Topwater frog not producing

[Gregorym38]

Hey, 

i havd been using frogs recently because there are so many weeds where i fish, and it definitely attracts a bite from thd bass. Only problem is they dont get hooked, i dont know if its because they are too small or if they just dont bite hard enough. Could a trailer hook help possibly? 

[gim]

We need to examine what kind of rod, reel, and line you're using first.  You should be using a long stiff action bait casting setup with heavy braided line.  And even with the ideal setup, you will miss a lot of fish with a topwater frog.  That's just how it goes.  If you're hooking up 50%, that's pretty good.

[Jar11591]

First thing is to make sure it’s actually bass hitting the frog. Little pickerel love to slap at frogs without getting hit. Downsizing to a Jr. sized frog should get more strikes and will make it easier for the bass to eat it, but you will sacrifice some casting distance. 

[Bankc]

When it comes to frog fishing, wait until you feel the weight of the fish on the line before setting the hook.  If you see a strike, reel up some of the slack and lower the rod and wait to feel the weight.  Getting a lot of strikes and not a lot of hookups is kind of par for the course with frog fishing.  Which is why I generally try to avoid it unless I have no other option (there's not a lot of weedless topwater options out there).  

[Deephaven]

99.99999% of new frog anglers set the hook WAY early.  It is SUPER hard to not.  So exciting to watch, but your eyes deceive you, the rod however should not.

[JackstrawIII]

5 hours ago, Deephaven said:

99.99999% of new frog anglers set the hook WAY early.

 

I still wouldn't consider myself an amazing frog fisherman, but I did start seeing much better results when I changed my hook set. These are the keys:

1. Count to 3 seconds after the frog disappears (do nothing during this time)

2. Reel down until you feel the fish.

3. Set the hook. Hard. 

 

I'm not a big "hard hookset" guy, but with frogs you have to. 

[Deephaven]

I lost my first frog bite this year...even though I know what to do, it is HARD.

[Bluebasser86]

I'll argue the complete opposite of what has been suggested. 

 

When a fish hits a frog and it disappears, where did it go? Did the fish grab it with it's hands? No, it pulled it down with it's mouth. Can you tell the difference between a fish that has a frog by the legs or has it fully in it's mouth by waiting or feeling? Again, no, but that fish sure can spit your frog out or bury you way down  in the grass, making it way more difficult to get a good hookset and more difficult to get them back out because now your line is angling around several pieces of grass. 

 

A fish strikes, there's a split second I'm looking for my frog, if I don't see it, I'm swinging. Watch some of the pros that are really good frog fishermen, none of them are counting to 3 before swinging. I feel like this is an outdated train of thought, just like the idea that you have to let fish have a big plastic worm longer to give them time to get it in their mouth. 

 

Of course, none of this matters if you don't have the right gear either. 

[Zcoker]

Dean Rojas was once asked this very question, at what point does he strike when frog fishing. A hot topic, it seems. He said he "hits 'em as soon as he sees 'em" I tend to follow this same logic. As soon as I see the hit, I give it to 'em good! Hardly lose a fish, either. I do bend out the hooks a bit on all my frogs. I use the largest spro frogs, even the King Daddy down here in the Everglades. 

[Gregorym38]

On 10/24/2022 at 1:54 PM, Jar11591 said:

First thing is to make sure it’s actually bass hitting the frog. Little pickerel love to slap at frogs without getting hit. Downsizing to a Jr. sized frog should get more strikes and will make it easier for the bass to eat it, but you will sacrifice some casting distance. 

Its funny you say that, the area i am in has a lot of pickerel supposedly, so it very well might be. I didnt see the fish, just the splash of him attacking it. It has not actually disappeared under the water, just them biting at it and it stays. I know that if i yank it immediately i wont get hooked up, so i usually leave it and twitch it after letting it sit for a few seconds. The rod i use is a 6’6” medium heavy penn fierce combo, it has 10 lb braid. In a pinch sometimes i just tie it onto my 7’ ultralight 4 lb mono rod, and it does work well enough. I dont care what it is that is biting, i just want to catch a fish on the frog, it just attracts so much attention from the fish. 

[Tony Christian]

On 10/24/2022 at 1:54 PM, Jar11591 said:

First thing is to make sure it’s actually bass hitting the frog. Little pickerel love to slap at frogs without getting hit. Downsizing to a Jr. sized frog should get more strikes and will make it easier for the bass to eat it, but you will sacrifice some casting distance. 

Launch frog xs's have some weight to them but offer a downsized presentation.

[WRB]

Heavy weed mats in late October in NJ and you are using frogs? The bass under the dying aquatic cover are not looking for amphibious frogs, it’s the movement they are reacting to. 

Try a weedless Silver Johnson minnow spoon with a white chunk trailer. Sharpen the hook!

Tom

[Gregorym38]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Heavy weed mats in late October in NJ and you are using frogs? The bass under the dying aquatic cover are not looking for amphibious frogs, it’s the movement they are reacting to. 

Try a weedless Silver Johnson minnow spoon with a white chunk trailer. Sharpen the hook!

Tom

You are most definitely right, i think that would work wonders. What sizes do i need to buy? Whenever i get online i always mess up on size bc i cant see it. Will be for ponds and some lakes, mostly bass and pickerel. What do you mean sharpen it? Shouldnt it come sharp? Also, would i need to downsize hook if im targeting smaller fish or should yhat work for most cases

[txchaser]

 

Sometimes it is just little bass just unable to get the frog, especially close to the shoreline in small waters.

 

I don't agree with the video's comment about waiting, but the slow-mo is really good. What works the best for me is to start reeling when the frog dissappears and swing as soon as I feel the fish. 

 

 

 

 

[FishTank]

I always wait until the fish turns the bait over. If I don't wait and pull up immediately, I ended pulling the bait out of its mouth.  If I set the hook with a side swipe immediately, the fishes' head has to be turned the right direction and they have to bite down in order for the bait's hooks to be exposed.  If the fish turns over with frog in its mouth,  the weight of fish, the mouth positioning, and the direction of the bait are all at your advantage.  Down side to this.... hope the fish doesn't spit it out before you wale on them.