Popping Frogs
Walking Frogs
Frogging Rod
Casting Reels
Frog fishing is a great technique for finding bass in cover in summer and early fall. The night may begin cooling for some states as we slide into September. But for many, the days are still long and hot. This provides bass with thick vegetation to hide. While many anglers still commit to fishing with crankbaits off-shore, the hollow-body frog has been a go-to technique for shallow-water environments and one of the most exciting methods.
Watching a 5 lb bass explode from within a mat of vegetation is the cherry on the cake. Best of all, the technique doesn’t require much skill, only specialized heavy gear and knowledge of good locations. I’ll break down frog fishing in this article and show outline techniques, gear, and locations for the best fishing this fall.
Types Of Hollow Body Frogs
It can be overwhelming when it comes to choosing the right hollow-body frog, color, and size. Ultimately, hollow-body frogs can be broken into two categories 1.) Popping frogs and 2.) Walking frogs. Walking frogs are designed to dart side to side when you pop the slack in your line, creating displacement in the water. A popping frog is built with a notched face allowing the bait to dig into the surface and create a larger disturbance. Popping frogs are typically used when fishing around heavy vegetation. Walking frogs are used in open-water scenarios. The sparse cover is also a good place to fish a walking frog.
Frog Fishing: How To Locate Fish In Grass
Finding bass in late summer and early fall can be difficult. On the one hand, they can be predictable. You can always count on them to seek out shade. On the other hand, that area could consist of miles of topwater grass. The key is to look for anything that stands out as different. For example, find where the grass is thickest or where two different types of grass overlap. Look for the best-looking cover.
By that I mean seek out tree limbs sticking out of the water surrounded by grass. We have barges and old machinery sunken long ago and partly exposed on lower tides on the California Delta. These areas can be great when surrounded by grass. Larger bass will take up ambush spots in these areas. This is target fishing at its best and it doesn’t get easier.
How To Fish A Frog Lure For Bass
The name of the game is creating awareness. Make long casts to the thickest, greenest area. Aim your rod tip down and twitch it. Be sure to pop the slack in your line. This will cause your popping frog to dig down in the matted grass, shovel it up, and displace water and plant material. Bass sitting below will see this action and interpret the commotion as a small, panicked prey animal.
You can play with different retrieval speeds from slow to fast and receive feed responses and reaction bites. It’s common for bass to follow an object from beneath the cover. But often when something appears directly above, it will bite unknowingly. Shaded areas like the corners of ponds or overhanging trees hold big bass. Wait a moment after you receive a blow-up and set the hook after you feel a pull. Bass will often strike at a frog but miss it altogether.
How To Fish A Walking Frog
A walking frog can draw fish out from under cover with its unique darting action. As stated above, you can fish a walking frog around sparse cover, skip it under low-hanging trees, or target shade and weed lines. Pop the slack in your line to achieve the walking action and allow the bait to pause on occasion. Some anglers prefer using smaller-sized frogs when fishing open water situations. You’ll get more bites from a wider range of fish. Larger frogs should be reserved for heavy vegetation.
Color Selection
Try to keep it simple. Overcast skies and cloud cover or fog – go with darker colors like forest black. Use white, natural, or bait fish patterns in clear water on sunny days. Patterns that imitate bait fish are perfect for when bass can see and study the bait. Use darker colors when fishing over the top of heavy cover as visibility is limited to the fish below. The dark outline will help them target the bait.
Frog Fishing: Gear Selection
Frog fishing involves heavy gear. A 7’5 -8′ heavy power rod with a fast reel and 50-80 lb braided line should be used in thick top water vegetation. The braided line, with the heavy power rod, adds extra power to your hook set. Bass have a strong advantage getting off in grass so it’s necessary to have a direct connection between you and the fish with constant pressure being held.
A 6’5-7′ medium heavy rod with a 20-3-lb braided line to a mono leader works well in open water. You’ll maintain a good connection while walking over the top of submerged grass and wood.