Anglers should jump at artificial frog lures
By midsummer weed-choked shallows, such as those on Venango County's Kahle Lake, feature matted canopies that provide largemouth bass with significant overhead cover.
On the short list of lures well-suited at triggering bites from such places is the artificial frog.
Following an explosive strike and the landing of a fat Kahle largemouth, I asked my frequent fishing partner, Dave Lehman, how long he'd been using frogs.
"I started fishing a frog back in the 1960s and '70s," Lehman said. "Back then, we used a Bill Plummer frog. It worked great on the Susquehanna Flats area near Havre De Grace (Md.). And on trips to Canada, where the largemouth lakes were rimmed with lily pads, the frog was a great bait."
Like many bass anglers, Lehman's interest in frog fishing was revived when touring bass pro Dean Rojas popularized the bait. As is often the case, a bait's popularity on the bass-fishing tours ensures an influx of many models.
"Some of the largest bass in the lake are buried in the slop during the summer," said Deron Eck, a skilled bass angler who fishes many state and regional events. "And besides matted weeds, frogs can be used in floating weeds like lily pads. They are a great skipping bait for working back under overhanging trees, and under boat docks."
A wide variety of frogs are available. Some are of a hollow body design, such as Spro's Bronzeye. Others are solid, like Zoom's Horny Toad. Both can be fished on the surface.
Solid body versions also can be used as trailers on jig-type lures and fished subsurface. Hollow body frogs compress during the strike, which exposes the hooks. Many solid body frogs incorporate a slot for the hook to ensure the best positioning for solid hookups.
"Frogs are one of the most exciting, heart-pounding ways to catch bass," said Eck, who prefers hot, humid days for using frog fishing tactics. "Some days you can actually hear bass feeding in the shallow slop weeds. You can hear the slurping sounds of insects being eaten."
Frogs can be worked in a variety of ways. Lehman sees frog fishing as a bait of opportunity. If he's working along the deep edge of the weeds, pitching a skirted jig or plastic worm, and comes upon a section of matted weeds, he'll pick up the frog rod.
"I like weed mats with a few holes in them," Lehman said. "I make casts that pull the frog over the openings, looking for a reaction bite."
Eck will fish the bait over a solid mat of weeds. He said even if the fish miss the bait on the initial strike, they are prime for taking on a follow-up cast.
"Bass that exploded on the bait the first time will leave a hole in the vegetation," he noted. "Make a cast back to that hole and you'll almost always get another strike."
Frog fishing is a very visual deal and strikes tend to be explosive, so there's a natural inclination to set the hook on the strike.
But since bass often miss the bait on the initial try, doing so often will pull the lure away from the fish. Successful froggers wait until they know the fish has the lure before slamming home the hook, either by feeling the weight of the fish or by seeing the frog disappear.
Stout tackle is needed to pull a bass out of thick weeds. Eck prefers a heavy action 7- or 7½-foot baitcasting rod with a high-speed retrieve reel. The fast pickup of the reel assists in getting the fish quickly out of the cover.
