A-Rob

When your 5 year old son can back your boat into the water at a busy ramp like a pro

I use a normal ewg hook as big as I can fit into the frog a 1/16th oz weight with a bobber stopper 65# braid, san diego jam knot Rod and reel of your choice but something with enough tip to cast the lighter frog and a reel to do the same

Surprise: 1/8th oz weights....I caught so many more fish when I down-sized weights on my soft plastics especially when I got used to casting the lighter weight, will never go back Disappointment: Snag Proof Frogs (besides Ish's Phat Frog...different hooks)

65# power pro 12# yo zuri on my worm rod may throw the finesse jig when needed 15#mono big game on my spinnerbait rod will throw the swimming jig when finesse is needed

I've got black/blue one that i throw with a zoom double tail grub (blue) on the back I fished a new lake once this season and the structure/weather was perfect for the chatterbait...I crushed some monster bass on it.

I fish it for largies in weeds like everyone else: 3-4/0 etc But something out of the box: nose hooking it with a gamakatsu EWG finesse hook (I use it for wacky rigs as well) I typically fish this on spinning gear for smallies

Nice!

Nice!

Oh! Make long casts in more open areas I roll cast the frog when fishing the bank and fire it up against the structure, it even skips real good

I fish a Ish Monroe Phat Frog right now and have been happy with it 65# test, 7'0 MH rod, baitcasting reel San Diego Jam knot I throw it anywhere I can't get a worm....so heavy pads, mats, or open water with thick weeds under the surface. Just fish it around "fishy" looking areas and you'll get hit eventually. Stick to fishing it with Largies tho, small mouth will pop it but never (rarely) eat it good enough to get a hook into it. Better to switch to a jitterbug, spook etc for smallies.

My set up is: Texas Rig light weight ie 1/16 to 1/4 12# yo zuri MH Daiwa Procyon, 7' rod, shimano citica I would upgrade my rod and reel if money was no option....maybe a nice dobyns rod and an abu premier??

Although I like braid and can see the advantages of it I throw my crankbaits on 12# yo zuri even around grass....I do tangle it up but I get a fair amount but I get lots of cranks in to and can often avoid most hangups in the grass by being gentle, retrieving slowly and letting the crank float once it hits grass Anyways I love braid but switch to yozuri for cranking/trebles

Make sure your reel settings are correct for the lure you are throwing (sorry, I know you know, just had to say it) Also, I heard a lot of guys talking about Yo-zuri hybrid. I tried it in 12# test (actual breaking strength is like 19.9#). I have been using it on my worm rod. I've been throwing a 8" lizard on a 1/8 oz weight and roll casting it into the wind with no problem. I've been impressed with its manageablitiy. Maybe worth a try for the price?

I've been having a lot of success with rigging a Trick Worm (or Finesse Worm) on my spinning gear with a light weight (1/8 or 1/16) straight shank hook snelled (I use 15# braid for largies on my spinning gear). I often will throw this set up into the thinner edge of pads after a frog blows up. The braid and snelled straight shank hook gives me a great hook-up ratio (same theory as flipping a creature) and it allows me to haul big bass out of the grass. Thats my variation! Good luck dude!

I've been impressed with Ish's Phat Frog I've caught some great ones on it and the hook up ratio has been good with the big Gama hooks

If there isn't any grass/tree limbs/brush...just a pipe and clear water, I'd tie on a finesse jig like a Eakins finesse jig (I think made by Jewel?) The lighter weight will let you have a quieter presentation, and an enticing fall thru clear open water. But if I were fishing these without hearing what you said, I may put a small creature bait on a real light weight..like a tiny brush hog (like you are doing!) or a 6" Lizard. If the bite is real tough I'd even try a wacky rigged senko and let it flutter down into the pipe....hope that helps!

David Walker said on BASS that if the max depth lake is 30', bass won't be there. He said you can rule the deepest part of the lake out b/c it isn't how bass operate. I would assume with that clear water the bass may be really backed up under those docks hiding or deeper on some subtle transition or structure that you haven't found yet...either way sounds like tough fishing!

I will fish a jig until the weeds mat and I switch to a straight shank hook with a plastic craw. Basically I fish the jig until I'm so fed up with cleaning gunk off of it or I can't get it thru the weeds I'm pitching to. if I can get a jig bite going, I am happy so I try to use the jig until I have to switch. Its like using the right tool for the job based on the environment you are fishing

I agree with above....Berkley Havoc Line is also a good option for soft baits. I like Zoom worms b/c you get a ton of them...same with NetBait (ie 20 in a pack of Trick worms or 15 thump worms or Mag II worms) Good luck!

Switch to a worm or switch you lakes haha

Dude I can relate, also from Ontario. I tend to start shallow and if not much action I start moving out deeper Sometimes you can get some nice ones shallow in the heat early in the morning or evening But I'd start throwing that worm or jig into the deeper grass if I was catching lots of fish (fun) or 5 lbers shallow.

congrats dude!

x2 I'll also mention it takes a bit of feel to get the hookset timing right. I used to count to "2" or "3"....I still tell friends who don't fish often to do that But now I have the control to ignore the big splash that gets your adrenalin pumping, wait for the rod to load (meaning you got to have some line control) then you know she's got it and slam the hook.

creature bait, they don't got to look like anything, they just supposed to disturb water and have some life like action owner worm hook 12# yo zuri hybrid 1/8 to 1/4 sinker san diego jam knot

oh I should throw a gambler giggy stick (name correct??) it's 5", hollow with a tube like tail....I've dropshotted it, texas rigged it, works pretty good in all applications