Topwater Frogs

[riverkid21]

I am wondering what sort of hook set-up people use when throwing soft plastic topwater frogs. I often throw the Zoom Horny Toads and have a lot of success with them, but I can never get them to run correctly in the water. I buy the Zoom hooks that you can screw the frog into and then hook weedless. The frog always ends up running upside down it seems though. Most of the time the fish will still strike at the lure but it affects the number of fish that I end up actually hooking. Maybe I should be throwing a different hook? Or entirely different frog? The topwater bite is starting to turn on so I'm looking for help!

[KTapper]

Just buy some scum frogs! the popper style I love those things!

[delmuts]

I use the berkley ones ALOT, and have the same problem. What size and style hook are you useing? I prefer a gama 5/0 heavy wide gap hook. I just bought that are keel weighted.( 1/16 and 1/8 oz.) these should help too. Some of the time it is caused by reeling the frog just a little to fast. For some reason was having better luck rigging the frog upside down with one package.( Don't ask me! )

[EBass]

Um you could try a weighted hook, but the ribbits will flip upside down on me to.

[SStracker]

I like the Spro frogs a lot but i usually trim the tails down some.... not to mention they are pretty pricey.

[JimBuck]

I have yet to find a frog that I really like. Most of mine either flip over or fill up with water. A buddy of mine has the Spro's and they look nice...I might have to give those a whirl. Love frog fishing though.

[ShoreGuy1984]

I have a couple Spro's and I like them. They always stay up right and do not fill up with water very much, although there is one Spro that I own that likes to fill up with water, which I can not figure out why. When it fills up, all I have to do is sqeeze it inbetween my fingers and the water squirts out. I question using frogs sometimes, since I have never caught a bass on one in my life. Maybe I am using them wrong.

[riverkid21]

I use the 5/0 Zoom Horny Toad Hook. It is an interesting hook, supposedly made specifically for the frogs. I have a spro frog, but those aren't what I'm talking about. I can work those fine, I'm talking about the soft plastic frogs you have to rig yourself. Maybe I need to switch frog brands or something? Any other ideas?

Shoreguy - I'd recommend trying out the soft plastic frogs, they fish a lot different than the spro frogs and are deadly. A guide in Florida first showed them to me about 3 years ago and I have been fishing them ever since.

[EBass]

I know what you're talking about - same deal as the Ribbits. They are a solid plastic frog that have kicker legs and act like a weedless buzzbait. They can be awesome when the bass are on the chew and want to chase.

As far as them flipping over when retrieving, I get that too. Kinda irks me. I haven't tried a weighted hook yet, but I think that would give it that lil extra balance to keep it upright.

Spro frogs are great too, but $9! I got a brand new spro and that fills up with water. I was thinking of a putting some foam (left over hunks from ice buster bobbers) in there to help eliminate the water or help the bouyance (I spelled that way wrong)

[delmuts]

I had to look. I use the berkley bat wing frogs. I have beat up guys badly from the back of thier boats using these! Will be trying one of the keel weighted hooks in the morning. I'll let you know!

[OTBASSER]

Just buy some scum frogs! the popper style I love those things!

scum frogs all the way man.....I love the trophy series and also the walking bassrat that they make.

[Gunner54]

When using a Horny Toad, or any of the other plastic toads/frogs, try stopping your retreive for just a second if it's running upside down. During the pause, the toad will generally right itself (if it's not resting on weeds or pads).

When you re-start the retrieve, the toad should be running correctly.

If that doesn't work, try starting the hook slightly higher on the toad's nose, more on the top instead of straight on.

Another lure that has very nice top water action and seems to work here (Panhandle of Florida), is a Rage Shad, by Strike King. It doesn't have the rolling over problem. It's one draw back is that the material is soft and the tail breaks easily.

[Reid G]

Try the RI swamp donkey, Kanji frog, and sumo frog too. For soft, I like the SK rage toad. I haven't had any problems with them running true.

[Infishquinn]

I have tried a wide variety of the soft plastic frogs, and my best producers are the ribbit and berkley bat wing. The rage shad is deadly as well, not a frog, but frog-like on the water. I use Excaliber X3 hooks, 3/0 or 4/0, depending on the size of the frog. If you rig them very precisely in the middle with those hooks, you won't have much to worry about. Those hooks are hands down my favorite, for everything. Price wise they are affordable, and strength wise, you can't beat it. I set the hook extremely hard and have a significant amount of weight behind my hook set, and I have never come close to bending one out.

[riverkid21]

I will have to check some of these other frogs out. Thanks for all the info. I'll let you know how it goes.

[JesseParker1]

When is the best time to throw the frog?

[74mph]

I'm going to answer that and not answer at the same time. I usually tend to throw frogs during mid and late season late july and august primarily.

My question is it worth throwing a frog now, Early / Mid June? Or would that be a time waster???

[JesseParker1]

That is what I am wondering as well.

[riverkid21]

I've found frogs to be deadly this time of year. I look for new reeds/pads that are just emerging and throw the frogs there. Best luck is in the reeds. Most of the lakes that I fish have lots of reed lines so it is a great choice and definitely worth it this time of year. Later in the year when its hot I throw the frogs in the evening. They work all day now however, and they are really fun to fish with. If the sun is out - throw the frogs.

[Griggs]

I haven't fished with frogs much, but I do own a couple. I had a 3 lber blow up and just destroy it. It was a nice fish but its attitude was even better. Needless to say I will be using a frog some more this spring!

[st.crioxfishin]

Now is a great time to throw frogs. With a lot of the fish in the post spawn the topwater bite should pick up and some of the females that are still lingering in the shallows are willing to come up and eat a frog. A frog will also emulate a sunfish this time of year when you throw them around their honeycomb spawning areas. However, I will argue that this is not the best time of the year to throw frogs. In my opinion the best frog bite is in the fall when most of the frogs are beggining to migrate back into the lakes to hibernate for the winter.

[delmuts]

frogs were working well last friday for us! I threw a typical frog with the strands for legs into the really thick stuff, while the other guy threw a paddle tail type in the openings, and on the outside edges.

[Infishquinn]

I've found that frogs can be a great pattern from opening day and into the fall, just totally depends on the day. I've done great on hot, calm, sunny days, and also on cool, windy, rainy days throughout the whole season. Typically on cold front days and from mid to late fall it shuts down. But like St.Croixfishin said, there is a definite fall bite with them too. It's something I check every day I go out. Fish never completely obey their handbook, I've seen too many off-the-wall things outfish everything else to consider anything a waste of time.

[tomer629]

I have been having great luck latey with zoom horny toads. I just use a 5/0 EWG offset hook. I have tried the horny toad hooks, but I can rig them to run straight and upright much better by just using the normal offset hooks.

[bonefish]

For me, Frogs are more a factor of time of day and temperature, than time of year. I've had luck all year in the morning and/or on very warm and sunny days when lilly pads are providing shade.