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Froggin' Problem

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This past weekend I was out for 9 hours Sunday..... after trail and error I final got a solid pattern down.  The bass were back in Bays feeding on the bluegill spawning, I was throwing a BPS Humping Toad on a 4/0 Wide Gap VMC Fast Grip Hook.  I was having strikes every 5 cast (some were bluegill but I did not count them) I caught two bass.

Every time I set the hook I just jerked the bait right back at the boat, so I tried waiting to set the hook and this did not work either all it did was keep the hook from coming at my face.

I should have caught 55 bass, I could see them hit and swim away on some occasion and it was AWFUL!!!!!  I was wondering if you guys could help this weekend will be the same weather and I feel that this pattern will work again, but not my question is; What am I doing wrong, do you guys having any advice, hooks, hook-set..... I will take any advice

Sorry for this being so long but I appreciate all the help I can Get Thank you and

GOD BLESS

The only 2 things that come to mind are downsize and trailer hook.

You could try bending the hook points to open them up a bit. The frogs will not be as weedless, but your hookup ratio will get better.

  • Super User

Mid to late Saturday afternoon I had 2 bass on 5 or 6 frog strikes.   Early Sunday morning I had 6 fish on 7 or 8 strikes.  Mid-day Monday, I had zero hook-ups on over a dozen strikes.  Same frog, same rod/reel/line.  Checked hook shapes and points.  All good.  I just think that during different periods, the bass hit the frog a little differently.  Sort of a more tentative- feeler hit during higher sun.  When feeding aggressively at dawn, I couldn't keep them off the hook.

 

I know this doesn't help you too much, but keep doing what your doing and you'll start hooking them.  Sometimes, I think the fish just slap the frog in such a way that hooking just isn't happening.

  • Super User

This past weekend I was out for 9 hours Sunday..... after trail and error I final got a solid pattern down.  The bass were back in Bays feeding on the bluegill spawning, I was throwing a BPS Humping Toad on a 4/0 Wide Gap VMC Fast Grip Hook.  I was having strikes every 5 cast (some were bluegill but I did not count them) I caught two bass.

Every time I set the hook I just jerked the bait right back at the boat, so I tried waiting to set the hook and this did not work either all it did was keep the hook from coming at my face.

I should have caught 55 bass, I could see them hit and swim away on some occasion and it was AWFUL!!!!!  I was wondering if you guys could help this weekend will be the same weather and I feel that this pattern will work again, but not my question is; What am I doing wrong, do you guys having any advice, hooks, hook-set..... I will take any advice

Sorry for this being so long but I appreciate all the help I can Get Thank you and

GOD BLESS

 

You identified they were hitting topwater moving baits, maybe switch up the bait a bit. Instead of a buzzing frog try a Zoom u-vibe worm. Spook, and fluke also come to mind. Or also slow it down and try a hollow body frof that stay in the strike zone a lot longer than a buzzing frog. Just my.02

  • Super User

You identified they were hitting topwater moving baits, maybe switch up the bait a bit. Instead of a buzzing frog try a Zoom u-vibe worm. Spook, and fluke also come to mind. Or also slow it down and try a hollow body frof that stay in the strike zone a lot longer than a buzzing frog. Just my.02

Yep... What he said, except spook.. Assuming heavier vegetation

  • Super User

Yep... What he said, except spook.. Assuming heavier vegetation

That's true, the OP, didn't mention vegetation so I assumed the area was clear. 

  • Author

Yeah there is extreme vegetation, so I need weedless

  • Author

You identified they were hitting topwater moving baits, maybe switch up the bait a bit. Instead of a buzzing frog try a Zoom u-vibe worm. Spook, and fluke also come to mind. Or also slow it down and try a hollow body frof that stay in the strike zone a lot longer than a buzzing frog. Just my.02

This was a lot of help thank you, I will try that this weekend 

  • Super User

Yeah there is extreme vegetation, so I need weedless

Lol... minus the spook comment. 

I assume yer using braid and are using a rod with good backbone?

  • Global Moderator

Sometimes a bass will just try to stun it instead of chopping down on it.

When that happens you wont catch em because when they do that their mouth is closed.

Ever see a bass come completely out of the water and leap frog the frog and end up on the other side without ever touching it??

That my friend will want you call home to Mama! ;)

Mike

Get your hands on some Uncle Josh Sizmic Toad Jr. baits, you can still find them on overstock or eBay... They are topwater frog baits that are shorter (3.25inches) and slimmer than the usually bulkier baits.  When the fish are just playing with the frogs instead of hitting them hard, I've found downsizing to this little frog will help a lot. 

  • Super User

Throw a weightless stick bait back at the fish.

The one thing I have found to improve hookup on topwater is to change the rod angle on your set. a sharp sideways hookset seems to work better (for me) than my normal upward sweep.  Not sure why, and I dont spend much time wondering, it just works, so I do it.

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