Fishing With a Frog Lure | Frog for Fishing
Top water lures exist in a wide variety of sizes and forms, and the majority float. The bulk of them have treble hooks and are constructed of durable plastic. Since bass frequently will slap, miss, or barely contact a topwater bait, treble hooks boost your chances of catching your fish and prevent it from coming off after being hooked.
The majority of them are constructed of hard plastic, but some are also made of metal, hollow rubber, solid soft plastic, or in some combination. For instance, the components of a buzzbait consist of a metal wire, a metal/plastic propeller, and a silicone or rubber skirt.
Start with fast-moving lures when choosing a topwater bait and gradually slow them down by switching to slower-moving ones if you aren’t receiving strikes. You can determine the bass’ level of aggression that day in this way. They sometimes hunt nearly everything, and other times they just pursue extremely simple targets.
Do Bass Eat Frogs?
Yes, they do! Aggressive predators like bass will consume nearly every kind of amphibian including frogs, toads, and salamanders.
As you know a bass’ primary diet is other fish, but a bass will not doubt eat other animals like a small snake, a little water bird, a mouse jumping from pad to pad, even insects! A bass will devour almost anything!
Frog lures imitate just what you think they would — the actions and movements of a living frog. But if you think about it, if your lure is sitting on a lily pad, the bass really doesn’t know what it is.
It can represent any kind of animal that was mentioned earlier… that’s why fishing with a frog is so great!
By casting your frog bait directly onto logs, rocks, or shorelines and retrieving it by aggressively flopping it into the water, you are imitating the natural behaviors of a frog and attracting the attention of hungry bass.
You wouldn’t let a hamburger stroll on by without taking a bite, would you? Bass and other fish strike at a frog lure simply because frogs are food. Frogs, toads, and other amphibious creatures are a regular part of the bass’s diet.
It is the natural instinct of the bass to make a concentrated effort to grab hold of frogs for dinner, which is why this fishing technique can be so efficient!
Main Types of Frog Lures That You Need to Know
There are so many different frog lures for bass fishing on the market that you might have a tough time selecting the right one. From hollow-body frogs to soft-body frogs to hard-body frogs and more, things can get a bit confusing.
Have no fear; here’s a quick rundown of the what, when, and where of a few common frog lures:
Hollow-belly/hollow-body frogs
The hollow-body frog (hollow-belly frog) has a double upturned hook and a hollow, malleable plastic body. The bait is considered weedless because the body fits snugly against the hooks, but it’s soft enough to crumple and hook a bass when it strikes.
Soft-body/soft-plastic frogs
The soft-body frog (soft-plastic frog) is extremely similar to the hollow-body frog in design. The main difference between the two is that soft-body frogs are meant to gently sink rather than float when allowed to pause on the water. Soft-plastic frogs replicate the swimming motion of a frog when moved with your frog rod.
Hard-body/hard-plastic frogs
Hard-body frogs (hard-plastic frogs) are designed a bit differently than hollow-body or soft-body frogs. Hard-body frogs have a firm, realistic body shape with dangling treble hooks. They are normally colored similarly to a live frog.
Poppers/popping frogs
Popper (popping frogs) can be constructed of hard or soft plastics. The feature that sets them apart from the other types of frog lures is the cupped shape of the face of the bait. The cupped face is what makes these frogs pop across the water, creating movements and sounds that bass just can’t ignore.
When To Use Frog Lures
Understanding the variations between frogs can aid you in selecting a lure that will attract the most strikes. Frogs come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The bait’s activity is directly influenced by the various architecture. There are frogs that are larger and frogs that are smaller. Many have a lot of movement, while others have very little.
All of a frog’s characteristics contribute to how you should choose your frog. The fish may prefer to chase a fast-moving frog, or they may prefer to catch a slower-moving frog. Let the bass tell you what they want. If you haven’t realized it by now, fishing is a lot of trial and error (mainly error). A few rules of thumb are: warmer weather, on the whole, implies speedier lures, and slower-moving lures are associated with cooler weather.
With that said, here’s a few pointers on when and where to use each type of frog:
Hollow-belly/hollow-body frogs
Hollow-body frogs are perfect to drag across heavy surface vegetation such as e lily pads or weeds. They’re also perfect to use around structures and docks in the water or any area that has thick, dense cover where bass can hide.
Soft-body/soft-plastic frogs
Soft-body frogs are best when bass are highly active, such as during the summer months or around the spawning season. They’ll be most effective in areas with moss or shoreline vegetation.
As we’ve previously mentioned, you can buzz your legged soft-body frog across the water to mimic a swimming frog or pause it briefly to allow it to fall, replicating a stunned frog. Either way you choose to move your soft-body frog, you’ll see some amazing action during the warmer temperatures.
Hard-body/hard-plastic frogs
Hard-body frogs are typically reserved for open-water casting because of their exposed hooks.
The retrieval technique for hard-body frogs is to walk the frog, moving it in a zig-zag pattern across the top of the water.
Hard-body frogs are great for fishing in small bodies of water, such as creeks, streams, or ponds.
Poppers/popping frogs
A soft- or hollow-body popper is just as effective in open water or next to heavy cover or vegetation.
They’re particularly great for low-light fishing conditions when bass are moving from cover to open water in search of food.
A hard-body popper is great for low-light fishing, windy days, or when fishing in murky or stained waters.
How To Fish A Frog (The Basics)
These three basic techniques for working your frog have been proven time and again to be effective at landing bass.
Walking the frog
This is the most common retrieval technique in frogging. Walking your frog is causing it to swim in a zig-zag pattern. Instead of reeling in the slack on your line, simply point the nose of your rod down toward the water, and gently work the rod back and forth while slowly reeling in your lure.
The straight retrieve
This retrieval method is kind of self-explanatory. You cast your frog and then reel it back in. There are no tricks to be seen. You simply cast and reel.
Stop-and-go
The stop-and-go method is commonly used with popping frogs and is especially effective when fish are sluggish and less aggressive on the strike. You simply cast your frog, pop it a few times, and then wait. Keep repeating the pop and wait pattern until your lure is outside the strike zone. Once that has occurred, simply reel your frog in and toss it back out again.
How to Set the Hook When Fishing a Frog Lure for Bass
Setting the hook when frogging for bass can be a bit tricky, and you don’t want to miss your opportunity to snag that hog. Don’t allow the fact that connections can be difficult to hinder you from fishing with frog lures.
When you get a strike, avoid the impulse to immediately set the hook. Hooks are seldom in the mouths of bass on the initial strike.
Allow the bass two or three seconds to pull on the frog before it decides to inhale it.
If you attempt to set the hook before a bass inhales your frog, it’s likely that the hook points have not yet entered the mouth of the fish, and you’ll just end up with an empty frog in the air.
One sure-fire method to consistently hooking bass when frogging is to follow a few simple tips. Don’t attempt to set the hook when you first feel the action on the line. Instead, following the initial strike, count two Mississippis, and set on three.
Set your hook with force. Don’t hold back on your hookset. If it feels too soft and gentle, it likely is. Set your frog hook as firmly as possible.
If you are just getting started with frogging for bass, you can bend the hooks of your lure upward about two degrees with a simple pair of pliers to enable an easier hookset.
Best Time Of Day to Frog Fish
Frog lures are designed to provide a lifelike food source to bass lurking in dense mats, lily pads, and thick underwater vegetation.
When it comes to the best time of day to go frog fishing for bass (or any other freshwater predator fish), the old adage of “most living creatures get hungry in the morning and evenings” rings true.
Bass are most actively hunting for food in the mornings and evenings, so it makes sense that these times are great for frogging.
Target the edges of floating vegetation mats and weedlines in low level light conditions.
Another ideal time to effectively frog for bass is when the weather is consistently hot, and the sun is shining directly on the water.
This is because bass like to find cooler, darker areas for cover.
Toss your frog in an area with dense vegetation or a clump of floating lily pads to take advantage of the higher temps!
Best Time Of Year for Frog Fishing
The spring and summer months are perfect for fishing with frog lures because this is when you are most likely to see actual frogs at the water, as this is when they breed.
Spring and summer are also ideal times of year for vegetation to develop on the water, such as algae, grass mats, and water lilies, which is where frogs are more likely to be discovered.
Using a frog for fishing is most effective in warm water conditions during the summer months.
Still, it can also be useful at other times of the year.
Each spring, just before the bass spawn, a frog can be lethal to bass wanting to eat before they spawn.
The same is true as the water begins to chill down later in the year.
Do Frog Lures Work in Fall?
After the leaves change color, some fishermen will put away their frog lures – but this is a HUGE mistake and why anglers fail.
Remember what you learned before… a bass really doesn’t know what that frog lure is! It can represent anything that lives on the surface of the water. And if you have even been fishing in the fall you know you can have some pretty spectacular days topwater fishing!… So, make a frog part of your day.
From early to late fall fishing can be gangbusters… it’s your job to recognize the patterns and fish your lake correctly.
Just because the water is cooler, anglers can still catch huge bass out of some of the foulest cover and thickest vegetation on a lake or river with topwater frogs, and in many cases, the topwater frog is the only conceivable lure option for anglers to rig up when fishing this horrible vegetation.
Even when the snow starts to fall in November and December, there still might be a fantastic topwater bite going on.
When the water temperature is in the 50s or perhaps the 40s, don’t be scared to fish a frog.
There’s always a possibility for a big topwater bite if bass are chasing baitfish up in shallow water.
Best Frog Lure Colors and Why
It’s not difficult to choose the right frog color. Why is that?…
It’s because frogs come in three basic colors (white, chartreuse/yellow, and black) that can be used to cover practically any fishing situation, on any body of water, anywhere, at any time!…
Yes, there are other color options, but you won’t need them!
By the way, I’m referring to the color of the belly of your frog, not the top of the lure.
When it comes to the top of your frog, you can make it as realistic or as fantastical as you like.
When a bass attacks your frog, it is from the view of the belly and occasionally a slight glimpse of the sides of your frog.
The top of your lure is something that fish will not see, so the color/design doesn’t really impact the functionality of your frog.
Keep a white-bellied frog for clear, clean water, a yellow-bellied frog for lightly dirty water, and a black-bellied frog for muddy water or night fishing.
What Is the Best Style of Rod for Frog Fishing?
When frogging for bass, you want a solid rod. Frog fishing is nearly impossible without a strong, quality rod.
A longer rod typically 7’0-to-7’8″ in length is vital for getting enough leverage to set the hook as deep as you can when a bass explodes on your frog.
When a lunker bass anchored down and tries to dive into dense cover, the increased length of the rod prevents the fish from escaping.
You need a medium-heavy to heavy power, fast action baitcasting rod with a sturdy backbone to drag the bass out of the thick weeds, grass, and other water vegetation. In other words, you’ll need a strong enough rod that can muscle in a bass along with a few extra pounds of vegetation.
An fast or extra fast tip delivers the perfect amount of tip flexibility for walking, hopping or popping your frog across the water surface with ease.
This combination of a backbone remaining rigid enough to set the hook with maximum force, and a flexible tip to give you pinpoint accuracy and maximum action is particularly critical when a bite occurs at a distance of 20+ feet from where you’re casting.
Great frog rods can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes enough to fit any budget. Just be sure to select a medium heavy-powered, extra-fast-action baitcasting rod that is no less than seven feet long.
If you’re limited on space, a good jig and worm rod will generally suffice when frogging for bass.
What Is the Best Style of Reel for Frog Fishing?
A premium baitcaster with a faster gear ratio would be the ideal frog reel.
In other terms, you need a reel that can swiftly pick up line.
This is particularly useful for taking up the slack when you are walking your frog across the water.
You also need a reel that has a drag as strong as a gorilla.
A strong drag prevents the line slipping on the reel, providing you the advantage of pulling a bass out of thick vegetation mats without a second thought.
Any baitcaster will do the job, just as long as it is composed of high-quality materials, has a strong drag mechanism, and is quick to pick up line.
Aside from that, you can play around with this aspect of your frogging setup as much as you desire.
What Is the Best Fishing Line for Frog Fishing?
When tying on a frog, there’s one word and one word only that you should know: braided.
The line is one of the most crucial points of your frogging setup. Because of its strength, a braided line is frequently the best choice when fishing with frog lures.
Another helpful tip is that you’ll most likely be fishing near cover, where your line might get tangled. Braided lines will also have less stretch, making it easier to set the hook.
Monofilament is not a good choice because it stretches. Fluorocarbon transforms a topwater lure into a subsurface lure because it sinks.
Because of the type of fishing, having an invisible line is unlikely to be a problem. There will likely be enough weeds and other distractions for the bass to miss it.
Don’t settle for just any old bargain-bin line. Quality is key.
Braided line isn’t the place to pinch pennies either. What you pay in line will ultimately be repaid when you don’t have to buy extra frogs to knot on all of the time.
Frog fishing requires at least a fifty-pound test braid.
I suggest opting for a braided line that can withstand sixty-five to seventy-five pounds of force for optimal performance.
Although this hefty line may appear excessive to some, it is necessary to draw the bass out of the dense, heavy weeds.
FAQs About Frogging
How to Walk a Frog
Simply cast your frog and allow it to settle. Put the tip of your rod down about an inch and a half to two inches above the water and gently work the rod back and forth while working the handle approximately one-fifth of a handle turn with each movement. The combination of the rod twitch and the reel twitch should start the nose of your frog walking. Be sure to keep your rod low to the water, your line slack laid out, and not overwork your handle.
Best Tip for Frog Fishing at Night
A black-bellied, soft-plastic popping frog is your best bet for frogging at night. You can also add a bit of rattle to your soft-plastic frog by inserting a few glass rattles into the belly of the bait and sealing it with a small amount of super glue. Amping up the noise factor can attract more strikes at night.
What Are Hollow Body Frogs Made of?
Most hollow-body frog lures are made of a piece of soft rubber molded into the shape of a frog with two pieces of silicone skirting to mimic frog legs.
Can You Skip a Frog?
Skipping a frog is hard, but it can be done! You’ll want to use a flat-bellied frog, let out six to eight inches of braided line, and sidearm cast toward your target so that the flat side of the frog will skip across the surface of the water.
BOILING a Frog Lure?! (Why?… And Does It Work?)
If this is the first time you’re reading about about boiling frogs and soft plastics you may think I’m out of my mind. BUT WAIT!…
Boiling your frogs and other soft plastic baits will improve your catch-to-land ratio!
Last Cast...
Frog fishing for bass can be a lot of fun and thrilling, especially in the spring and summer when the bass are active and aggressively feeding. The weedless frog lures allow you to fish in places with a lot of foliage and shelter, where other lures could struggle and fail.
Just remember to use a quality line, a sturdy rod, and a fast reel, and always wait a second or so before setting your hook. Happy Casting!
Checkout These Other Topwater Fishing Articles...
- New Report Reveals Insider Topwater Bass Lures Secrets To Anglers Who Want To Catch More Fish – But Can’t Get Started
- LET'S GET BUZZED! Secrets On How To Fish A Buzzbait [Fishing Tips On When, How, and Where]
- Why Most Fishing With A Frog Lure FAIL [17+ Plastic Frog Secrets You Must Know]
- The 5 Crucial Steps of Fishing Walking Baits (Yep! These are the Secrets Pros Never Give Out – And Now They’re Yours!)
- The Devastating Secrets of Topwater Popper Fishing (the Rookies Method of Effective Fishing… No Matter How Uncoordinated or Clumsy You Are!)
- Best Rod for Buzzbaits, Frogs, Heavier Poppers and Walking Baits, and MORE!
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