I'm a self-confessed bad topwater fisherman. Frogs are close to my worst technique of all time (next to spinnerbaits). I'm curious what your favorite frog is and why. If you modify it - how? I'm also very interested in hookup ratio. Which frog is best for that?

Snag Proof has made a few changes to the bobby perfect frog and it is my favorite frog above all of them. They are very pretty soft and I get a good hook up ratio. I do a few mods with the frogs, from painting them,to chnaging the legs to the fine round rubber and stick a couple of noise makers inside, but all of that above is cause I'm usually hanging at the house wanting to play with fishing stuff. I do try and always tie a little braid around my hooks so they dont bend.

The perfect frog out of the package catches me a bunch of fish.

The river2sea frogs are my second favorite. I think my hook up ratio between the river2sea and the perfect frog are probably the same. In open water I catch most of the fish that actually take it down, of course their are misses but often those are because of the fish not actually eating the bait.

I haven't thrown frogs consistently in a few years, but I can tell you, I have a lot of confidence in the Sumo Frog. The Sumo is a consistent bait, fishes good in the slop and open water, comes with Owner hooks, and has a great profile and color options. I do think there a lots of good frog options out there. The Spro and River2Sea have been given good ratings from a few guys I know.

I would trim the legs down an inch or so, just so the frog "walks" in open water a bit better. I bend the hooks out slightly to make them a bit more open to hookset, and slightly less weedless.

Add a rattle or two inside the bait for added noise and weight. Black or white frogs is all you need.

I think braided line and a fast action 7 foot rod, and fast reel is key. I never had big issues hooking and landing frog bites, once I got the right gear. Ocassionally you miss of course, but braided line on fast action rods and quick reels is lethal.

You can get trickey and add stinger hooks in the legs of your frog by using braid and hiding single open hooks facing up in the legs of your frogs. Obviously, this is for more open water, or not so sloppy frog fishing.

Frogs skip cast extremely well, and your ability to put frogs in places your can't put other baits is often overlooked, IMO.

MP

I really like the Sumo frogs too. I have a very good hook up ratio with these frogs. I agree with Matt 100%

The River 2 Sea frogs walk really nice and the 3/4 ounce version is a bigger profile bait. It gives them something bigger to look at. My complaint is that the hook sucks on this big frog. Its a 6/0 size that is weighted. R2S makes the hook and the points roll really bad. Replacing the hook is impossible since no one else makes one this big :( You can skip them a mile though :)

I have been playing with the SPRO frog too. I like the design but I have yet to catch one on it yet. It looks like it will have a good hook up ratio if I actually get bit on it. It also walks really easily.

The Snag Proof frogs are too inconsistent for my liking. Some walk and others will not. The bleeding frog version has been the most consistent so far. I just like a heavier frog (5/8+) for skipping and longer casts.

i love fishing the reation innovations swamp donkey, for some reason alot of people have a hard time hooking fish on them, but ive been fishing them sence they came out and have had great hook up ration with them, i love the bird colord one and the green top, i do trim the legs, add a rattle inside, and add a split ring on the nose, then i go to town with the 65lb braid(even though theres like no grass in san diego)

I like the snag proof frog tweety color (yellow head) ill take the legs and tie them with some 80lb braid very tight so they flair out alittle bit and mabey put a few rattles inside the delta bass seem to like this!!

Thanks for the feedback (and by all means keep it coming). It's kind of making me laugh how everyone has a different favorite. I'm somewhat partial to the bobby's perfect frog, but I'm fully prepared to buy one of each and then hope to get a few bites to see which one works best for me. It's the getting of the bites that is hard :)

Hey Rob I was just rembering my buddy was throwing the optium furry frog with the popper mouth and it is a really cool frog with a really nice action more for open water but i just bought one from tw figured id give you a heads up...

Rob:

Here is a tip, tie on a Sumo frog, and fish it.......all day. Open water, in the slop, etc. I'm trying to be cute here and just suggest you fish the dam thing and commit to it. You'll get bites. Reminds me of someone I know recommending how one gets bites with a swimbait. "tie it on, fish it all day"

Here are some things I think are "advanced" frog fishing techniques and tips:

1) learn how to fish your frog in open water, walk the dog style.

2) in the slop, learn how to fish your bait with the rod tip down to make the bait mimic something alive and scurrying on the surface of the scum. Don't be braindead while working a mat. Make short pulls, then make pauses in the holes in the grass, even twitch the bait in the holes. Just don't go blah when mat fishing.

3) Fish between the bank and the grass mat. That littel 6" gap between the shore and the mat is deadly. Throw in some rocks or laydowns between shore and grass mat, oh boy. Basically, assume the fish are under the mat, and looking at the shore. Things that go from the shore and into the water, get eaten.

4) See number 3. Throw your frog on the shore and work it into the water, especially, in your "good areas"...like working uphill with a swimbait.

5) Fish a frog where fish never see a bait. Skip cast under docks, under laydown limbs, flipped into impossible pockets of stuff, etc. Wherever you are sure no one can fish a jig or other bait, throw your frog. Pure novelty of getting a bait where no one else can. Frogs cast really well, and skip really well. And the braided line and weedlessness of the frog give you confidence to literally throw it anywhere.


MP

Snagproof Bobby's Signature Series. Good bait right out of the package. Walks well in open water and the only bait for me in slop and tulles. I throw them in White, Cicada, and Tweety most of the time. For me, color hasn't made a huge difference. Its all about being able to see the bait. Low light or dark days, I throw white. Bright days, lots of visibility, I throw Cicada because I can see it. Matt is right on too. You have to really just throw a frog and nothing but a frog if you want to learn it. same with jigs or swimbaits. Throwing with precision is crucial. Hitting that 6" of water between the bank and cover can be critical to getting bit. Like swimbaits, you can't slack off while you're throwing the frog, especially on mats; you need to be ready when the hit comes because it could be a blowup or just the fish barely sucking the bait down. And like Matt said, throw where nobody else will. Docks are great, as are lanes in tulle patches. Fish where everyone else throws the usual jig and worm setups. Try it in laydowns and standing timber. One of my most productive patterns is frogs in standing cottonwoods. Above all... throw it and keep throwin' it. Proficiency will come with time. :-)

I started out throwing the Sumo and have since fished every frog that I know of. My only two choices these days are the Sumo and Bobby’s Perfect. I’ve never had a hook up problem with either of those. The absolute worst hook up ratio I’ve had is with the Swamp Donkeys. Yeah they have some cool colors and they get bit but I’ve lost just too many good fish on those. I will never fish one of those again in a tournament situation.

As far as color goes I fish all of them. I have caught fish in open clear water on white to solid black so I don’t think it is as much as a color thing as it is “walking it right”

As far as modifications go I don’t get too crazy. I’ll shorten the legs and add some glass beads or bb shot but that’s about it.

My biggest frog fish to date is 11 lbs.

P.S. The Frogzilla doesn't work at all so don't throw it.....:)

-Shane

Hi guys, just saw this thread--8 months after its original post. I haven't been here in awhile, lol.

Anyway, it's Bobby's frog for me. I have only had one dud that was off-balance and didn't walk well out of 5 frogs. I wish I could catch swimbait fish as well as I do with the frog. I love frogging! I have only caught a couple swimbait fish over the years. That's big trout swimbaits btw, not 5-6.5 inch Big Hammers. A big reason for the the lack of success with the swimbaits, is probably the lack of quality time and quality water I'm fishing (local park ponds--urk!).

Back to the frog. I have got them good on the small waters I fish. Like others mentioned, you gotta throw it all day or at least the majority of your session when starting. I only took the frog rod when I was learning to force me to fish it. I get them on the slop or in open with a bunch of bites coming off the slop a few feet into open water. When learning to openwater walk, don't twitch too hard and be sure to throw slack in the line after each twitch to allow the bait to wander. Also, I only tried to walk it for about 4-5 twitches and then paused to maintain my form. This sometimes triggered strikes, too. I always go with the goal of just triggering a strike and worry about hooking it later (not too much later, lol). I shorten the legs a bit, thin them out a few strands, that's it. Colors for me are solid white and solid black. Good luck.

Heck, I might as well chime in late as well:)~! LOL

Snag Proof Perfect Frog for me too. IMO, it's by far the best frog out there. I really don't like the Sumo, the Spro is pretty good but IMO the Snag Proof walks A LOT easier. I don't do much to my frogs. I trim the legs some, tie some 20# mono to the hook eye where the gap is so my braid doesn't slip out; that's about it. I may add a glass worm rattle or a few BBs; but usually start out without rattles.

Walking a frog and walking a Spook are two different things IMO. I started out trying to walk a frog like a Spook and they don't walk that well. Light twitches (as already mentioned) are key. Those Snag Proof Perfect Frogs walk VERY VERY EASILY! They cast well. I'm pretty simple with colors also. Black is AWESOME, so is Cicada; and Brown Bullfrog. I don't know about you, but the Brown Bullfrog is a KILLER bluegill/sunfish pattern. I'd say it's my overall favorite.

I use 65# braid, a Dobyns 705C rod (which is a heavy); and a fast reel. I also sometimes fish them on a flippin' stick.

Like others have said; just fish the thing. There are days where you really can throw the frog all day and really get drilled! Also, if you fish at night during the summer months; THROW THE FROG! It's a killer night bait. Fish it everywhere; the baits weedless and will come through just about everything.

Also, start fishing the frog earlier in the year than you might think. I'll start fishing it around mid to late April. Also, the bite could last most of the year; I drilled frog fish last year in November. In San Diego BTW! We have plenty of grass; I LMAO when I hear guys say we don't have much grass. You don't need a lot; those fish flock to that stuff. We have more than enough! LOL

And as already stated, the Snag Proof Frogzilla is a POS :)~! LMAO Just get the black one.

That's about it!

Arden

hows your hookup % on the frogzilla? Ive been told by several people it is pretty bad. Any mods?

My hookups have been great on it............on the fish big enough to eat it:)! No mods at all on that frog. Well, I do take a black marker and color in that BIG silver dolar on the belly (belly weight). That's it! Pretty much only fish the black one. My dad and I broke two fish off one night; and no joke they were BIG! Not sure if they were bass, but they were BIG stinkin' fish. I do fish the Perfect Frog a lot more, but hookups have been great with the Frogzilla so far.

Arden

BTW - April sounds like you're getting a late start fishing the frog...and I'm in NorCal!

Anytime there is a topwater bite or the fish are shallow can be good. That means all year long at times. I have been fishing a frog from early March all the way through December. With the weather the way it was in Jan I would have probably had thrown it then too but didn't get out fishing (new baby in the house).

Todd
http://www.bassanglerprofiles.com/toddiwamoto.htm

if we dont get an unseasonably cold year here again I am going to try starting in March myself. NW here!

I actually agree with you guys, but March for me is MAJOR Shamu hunting and still chuckin' swimbaits. I really don't want to touch a frog then; even though they'll work. Honestly, bed fishing is what keeps me from fishing frogs earlier than I do. If you keep the motor on and look for BIG fish; you WILL see BIG BIG fish where I fish. Catching them is a different story sometimes, but at least you know what you're fishin' for. Speaking of which; shouldn't be too long now:)! LOL

Gotta love California! Potential for topwater fish 12 months out of the year. AWESOME HUH:)~? LOL

Arden

so jealous of you californians and your weather!

Probably not a bad idea to put a little scent inside of the frogs cavity. When them toads chomp down on it they'll have some flavor shoot out and theyll suck the bait in more. Theres shad scent, worm, crawfish...but wheres the frog scent :D hahaha jk. Good luck with the frog fishing...ive got a new snag proof ive been meaning to try when the frogs start showing up more.

Old vs New Bobby's Perfect Frogs...The newer ones seem to be from a diff mold--a tad slimmer, no clear support tube needed for the legs' exit, more consistent from bait to bait. I still have a few of the old ones around. I think the new ones walk easier. You guys have a take on this? Or a preference?

>Old vs New Bobby's Perfect Frogs...The newer ones seem to be
>from a diff mold--a tad slimmer, no clear support tube needed
>for the legs' exit, more consistent from bait to bait. I still
>have a few of the old ones around. I think the new ones walk
>easier. You guys have a take on this? Or a preference?
>
>
>
>

Are you talking about the clear grommet tube thing inside the actual cavity that is keeping the legs from sliding out?

>Are you talking about the clear grommet tube thing inside the
>actual cavity that is keeping the legs from sliding out?

Yes, the clear tube is gone on the new ones and the openings where the strands come out has been cleaned up, less bulky.

huh i guess i haven't gotten a new style one yet (not that ill be buying any anytime soon have way too many lol). actually i should check my Fred frog - i remember that having plastic that seemed THICKER than the old ones and it is definitely a newer frog since that color came out last yr.