frogflogger

If one wants to flip fish - then one must learn how to do it with minimum strain on tackle.

The rods are fine - they'll serve you well -

The horny toad was the first toad I fished - it was responsible for unbelievable catches, as more companies came to the market I started noticing the differences in styles - horny toads, case plastics toad and the mann hard-nose are, for me, a good choice when it is calm or the fish want a less aggressive lure - cane toads, rage toads, ribbits and toads of that ilk (ones that make more commotion) are better when there's a little breeze or the bass want a more aggressive action. These are subtle nuances that can make a huge difference in a particular days success - stay open and flexible and willing to experiment.

60+ yrs of chasing bass and the dr. pepper hours 10 - 2 have been the most productive for big bass for me - many of them on topwaters.

good advice - gold, chartreuse and bubble gum are all colors smallies love to attack

Ahhh - welcome to the madness of frog and toad fishing - a great opportunity to catch the biggest bass of your life and to spend all your money and the rest of your life torn twixt joy and frustration.

I wouldn't try mono with frogs even in open water - I fish open water all the time with frogs and use 50lb braid - it's for the lack of stretch not strength - that said, sharpen your hooks, reel down and set the hook, it may work better than I think.

All good advice or you could throw a frog or big topwater all day and hope for one strike.

I think he caught his second best fish on a mother - 19 + lbs.

All that we used when they came out - they worked, always sharpened them before a tournament. I think the new hook technology has kind passed them by.

We use to hammer bass with them by bending the eye down and tying tight to it and using a retrieve with a cadence not unlike you use to walk the dog with a spook but I can't say the lure was walking the dog.

buzzbait or prop bait on top - z-man finesse worm on 1/16 - 1/8 jighead for bottom fishing.

Frogs have accounted for most of my over 7's - followed by jigs and spooks - that said I caught a 7 on a beetle spin. I need to explore the swimbaits more thoroughly.

You need to read Ned Kehde's blog in In-Fisherman - he fishes those lakes regularly -

I've used them in saltwater, in fresh water from the everglades, the big O to the Ohio r. - caught fish everywhere I've thrown them - I have them from small to large, deep to shallow - they are durable and effective. I've caught catfish, lm, sm, spots, musky, walleye, jack crevalle, snook, tarpon, peacocks, oscars, clown fish - I could go on and on about them, they flat catch fish. A better deal price wise than many many other lures out there.

If you can only afford one jerk/minnow bait this is the one.

straight shanks, solid hookups - ewgs can flex but I've used them all and in reality not very particular except with traditional worms and flipping - then it's always straight.

The rigged creme worm has fallen out of favor but it's still a very potent bait - buzzing it across the surface is just one of several retrieves that work. The westy worm is a good rigged worm (we were making a similar one years ago) but it doesn't have the versatility of the creme. You can make the creme spin in wide slow circles which is deadly at times.

Turn them all off and learn to use your thumb - very satisfying.

I fish certain topwaters when it's pretty windy with good success - I fish furbits when it is blowing harder than some are comfortable with - Years ago we use to use old creek chub plunkers on windy days steady reeling them with jerks interspersed, caught some of our best fish that way.

bps stiko-s

any of the above recommendations will do you well

Spooks and frogs have caught good fish for me in 20'+ depths - I pay no attention to depth when throwing topwaters - you just don't know until you throw.

Here's an idea - think of topwaters as having seperate categories - hollow body frogs, solid toads (this includes skinny dippers and buzz worms), poppers, walking sticks, prop baits, twitch baits (orig. rapala), hard buzz baits, dead stickers (swim baits). The more subtle ones use in calm conditions, the more breeze use the ones that disturb the surface more - In the early 60's an old angler handed me a big wounded spook (props on both ends) and told me to try it mid day - I did and caught the 2nd 7# bass of life - mid day in july, bright sun shining. I always give topwater a try if the water is near 60 or above - you never know unless you throw.

Frog - senko