also some swipes doing the "toad dangling"

 

Basically only once has the frog ever disappeared and gone underwater from a bite. I was so amazed he spit before I could set the hook. But I also had slack line and my rod at like 12 o clock

One of the biggest things you'll hear people complain about with frogs is the hookup ratio, it's a tradeoff game, the tighter the hooks hold to the hollow body, and the harder that body is to compress, the more weedless the frog, in return for that added weedless capability your going to give up some hookups, the reverse is also true, not exactly rocket science but worth mentioning.

 

The next question I'd ask, is how fast are you moving the frog, if I had a nickel for every time I twitched a bait just before a strike and pooched it I'd have probably won a few tournaments by now, don't be afraid to kill it near places likely to hold fish, ducks structure all the usual suspects. Try different retrieve speeds, walk it a couple feet, kill it, walk it a few more, kill it, sometimes they want a constant walk, but if they are missing, don't be afraid to experiment with it, the worst that could happen is you learn something and miss fish you were missing anyway, but there's a good chance you change it enough you'll stick them. I  am no expert frog fisherman, but I enjoy it as much or more than any other lure at my disposal, it's a lotta fun

[Hammer 4]

If you haven't already, bend the hooks to the side just a wee bit, also, make sure they are sharp. That won't garontee a bite, but it helps. One thing I would do is have a t rigged senko, or a craw type bait and cast where the bass blew up on your frog. This follow up can get you some good bites.

 

As a side note, make sure when retrieving the frog, to give a long pause, if a bass inhales it, reel down and swing. 

[Jonas Staggs]

11 minutes ago, Sphynx said:

One of the biggest things you'll hear people complain about with frogs is the hookup ratio, it's a tradeoff game, the tighter the hooks hold to the hollow body, and the harder that body is to compress, the more weedless the frog, in return for that added weedless capability your going to give up some hookups, the reverse is also true, not exactly rocket science but worth mentioning.

 

The next question I'd ask, is how fast are you moving the frog, if I had a nickel for every time I twitched a bait just before a strike and pooched it I'd have probably won a few tournaments by now, don't be afraid to kill it near places likely to hold fish, ducks structure all the usual suspects. Try different retrieve speeds, walk it a couple feet, kill it, walk it a few more, kill it, sometimes they want a constant walk, but if they are missing, don't be afraid to experiment with it, the worst that could happen is you learn something and miss fish you were missing anyway, but there's a good chance you change it enough you'll stick them. I  am no expert frog fisherman, but I enjoy it as much or more than any other lure at my disposal, it's a lotta fun

Thanks for your advice. Yes topwater is fun. A lake near me has a good topwater bite. I can see fish blowing up all day including sunfish.

5 minutes ago, Hammer 4 said:

If you haven't already, bend the hooks to the side just a wee bit, also, make sure they are sharp. That won't garontee a bite, but it helps. One thing I would do is have a t rigged senko, or a craw type bait and cast where the bass blew up on your frog. This follow up can get you some good bites.

 

As a side note, make sure when retrieving the frog, to give a long pause, if a bass inhales it, reel down and swing. 

Thanks for the advice man. I'll have to try that. I killed it in the creek today with tiny craws, first craw catches. I haven't bent the hooks out but will do that too.

[Bass Ninja]

I know there are always exceptions, but I've found that when a bass only swipes at the frog, its a baby, or its a bluegill. They're too small to actually swallow the frog, but they want to kill it. So instead of wasting my time, I just move on to find bigger fish. I've almost never had a fish over 2lbs just half swipe at it. Sure they miss sometimes, but its usually because of the super thick cover, and by the size of the splash or actually seeing them come out of the water, I know its a decent sized one, and I get them on the next couple casts. I watched a 5lber in the spring in water so shallow its fin was sticking out half the time try to track my frog as it went by. I learned that sometimes they can lose track of it, and it takes a few casts for them to accurately track and ambush it. I don't know if this is just me, but it seems like the bass I've caught on the frog over 4lbs just came up and quietly slurped up the frog effortlessly. Its the ones under 4lbs that come out of the water trying to kill it, and the babies can only take a swipe at it. Also, I don't trim the legs or bend the hooks. 50lb braid on a heavy rod, and wait to set the hook till you feel the weight of them. If the bass comes out of the water to kill it, lots of times they slap it beneath the surface and then take it in their mouth. So it takes a second or you'll yank it away from them. The bigger ones who just slurp it in, you'll miss the little blowup if you're not paying attention, but you'll feel the weight immediately. 

[813basstard]

Always baffled me how they can miss a top water bait with 3 treble hooks but if I get that bait within a 10 mile radius of my backseat, I’ll catch everything in the backseat of my truck including:

babies

baby seats

various hats, clothing items

tackle bag

shoes

seatbelts

take out containers 

mail I don’t read

papers from work I don’t read

calendars from 2009

myself

[Jonas Staggs]

5 hours ago, Bass Ninja said:

I know there are always exceptions, but I've found that when a bass only swipes at the frog, its a baby, or its a bluegill. They're too small to actually swallow the frog, but they want to kill it. So instead of wasting my time, I just move on to find bigger fish. I've almost never had a fish over 2lbs just half swipe at it. Sure they miss sometimes, but its usually because of the super thick cover, and by the size of the splash or actually seeing them come out of the water, I know its a decent sized one, and I get them on the next couple casts. I watched a 5lber in the spring in water so shallow its fin was sticking out half the time try to track my frog as it went by. I learned that sometimes they can lose track of it, and it takes a few casts for them to accurately track and ambush it. I don't know if this is just me, but it seems like the bass I've caught on the frog over 4lbs just came up and quietly slurped up the frog effortlessly. Its the ones under 4lbs that come out of the water trying to kill it, and the babies can only take a swipe at it. Also, I don't trim the legs or bend the hooks. 50lb braid on a heavy rod, and wait to set the hook till you feel the weight of them. If the bass comes out of the water to kill it, lots of times they slap it beneath the surface and then take it in their mouth. So it takes a second or you'll yank it away from them. The bigger ones who just slurp it in, you'll miss the little blowup if you're not paying attention, but you'll feel the weight immediately. 

 

I think your probably right, but Im fishing a tiny frog as well, so I would think even a 1lb bass should be able to swallow the thing no problem. I have had bluegill hit it and even drag it a bit. 

[tcbass]

Sometimes they are hitting it to "stun" it and then eat it after. Pike do this a lot too.

 

Usually I just keep slowly reeling it in after the swipe and they'll bite again. 

 

 

You can also throw a follow up lure like a wacky rigged Senko.

[gim]

13 minutes ago, tcbass said:

You can also throw a follow up lure like a wacky rigged Senko.

I have found this to be very effective.  Often times the same fish may not go after the exact same lure, but it will go after another lure presented more slowly.  I do the same strategy muskie fishing; a faster approach first, if they miss, a slower presentation as a follow up.

 

It can be hard not to cast right back there with the same lure, but I can assure you that casting back there with something else yields better results.

[soflabasser]

Have you tried fishing with poppers besides hollow belly frogs? A good choice is a Rebel Pop-R.

[diehardbassfishing]

[Koz]

There's also a good chance those are not even bass swiping at your topwater baits. Panfish are territorial little fin nippers that will try and run off potential threats. I've caught panfish on big swimbaits and poppers this way.

 

One way to find out is to fish a treble hook topwater like a popper.

[Jonas Staggs]

23 hours ago, soflabasser said:

Have you tried fishing with poppers besides hollow belly frogs? A good choice is a Rebel Pop-R.

I have never gotten any hits on my popper. I also have the small hula popper, never any bites but I don't fish it much

[soflabasser]

3 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

I have never gotten any hits on my popper. I also have the small hula popper, never any bites but I don't fish it much

I prefer a Rebel Pop-R or similar popper over a Hula popper. Using light line may help in pressured bodies of water.