How do you bend frog hooks properly?

[everymanalion]

4 different kinds of frogs, 3 sets of pliers, I place the plier behind the barb and try to pull, the pliers either slide down the rear circle of the hook or the force of me pulling the hook pulls the other side(second hook) over. and nothing gets moved. any tips? ive watched numerous video and they make it look so easy

[Sphynx]

Your going to have to twist, not pull...it's probably the kind of deal that voids a warranty on the pliers, but that and a bit of strong-man-hands will get it done...alternatively you can look for frogs that come stock with turned up hooks if you feel it's that big a deal.

[everymanalion]

I dont mind being rough with it but i dont want to break the hooks or the frog thats my only concern, screw the pliers. And I got some man hands.

[schplurg]

Never done it but maybe clamp the frog down and hook the box end of a small wrench around the hook and pry them. Hard to explain.

[Sphynx]

2 minutes ago, everymanalion said:

I dont mind being rough with it but i dont want to break the hooks or the frog thats my only concern, screw the pliers. And I got some man hands.

Those frog hooks are some kinda stout man, your not gonna hurt them none, most frogs your not really needing to move them much at all, just a tiny bit of separation from the frog body so they catch mouth instead of soft plastic, what kinda frog you tossing?

[throttleplate]

First off you really need to pull the hook out of the body which takes 1 second. I have bent many, even on the bank by using a small vice grips, the vice grip is a must so you can lock down on the area where the hook is at is roundest. Then take a pliers and grab onto the shanks of the hook and hold tight and twist the vice grib in desired way.

 

[WRB]

Shouldn’t bend heat treated hooks.

If you use a large channel lock pliers simply squeeze the hook bend and open up the bend, don’t try to bend it.

Tom

   

[gulfcaptain]

Never bend frog hooks, never understood why. Had partners do this, didn't help them. Like bending out a jig hook and thinking it's gonna help with the weed guard.  Bent hooks are damaged hooks imo.

[Boomstick]

They are strong but it doesn't take a lot of bend to get them right at least with most frogs. You want to make sure you bend it behind the final 90 degree curve for the hook as well.

[everymanalion]

thanks everyone got two of the 4 frogs bent properly, does trimming the skirt really help?

[Hammer 4]

I use needle nose vice grips, no problem bending the hooks, and no damage to the hooks.

The regular vice grips are to large.

[Deleted account]

You want a fairly substantial needle nose, once you get the hang of it it's not hard. You only want a very slight bend if fishing in heavy cover, otherwise it defeats the purpose of fishing a frog. The needle nose vise grips is a good idea, but a bit of overkill. With large salt water hooks, I put them in a vise and use regular vise grips, if that doesn't work, Gold's Gyms has a $10 a month plan...

[Harold H]

I bent the hooks up and out on two of my Booyah poppin pad crasher's, accidentally damaged 3 out of 4 barbs so be careful. You have to use some force but don't break the hook, just bend up enough  to where when you run your finger over the back of the frog you feel the hook point. I'm getting the frog trailer hooks to go on mine and increase hookup %

[gulfcaptain]

Throttle plate why the confused  look? Would you open a flipping hook, worm hook, trebles  on a crankbait? A chatterbait, spinnerbait,  or buzzbait? No you wouldn't.  So what is with bending frog hooks? You damage the hook,  open the gap, definitely  make the hook weaker just because it's now opened up. You've changed the angle of the curve and damaged the hooks integrity.  I don't know of any other bait people intentionally  open the hooks to "help". I miss fish flipping  but don't open my flipping hooks, if I bend one  out we don't keep using it we throw it away.  A bent hook is a damaged hook.

[Harold H]

On 7/3/2022 at 1:41 PM, everymanalion said:

thanks everyone got two of the 4 frogs bent properly, does trimming the skirt really help?

Trimming the skirt helps with short strikes and makes the frog look more natural.

[Harold H]

1 hour ago, gulfcaptain said:

Throttle plate why the confused  look? Would you open a flipping hook, worm hook, trebles  on a crankbait? A chatterbait, spinnerbait,  or buzzbait? No you wouldn't.  So what is with bending frog hooks? You damage the hook,  open the gap, definitely  make the hook weaker just because it's now opened up. You've changed the angle of the curve and damaged the hooks integrity.  I don't know of any other bait people intentionally  open the hooks to "help". I miss fish flipping  but don't open my flipping hooks, if I bend one  out we don't keep using it we throw it away.  A bent hook is a damaged hook.

Frog hooks are really strong, bending them a little won't cause them to straighten. Seth Feider does it, he probably knows what he's talking about.

[Harold H]

On 7/2/2022 at 10:30 PM, gulfcaptain said:

Never bend frog hooks, never understood why. Had partners do this, didn't help them. Like bending out a jig hook and thinking it's gonna help with the weed guard.  Bent hooks are damaged hooks imo.

Bill Dance recommends bending jig hooks up to where when you close your hand with the jig in it you can feel the hook point

[Glenn]

I don't bend hooks.  Never found a need to. Even if everyone else did it, I still wouldn't.

 

That's just me.

[throttleplate]

4 hours ago, gulfcaptain said:

Throttle plate why the confused  look?

 

I have bent all my frog hooks, some more than others. The first time i ever threw a frog was 2 years ago.

I had 5 blowups in 25 minutes in the lilly pads and 0 fish.

I was so estatic witnessing this but i was gettin punked to where i was settin the hook and the fish was fighting but shook off or didnt actually have a barb in him.

The following week i read up on frogging and learned about bending out the hooks so i did and then went back a week later and caught my first frog fish. I have been a hook bender since then.

 

[gulfcaptain]

To each there own. I still haven't needed to bend frog hooks. Still stand by a bent hook is a damaged hook. I'd rather take my chances on a giant (8+lb fish) without bent hooks then watch her finish the job and come off because she straightened it out buried in the junk as you try and drag her out. But then that's just me. 

[soflabasser]

I have caught lots of big bass on hollow belly frogs and never found the need to bend hooks on them.