Fishing a ribit frog

[7magJake]

how do you guys present a ribit frog. I mean how do you fish it and rig it. I have some Mr.Blitz Toad Toters hooks, and havent had any luck fishing them at all. Even when cleaning a bas a frog come out they still would not hit the frog.

[Jeff C.]

I fish it just like you would a top water jitter bug..

in open water just at weed lines and try it close to shore also..

as soon as it hits the water bring it back.. keep it on top,,

I love um.. but mostly I only have luck in very early morning..as soon as it is lite enough just to see.

[Shadcranker]

Fish it around cover.

Most success for me comes over shallow grass (not matted). For matted grass I use a hollow body frog like the Spro.

Just reel it like a buzzbait, as slow as you can to keep the legs buzzing.

Use the bead or a carolina rig bead to keep the grass from building up on the nose.

Works best in warm water temps (60 degrees and up).

Also, use braid. It helps you stick the fish, but like with all frog fishing, you will miss a few. just wait til she takes the bait out of site before you set the hook (count to three).

I've fished all the horney toad style baits, and the Ribbit is my favorite.

If you're around big fish, try the big one (bull Ribbit). I use a Mustad Impact Keeper Offset WG Hooks. Favorite colors are white and catapilla.

Good luck

[Gone_Phishin]

Great info Shadcranker.  Very thorough.

[Catt]

I did a little experimenting during '07 using Stanley Ribbit Frogs as jig trailers and Bull Ribbits Texas Rigged with excellent results.

[Marty]

I use Ribbits as a topwater, like a buzzbait, under typical conditions for topwater. Most of the time it's used in or close to vegetation. I rig it with a 4/0 Mustad Ultra Point hook.

[LCpointerKILLA]

A pretty long time ago I fished the stanley ribbit frog watermelon (red flake?) in a night tournament, and it outfished my buddies black buzzbait 4 decent bass to 1 decent bass. I do remember that most of the lures were deformed and only 2 of them were worth fishing, and that always ticks me off...

[BassFishingMachine]

Ive fished the Zoom Horny Toad the Gambler Cane Toad the Yum Buzzfrog and the Uncle Josh Sizmic Toad, and the Stanley Ribbit has the best action IMO, and catches the most fish for me. I rig it with a 4/0 EWG Gamakatsu Hook. And I'll fish it around small patches of weeds/stick piles/lillypads or any cover for that matter. The only time I don't use it is over thick weed mats as the thick weed mats screw up the action and sometimes get stuck on the frog. If theres thick weed mats I'll use hollow body frogs.

For colors you can't go wrong with Watermelon or Watermelonred, or greenpumpkin, but if you have a real dark overcast day or if its starting to get dark I'll often use a solid black. I use the standard size ribbit, I have a pack of the bigger ones but haven't given them a shot yet. When the fish hits though just like you wait a few secs with the hollow frog, wait a few secs with the strike on the ribbit. I'll reel up the slack wait a good 2 seconds and set the hook. Like many others said, braid is a good choice in line for fishing any frogs may it be hollow or soft plastic. The braid cuts through the weeds better and gives you a better solid hook set.

I fish this frog with a steady very slow retreive, just fast enough to keep it on the top and keep its legs moving but I'll go as slow as I can possibly get away with going. I'll usually take a few casts with a faster retreive because sometimes the fish like to chase the bait, but 80% of the time im fishing it pretty slow.

Also it is a good idea to bring a second pole rigged with a creature bait (thats what I usually use, GYCB Kreature, Zoom Brush Hog, YUM Wooly Hawgtail), or a t-rigged worm. And when you miss a strike immediately cast to the same spot with the creature bait or t-rigged worm. Ive also heard if you let the frog sink after a missed strike the bass will eat it thinking they injured it, but I haven't tryed this technique yet so can't tell you much about it.

[skillet]

 I always thought that toads would be a great bait. It took quite a while to decide which one. After reading all the posts here and a lot of time at Bass Pro trying to make up my mind, late last summer I bought a pack of Ribbits and Gammi EWG 5/0 hooks. Didn't get much of a chance to use them before water temps. started dropping. Sure plan on trying them this season...

                                       As Ever,

                                        skillet