Hollow Body Frog "niche" Guys- A ? Or Two 2024
Hooligan reply :
#1 Why a hollowbody frog? Explain it to me. I don't get the attraction of it at all. I mean, I've caught some big frog fish, but Lord is it boring to me.
#2 Honest to goodness hookup rates. I'm curious. I know what mine is, I know what the vast majority of very good frog fishermen consider their optimum catch rate. What's yours?
tomustang reply :
I didn't like my hook up ratio so I switched to soft plastic frogs texas rigged, preferably the stanley ribbits
Even the video I seen with dean rojas where he was showing them off missed more hook ups that catches.
WhiteMike1018 reply :
I havent been able to frog hollow body style with any success around non-lilly padded areas liuke rojas does. I also need to work on my walk the frog skills. Watching rojas walk the frog gets me really pumped about fishing them though. Hes pretty incredible.
That being said...Iv'e lost a lot of fish on frogs my hookup ratio thus far is probably about 30%.
Mike2841 reply :
I like the frogs because they are weedless and I can throw them anywhere.
As far as hook up ratio mine is pretty high, although they don't always take the bait. For every bass that actually eats the frog, another just smacks it out of the water or just completely misses the bait
BuckMaxx reply :
I can't understand how you can thing frog fishing is boring. It is anything but IMO. I fish a frog because I can fish areas I could not effectively fish with any other bait. I would say my hookup ratio is close to 80 percent but you have to be PATIENT and not rip at the sight of a boil. Think of it as topwater "jig" fishing. Once you get a blow up you have to reel down and wait to feel them. A blow up you have to wait... a slurp you can pretty much plan on rippin em. I lost a HUGE bass last year during a tournament because she caught me offgaurd when she blew up on it. I reaction jerked and pulled it away from her.
Bassintheweeds reply :
On 2/13/2014 at 1:07 PM, Hooligan said:#1 Why a hollowbody frog? Explain it to me. I don't get the attraction of it at all. I mean, I've caught some big frog fish, but Lord is it boring to me.
#2 Honest to goodness hookup rates. I'm curious. I know what mine is, I know what the vast majority of very good frog fishermen consider their optimum catch rate. What's yours?
Why a hollow body? I use them because I can let them sit and you can throw them in much nastier cover than soft plastic frogs. If its boring you may be doing it wrong.
Depends on the frog and situation, but I would be willing to say on a good day its around 75% but I fish my frogs very slow compared to most people. Not to say its not lower alot of the time. Some of my biggest bags have been frog fishing.
Because I can, 14 pounds and 4th out of 35 boats (all caught frog fishing)
Drewski73 reply :
I fish frogs because its fun! Big bass eat frogs. Period.
On a great day hookup ratio is probably 8 out of 10. On a bad day 5 out of 10. Ive had days where I go 5 for 5 and days where I go 2 for 5. The more I fish it the better I get at waiting.
I also fish frogs sloooowly.
MarkH024 reply :
I love frog fishing. I have 100% confidence in throwing frogs and it's probably one of my strongest techniques if not the strongest. The blow ups out of the thick vegetation just never gets old to me. It could be a 2lber or a 6lber and it's all the same excitement. There is no way I can accurately say an exact hook up percentage but I would say it's over 80%. That's 4 of 5 bass on a frog I land that actually take the bait in their mouth. I'm not counting the smacks when they don't bite it. I have gotten to the point that I can tell whether a bass or a pike just swatted at my lure just by the sound difference it makes. My home lake is heavily vegetated and I frog fish from May- end of October every year. I can't see it ever getting old to me.
jhoffman reply :
Your hookup rate will go way up if you can control your emotions. When they hit it, you HAVE to let the rod load before setting the hook.
Hooligan reply :
I'm not going to challenge you on an 80% hookup rate, but that's pretty incredible. It isn't about controlling emotions or waiting for the rod to load for me, it's not about waiting to set the hook, or setting the hook sooner, either. I've just seen so many fish, not only me but the guys I fish with and against, come unpinned mid-retrieve. I would venture that overall, the best frog guys I know are at about 30-35% landed to strike ratio, if it's even that good.
I say it's boring because it just isn't the most productive technique, I don't fish for strikes. I fish for landed fish. I Co-anglered for a gy last year that was frogging and he lost close to 90% of his fish just because of the way they were striking. I caught almost every one of those fish behind him on a swimjig or a senko.
I don't understand the attraction of it, I guess. Then again, I'm not all that enthusiastic about topwater on the whole. Most of the time, there are techniques that will catch better quality fish in the same area as fish that are hititng topwater baits. There are, of course, exceptions like spawn and post spawn when big females will smash a Shell Cracker or a Wakebait.
Anyhow, that's the way I see it. I just don't get the love of frogs.
MarkH024 reply :
On 2/13/2014 at 10:11 PM, Hooligan said:I'm not going to challenge you on an 80% hookup rate, but that's pretty incredible. It isn't about controlling emotions or waiting for the rod to load for me, it's not about waiting to set the hook, or setting the hook sooner, either. I've just seen so many fish, not only me but the guys I fish with and against, come unpinned mid-retrieve. I would venture that overall, the best frog guys I know are at about 30-35% landed to strike ratio, if it's even that good.
I say it's boring because it just isn't the most productive technique, I don't fish for strikes. I fish for landed fish. I Co-anglered for a gy last year that was frogging and he lost close to 90% of his fish just because of the way they were striking. I caught almost every one of those fish behind him on a swimjig or a senko.
I don't understand the attraction of it, I guess. Then again, I'm not all that enthusiastic about topwater on the whole. Most of the time, there are techniques that will catch better quality fish in the same area as fish that are hititng topwater baits. There are, of course, exceptions like spawn and post spawn when big females will smash a Shell Cracker or a Wakebait.
Anyhow, that's the way I see it. I just don't get the love of frogs.
I mean no insult, but that is 1.5 fish to every 5. That is terrible hook up ratio if that is the actual numbers and well quite frankly your best frog guys are not doing something right. If someone is losing that many bass on frogs that actually take them in then there is something definitely wrong in the equation. Bad hooks, equipment not suited, or poor technique. If you're fishing with the right gear and a good frog you should be closer to the 50% mark. I've watched a number of guys in my boat fish frogs and some people just don't get it. Some work too fast. Some are too slow. More times than not, it's not having the right tools to do the job. Rod/line/quality frogs etc..
I understand that you get bored with it or it doesn't appeal to you but I have the same feeling towards fishing senkos or bullet t-rig plastics. I hate it. Even the bites on them don't excite me the same way. So, different strokes for different folks. I totally see where you're coming from. I truly think that if you were in the boat with someone who is well rounded with a frog, it might change your view. I would give that same scenario to myself with someone who is magical with senkos or t-rigs. I'm not, so therefor I hardly throw them even when I know they catch fish.
Drewski73 reply :
If youre losing fish "mid-retrieve", somethings wrong with either your rod, (not fast enough) your line, (not braid) or your hookset (not hard enough). I lose less hooked fish on a frog than anything else I throw. Its got a massive double hook on it, how does it come out?
Hooligan reply :
Not to argue with you, but even Dean Rojas says he's about 35% strike to land ratio on frogs. Ish says he's sub 40%. Equipment wise, that's not an issue, either. I fish SPRO and Swamp Donkey's and Bobby's Perfect frog, 50lb braid or 25lb CXX in open water, Crucial, Cumara, and Loomis sticks. It's not an equipment issue at all. (These are some of the best Everstart and FLW guys in the Midwest, too. Including one that's been invited to fish FLW tour three times, and declined, in order to stay closer to home...but I digress.)
I find a large disparity in numbers here.
I've fished with guys that are well rounded with frogs, including a couple of the best in the business, and some of the experience I have comes from them. Some of the numbers come from them. I had a guy in TX fishing with me that is an extremely well known junkman that caught well under 1 in 5 strike to land.
MarkH024 reply :
Are you counting just any blow up on the frog as part of the percentage? Or only strikes that actually taken in by the fish where the frog disappears under water? I mean if you refer to the percentages of all strikes on a Hollowbody frog then yes for sure the numbers would be well under 50%. I will get fish to slam the frog but don't actually eat it. They will smack it with their face or body to stun the prey (frog) and usually come back to eat it. This is not uncommon. Those kinds of blow ups I'll let the frog sit there and just twitch it barely and more times than not they come back to eat it. I would find it really hard to believe those numbers for Ish/Rojas if they actually set the hook on a fish and lost 60-75% of their hook ups.
My numbers were referencing actual strikes where my frog disappears (in the mouth) hooked up and landed in the boat. I was not including strikes that were missed by the fish. Sorry if there was confusion.
BuckMaxx reply :
If someone is down at 30-35% they are doing something wrong. Most likely not being patient enough and setting on the blow up. For gear I use a Fenwick MHX musky rod high speed diawa reel and 65 lb braid.When you get em up, outta the slop you hold your rod out the the side and just keep reeling. My guess is guys are holding their rod too high and they are throwing the bait.
Teal reply :
I'm with Hooligan somewhat. I have a hard time centering my style around Frog fishing. However it is complimentary to what I do. I'm Therefore a big part of what I do. But its not just hollow body's, I use a buzzbait and buzz toad as well.
My hook percentage is right aroind 50% You do miss fish. It happens. I like to follow up with a senko or a jig.
5dollarsplash reply :
I'd say my numbers are close to what Mark and others have mentioned. I rarely come unbuttoned, and I don't see how these pros do.
If your counting strikes as any blow up in the general area, then yeah, maybe 60%. But as stated, don't retrieve when you see a strike. Let it sit and a lot of the time they'll come back and inhale it.
mnbassman23 reply :
On 2/13/2014 at 1:07 PM, Hooligan said:#1 Why a hollowbody frog? Explain it to me. I don't get the attraction of it at all. I mean, I've caught some big frog fish, but Lord is it boring to me.
#2 Honest to goodness hookup rates. I'm curious. I know what mine is, I know what the vast majority of very good frog fishermen consider their optimum catch rate. What's yours?
I fish hollowbody frogs most of the time so I can fish it slower and let the frog sit in one spot for an extended period of time. I can't stress the bolded portion enough. You'd be surprised how long you have to let that frog sit at times.
Hook up ratios depend on what you consider a strike. As Mark said, are we talking all blow ups or are we talking when they actually suck in the bait, swim off with it, and you can feel them pull? If you give the bass time to eat the bait to me you should be around the 70% land ratio. If your counting all blow ups or having premature hook sets then I can see the 30% or less. I'd be curious to know if Ish and Rojas are talking all blow ups or actual hooked fish in their %'s.
Hooligan I know you are a good fisherman and have top of the line gear I don't doubt your abilities one bit. When the ice melts and we get some frog fishing cover I'll get the GoPro out and record a day. I guess then we'll see what my land ratio is for sure. 
WIGuide reply :
I absolutely love fog fishing. There's nothing that beats a monster exploding on one. Are they for every condition? No. Are there days when you will miss more than others? Yes. Are there days they just won't commit? Yes. Overall though, I'd say my strike to hookup ratio stays between 60 and 90%. Once you get the hooks in them they shouldn't be coming off. Also, if you're fishing really think cover like matts, you are going to miss more fish due to the fish not totally being able to see where the bait is. Another thing worth mentioning, I've found when fishing in the thick stuff, fish that miss are generally smaller. I know that because I've thrown back and caught them with something else, where as the bigger girls generally get it in the mouth.
McAlpine reply :
On 2/13/2014 at 10:11 PM, Hooligan said:I'm not going to challenge you on an 80% hookup rate, but that's pretty incredible. It isn't about controlling emotions or waiting for the rod to load for me, it's not about waiting to set the hook, or setting the hook sooner, either. I've just seen so many fish, not only me but the guys I fish with and against, come unpinned mid-retrieve. I would venture that overall, the best frog guys I know are at about 30-35% landed to strike ratio, if it's even that good.
I say it's boring because it just isn't the most productive technique, I don't fish for strikes. I fish for landed fish. I Co-anglered for a gy last year that was frogging and he lost close to 90% of his fish just because of the way they were striking. I caught almost every one of those fish behind him on a swimjig or a senko.
I don't understand the attraction of it, I guess. Then again, I'm not all that enthusiastic about topwater on the whole. Most of the time, there are techniques that will catch better quality fish in the same area as fish that are hititng topwater baits. There are, of course, exceptions like spawn and post spawn when big females will smash a Shell Cracker or a Wakebait.
Anyhow, that's the way I see it. I just don't get the love of frogs.
Not really a fair argument on the hookup ratio due to odd strikes, fish mood, etc. That's the same with any bait if you fish it solely. I'm with you to a point, I don't understand why a guy would go out and decide that he is going to fish a frog and nothing but a frog. Same as anyone that sticks to any other single bait and try to force feed the fish rather than determine what it is they want. But that does not mean it's the baits fault for hookup ratio due to design/etc but the user putting something out there at the wrong time. Let's call it pilot error.
So that being said... I fish a frog becuase it is productive. However; it is productive for me becuase I fish it when it's productive. My hookup ratio is probably 80% and I feel strongly about putting that number down. That's becuase I fish a frog when they are engulfing it. If the fish are missing or short striking, I'll pull out a popper/spitter/spook. At that point the frog is done for the day. Sticking with a bait that the fish are interested in but obviously is not the right bait is just silly. Summer, around weeds and cover first thing in the morning where the fish are still looking to ambush from a night of feeding a walking frog or nose bobbed frog or a stop and go....killer...and they swallow that thing. Once the day really starts, the wind starts up, I go to something else.
It's all about using the most high percentage play for me. Efficiency with my time on the water. Sometimes that frog is the most efficient thing. Sometimes it's not. A blanket statement that it's always a low percentage play however is incorrect. Not a niche bait, just another weapon in the arsenal.
TorqueConverter reply :
#1 The hollow body frog is a fantastic slop bait and better than the weedless spoon that preceded it. It is fantastic for what it is designed to do.
#2 I'm approaching 100% since I've started throwing the Popping Pad Crasher. I had some Matzuo frogs that would take on water, sit vertical in the water and result terrible hookups and wrecking my hookup ratio.
I think poor hookups can be as much a bait problem as a timing technique problem.
FishinCop646 reply :
Personally I don't mind my horrible hook up ratio. Just watching a fish blow up on them is enough to keep me throwing them!
Talonman reply :
My love for the frog started in Michigan...
We take a week long fishing trip most every year there. Lakes Benway, Intermediate, and Wilson, all conncted.
You get you cabin and dock, put your boat in about a block away, and just get to then walk out of your cabin to your dock and take off!
Super fun week. I am gong this year too in June.
We would fish all day, and do OK, but the evening bite was, as we called it 'The big bass show' starts.
Poppers rule! Each evening the bass start to feed off the surface, and you can see the rings made as they break the surface of the water.
That is when we know that poppers and topwater frogs ar the best...
Me headding to Michigan late last year, with the Jeep loaded down big time... I just received my boat 2 days before I left. (No marking, still runnng in Pirite mode then) 
Fished at Benway, Wilson, and Elsworth lakes, all connected together by small channels. Our view out of the cabin.
I love that you put your boat in for the week, and get your own cabin and dock!
Some fish me and my buddy caught:
My fishing buddy
Me!
I love the topwater bite!
Avalonjohn44 reply :
Sometimes the bass don't want anything other than a topwater frog.
Other than that, I get a ton of enjoyment out of the blowup, waiting for the weight of the fish, and sticking him. Are my hookups great? Not particularly, but really I've never kept track. Often though, a bass will hit the same frog twice when they will not take a poke at the same crank or worm more than once.
Another aspect that you might be overlooking with the low hookup rater is that a missed frog bite tells you exactly where a fish is, and allows for you to follow up with a senko or trickworm (or another toss of that frog...).
War Eagle 44 reply :
There's just something "magical" about hollow body frog fishing that never gets old to me. I fish frogs way more than I should, on days I know I shouldn't, during times of the year I know I shouldn't just because it's the absolute biggest thrill in fishing IMHO. I fish frogs everywhere not just in and around grass and mats. I've had good luck under boat docks, in tree tops, shallow points etc. The majority of my frog fishing is done in and around grass though.
I'm with the other guys here on the hook to land ratio, I'm at least at 80% but most days higher. I'm also in agreement with them that I very rarely lose one half way to the boat. I mostly fish Spro frogs, but I fish my share of R2S baits as well, I'd say it's about a 60/40 split. I've definitely gotten better over the years fishing this technique but I'd say my biggest "leap" forward was finding the right rod. It's made such a big difference in my success with this technique. Also I've been using this same rod for quite some time now and I'm very familiar with it and how to get the best from it.
I am the exact opposite of most of the guys in this thread, I usually fish my frog fairly aggressively. It seems to me that they actually eat the bait when I'm fishing it this way whereas I've had plenty of fish subtly suck the bait under while it's sitting still and they only have it by the legs. Also when I'm fishing a frog in heavy grass I always use a Bronzeye Jr, I've had much better success using this smaller size frog. I think it's easier for them to get into there mouths. It hasn't seemed to effect the number or size of bites I get verses a full size bait.
I always use braid, no exceptions. Now days I use 65# but I've never had any issues with 50#. I tighten my drag all the way and swing for the fences. I'm not sure where you live but I'd love to take you out froggin' sometime if you're ever in the central AL area. April and May are usually the two best months of the year for it to me.
ww2farmer reply :
Fish that actually feel steel... I land probably 75%-80%. All blow ups combined.. Less than 50%. I have never had a day where 100% of bites on a frog have made it to the boat, but I have had multiple days where I get lots of blow ups and connect on few. I frog fish a lot more open water than a lot of people and that's where my high percentage hook ups are.... Get into slop and mats and it goes way down.
Dick Lathbury reply :
I have actually talked to a couple of bass pros and they told me if your strike to catch ratio is 1 in 4 you are doing well...in addition there are a couple of things you can do to improve catch ratios. On hollow body frogs cut about 1 inch or so off of the legs, bass tend to grab the legs sometimes and not the entire bait. Also you can bend the hooks up and out just a wee bit for better hook-ups.
YoTone reply :
seems for me, the smaller the bass the lower the ratio.
i dont get really frustrated in missed hook ups because i see theyre mostly under 1 lbs.
Scarborough817 reply :
im not really one for bringing back dead threads but this past weekend i had 12 blowups and caught 10 fish so i guess my hookup ratio is pretty d**n good so far this year 83% actually
BassWhole! reply :
I'm about 80% also. Some days you get most, and others they are just nosing it though and you miss a bunch, that's just part of frogging. I don't really like fishing frogs, but sometimes it's the best or only choice. I seldom fish it in open or water or light cover, too many other better bait choices.
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