Frog Fishing Commitment
 

I was thinking of taking a full day with my frogs and just seeing what I can get. Has anyone ever tried going a whole day with just topwater frogs. Share some stories!

Not afull day//but I won the tournament here last year using that lure..It's my most consistent BIG BASS lure..but eventually the bass will get used to it..

I have tried nothing but a spinnerbait once before though and was amazed..that works to..along islands and shorelines..But when I come across hydrilla flats..Mr. Horny Toad goes to work.{ -; ..and usually catches big mama

I have never caught a frog fish because I give up on it to early which I know I shouldn't do. I have done the spinnerbait thing. Till about 1 and a half years ago I stayed away from the hydrilla. I just really want to get that frog bass I just need the commitment.

If i had one lure to fish OUR situation EAST SIDE..it would be the frog.{ Horny Toad}.WHEN they are biting...

When not biting...pitching a rubber worm or chucking a spinnerbait.

and when the tourny is looking helpless...a wild shiner..LOL
:)

Zack...

If you are fising Horny Toads let me give you some advice that has helped me land bass..I hope it works for you..

. The bass will boil up big time on those frogs.DO NOT set the hook right away..you will be tempted but don't...treat the frog as it were a rubber worm..the bass will inhale the frog and run..reel in the slack and set the hook good...I wait 2 full seconds ..and set the hook with a 7 foot medium rod..I do use 20 pound braid when fishing frogs because of the thick hydrilla..I use a medium rod to help absorb some of the shock.on the hook set...because I've been broken off alot on hook sets.With the medium rods I don't break off.


I don't miss alot of frog bass...and frog bass tend to run much bigger than all the other lures..Topwater for some reason attracts bigger fish..

This is also a great lure in lily pads..The lighter colored toads seem to float better but the frogs do sink..so ya got to keep them moving..splash splash pause....splash splash pause...etc.etc...usually on the pause you get attacked..nothing like top water..{ -;

I introduced my son Matt last year to the Horny Toad..this was his first fish..little over 5 pounds..he's
hooked. thiis is a pit at Carlton Palmor by the Mall.

good way to build confidence in a lure, i have done it bunches of times with baits that i'd rather not utilize, but if the fish like it, well got to go with what works....

that said, 'd rather take a beating than fish finese fishing, but it has its time and place....

the frog will catch'em...but don't rule out other top-water baits that have a history of catching big fish, like a spook (pop-r, buzzbait) :s4:, try not to get hung up on one bait...

I know plenty of people that have done it, they often have two to three good fish in a sack from the early morning bite, but if your in a tourney, a solid string of keepers will beat the two to three big fish 9 times out of 10. Just use it til you build your confidence on it, and keep switching up the retrieve, they bite them subsurface as well.

LOL Brent..you are correct..My son fishes from time to time with Jay..Jay has fished many serious tournaments and won money.and is constantly SWITCHING lures Matt said..AND CONSTANTLY catches fish..even when he catches a fish on a lure he still changes.Jay's favorite lure is the fluke..I fished against jay once oin the East SIde Zach and lost by 10 ounces ] -; ..He's not bad..

Zack ..some other top water lures that worked for me on the East SIde were
Rapala Floaters Gold and black back
Torpedoes
Those new jointed rubber baits..20.00 a piece..found one in a tree..


But still because of the weedless effect...my favorite is Horny Toad

I also agree with MT..a good way to build confidence in a lure..I tried this once with a spinner bait..I brought nothing but 2 or 3 spinnerbaits to the EAST SIDE and boated 8 nice tournament sized bass..I fished real close to islands..

When I first came to Florida I had never caught a fish on a rubber worm..I tried fishing nothing but a worm..and now I like rubber worms.


I've even tried Shiners before LOL nothing but shiners.LOL


and then MTHands introduced me to the jig..and I went out one day and used nothing but the jig..I was impressed with the BIG BASS that hit the jig..FACT I lost a monster last year that straightened my hook some
..not alot of bites though

Last year I tried noting but the fluke..not to shabby but smaller fish.

Last of all..last year there was alot of talk about crankbaits..I went to Tenoroc Zack and used nothing but deep diving crankbaits.,.not to bad but my arm was sorelol and good chunky bass..and lost a HORSE at Tenoroc on a deep diving Rapala

The Horny Toad is great. After Chuck's success with it early on last year, I decided to try it and havent looked back since. They are great lures that can be fished many different ways. In my area, they prefer a subsurface retrieve where it creates a bulge on the surface without actually breaking the surface. Pull, Pull, Pause is the name of the game. Fishing it all day once is a great way to learn a bait, but its also a great way to learn too hate a bait. Make sure you go on a potentially good day, not a generaly accepted bad day such as a blue bird sky right after a 2 day storm. It's sometimes hard to catch anything on those days, and using a new lure and catching nothing all day will quickly leave a bad taste in your mouth for that lure. My best luck with the horny toad was usually about mid day, around 12-2, in the dead middle of the summer, throwing close the bank and coming through the nasty stuff with it. I had decent luck at night, but for some reason, my larger catches where ruing the middle of the day.

Thanks for all of the great tips guys.

Zack,
I'm off tomorrow..I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow at 10:15..like most hunters I'm a morning person.I plan to be at our spot at 6:30 AM..

Jay,Matt's friend got alot of spawning fish at a pit beside the Lakeland Mall last night..Full moon is about next Wed..so partner..from here to Wed..we need to fish as much as possible..I'll keep you updated if I find fish..I tried Lake Ariana last Sat..TOO MANY BOATERS...I put in at Mac's beach..looks very fishy with Kissimmee grass everywhere but I lost count of the boats..

If I strike out Thurs.and Friday..I'll hit Tenoroc Sat...Lake Fish Hook.

Im going friday after I get out of school. I hope to get on some good fish.

East or West?

I'll be in the water at 6:00 PM Friday..East Side

Probably east side

Magor feeding time is about 8:00 PM the next 2 evenings..we may do good..
I'll c ya tomorrow..

you are correct Zack..they are beginning to spawn..and you are correct ..hydrilla is a serioius problem..what looks like 3 foot deep shore line is actually 10 foot deep..very difficult to fish...I'll start taking one extra rod..7 footer with braid with either heavy jig or heavy bullet/worm to break through the hydrilla//

I fished East side for 2 hours this morning before my doctor's apointment..I caught one fat female where I saw you last..and missed a real good one about 300 yds north of there..the fish tricked me..I thought it was at 12:00 and it swam hard right toward me..causing magor slack in my rod..acted like a very good fish..I also saw a decent fish swimming and about 6 break the surface..so ..they are beginnning to show life..

i forgot about full moon coming up, should be REAL nice fishing from now till then, good luck guys!

yes sir..I keep up on the moon phases but appreciate the remind anyways[-;

Zack...I'm leaving to return to the East Side..I'll be at the far north end of the East Side..there are fish there..I'm rigged with a heavier bullet to penetrate the vegetation...plan to stay till dark..I'm also putting my boat in there...kind of steep but thankful for 4 wheel drive..

Doctor put me on a diet today..He said, "Keep eatting what you've been eattin but only 50%." so I plan to fish more and eat later to keep from snacking.

Tight Lines and sweet fellowship with OUR Savior,
Chuck7

What did you catch that one fish on. Anyway I'll be out there tomorrow.

I got 4 more tonight including the one that got away..She was 3 1/2 pounds 20 inches..see pic below..
They were all caught on a 7 inch Gambler Christmas Tree worm { Purple with metal flake}
and 1/4 ounce bullet ...caught in 8-10 foot deep

Good job man I need to learn how to get these bedded bass to bite.

I saw no bedded bass,,,they like to bed in sand..I think since the shoreline is so think with hydrilla..they are in deeper water where the sand is..the only shoreline fish I saw were tilapia and gar..bass were busting some..I got a bass on the 2nd cast..

I guess you just got to punch down through hydrilla with a worm or tube.

I simply positioned my boat about 10 foot off the shore and kept casting straight ahead keeping my worm in 8 foot deep..The heavier sinker makes fishing faster as it sinks much quicker than a split shot..and the heavy sinker causes more commotion..the bullet is black from the store and I had glass rattles enbedded in the worm as well..2 of the fish were suspended and attacked the worm on the fall..I was using 20 pound Power Pro and a stiff medium heavy 7 foot Lightning Rod with 3/0 mustad stright shank worm hook..none were lost as I stayed with my new technique..LOL {Treat every fish as if it's a 5 pounder and set the hook accordingly}anything less..and the bass will shake lose.

I'll be out there Sat..

I also tried...SPinnerbaits, frog and jig to no advail...only a thick 7" rubber worm got them excited...the worm is a ribbon tail

thats sounds good to me man. Congrats again on the fish

Thanks Partner..I'll get on Goggle and send a map where I caught the fish.

Thanks man I'd appreciate that.

This is an old map from last year...the fresh yellow spots are where I caught the 4 today.

Chuck where the three vertical dots are thats where I was fishing trying to get the bedded bass in the back of the cove last weekend.

The yellow dot closed to the 6 pound pin..is where I caught the 3 1/2 just off the hydrilla covered rock bar..the bass are finding sand off the islands in the middle of where ever else..This weekend should be ok...but with all that cover..takes alot of bumping and patience until they begin hitting top water..The yellow dot to the left is on an island my friend surrounded by 12 deep water..got alot of good fish off that island.Few people realize there is an island out there..they drive right over it..

Here ya go..this ones perfect..

great maps man

Thanks partner,
Good night..{ -; 5:00 AM comes fast..

C7

Hey Zack..I plan to fish a private lake with Matt tomorrow..{ -;
where they've been busting on Frogs.

Hey at saddle creek today I caught three 2 were 1 pounders and another 2 1/2 pounder. One on spinner bait, rattle trap, and worm. I had to other bites but didn't get them.

AWESOME man..they are getting turned on..I plan to be there tomorrow morning.I'm backing out fishing at Matt;s private lake..It's a long boat carry and my back is not up to it..I should be at the East SIde tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM..

Did ya get any pics..???

I would have but when I went to take the picture my memory card was full so I didn't get any.

I did that once and forgot I could have used my cell phone ] -;

Fish were off this morning Zack..but I went 3 for 3 Here's my best ..an 18 inch 3 pounder..
NOte the hydrilla in her mouth....She went down about 3 foot in weeds..and we both just waited..I trusted the braid and began hoisting her out..LOL