loodkop

Soft frogs (horny toad, ribbit etc) and hollow bodied frogs can be fished in the same places for the most part the main difference coming in the retrieve. I use the buzzing toad style like a buzzbait but in the thickest cover I can find. A steady medium fast retrieve is my basic and I will speed up or slow down as dictated by the bass. I reach for the hollow bodies when I want a slower walk the dog or popping retrieve. However frog applications are nearly endless and can also work in open water situations. The big pressure point for beginner froggers is the strike. The frog can provoke vicious strikes and the first instinct is to swing as soon as you see a swirl. Train yourself to drop the rod tip a the first sign of a strike, take up any slack and really whack him when you feel any weight or see the line move. I don't use a count before striking as imo not al bass take the same amount of seconds to eat the frog. Frogging to me is a full contact sport using big hooks, big line, big rods and big bass.

I always use a trailer hook. Catching 1 extra bass might turn a good day into an awesome one.

A weightless horny toad style frog skips very well and might give them something they have not seen often back under the cover.

Shallow water + cover = frogs. Frogs + bass = happy angler.

I'm happy with my Shimano's. To be fair I have not tried top end gear from other manufacturers but have been disappointed every time I thought a 10+ bearing reel must be better than my 5 bearing Shimano. Now that I can afford to buy an occasional from dad to dad treat I would rather spend my monet where I know what I'm getting. Think I'm gun/reel shy.

I feel that I can set the hook much harder with braid. I can't remember a bass getting of the frog after the hookset. If I connect on the hookset it is coming for a boat ride. Some club members were arguing that braid is to expensive and that mono is just as good for frogging. We set up this test. Take a double frog hook and try to set the hook in a piece of wood held by a partner standing at various distances. On a short line the mono( 20lb Big game) did a reasonable job but could not match or beat braid (65 lb Power Pro). The longer the line out the more the gap between depth of penetration became. It might not be very scientific but it was confincing enough that all the doubters now spool braid on their frogging setups. We also tested two different rods with both braid and mono. Agian the result is not scientific but most guys are now using 7,6 H fast or XF rods. On a short cast in moderate cover a 7MH/F and mono might be "good enough" to get by but to realy stick them use the big guns. Like I said I'm no scientist but I love frogging and I know what works for me.

When I started I was told by a wise old angler to keep my mouth shut and my ears open if I wanted to learn anything. I have modified this by adding " ask good questions". One of the many reasons I enjoy this forum is the opportunity to " listen/read" so many experienced anglers and receive quality answers to my questions.

Thanks, now I can get back to work with a smile.

My Core puts a smile on face every time I use it.

As long as that is a black Spro popping frog I agree 100%. 1 tied on and a back up stored in the top water box and frogging is sorted for the season.

Very nice.

" ... it happens" just because it always seems to when I'm out on it in any case.

In any sport there is an ELITE level where the best compete using the best. I would have no interest in watching Formula 1 races where they are pushing shopping carts around a dirt track barefoot. Technology and progress is good and raise the bar for every angler who is willing to work hard to learn the new tricks of the trade. As long as the playing field is level I see no reason for any complaints.

i have no experience with Lews but do you have the spool tension turned low. No baitcaster does well pitching if the spool tension is too tight.

Depends on size of bait. I use hooks from 2 to 2/0 for nose hooking and go up to 5/0 for texas riggind a bubba shot.

No lazy angler will ever be consistently successful. A really good live bait angler puts in some study before just chucking out a bobber. The best bait live/artificial won't get any bites where there is no fish.

Big Game is a very good line to start casting on and is not to bad at hauling in fish as well. I have 12 lb spooled on my top water rod and also use it for cranks/jerkbaits. Before flourocarbon became popular I have caught plenty of bass jigging and worming on Big game too.

Zero stretch gives better hook sets with long casts. I also find that 50/65 lb braid handles and cast better than heavy mono. Braid also "cuts" through lily pads and grass. I seriously doubt that any angler would switch back to heavy mono after catching a couple on braided line. For me personally this is the 1 situation in bassing where there is a clear winner with regard to "best" line.

Catch a DD on a DD (22). Had a good start to the year with 2 wins and a couple of top 5 finishes so I would really like getting a PB deep cranking as I cosider this my main weakness.

We fish artificial lure tournaments where points are awarded for the number of different species you can catch. This means that I will use down to a size 32 hook with a tiny piece of plastic to catch guppies and minnows that can be smaller than an inch. The smallest I can recall ( caught legally in the mouth not foul hooked in the body) was measured at just less than 1cm.

I also use 40 lb braid. It works better for ripping spinnerbaits and lipless crank through my grassy waters.

Shimano Core 50

I love retrieving a jig when there is a bass attached. My favorite way to attach bass is pitching cover.

Deep cranking.

Getting limit 4" senko/ jr fluke. Getting big limit Spro popping frog. All in black.