How To Set The Hook On A Weedless Topwater Frog?

[Bluebasser86]

  On 4/11/2018 at 5:03 AM, Bassmasstaa said:

I have missed 2 this year same day guessing over 7 lbs a piece as i had new berkley mono on with a newly tied palomar on a KVD frog. Bith hit very hard and i snapped 14 lb test setting the hook instantly. Sad day it was

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Mono with a frog is just asking for heartbreak. 50lb braid is the lightest I go with a frog, paired with a 7' 3" H/F and 9.3:1 reel. You want to move the fish quickly out of heavy cover and be able to get their head up to keep them from burying you into the grass.

 

 

If I can't see the frog, I'm setting the hook. If a fish strikes and the frog disappears, there's only 1 place it could have gone IMO. Sure I miss some still, but I'd much rather swing too soon than get to feel one spitting my frog out while I tried to feel for it. Most of my frog hooksets are pretty instantaneous with the strike. 

[Hyrule Bass]

i use 15-20lb mono for frogs, ive never had an issue. while braid may be preferred by many, i dont think its a necessity. as i use mono for everything. I'm thinking/guessing the problem bassmasstaa is having could be knot related, or an issue with the line like maybe it was frayed or something, or even too tight of a drag for the line being used...

[Clint1984]

Hi guys. I’be been loving all the bass chat. I’m pretty new to fishing with frogs but been using a hollow body frog recently and loving the blow ups!! Same thing with me though is I can’t set the hook and catch em. Do you think I should be trying to lift the hooks a little with pliers or something or is hooken a fish just something that comes with practice?

[Hammer 4]

  On 2/19/2020 at 7:16 AM, Clint1984 said:

Hi guys. I’be been loving all the bass chat. I’m pretty new to fishing with frogs but been using a hollow body frog recently and loving the blow ups!! Same thing with me though is I can’t set the hook and catch em. Do you think I should be trying to lift the hooks a little with pliers or something or is hooken a fish just something that comes with practice?

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Yup, you wanna bend the hooks upward and outward a touch. Also, make sure the hooks are Super sharp. I take it your using a heavy powered rod, and at least 50 lb braid. Doing these will increase your chances, then there's spending the time on the water.

[Clint1984]

Thanks so much man. 

[Ogandrews]

Good advice but make sure you only bend the hooks up and out a tiny bit, you barely want to be able to notice that you adjusted it. If you bend them even the slightest amount too much your going to really up your chances of that fish coming off. The other thing I try to do is wait a second before you set the hook and try your best to set the opposite direction of where the fish is going. If you pay close attention to the hit a lot of the time you can tell which side the bass is diving down to, so if you set in the other direction a lot of the time you can get a stronger hook set. Proper gear will also make as big of a difference as anything else. I use a dobyns mag heavy 7’3” with 65lbs maxcuatro braid. If you can get it I’d strongly recommend maxcuatro, it is a very thin and somewhat coarse braid that does an amazing job cutting through weeds on the hook set as well as giving you as much casting distance as possible

[OnthePotomac]

Well, frog  anglers, if you add a Lake Fork Frog Tail Hook misses are over.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/LAKE-FORK-TROPHY-FROG-TAIL-HOOK/1754374.uts?slotId=2

[Clint1984]

For sure. I also have added one of those. Thanks for all the advice guys. Let’s hope I get one!!