i fished this past weekend.  two cool, very cool things happened.  first i dislodged the biggest crayfish i have ever seen.  it jumped out of the weeds, swam about in circles and then went back into the weeds.  it looked like bug, twitching its tail like a swim fin.  there isnt a bait i know of that can provide that kinda of swimming action.  my big takeaway was, "dang, that thing is the brightest red!"   shortlly afterwards, after rigging up the bright red Rage Menace, we got into them, big time.  bass were keyed in on a crayon, cartoon red.  

 

second thing.  in shallow clear water, i saw a small frog kicking along underwater.  it would pause and then kick/swim away.  i lost it in the weeds.  i told my friend, we should texas rig a frog.  he said he has.  with success.  even a heavily weighted hook would drag a Zoom frog underwater.  not all frogs swim across duckweed mats.   i know a bass has eaten an underwater swimming frog.  

 

is this a thing?  a texas rigged frog?

I've never done this. On the lakes I fish, I see frogs only on the surface, hanging in thick moss or pads. When they move, they move very quickly!  It seems like a frog dawdling around under water, going for a swim, has signed his own death certificate.  He'd be an easy target.

Try a Rage Toad Texas rigged.

Just now, roadwarrior said:

Try a Rage Toad Texas rigged.

Yes.  And bowfin love them, too.

20 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Try a Rage Toad Texas rigged.

oh, i am doing this!!  that looks great.

 

i have the Zoom frogs, but they are very floaty.  1/8 oz and they suspend in my waters.  Kermit is going diving!!

I kind of doubt that a frog even looks like a frog to a fish, even more so underwater. 

 

What frog has a giant circular body with no front arms or distinguishable head? And I don't even think the "legs" on a frog look like legs or would move underwater like a frog that has legs kicking. I'm sure a bass will still bite it as they'll bite d**n near anything that looks alive. 

 

Not sure if you punch fish, but I like using frogs as the thicker body/legs holds up well.

My cousins boyfriend fishes toads underwater in FLA. It works 

There are a lot of creature baits with thick bodies and big flappers. 

I think A jig with a craw trailer that has some action looks a lot like a small frog swimming under water. 

8 minutes ago, Derek1 said:

I think A jig with a craw trailer that has some action looks a lot like a small frog swimming under water. 

good point.  

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

oh, i am doing this!!  that looks great.

 

i have the Zoom frogs, but they are very floaty.  1/8 oz and they suspend in my waters.  Kermit is going diving!!

 

Zoom horny toad and a 1/2 ounce jighead with weedguard looks great underwater.  My last tore up toad has gotten that treatment, but I haven't fished it yet.  

I had a hollow frog that was torn up by a pike.  It would fill with water quickly and sink.  It worked well on bass until another pike finished it off. 

Now that you mention it, I think this could be part of why my 1/8oz Texas-rigged Zoom UV Speed Craw was getting slammed yesterday afternoon in a small pond. Frogs are one of the primary forage species, there (need to toss some bluegill in there). I was slowly swimming it with a regular twitch—not dragging it on the bottom “traditional” Texas style.

Larry Dalhberg frog can swim under water. It’s a hard body frog with a lip/weed guard and soft legs 

Got one years ago.  Looks cool in the water.  I have tossed it a few times...  But I have never heard of anyone actually catching a fish with one.

 

Yep. Toads t-rigged. Or c-rigged. 

4 hours ago, Choporoz said:

Got one in LTB or MTB years ago.  Looks cool in the water.  I have tossed it a few times...  But I have never heard of anyone actually catching a fish with one.

 

I bought one or 2 but never really thrown them

Probably not exactly what you're talking about but if I have an area with a lot of pads or vegetation with open water pockets where I might normally throw a frog I sometimes rig a toad on a VMC Drop Dead Hook.  For the most part it's a topwater presentation but the weighted hook will allow those toads to sink in those open water pockets.  Caught many bass that way.

 

47 minutes ago, Jaderose said:

Probably not exactly what you're talking about but if I have an area with a lot of pads or vegetation with open water pockets where I might normally throw a frog I sometimes rig a toad on a VMC Drop Dead Hook.  For the most part it's a topwater presentation but the weighted hook will allow those toads to sink in those open water pockets.  Caught many bass that way.

 

what toad is that?  that is pretty slender.

 

EDIT.  zoom toad.  got it.