If you have ever frog fished for bass before you know how exciting it can be. If you haven't, you are definitely missing out.
Topwater frog fishing is hands down one of the most exciting ways to catch bass.
The best part about it - you don't have to be a pro to quickly learn how to catch fish doing it.
Topwater frog fishing is a pain-free method to catch fish and have fun doing it! Below we'll cover some of the basics of frog fishing as well as gear and the two most common frog lure types on the market.
Intro to Frog Fishing
Frog fishing for bass normally occurs in water ranging from 1-5 feet deep where there is moderate to thick water vegetation.
The best time of year for frog fishing is when water temperatures are above 60° so for most anglers this is any time from late spring to early fall. The key thing to look for when fishing a frog is the presence of vegetation.
If you find vegetation, especially standing vegetation, in relatively shallow waters (1-5 feet) you may have found the recipe for fishing a frog.
Frogs make for an easy and filling meal for bass so when the conditions are right take advantage of the opportunity!
Rod, Reel & Line Selection
As stated above, frog fishing is typically done in areas where there is a lot of vegetation and cover (grass, lily pads, flooded timber). For this reason, it's best to be equipped with a setup that will allow you to thrive in these environments.
Starting with your rod, get yourself something that is at least a medium-heavy weight rod. This will provide you with enough backbone in the rod to pull those fish out of the thick stuff.
Baitcasting rods are great options for this.
When choosing a reel, consider something with a high gear ratio. The higher the gear ratio, the faster you can retrieve slack line. For many anglers using a baitcaster setup this means something with a gear ratio of at least 7:1.
Your line choice will depend on your rod and reel selection. Regardless of using a spinning setup or a baitcasting setup one thing should remain constant - the use of braided line.
Braided line is much more durable than monofilament and fluorocarbon and is able to literally cut through vegetation which is exactly what you need in the event your line gets wrapped around a lily pad or is pulled through a large patch of grass.
If you are fishing a baitcasting setup, choose something between 50-65 pound test. If you are using a open-faced, spinning setup a good option is between 20-30 pound test.
TIP: Many people think 65 pound test is the only way to go when fishing braid on a baitcaster but trust us when saying you can go lighter and benefit from it. 50 pound test provides a smaller line diameter which means further casts. It may occasionally dig into your spool if under a lot of tension but in those cases you probably already have a fish on anyways and that extra 10-20 feet you gain in cast distance could've made all the difference!
Recommended baitcaster setup
Rods:
Abu Garcia Vengeance MH (https://amzn.to/3Nr0UC6)
--OR--
Lews Laser SG1 (https://amzn.to/3ayucQV)
Reel:
Abu Garcia SilverMax Baitcasting Reel (https://amzn.to/3NTQVoO)
Line:
PowerPro Braided Line, 50LB (https://amzn.to/3teBtvp)
Recommended spinning setup
Rod:
Abu Garcia Vengeance MH (https://amzn.to/3NSH96k)
Reel:
Abu Garcia ProMax, 30 (https://amzn.to/3NXOfGC)
Line:
PowerPro Braided Line, 30LB (https://amzn.to/3Mpv2fX)
Lures & Retrieval Techniques
There are two lure designs in particular: Hollow body and soft plastic.
Hollow body frogs are the most common among anglers and provide the ability to fish anything from open waters to very hard to reach places. These lures are a favorite especially because of just how weedless they really are.
You can pretty much retrieve a hollow body frog through anything without the fear of getting hung up on something!
The most common retrieval method of a hollow body frog is to use flickers of your rod tip to give the impression of the frog swimming and kicking through the water. When done properly you should see series of smooth ripples surrounding your lure.
Some hollow body frogs have a popper shape on the front of the lure. When fishing these variations consider fishing the lure with a lower rod tip to get that popper splashing action that the lure is designed to create.
TIP: If you're fishing an area with lily pads do your best to literally stop your lure on top of the lily pads throughout your retrieval. This provides an extremely accurate presentation for what an actual frog might do. The same strategy can be performed with fallen logs or really thick patches of grass.
Our choice for hollow body frogs
Booyah Pad Crasher (https://amzn.to/3NnvcpB)
Booyah Pad Crasher Jr. (https://amzn.to/3xmgXvk)
Booyah Poppin' Pad Crasher (https://amzn.to/3mhHAvc)
The other popular frog imitation is a soft plastic frog. These are typical Texas rigged without the weight and fished weedless. Most anglers prefer using a wide gap hook to increase the chances of a good hookset.
Soft plastic frogs should be fished just like a buzzbait. Consider using a steady retrieve but don't be afraid to mix in some sudden pauses when you come across heavy vegetation (lily pads, grass patches, etc.).
Just like a buzzbait, you will hear the bubbling noises from the legs of the frog swimming across the surface.
Our choice for soft plastic frogs
Strike King Super Toad (https://amzn.to/3NnwiSf)
TIP: This is very important when frog fishing. Count "1 Mississippi" before setting the hook! Whether using a soft plastic that you're running across the surface or a hollow body frog that is fished slowly through all the vegetation, give time for the fish to engulf the lure and think they just scored a big meal. Since the lures are designed to be so weedless it's easy to rip these lures out of a fishes mouth. By waiting that extra second, this ensures the fish has shut their mouth on the lure allowing for a great hook set.
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