Contributed by Cody Carpenter, Wilderness Systems Pro Staff
Hollow body frogs are one of my favorite techniques for summertime bass fishing. I have put more time into learning the ins and outs of bass fishing frogs and I get asked a lot what the secret is. I have tried several different styles and brands of frogs and like with any lures, I have my favorite and most trusted. My go to frog is the Pad Crasher and the Pad Crasher Jr. from Booyah Bait Co. I prefer the Pad Crasher over other frogs because it is the most resistant bait to fill with water, especially after several catches.
When I’m asked how to catch fish using hollow body frogs, I always give the same advice and I’ll share that here now.
• First, I always trim the legs about a half inch to an inch. This allows the legs to flare out more and allows to the bait to look more natural.
• I always lift the hooks off the body of the frog just slightly. This is allows for more hook sets. It does leave you open more snags but thats a minor inconvenience considering.
• I will only throw my frogs on braided line. Braid floats or sinks slowly so this help keep the frog on top of the water instead of pulling it down. It also allows you to throw your lure in the deepest and thickest of vegetation and not get your line snapped trying to pull out a fish.
• Color? I honestly have not seen any evidence that color in the frog makes a difference.
• I get asked a lot about my retrieve. There is not a consistent retrieve that works every time. I play with this and keep trying different cadences’ until I find one that works. I usually start off with small, fast twitches first. If that doesn’t produce then I’ll switch to bigger pops that make more splash and noise. After that it’s usually a combination of different retrieves until I find one that works for that day.
• Don’t random cast. Look for targets like lilly pads, down trees and logs, over hanging branches, and grass. Look for areas with shade from the sun. Cast deep into vegetation and work your retrieve through the grass, making short pauses in clear areas so the bass can lock onto it.
• Do not be afraid to fish a frog in open water. When I’m on the water in the evening I really like to fish the frog in open water. I find that I have a lot of success doing this.
Frog fishing can be quite addictive and loads of fun. There are so many options out there for frogs to fish and I know that you will find one that works best for you. Join the frog revolution today!
3 thoughts on “Feeling Froggy: Tips for Fishing Frogs”
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Color wise, fish are looking up at the frog and I was advised go with a black or white. Black for sunny days and white for cloudy days. It is the shape and movement that cause the strike. The top colors are to get use hooked on buying that particular frog.
I am with you, I have had so much action this year on a Spro Frog in Nasty Shad. I have almost stopped fishing anything else, most of the big ones have come out of grass or next to logs with small popping action.
I agree with trimming the skirt and also raising the hooks. i have on occasion added a spinnerbait trailer hook too. SPRO frogs are my go to bait. hold up well and when you twitch it the legs really give it action.