Favorite Hollow Body Frog Size ?

[ChrisD46]

Whether it be a full size hollow body frog (standard *Pad Crasher , *Spro Bronze Eye 65 ) or the smaller size hollow body frog (*Pad Crasher Jr. , *Spro Bronze Eye 60) - are you more apt to throw the larger hollow body frog or the smaller , junior size hollow body frog ? If you throw the smaller body size hollow body frog - what is your line , rod and reel set up ?

 

*It can be another hollow body frog brand - I simply listed Booyah and Spro for comparison size examples . 

[Pat Brown]

I have a wide range of sizes and profiles and different actions for different conditions - much like any other presentation I have gotten serious about and understand the nuance of better.

 

I'd throw a more compact bait to gain confidence for most presentations!  They tend to get more bites.

[ChrisD46]

2 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I have a wide range of sizes and profiles and different actions for different conditions - much like any other presentation I have gotten serious about and understand the nuance of better.

 

I'd throw a more compact bait to gain confidence for most presentations!  They tend to get more bites.

I only became interested in deviating away from the larger , standard size frog after watching Bass Pro Kyle Welcher do a video throwing a smaller , downsized hollow body frog for specific techniques , situations , etc. where he believed the smaller frog would look more natural , match the hatch better and ultimately generate more bites than the larger , standard size hollow body frog . *In my limited research I've learned you need to be real careful with downsized , smaller hollow body frogs as the hooks used and the design of the smaller frog size need to be carefully considered ! ... Otherwise , hook up percentage can drop significantly . 

[Pat Brown]

I have found the opposite to be true.  Smaller bait, lighter hooks, fish engulf the bait and get it much better.

 

Regardless of frog, I always bend my hooks up and out.

 

I tend to throw small stuff when they seem conditioned to bigger stuff or vice versa. 

 

Maybe on a windy cloudy day I'll throw the bigger one so they can hone in on it better with the turbulent interference.  On a slick calm blue bird sky day, I'd definitely opt for a small frog.

 

'matching the forage' seems to be of little importance - maybe being in the ballpark with the profile but really bass just eat what's around that looks like food - especially when eating off the surface!

 

Bass that haven't seen much of either seem completely willing to bite both with wreckless abandon and I think it matters a lot less.

 

A smaller frog is definitely going to catch you more of the 1 to 2 pounders that grab it and even the occasional big sunfish etc but it will also catch giant bass that have seen far too many Walmart special standard size frogs from everyone's favorite manufacturers.

[casts_by_fly]

I start with the standard frog (pad crasher).  For the most part, if I'm throwing a frog its around heavier grass than lighter grass so the bigger frog stands out a little more on the mats.  If the fish are swatting and missing or if its pressured fish then I'll go to the smaller jr pad crasher.  I never go bigger.  Maybe I should, but if I want to throw a 4" bait on top of grass I have other options.

 

Rod wise, my 6'11" Falcon Eye crosser is my frog rod.  50 lb braid, 1/2-1 1/2 rating.  heavy/fast.  If I am going to the JR, that rod will throw it but it starts to struggle so I'll drop down to my 6'10" Head Turner which has more or less the same action but is a full power lighter.  Its got 16 lb mono so I don't bang out the long casts in that case.  Though, if I'm dropping to the JR size then I'm probably not fishing 50 yard deep mats.

[Team9nine]

Oddly, I tend to correlate the size of my frogs with the size of the waterbody. No good explanation why - just a general rule of thumb I follow. So the Pad Crasher Jr. was my favorite when fishing the smaller HOA ponds I frequented, but I use more traditional or larger sizes when I get on larger reservoirs (hundreds or thousands of acres). 
 

I downsize equipment slightly, too. I run 40# braid to a M/MH F/XF shorter rod 6’10”-7’0” for the Jr sized baits, and run 50#-65# braid and 7’0”- 7’4” length MH/H rods for the std./larger sized baits.

[PondProwler9000]

Being that I bank fish most of the time, I prefer the smaller frogs. A MH/F rod handles them just fine and can be used for other approaches, keeping my rig count down. Albeit, the weeds in most spots that I fish are not that thick.

[Bandersnatch]

I recently caught this frog on a hollow body frog in Michigan. This toad is probably 8x the size of my Bobby’s perfect frog 

[PondProwler9000]

Them legs look delicious...

[Deephaven]

Standard 90% of the time.  Mini on less dense slop and occasionally a frogzilla.  Caught my 2nd biggest bass on one.  Little bass won't hit them.

[Catt]

@Bandersnatch my grandson caught this while bass fishing.

 

[CDMTJager]

On 6/7/2024 at 4:51 PM, Bandersnatch said:

I recently caught this frog on a hollow body frog in Michigan. This toad is probably 8x the size of my Bobby’s perfect frog 

Interesting story.

My mom back in 1991 was at a garage sale when I was just getting HEAVY into bow hunting deer. She's at a garage sale and sees this right handed Bear Kodiak recurve bow set up for bowfishing for like $25 and buys it for me. Luckily bow fits me pretty good. It was actually bullfrog season in my home state and one of my favorite small fishing lakes was LOUSY with BIG bullfrogs. I'm talking loaded like drunks in NYC on St. Pats day.

So next day I drive to this lake and start cleaning house on the Bullfrogs. Limit is eight and takes me about 12 tries to get eight as I have to figure out how to aim instinctively as this bow unlike my compound has no sight. Go back every day for the next three days. Getting so good now I am actually making consistent headshots. 

Everybody in my home is loving the deep fried frog legs I am cooking up.

 

Fourth trip I am there maybe 10 minutes and have 4 frogs in four shots and now are picking only the biggest bullfrogs I can find passing on the smaller ones. I see a DNR guy walking towards me I figure he wants to check my license which I have. He introduces himself and watches me get my last four frogs in four rapid shots without moving all are head shots. Guy compliments me on my shooting ability and asks what do I know about bullfrog bowfishing rules. I think to myself "Oh crap now what" I tell him season dates and my limit is eight and a bow is a legal means to take a bullfrog. He replies yes you are correct but asked did I realize this was a FOREST PRESERVE lake and I again said yes but I added I'm not sure where this is going. He then informs me I can not bowfish for anything in a forest preserve lake. So I lower my bow and say I had no idea whatsoever this was a fact. Thankfully he chuckles and says I can tell by the look on your face you really didn't know you were breaking the law and says enjoy your frogs and next time use a 16' cane pole. I asked how do I do that?

He tells me get a 16' cane pole put about 24" ice fishing tip up braid on it and attach a ice fishing curly tail grub lure to it feed the poll through the reeds twist the rod uncoiling and lowering the bait in the face of a bullfrog giggle it around some and when it eats it set the hook and you have legally caught a bullfrog on forest preserve property.

 

Thanked him for his cutting me a big break and I quickly left.

 

[CDMTJager]

Lakes nearest my home are a dream come true for shore bound frog fisherman. A normal outing of frog fishing on my favorite lake under good frog fishing conditions I was getting at least 10 blow-ups but missing 55-60% of them. So I watched a few YT for fishing vids and one suggested I try a smaller frog made of softer plastic.

 

Did some online looking and the smallest frog I could find was a Scum Frog Trophy series popper frog FS at TWH. I ordered 4. When they arrived in the mail I immediately noticed they were indeed smaller than my other frogs but what really struck me as different was how much softer and easier the body would collapse.

 

First night I used the new Scum Frog TSP luer my hook up rate went from less than 50% to 70% hooking and landing 7 of 10 bass that hit my frog.

That last year in June. Now That I have my discipline to the point I can wait and reel to the bass at the hit and feel the bass on the frog and then set the hook when I do that my hookup rait is over 80%. 

Link to the frog I now use:

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Scum_Frog_Trophy_Series_Popper_Frog/descpage-TYP.html

[Zcoker]

Just for kicks, I got one of those giant Spro King Daddy frogs and started tossing it. Didn't expect much but it actually worked and work rather well! My fish upped in size substantially. Kinda makes sense because where I fish is loaded with big bullfrogs. 

[Pat Brown]

I'm gonna try the Phat Frog from Snag Proof and I got their bigger hollow spook.  The big hollow spook puppy thing got smoked by the dock the other morning, but she missed it. It was not a small fish.  Those King Daddy frogs look killer @Zcoker.  Spro makes a shad shaped 65 frog that I'm eager to try also.

[Zcoker]

8 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I'm gonna try the Phat Frog from Snag Proof and I got their bigger hollow spook.  The big hollow spook puppy thing got smoked by the dock the other morning, but she missed it. It was not a small fish.  Those King Daddy frogs look killer @Zcoker.  Spro makes a shad shaped 65 frog that I'm eager to try also.

 

Yea man, when that King Daddy gets hit, it's like a bomb going off! Out in the glades on a calm, quiet night it's almost expected that a giant bass will come out of nowhere to annihilate it. What I like about the King Daddy is its massive hooks. Rarely if ever do I miss a good hit. 

[ChrisD46]

OP here : I should have worded : “Who uses a smaller / junior size hollow body frog and which are your favorite brands and conditions you use them in” ?