How To Fish Frogs In The Summer

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There is just something about picking up a heavy action rod, big braided line and hollow bodied frogs that just captivates me. It’s kinda what makes men-men.  As the Texas sun continues to beat down on us at a blistering 100+ degrees, the lily pads, hydrilla, duck weed, coon tail and other grasses have grown to the surface.

Bass will hang out in, around or under thick grass and vegetation throughout the entire summer.  There are very few baits that will flat out catch more fish and bigger fish than a frog.

However, if you use the wrong equipment or wrong presentations, it may lead to a lot of disappointment.

  • The Baits- When it comes to frogs, I prefer hollow body frogs rather than poured soft plastics. I can catch more fish on each bait and they are much more durable IMO.  The 2 basic types are pointed nose and ploppers. Both have their place in your arsenal. If I could only have one tied on- it would definitely be a popper.  I can make a popper walk the frog as well as a pointed nose bait.  A pointer is best suited for thick, thick grass such as duck weed mats, matted hydrilla or expansive lily pad fields.  My personal favorites are a Booyah Poppin Pad Crasher and a Spro 65, River to Sea Bully Wa or Spitting Wa.
  • Colors- This is when I really have to agree with frog gurus like Ish Monroe (who just won the Bassmaster Elite at Lacrosse on a frog) & Dean Rojas- Keep it simple. You basically need 3 colors.  Black Bottom, White Bottom & Yellow/Chartreuse Bottom.  Notice the bottom is really all the bass sees anyway. Don’t get too caught up in how the back of the frog looks and fancy colors.  If the bass are primarily feeding on shad, I will opt for a white frog.  If the water is muddy or I am fishing at night I will opt for a black frog.  If the fish are feeding on bluegill or the water is off color I will throw the yellow/chartreuse frog.  Those are all general places and descriptions you can fine tune as it relates to you and your own body of water.
  • Frog Gear- This is when you get to pick up that big flipping stick and massive braided line and go to war. This is not the time for finesse or spinning rod style hooksets.  A frog rod should be 7’5”- 8’ in length and be a heavy to extra heavy in action.  My favorite 2 frog rods are IROD Genesis  II 7’7” Flipping Stick or 7’11” Bob’s Punch Rod.  Both of these rods will give me enough leverage to set the hook on a long cast and horse a fish out of heavy cover without fear of the rod breaking like a bone in a UFC fight.  When it comes to line for frogging you HAVE to use braid or you are setting yourself up for failure.  The no stretch and high strength are what makes it the perfect choice for frogging. My favorite braids are 65.lb power pro and 832 Suffix in 50.lb test.  Both of these lines will cast smooth and hold a frog pinned on in the slop. When it comes to reels I like a Lew’s Mach II Speed Spool in a 7.5:1 gear ratio.  This allows me to get the bait back to me faster after it is no longer in the strike zone and has the power to winch out a big fish with 5lbs of grass attached to it.

Ok, now that we have the basics down on our frogging equipment, next week we will dive into the how to section of frogging.  There is a lot more to it than throw it out and bloop it back in.

Pick you up some frogs and read up next week for some in depth tips on dissecting grass mats and making the most out of your time on the water.

G’Luck and Tight Lines Texas Nation!

Shane Smith

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