mikey5string

I am going to make the best hollow body frog ever someday. For now, I would like to start making prototypes and trying some stuff in terms of materials and hook/leg configuration. I have never poured plastics or made any lure for that matter but I am artistic and sculpt, draw and paint pretty well. I also fish a LOT and have been using/studying frogs almost exclusively for the last month. I am thinking i would need to make a sculpture. Then make a mold of it. Then pour plastic/rubber/vinyl in it and roll it around so it coats the outside but leaves the inside hollow. Can anyone tell me what I would need to get started? What do you make your initial prototype sculpture out of? What do you use to cast a mold from it? What are hollow body frogs made from? Its not plastic like a power worm of senko is made of but more like a rubber, like a raincoat. Thanks I will keep you posted as to how its coming. I have some really great ideas for it just have to make it a reality.

There is a local private lake that I fish with permission from one of the residents. I used to just fish off their dock and catch dinks all day with the occasional 2 pound "big" one. I finally found a small boat and got a trolling motor, I took the boat on the lake about dusk and threw a frog on/near some pads. The bass KILLED it. I could almost guess the exact time one would hit it after I landed it next to a patch of pads and twitched it. Threw a buzzbait and they killed it. Had several fish hit the buzzbait twice and RIGHT next to the boat. Even once when I put the rod down with the bait dangling in the water to move away from some weeds. Really fun, great action. Several fish per hour and all were 2-4lbs!! Much better fish than I caught off shore. I was almost sure that "there were no big bass in there" and used it mostly as a spot to go mess around close to home. Well. Now that I have been steadily catching 3-4 pounders I am starting to think: There MUST be some 5-6 pounders in here. right? The lake about 25 acres. I really dont know the depth. I always thought it was relatively shallow although it had been drained 15' for dam repair and was refilled a few years ago. The water is stained, which is why I think topwater works so well. What could I do to try to get bigger bass? Throw bigger baits? Do they make a "big" frog? The buzzbait I have is pretty big as far a buzzbaits go. I was thinking to go into my saltwater gear and grab a few 6-8" plugs. Part of me thinks that they are just more rare and to just keep fishin till I get one. Any ideas on how to cull 3 pounders for the 5s?

and the Jackall Iobee frog is the best I've used. The body shape and softness makes actually landing the blow-ups a lot more frequent. Color doesnt matter. Light colored belly is all I look for.

over the last week, I have caught more quality bass on a frog than anything else. At this particular lake, I could bring JUST that and catch nice fish. It is a small lake maybe around 8'-10' depth. isolated patches of lilly pads and docks. I throw it at all the patches of pads and docks. My favorite time is dusk but Ive caught fish in the AM and around noon. REally what matters is pads or matted weeds. Something a frog would "walk" on where a bass could nail it from underneath. I throw it ONTO shore if I can and walk it into the water. twitch twitch stop. wait. slowly pull it about 6 inches forward. stop. twitch twiBAM!!!!! thats usually where it happens ; ) If youre not having luck with a frog youre throwing it in the wrong places or reeling it too fast. Just remember: "throw it in the greens" and "twitch twitch wait". Ive noticed the frog produces quality fish on a consistent basis more than any other lure.

the smaller fluke, roboworm, creme scoundrels (worm color) and gulp smelt minnows. I dont drop shot nearly as much anymore. sure it catches fish but I am always getting crappie or dinks. Ordered 100 producto spring worms a couple weeks ago too!

yeah. like that! Ive seen that rig before. what are those weights called? That thing would look great flipping into holes in hydrilla mats as well as be more weedless and fall straighter. When you twitch it, youre really making it dance!

that might be the same one. I caught a couple that day, a lot of bluefish though. Blues are fun to catch. Kinda looked at as "trash fish" with Striper fishermen. An agressive predator that averages 8-12lbs and fights can be a "trash fish". Must be good fishin! I would love to catch them in lakes with my LMB gear!

is that freshwater? Those would be medium "schoolies" in the salt up here. Someone just caught a world record in CT. 81lbs !!!!! Striper fishing is great around here. They get HUGE and are my favorite saltwater fish to target. Here are a couple I got last season. These are nice fish but nothing special. Do they have them in lakes down south? From what ive seen they are smaller than the Saltwater bass but are still awesome fish.

and for our own survey, what time of day was your PB caught? I only just ordered a scale so Im going by estimate but my best fish were caught at around 4pm and around 7pm. BUT the majority of my total fish caught were caught between 10-4.

Ive posted this video before but its worth a watch. Bass feed when they can see the best, during the hours with the most light. Thats from 10-2ish. They ambush their prey from cover/structure. They dont need low light to hunt. In the video, the guy mentions that if you ask someone what time of day it was when they caught their biggest bass, the answer is frequently from 10-4. The time when popular beliefs are that fishing is slow. The fishermen might be slow and uncomfortable but that dosent mean the fish are. It is dramatically cooler just a few feet down in the water. Look for areas with shade or shallows that have quick access to deep water. Dont be afraid to throw a top water either. Some of the best TW fishing I have is midday... Watch this:

I have always rigged these things round end first, with the paddles/tails in the back. Anyway, I was looking at one today and I thought how great it would be to rig it the other way around. The paddles would flare out and the tails/tentacles would rise up. I think it would give it a larger/more appealing profile. I texas rig them though. Thats probably not the best way to rig those. When rigged on a jig, they would essentially be "facing" the fish that way, only youd be pulling them from the front. Like a fleeing crag id imagine. Seems like a waste to have all those things hangin off it just get held down by the water gliding over them. Rigged backwards, the resistance of the water against all those moving appendages would really alter the bait. IMO, in a good way. Am I the last one to the party here? Was I rigging it wrong the whole time? I just love em. I usually keep one in my pocket and fidget with it in line at the bank etc. You should see the looks I get. (Every once in a while an approving nod from another bass guy)

I know. I know. I still think about it. There are tons of bass in this lake too.... It was about 3lbs. Lived a decent life up to that point! sometimes, if im by myself, ill make a promise to the fish that if they bite my lure I will release them. I cant break a promise like that. I didnt make that promise to this one. Should have sent him to the Leatherman guillotine. What if it dies and another fish eats it, lodginf the frog in ITS throat. THen THAT one dies and a turtle eats it and IT chokes on the frog....Then the turtle dies and a bird eats it and IT CHOK.... oh man. I could wipe out the entire lake ecosystem. I better go fish and see if I can get him!

I think youd have better luck with other bait for cats. Livers, old fish guts and stuff like that. I dont know that anything would eat a dead lizard. Maybe a turtle or eel. If youre after cats, ask around what others are using youll have better luck!

Where are you? I am in West Haven and it is a dead zone for lakes/ponds around here. I fish the same 3 spots pretty much all season and boats allowed in 2, elec trolling motors only. One is private too. I am starting to make friends via a local fishing website and have gotten out on Candlewood on a bass boat and am probably heading up rt 8 next week to fish with a guy I met there. The good thing about having a limited # of spots is that you REALLY learn them! I have heard good things about a couple places in Meriden I might try.

The line started going out via drag or were you in free spool? If in free spool the bass probably took it and started swimming off. Whoever said you yanked the hook out of its mouth is right. Did you "sweep set"? you want to "pop" set it upwards with a worm so you dont pull it out. Good news is he wasnt to happy with his meal trying to escape! Maybe if you hadnt pulled it out he would have noticed something wasnt quite right and spit it out! Nice technique! If it was taking drag and not hooked you had something that isnt going to make it too far in its life

I've never gotten "stung" by a bass, they dont flare out their dorsals like sunfish do. I have however hooked myself trying to lip a bass several times. Aas for your injury...If you're asking what you should do, you already know the answer.

I am happy to say that after months of specifically bass fishing for hours almost everyday, reading about "micropterus salmoides": habitat, life cycle, spawning, migration, schooling. Lures: plastics, cranks, spinners, buzzbaits, frogs, wacky rig, drop shotting.... Spending a LOT of money on plastics, rods, reels, plastics, cranks, frogs..... FINALLY. I can go out confident that I will catch at least ONE bass that day. I cant remember the last time I didnt catch at least one. Actually.... my first time on a bass boat a month ago, the guy who took me was catching them left and right and I managed to lose 2 at the boat and land a perch. I attribute that to him controlling the electronics though ; ) I seldomly get skunked when I am in control. I often go hours without a single bite. The longer the time between bites, the stronger my resolve. I have literally had to feel my way out of a forrest in the pitch black because I wouldn't leave until I got one, even though I had no flashlight. Got one though.

I know the OP isnt from CT but this thread is interesting to me, being from the north and into catching a 10lb bass ; ) There was a 9 plus caught in the CT river this season. There is a thread on where the next state record will come from over on another fishing site, a lot of people mentioned the river. In CT, I have yet to weigh a 5lb bass ; ( That is a nice fish up here. I've seen them caught pretty regularly though. I would say 5-6lbs is an average "big" fish in CT. A 7+ is a trophy. A 10 is a.... I wouldnt even know what to do if I got a 10lber in the boat alone. Willing to bet there'd be a lot of controlled breathing. I believe the state record is 13 and change. A great day of fishing for me would be a few 3-5 pounders per hour. I lived in Savannah GA for a summer a few years ago and I ended up getting to fish a private golf "community" pond. My first cast I hooked up with a MONSTER. It was over 6 lbs! I ran it over to the guys (from GA) to show them my trophy and they weren't nearly as impressed as I was. I believe they thought it was "cute" how excited the yankee got over an average bass for the area. I only got to fish a few times down there but every time I got at least one 5+. You have to remember that they have all year to feed heavily down there. The bass do too! (sorry, couldnt resist) PS to who mentioned Candlewood. I went for the first time about a month ago and was impressed with the average size of the fish. Smallies in particular!

Once with soap and water doesnt work for me either. I just end up with vanilla citrus fish slime scented hands. Multiple washes are required. Will try the toothpaste.

To the poster who had the kids roll up and whisper "does he have anything?" Maybe they meant "does he have any fish?" We would always look in boats to see signs of fish when we were younger. Just to see who was catching what and where. I dont carry a gun. I respect someones right to but I would rather give something up then get in a gun battle with someone. Things can be replaced. I would also not shoot someone for stealing from me, I suppose pointing a gun at someone does make a good deterrent. Unless he has a gun as well...then you'd better hope youre a better shot!

The coves and the points they define. Top water in the coves, shakey head on points. Plastics along the shore. And I'd def hit that dock ; h

I just read that the curly tail lizard is an actual lizard in Florida. So if you use them as bait I would tend the line and not leave it overnight to reduce by- catch and killing the whatever that might swallow it.

Not sure I understand the question. You're using a live lizard? Like an alive lizard? And leaving it in the water overnight? on a line with a hook? Why? Sure something will eat it. A bass, another fish species, another lizard, snake, a bird, turtle, racoon.... And it will swallow it and probably die. Why leave it overnight? Why not use it while fishing? Or just use a soft plastic lizard. Probably just as if not more effective and a lot more fun!

well the fish swallowed the lure. The hooks were backwards, so if I pulled, they would have gotten more lodged. I didnt pull on them too much as it seemed like the fish's throat muscles were bringing the lure down into its stomach. It was alive and well when I released it. I knew I should have killed it but something was telling me that its absolutely imperative to get the fish back in the water alive and well. There are a ton a bass in the lake. AND it had my $13 frog!!!! The Jackall Iobee frogs are awesome. I caught almost every fish that hit it. Its soft and its profile allows for better hooksets. I switched to a KVD frog after and missed a lot more fish. They still love any frogs there. Funny because my friend was throwing senkos and getting all dinks. He wouldnt put a frog on even thought my fish were twice the size. he just got into bass fishing and really has confidence in the senkos.

A bass inhaled my $13 frog today. It was down his throat so only the leg were exposed. When I tried to get it, it's throat muscles swallowed it even more. I cut the line and let the fish go. I started wondering if the fish is going to die anyway. I suppose the plastic could dissolve and pass but a set of frog hooks? Should I have just killed it quickly? I don't know that I could esp since I caused the injury in the first place, I suppose a chance to live is better than killing it... On the plus side I had extra frogs. The fish didn't seem to mind the $7 strike king one although the ackall iobee was softer and I didn't miss as many fish. Found a great small private lake. The fish destroy frogs at dusk every night. I got a small boat and trolling motor and it's a blast. All quality fish too. I've thought of filing down the barbs. The fish are sucking these things down so far that it's taking a long time to dislodge the hooks. Plus it's hurting the fish unnecessarily.