mikey5string

I hope it catches on. I think those huge whip hook-sets are unnecessary and can severely damage a fish. If your hooks are sharp you really only need to pull with steady even pressure. snapping the rod with extreme force is more likely to rip the bait out of the fishes mouth or rip its lips.

Sluggo.

I think that there are better options for drop offs with no cover on top. Frogs are unlikely to swim out into open water, the fish wait in the pads/grass to ambush them. If the bass are breaking they are chasing baitfish. A better option would be a buzzbait. You could walk the frog to try to imitate a fleeing baitfish but thats kind of backwards when there are inexpensive buzzbaits that will do the job much better. If you HAVE to throw the frog, get it as close to the bank as you can. On the bank is even better, then just hop it in. If bass are going after frogs, you will get hit right away.

Check out the Owner Yuki Bug. It is perfect for the jika rig. I cast it, let it sink and do a slow drag pausing every few feet or whenever I feel something on the bottom. I will hop it a few times and let it sit some more then reel it in. This is the only bait I use on that rig and it is deadly. Dont tell anyone else though OK? ; )

I always have a frog tied on. It is a consistent, proven big bass bait. Throw it whenever I see isolated patches of cover near shore. Especially deadly when tall grass meets lily pads or hydrilla mats. I tend to throw it, twitch it a few times and then reel in and try again. IME the hits come as soon as the frog hits the water or shortly after. Agree with the tip about waiting to set the hook. It is hard to wait when you see that blow up but youll end up pulling it from the fish and it will rocket back at you. I cant tell you how many times myself or my fishing partner had to duck a flying frog because I got a little to eager. Look for a frog with a soft body. This will make for better hookup ratios. The Iobee frog by Jackall is my favorite but the Booyah pad crasher is an inexpensive alternative.

you cant go wrong with a natural shad color.

I was once one of those guys who believed that tungsten was a waste of money, then I tried some. The smaller profile and increased sensitivity is worth the price. Were not talking a whole lot of $ here. Maybe a few bucks each. IMO they are a must have for c-rigging.

I agree that a realistic presentation is important but I dont think that the paint job plays a major role. Out of the top 5 all time most productive bass lures ever not one of them looks exactly, or in some cases even close to an actual living thing. I am thinking of things like jigs, curl tail worms, spoons, spinnerbaits, spooks, buzzbaits, flukes, rattle traps.... IMO, The most important aspects are the action of the bait, its presentation and its general color scheme. The fine details are for the fishermen. Nothing wrong with that, I have bought lures because I liked the looks of them more than their fish catching potential. Just overestimating the fish when we think they say "Whoa. Hold on a minute! thats not the right blue for a prespawn bluegill! And you call THAT a scale pattern??!!" ; ) They see thing. thing triggers a genetic response. they attack it. Again, I dont want to seem like I am bashing Live Target lures. They are great looking and from the one I have used, have good action. Whether you think theyre worth the $ is up to you. I use a $13 frog so I have no problem shelling out $ for nice stuff

It does thanks. I think any most stand up jigs, like shakey heads, eventually tip in the water. The pull of the line is enough to set it upright again. As long as you keep contact with the jig it should stay up. That and using the right bait. I usually use longer more slender plastics like the zoom trick worm. For flipping jigs, the line tie should keep the bait upright as long as it doesn't sit too long on slack line. It probably won't be sitting on the bottom too long anyway.

Good advice above. I would throw a frog any time of day though. Great anytime summer bait. Look for cover close to shore with quick access to deeper water. Throw a frog on all pads and matted grass. Drag a big ribbon tail worm along the edge of weeds and drop offs. Jerk a weightless super fluke across the tops of submerged weed beds. Structure and cover. Structure and cover. Struc...well, you get the point ; )

How many times do you use a stand up jig without a trailer?

Surprised the topic didn't get auto censored... Beavers are the hot trend lately. Check out the missile d bomb. How do you guys fish them? I only use them for flipping and pitching matted weeds. Curious as to other techniques that have proven effective.

A shakey head is just a stand up jig head with a soft plastic attached. I got into SH this year and it has become one of my go to techniques. I used to be a t rig guy but I will throw a shakey head over a t rig now. Like how the Jigs make the bait stand up in back.

agree with everyone who mentioned finesse fishing. When the fishing is tough I can always get at least a few dinks to bite a 4" roboworm on a drop shot. When they say "fish arent biting" what they mean is "Im not catching" Takes time and practice to be able to go out confident that you ARE going to catch fish that day. I fished a local lake 50 times this season before I could go out and catch bass every time.

I use 30lb power pro and have never broken off on anything. I fish frogs a LOT and throw them in some nasty lookin stuff. I have pulled a 16' aluminum boat in to a few trees with it and gotten my frog back. One of my favorite presentations is throwing it on shore and hopping it in. This is especially deadly when there is a steep drop off near shore and cover for the bass to hide. Bass will wait for frogs to jump in the water and nail them. I get hits as soon as the frog touches the water. I used to be a "frogs only work at dusk" guy. I thought of them as kind of a fun, gimmicky bait. That changed this season when I really gave it a chance and threw it at any place I would think a frog might be. It has been my #1 producer this year by far. I have a frog permanently tied on a rod and always bring it. I rarely fish frogs in open water and will usually throw it at some pads/grass twitch it a few times and reel in to throw at another target. From my experience, if it doesnt happen within the first 5 seconds, it aint gonna happen. Frogs are my #1 summertime bait in ponds or lakes with vegetation along the banks. Look for water that is at least 18" deep under the pads the deeper it is right next to the bank the better. There can be situations where the water gets too shallow to hold bass. Dip your rod in, if the water doesnt cover at least to the 4th guide, its probably too shallow and warm for a healthy bass population. If youre pond/lake has lily pads or weeds near a bank in water 2' or more and youre not catching bass on a frog, find a new hobby ; )

they are beautiful lures for sure but I have a hard time believing a fish really notices the difference between say a super fluke and a ultra realistic crankbait. Predatory fish like bass rely on ambush and dont really examine prey before they go for it. If it has the action of prey and gets into the "zone" they will hit it. How else could you explain the success of bubblegum colors and creature baits? I have no problem admitting that I buy lures because I like the design/craftsmanship that go into them. Im sure you could catch fish all day on a plain old spoon or some of those inexpensive creme plastics. Doesnt stop me from buying expensive lures though. There is a lot more to fishing than just catching fish for me. Otherwise I would get a big gill net or electroshock boat! ; )

plus one for lgmouths point about heavy cover. Youd be hard pressed to find a more weedless bait than a hollow body frog.

the o2 levels would affect aquatic life but plants dont use o2, rather sunlight via photosynthesis. (one thing i remember from biology class!!) They in turn, create oxygen. At least this is how I usnderstand it, might be different for water plants. Also, in shallow lakes I can see how the water could heat up but the lake I mentioned is a deep reservoir although with little water movement it makes sense that the weeds along the banks are dying. Excessive heat will kill some plants, maybe when the water temp gets to a certain level, the hydrilla cant handle it.... thanks for the replies. might have to do some googling to find out more.

the split shot rig is just a down sized version of the carolina rig right? I have heard people call the drop shot the split shot rig as well as a split shot about 18" up the line from a plastic. I have recently come to really like the carolina rig. I love how I can feel the bottom with flouro and a 3/8 tungsten bullet. With something to peg the weight you can switch from a c-rig to a t-rig in a second so it is very versatile. The shakey head is probably my favorite "new" technique. I had never used it but it has been very good to me this season and I am surprised at the quality of fish it produces for being a "finesse" technique. I dont use senkos so I dont use wacky rigs much except for on a drop shot and I dont DS much because I seem to catch all the dinks in the area where a C-rig would catch big fish. I like to throw a 10" ribbon tail worm weightless but I dont have the patience so I find myself using a small bullet weight to speed things up a bit.

I use them with no problem. At first I thought that the swivel would spook fish with what is really a "finesse" technique but that hasn't been the case. The line twist issue is greatly reduced wich makes me want to drop shot more. When drop shotting you dont set the hook per se, you just reel up and lift the tip of the rod. The hook is positioned in such a way that a hook set to the side will pull the hook from the fishes mouth but if you just reel quickly you will get a perfect hook set right in the upper jaw.

you can change hooks if the hooks are dull. If they are cheap I would toss them. I have no problem tossing old hard baits. Now if I could just thin out my collection of soft plastics....

if you dont feel bad about "catching" bass off beds I certainly wouldnt feel bad about some bluegill ; )

ps. try a drop shot.

WHAT?! Everyone knows you cant catch big bass on a drop shot!

Bass feed when they are hungry and will hit lures even when they arent. More than the bass, I would think about the things further down the food chain; the things bass eat and the things that those things eat. Overall I would say go fishing when you want. Dont get too caught up in the common beliefs on when bass feed or you will start to psych yourself out if the conditions arent perfect.