By Paul Tyre
On lakes where there is a lot of aquatic vegetation, such as hydrilla, lily pads, reeds, etc., the bass depend on it for cover and prey. With all of this cover, there is an excellent opportunity for catching big bass on hollow body frogs.
Using the right equipment is essential for hooking and landing big bass out of heavy vegetation. When choosing a rod-and-reel setup, a rod with a soft tip and a lot of backbone in lengths of 7’2” to 7’4” is a must. Sixty-five pound braided line on an Abu Garcia Revo STX high-speed reel is essential for pulling the big bass out of the thick cover.
It seems like every lure company has a hollow-body frog in their lineup and every color in the rainbow. I prefer the more natural colors in browns, greens and blacks, and in clear water, when the bass are keying in on the edges of cover more, a translucent, almost see-through frog.
The two types of frogs I have been most successful with are the popping frogs and the hopping frogs. The popping frog is designed with a concave mouth that generates an attention-grabbing and enticing chug. Some baits that I have found that work well in this style of frog are a Strike King Popping Perch and the Booyah Poppin’ Pad Crasher. These styles work really well during the postspawn, when the bass are starting to guard their fry and can really generate some explosive strikes.
The popping frogs work well when fishing course pad fields where you need to pull the bass to the bait by popping the frog to generate a loud chugging sound. Give the bait a pause of three to five seconds to allow the bass time to come to the bait.
The hopping frogs have a pointed nose that is more subtle and can be fished faster. By twitching the rod tip, you can make it move faster to generate a more explosive bite. This works well when the bass are more aggressive. The bait can be worked quickly and efficiently to cover more water. My favorite hopping frog is a Strike King KVD Sexy Frog in tiger color. You can cast it a long way, and the quality Gamakatsu hook in this frog is second to none.
Give frogging a try this summer. Remember to be patient. The explosive strikes are well worth the wait.
For an awesome frogging adventure on Lake Seminole, call Paul at 850-264-7534 or email paultyrefishing@yahoo.com. He is based at Wingate’s Lunker Lodge. They have cabins, rooms and campsites on Lake Seminole.