Open Water Frogging? 2024
BigSkyBasser reply :
Summer is now here and many of us are readily looking forward to the rising water and air temperatures. This of course brings forth arguably one of the most exciting bites all year........topwater. Among these is the frog, which if you've never seen a bass blast yours out of a thick section of lily pads; you're missing out.
Of course out in Montana we have significantly less heavy vegetation and more deep rocky lakes and rivers that form giant pools next to drop offs. I'm curious if anyone has ever fished frogs in open water like you would a popper?
I will definitely test this out in the coming months as the aggressive smallies would more than likely smack a frog on the surface of open water.
HoosierHawgs reply :
I would think if you matched the colors to those of what the Bass are feeding on (like a Bronzeye Shad or whatever color matches your local forage) I think it would work just fine. I don't think that you have to fish frogs in the slop, I believe they are mainly used for that because they are the best tool for that specific purpose, but there are other tools for fishing open water, but ling story short, I don't see a reason why not.
BigSkyBasser reply :
On 6/3/2015 at 6:32 AM, jakob1010 said:I would think if you matched the colors to those of what the Bass are feeding on (like a Bronzeye Shad or whatever color matches your local forage) I think it would work just fine. I don't think that you have to fish frogs in the slop, I believe they are mainly used for that because they are the best tool for that specific purpose, but there are other tools for fishing open water, but ling story short, I don't see a reason why not.
I figured as much but I was curious if anyone had tried such. I've used poppers and stick baits that kill out there.
Ads7633 reply :
They definitely work in open water too, especially if you can drag them over submerged cover.
everythingthatswims reply :
I don't get as many bites on frogs in open water as I do other surface baits like a spook, popper, buzzbait, or weightless fluke. Fish just don't commit to the frog as much for me, lots of short strikes and blow ups that don't connect.
When I do fish a frog in open water it is because it combines the excitement of a blow up with the excitement of putting the screws to a fish on the hookset
eyedabassman reply :
You can fish a frog in open water!!!!!!!! When I was a guide I took people on deep weed lines to fish frogs. And now that I am on Table Rock Lake I fish them in some deep water around wood! They are not just for slop! Any where you fish a spook,buzzbait,you can fish a frog!
Big C reply :
Try a Picasso Shad Walker in open water.
papajoe222 reply :
On 6/3/2015 at 10:06 AM, Big C said:Try a Picasso Shad Walker in open water.
I thought the topic was open water froggin? I'm confused. 
wisconsin heat reply :
On 6/3/2015 at 11:59 AM, papajoe222 said:I thought the topic was open water froggin? I'm confused.
Its a hollow belly, many people would refer to it, myself included, as a "frog" .
Bluebasser86 reply :
Spro Bronzeye shad works great in open water or heavy vegetation. We don't have much thick grass either so it's one of my favorites.
greentrout reply :
I once fished with a gentleman who walked the dog with the frog in open water. He caught 'em. I never was very good at it. I use the Spook.
The old school basser...
BooyahMan reply :
Most definitely. If you can walk a frog and they're taking topwaters, should equal some quality blow-ups.
On 6/3/2015 at 12:26 PM, wisconsin heat said:
That's not a frog, that's a fish! 
KayakBasser reply :
You will get bites, but just curious as to why you wouldnt us a spook or popper.....I mean the only reason you use a frog is because its weedless, your going to be giving up action and hook up ratios for no reason. Just my opinion.
einscodek reply :
I dont see the point, in open water I'd want trebles..
ww2farmer reply :
On 6/3/2015 at 9:52 AM, eyedabassman said:You can fish a frog in open water!!!!!!!! When I was a guide I took people on deep weed lines to fish frogs. And now that I am on Table Rock Lake I fish them in some deep water around wood! They are not just for slop! Any where you fish a spook,buzzbait,you can fish a frog!
This ^^^^^^
On 6/4/2015 at 4:55 AM, KayakBasser said:You will get bites, but just curious as to why you wouldnt us a spook or popper.....I mean the only reason you use a frog is because its weedless, your going to be giving up action and hook up ratios for no reason. Just my opinion.
I don't find that to be the case at all, and I do a lot of open water frogging. It's far easier for a fish to throw a spook than a frog. And a frog draws more bites in open water, it's not something they see every day. If I am throwing topwater, 90% of the time it's a frog, open water or heavy cover.
On 6/4/2015 at 10:16 AM, einscodek said:I dont see the point, in open water I'd want trebles..
Than don't do it. But it works and works well.
jtharris3 reply :
On 6/3/2015 at 12:26 PM, wisconsin heat said:
No offense but, that doesn't look like any frog that I've ever seen.
BigSkyBasser reply :
On 6/4/2015 at 4:55 AM, KayakBasser said:You will get bites, but just curious as to why you wouldnt us a spook or popper.....I mean the only reason you use a frog is because its weedless, your going to be giving up action and hook up ratios for no reason. Just my opinion.
It's more a curiosity of other people's experience with it. I've always had more aggressive and explosive bites on frogs, mixed with smallies post spawn on rock ledges in open water sounds like a good time. If this were a tournament I would be throwing poppers and spooks and no doubt, but I have enough time to mess around with things like this,
gobig reply :
ww2farmer pretty much nailed it. I don't throw a frog 90% of the time but it can draw more strikes in open water lakes than a spook, popper or similar bait. I throw them in foothill lakes that have virtually no weeds with good success. Anyone who thinks a frog has no action does not know how to throw it. As far as hookup ratios go... when you get dialed it should be close to 90% as long as the fish is actually taking the frog.
doyle8218 reply :
eyedabassman reply :
If you guys think that the hook up on a frog in open water is a concern! Do this = Bend the frog hooks up and out a bit for better hook ups.I do this even if I fish the frog in slop ect. I too am on board with ww2Farmer! I can walk the dog with a spook or a frog!!!!!!!!!!
frogflogger reply :
caught lots of bass in open water on frogs - usually average better size than other options (spook excepted) can't throw the hooks as easily as they do trebles.
the reel ess reply :
I might use a popping one if in open water. But then I'd probably just use a popper or Torpedo and get more bites. Our local public lake has stained water, thus the grass doesn't grow more than about 2' deep. That severely limits the frog to late May/early June. I've tried it in open water, but the fish just don't seem to buy it. Not even the toads.
frogflogger reply :
I rarely walk a frog even when I was fishing them over 200 days a year - never walked one as wide as a spook but there have been many days when it outfished the spook in open water - of course the spook has had many days it beat the frog. I wasn't talking about hookset success rather I was saying once hooked on a frog they seldom throw it - which they can and do with a spook.
BigSkyBasser reply :
On 6/5/2015 at 11:52 AM, eyedabassman said:If you guys think that the hook up on a frog in open water is a concern! Do this = Bend the frog hooks up and out a bit for better hook ups.I do this even if I fish the frog in slop ect. I too am on board with ww2Farmer! I can walk the dog with a spook or a frog!!!!!!!!!!
Several companies also sell trailer hooks for frogs to increase hookups on short biting bass! I'm for sure trying this once the days get a little longer and warmer. Haven't seen much for a topwater bite quite yet.
dumfish reply :
If frogging in open water is a confidence problem. When frogging season is about, I will through the frog on the bank and hop it off. I will do this fishing from a boat or the bank.
brgbassmaster reply :
Yes I have done open water and vegetation or up under brush or under docks or around laydowns. Doesn't matter. Im good at frogging and I know it lol. If you can get that bait to get some nice action then twitch it and move it and pause it or whatever you can get them to bite. The other day in the river I fish here in Arizona the fish were busting on shad in this muddy river. Out in the middle, I told my buddy watch this and whipped my frog out there and nailed a 3lber. Now everytime we go to that section of river there is always bass busting there and we get them with frogs everytime.
Comfortably Numb reply :
On 6/4/2015 at 10:16 AM, einscodek said:I dont see the point, in open water I'd want trebles..
Totally agree.
David P reply :
I've caught a few in the 8lb range in entirely open water on a Snag Proof Perfect Frog. Many below that size, but yes, open water frogging works exceptionally well, and big fish love it too.
Montanaro reply :
On 6/6/2015 at 9:21 AM, dumfish said:If frogging in open water is a confidence problem. When frogging season is about, I will through the frog on the bank and hop it off. I will do this fishing from a boat or the bank.
So when bank fishing, you drop it on your feet?
einscodek reply :
On 6/7/2015 at 12:14 AM, Comfortably Numb said:Totally agree.
I dont have the best hookups on hollow frogs..in fact out of all my lures the worst hookups are on my hollow frogs
I've lost more than a handful of big fish on hollow frogs and Ill use em in slop or vegatation cause trebles dont work well there.. I'd hate to see some guy lose quality fish if it can be avoided..nothin like going home knowin you had a 5 pounder on the line for a split second only
So yea if guys wanna use em in open water .. caveat emptor
ww2farmer reply :
On 6/7/2015 at 4:48 AM, einscodek said:I dont have the best hookups on hollow frogs..in fact out of all my lures the worst hookups are on my hollow frogs
I've lost more than a handful of big fish on hollow frogs and Ill use em in slop or vegatation cause trebles dont work well there.. I'd hate to see some guy lose quality fish if it can be avoided..nothin like going home knowin you had a 5 pounder on the line for a split second only
So yea if guys wanna use em in open water .. caveat emptor
That's not a frog problem, that's a you problem.
einscodek reply :
On 6/7/2015 at 10:49 AM, ww2farmer said:That's not a frog problem, that's a you problem.
chelboed reply :
On 6/7/2015 at 2:13 AM, Montanaro said:So when bank fishing, you drop it on your feet?
Hahaha! HAHAHA! BAH!
Funny
BigSkyBasser reply :
On 6/7/2015 at 2:13 AM, Montanaro said:So when bank fishing, you drop it on your feet?
No, he has just found a way to cast across entire bodies of water. Not sure what frogging has to do with confidence, I'm no less confident with a frog than I am any other top water bait.
eyedabassman reply :
On 6/7/2015 at 10:49 AM, ww2farmer said:That's not a frog problem, that's a you problem.
Well said!
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