# worst frog fisherman ever!!!!!!!!!



## jcrdust (May 24, 2004)

I headed out to my favorite pond today after work for some bass. I knew the pond was full of moss and scum and all other manner of lure fouling slop. I pulled out my hardnose and zoom frogs and rigged them weedless. I had just over 20 fish hit the buggers and landed three. I had about a 1 to 7 ratio of caught fish to bites. What did I do wrong??? I thought I was seting the hook too soon, nope. Maybe not soon enough? Not that either. Setting the hook to soft? Fixed that, fish still threw Kermit. Was the hook rigged weedless the problem? Pushed the point though and lost largemouth on the very next cast. The only thing I couldn't rule out/fix was maybe I shouldn't of been throwing mono, maybe too much stretch? Any thoughts? This could have been a day for the record books but it just had me swearing and raising my bloodpressure. Oh well it was much more fun than working late.


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## josh617 (Jan 28, 2005)

one word "braid."


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## bubba k (Mar 29, 2006)

Fishing frogs is becoming my favorite way to fish for bass. I too had some problems, but I think that I may have remedied most of them. First, I switched to fireline. Zero stretch helped hook sets along with also being able to rip/cut through pads and weeds if/when I got buried. Secondly, I started pushing the hook all the way through the frog and then "resting" the hook on top of the bait rather than leaving it buried inside of the bait. Yes, I get a few more weeds this way, but I deal with it. Lastly, I stopped setting the hook on the initial explosion, and started waiting until I would actually feel the hit. That may have been my toughest step. It took a while to get used to because your natural instinct is to set the hook when that fish first comes up.


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## seapro (Sep 25, 2007)

Understand also, that with frogs, the bass are usually trying to stun it on the first strike.

They are not hitting it with their mouth but instead are using their tail. 

After that first blow up, let the bait sit! 

They will usually come back and hit it again but this time with their mouths!!


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## fishinfool21 (Jan 8, 2008)

What type of hook? and what size were you using JCRDUST?

:B


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## BASmead (Jan 11, 2008)

I switched from a 2/0 to a 5/0 and it seemed to up my percentages quite a bit. Also a problem i've noticed with frogs is they like to swim upside down and i think that tends to make it harder to bury a hook. I've rigged them with trailer hooks with a grub texas style to keep the trailer weedless. It works, but it's kind of a pain in the ass.


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## Erterbass (Jul 4, 2005)

I've had the greatest success with the Spro Bronzeye Frog - scoots along the top of the scum or open water without ever getting hung up...

After A LOT of misses  I was finally able to restrain myself and WAIT until I actually felt the bass tugging - THEN set the hook. The past couple of weeks I've caught most of my bass on the frog - including slop bass like this one. I'm addicted!  

For soft plastic frogs like the Zoom Horny Toads, Rage Tail Frogs, etc. I've switched this double hook by TruTungsten. The frog ALWAYS lands right-side-up and the hookup ratio is a far cry better than with the single hooks. I use the 5/0 size...

Stay stubborn and hang in there - you'll be an expert in short order!

Bob


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## sisezz73 (Mar 9, 2007)

Add some weight to your hook. If not a wrapped weight use a small split shot. Start small and work your way up to the size that works.On the soft plastic frogs try reeling a little faster. If you get a blow up Iset the hook right away. If its a slurp I count to 1 before setting hook. As for plastic frogs I love the spro jr. I cut about an inch off the skirt.Just keep in mind that when fishing a worm on the bottom how many bumps you get without getting a fish and you wont well as bad when you miss the top bits on the frog. Keep at it and you will love it. I do.


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## Wolfhook120 (Oct 17, 2007)

Lots of good advice on this one! Yep, braided line, stout 5/0 hooks, and 7' or 7'5" med/hvy to hvy rods and reels with plenty of winching power. I learned with froggin especially in heavy slop that its part power fishing, and part finesse. Power when they strike but then immediate finesse and being a line watcher to see if the bass actually took the bait and is running with it,(one one thousand, two one thousand,THREE) or just blew up on it and left it for dead. If they left it for dead I give very small twitches, just enough to cause small ripples in the water as if was injured in the attack and stunned. Half the time they'll come back to finish the job, but if not then at least you found active fish and located where you need to throw a follow up bait! A weightless Senko on heavy florocarbon perhaps. Hope this helps


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## BASmead (Jan 11, 2008)

Whoa i need to get some of those tru tungsten hooks. That's a great idea, i knew there had to be a better way.


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## Pigsticker (Oct 18, 2006)

Ive been fishing the pads alot this summer with the frog. IMO scrap the Zoom type frogs in the heavy pads and go with the big Spro frog. The 2 hooks and the way it floats helps. The hooks that usually come on lures are dull out of the package IMO. Sharpen them up razor sharp before you go next time. Even take a stone with you and sharpen on the spot after missing a few and getting snagged a few times. If the hook isn't sharp enough to cut into the skin of your finger nail by hanging it off your thumb you should sharpen it. They get dull really quick after getting buried in the stalks of the pads a few times. 

As mentioned, use a baitcaster with heavy (40-80lb) braid on a heavy action broomstick with the drag set all the way tight. Its a very specialized and fun way to fish for the big hogs. I wait about a second after the hit then try and pull them up on top of the bed of pads and horse them in. Thats the only way to get a big one out unless your in a boat and can go and get them if they hunker down. 

I do like using the other Zoom type frogs in more sparse weeds and pads though. I rig them Texsposed with a screw in type #5 hook and swim them under the surface about a foot like a real frog would act. OGF member Yankee taught me that one.


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## Big Joshy (Apr 26, 2004)

I will add a few things that ive learned. There are some days it dosen't matter what you do the fish just wont take the frog all the way. Ive learned two ways to make the fish take the bait rather than just smacking it. First just fish a different time of day. Early and late the fish dont mess around at all and sometimes hook themselves. If you cant do that, change your speed.
If they are slapping a fast retreive slow down. If they are slapping at a slow retreive most times a faster retreive will force them to commit. I agree that hollow frog is best in very heavy cover. If the cover is sparse at all Id rather use a frog with good action on a steady retreive. I use stanley ribbits and shaw grigsby frogs. Shaws frogs have better legs action but they dont float.Make sure that the legs arent kinked or crooked or you wont get that good churning action. it should have a steady "lub lub lub lub lub" sound to it.
Even when there is no cover I do great on these frogs with a steady fairly fast retreive. In those conditions you can also hook a small trailer hook to the main hook like you would on a spinnerbait or buzzbait. my biggest LM last year and this year came on frogs in sparse or nonexistant weed cover.


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## jcrdust (May 24, 2004)

My hooks are always sharp. I was using a 4/0. I think the line was part of the problem. I also was fishing with a 6 ft rod. I usually like 7ft rods, but I couldn't fit that in the car, may have to bite the bullet and drive the truck. I like the double hook idea and the screw in hooks. Thanks for all the advice.


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