What am I doing wrong with the Frog?! 2025
eightydee reply :
I live in northern Minnesota and middle of last year I bought a Abu Garcia baitcasting rod and reel combo. After learning to cast it without a bird's nest, I wanted to target bass. As I was raised to fish northerns and walleyes. I kayak fish as well as off shore. I have a few lakes, one is my secret lake that does not have public access and it just AMAZING for bass, northerns as well as a sturgeon or two.
Anyways, I love the BooYah Pad Crasher frog. I have went through.... a few and that's all I am going to say about that. I bet you could guess what other fish likes to hit them. Anyways, I can't place the hook! They hit, I pull and rip it out of their mouths and I don't pull that hard. So I started to wait than pull. Still nothing.
This is for bass as northerns, the ones I do hook turn right around and snip the line.
Any tips for using the BooYah Pad Crasher frog with bass? Kind of embarrassing to be asking this as I come from a long family of die hard fishers.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Describe the gear you're using, rod/reel/line. Frogs are one bait that really helps to have the correct combo to fish them on.
eightydee reply :
On 7/19/2019 at 12:58 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Describe the gear you're using, rod/reel/line. Frogs are one bait that really helps to have the correct combo to fish them on.
Abu Garcia Pro Max combo. 30 lb braided line,
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 7/19/2019 at 1:01 PM, eightydee said:Abu Garcia Pro Max combo. 30 lb braided line,
Okay..
Is that spinning? Casting? Length? Power?
That line should work fine. My initial thought is you say you "don't pull too hard". With frogs, you have to drive a big hook into a potentially hard part of a fish's mouth, so a hard hookset is necessary. I crank my drag down pretty hard and really swing hard on them when a fish blows up on my frog.
Second thing, and there's 2 camps on this, after the blow up. I'm a "If I can't see my frog, I'm swinging", guy. Fish don't have hands, if they blow up on the frog and it's not there anymore, there's really only a couple places it could be and if I take the time to feel for them it just gives them time to spit my frog or bury further into the grass. If you decide you want to feel for them, just make sure you're quick but don't pull too hard because they'll spit a frog easier than other baits it seems like.
eightydee reply :
On 7/19/2019 at 1:36 PM, Bluebasser86 said:Okay..
Is that spinning? Casting? Length? Power?
That line should work fine. My initial thought is you say you "don't pull too hard". With frogs, you have to drive a big hook into a potentially hard part of a fish's mouth, so a hard hookset is necessary. I crank my drag down pretty hard and really swing hard on them when a fish blows up on my frog.
Second thing, and there's 2 camps on this, after the blow up. I'm a "If I can't see my frog, I'm swinging", guy. Fish don't have hands, if they blow up on the frog and it's not there anymore, there's really only a couple places it could be and if I take the time to feel for them it just gives them time to spit my frog or bury further into the grass. If you decide you want to feel for them, just make sure you're quick but don't pull too hard because they'll spit a frog easier than other baits it seems like.
Oh drag! That brought up another thing. I literally never bother with it. Actually, today I think my drag was to tight. Hooked him on a wacky worm setup, first my drag was to loose so I tightened it and possibly to much as he went under the kayak and snapped my line (THINK I had a 6 pound mono)
The AG Pro Max Combo is 7' Medium heavy
Also, what about things like bug spray or sun screen? Do those have an affect on the integrity on fishing line such as mono? Like, some oil may jeopardize the strength?
Bluebasser86 reply :
6lb mono needs a drag that is much more carefully set than 30lb braid does. For frog fishing you want the drag set tight enough that it doesn't slip on the hookset though.
Sounds like the rod/reel/and line should be sufficient for frogging, so that brings me back to the hookset. Cross their eyes. You have to drive a thick hook, hopefully into some thick lips, in thick cover, it requires a good deal of force to do so.
Bug Spray can repel fish if it contains DEET. I don't know about effecting the integrity of the line, but I try to avoid spraying the stuff so it settles on any of my gear.
eightydee reply :
So, power. I do fish on a lake that has A LOT of pads but I'll try more power. I did notice watching some videos that they do set the hook pretty hard.
Always get hits on my secret spot so, I'll try a few things. Thank you!
Bass Ninja reply :
I live in CT, also fishing for those northern LMB. A friend introduced me to the hollow body frog a couple years ago, and since most of our ponds are super weedy, its been my top producing lure by far. I used to miss a lot of my hooksets, but now after learning to wait a split second, or just till I feel the weight of them pulling before I set the hook, I now get over 90% of the fish that hit it. Chad Hoover with kayak bass fishing said something in his video that helped me a lot. He would say "oh theres a fish" before setting the hook. The time it took him to say that would take like a second a half, which is what you want. I dont bend the hooks out or anything like that. I have noticed it is easier to hook bigger fish. When I get blowups and they didnt really get the frog, its either been baby bass or sunfish. My setup is about the same as yours with a 7' MH or Heavy rod, with 30 or 40lb braid. But I really believe making yourself wait 1-2 seconds, if they're a decent fish, will make all the difference. Also, don't give them the slightest bit of slack line, even when you're ripping them through the pads and pulling in like 12lbs of salad with them. Slam that hook really hard and start winching and never let up till they're in the boat. Hope that helps.
eightydee reply :
On 7/19/2019 at 7:19 PM, Bass Ninja said:I live in CT, also fishing for those northern LMB. A friend introduced me to the hollow body frog a couple years ago, and since most of our ponds are super weedy, its been my top producing lure by far. I used to miss a lot of my hooksets, but now after learning to wait a split second, or just till I feel the weight of them pulling before I set the hook, I now get over 90% of the fish that hit it. Chad Hoover with kayak bass fishing said something in his video that helped me a lot. He would say "oh theres a fish" before setting the hook. The time it took him to say that would take like a second a half, which is what you want. I dont bend the hooks out or anything like that. I have noticed it is easier to hook bigger fish. When I get blowups and they didnt really get the frog, its either been baby bass or sunfish. My setup is about the same as yours with a 7' MH or Heavy rod, with 30 or 40lb braid. But I really believe making yourself wait 1-2 seconds, if they're a decent fish, will make all the difference. Hope that helps.
Oh, there's a fish. I shall use that. Yea, one guy said, the time to put his rod down or something like that. I'll try something.
I'm currently waiting for my local store to open and going to use birthday cash to buy a new spinning rod blank, braided line, and possibly another BY Frog. I bought ah, forgot the brand, Lunker something? Same price as a BooYahh but it floods so the frog only has the nose sticking out. Like: / ya know. I mean, I bought it since it was the last one and it's a yellow belly with blue back. I got a few hits but one lake, I would do a brown belly frog, then the next, a natural color. THAN, a northern eats it.
I actually forgot! I made this little video last month. Perhaps you can see what I do and spot any imperfections.
Bass Ninja reply :
On 7/19/2019 at 7:29 PM, eightydee said:Oh, there's a fish. I shall use that. Yea, one guy said, the time to put his rod down or something like that. I'll try something.
I'm currently waiting for my local store to open and going to use birthday cash to buy a new spinning rod blank, braided line, and possibly another BY Frog. I bought ah, forgot the brand, Lunker something? Same price as a BooYahh but it floods so the frog only has the nose sticking out. Like: / ya know. I mean, I bought it since it was the last one and it's a yellow belly with blue back. I got a few hits but one lake, I would do a brown belly frog, then the next, a natural color. THAN, a northern eats it.
I actually forgot! I made this little video last month. Perhaps you can see what I do and spot any imperfections.
I feel you on those pickerel things! Hate them! Every time I come across one I lose a lure! So it looks to me that at around the 2:30 mark when you missed the fish, you swung as soon as you saw the blowup. From what I've learned, bass will either suck the frog right in if its barely moving, or if its moving pretty fast, they'll slap it beneath the water trying to stun it, and then suck it in. So if you set the hook right away, you'll miss because they've only slapped it beneath the water, and it takes a second for them to turn and inhale it. So yeah, just what I've mentioned before. Also, I've caught my biggest fish throwing it into places where most people dont and slowly working it through, like stuff as thick as the grass on either side of your video there. And, dont be afraid to slow it down when you're nearing a spot that looks really good. One or two pops, let it sit for 10 seconds, a couple more pops, etc. When I have the discipline and patience to make myself slow down, I catch bigger fish. Sorry but I can't help you with those pickerel lol hate 'em!!
stinkychzman55 reply :
I am by no means an expert, but what works for me is counting 1 one thousand while reeling up slack and dropping my rod tip down slightly after i see the blowup and my frog goes under ....and then just as bluebasser86 was telling you.....CROSS THEIR EYES. use a long sweeping hookset to really drive those hooks home.
You did everything right in your video...it just looks like you didn't follow through on your hookset. As a fellow northerner....pike are fun with the right gear but gosh darn if they aren't the most efficient little bait stealers out there....i've taken to using 20lb tie-able titanium leaders if i am fishing with an expensive bait like a jackhammer, or vision jerkbait. When done right you wont lose another bait again! Sadly i've found that it really doesn't work well on frogs 
too much junk gets caught up on the knot.
i keep my eyes open for sales at my local dicks sporting goods. a lot of the time they have a buy3get1 on certain brands (i've loaded up on booyah frogs and river2sea frogs many times) or look at the end of season/offseason sales bins.....i'm always buying frogs and always looking for a good deal on them since i seem to buy them by the 1/2 dozen!
eightydee reply :
Hehe yea, I'm used to using a steel leader but I actually tried that with a frog, hits went down and I bet it was only northerns. They are fun to catch but when you wanna go for bass they are a wretched! Hear a lot of swearing and rod slapping the lake after they bite the line.
Cross their eyes? Meaning, to reposition the hooks outward or inward? I saw a tip to take a needle nose and reposition the hooks outward and up.
flyfisher reply :
Good advice on here for sure. I am with @Bluebasser86 in that if i don't see the frog I am setting the hook. Makes no sense to wait longer than you have to, I understand the need to wait some but that is the same with any topwater fishing except in frog fishing you absolutely have to hammer it home. The hooks are large and heavy and need a powerful hookset to really make it happen. I fish a frog almost all year long here in central virginia and have one tied on from probably early march through november.
And the term cross their eyes means to set the hook so hard you cross the fish's eyes. Kind of like when you watch the TV shows and the guys really lay into them.
Troy85 reply :
I used to have the same exact problem, it had got to the point where I wouldn't even fish with a frog. Then I read an article a few years back that said when you reel down to set the hook on the frog, don't allow any slack in your line. Next time I went out I tried a frog again. I noticed that when I would drop the rod tip to set the hook, I would allow some slack. I corrected that problem and my hookup ratio is much much better now.
Now I see the fish take it, I drop the rod tip, at the same time I'm keeping tension by reeling down, I try to time to it so the process takes about 2 seconds. That gives the fish time to get a good hold of the frog before setting the hook.
As stated above, when you go to set the hook, let it rip. I tell people when fishing with a frog, to set the hook like you are trying to break the rod.
eightydee reply :
Just bought two cheap WalMart frogs than a BooYah JR.
JediAmoeba reply :
On 7/19/2019 at 9:04 PM, eightydee said:
Just bought two cheap WalMart frogs than a BooYah JR.
The one on the far right needs a trim! I would 3/4-1" of the strands off
eightydee reply :
On 7/19/2019 at 9:43 PM, JediAmoeba said:The one on the far right needs a trim! I would 3/4-1" of the strands off
Yea, that's the BooYah JR. Not going to use it as every other time I use a brand new BY frog, it's gone. Record is, 3 days I had a BY frog... haha
I'll trim it. Thank you!
JediAmoeba reply :
On 7/19/2019 at 9:53 PM, eightydee said:Yea, that's the BooYah JR. Not going to use it as every other time I use a brand new BY frog, it's gone. Record is, 3 days I had a BY frog... haha
I'll trim it. Thank you!
I got this 25" pickerel to the kayak in very thick Lily pads using 65 # braid. I would definitely up your line considering you know the Pike are hitting
eightydee reply :
On 7/19/2019 at 10:07 PM, JediAmoeba said:I got this 25" pickerel to the kayak in very thick Lily pads using 65 # braid. I would definitely up your line considering you know the Pike are hitting
Nice! Yea, I actually picked up 40 lb braid. I bought a new rod for my spinners and put a 24 inch steel leader on er. That's my northern setup.
Than I have my AG Pro Max baitcaster combo with a cheap wally world frog and 40 lb braid. Than I have a little Lew's spinner on a cheap cabela's rod with a wacky worm on a 30 pound braid. My kayak has two rod holders but I think I can use a paddle strap.
FishingGeekTX reply :
Things to try:
Experiment with slowing down
- let it sit on cast, maybe 5-30 seconds, depending on your patience and confidence level
- You can slow down your frog retrieve. Jerk, jerk, jerk - pause 4 seconds. If they will hit it on the pause, that sometimes helps them want to eat it, rather than slap it or miss it. And always pause at cover/target areas IMO.
Some days they do want it retrieved fast like you were doing (or even faster), not saying that's wrong...it's just that slower can often get a better eat-the-frog hit.
Hookset:
- when they hit, don't jerk immediately...but quickly check if the fish is on the line, if so, set the hook hard with a strong jerk. You have to drop that rod tip, no slack, and punch it. Pulling hard won't do it in my experience. Has to be a hard, swift jerk. Two big hooks, sometimes with cover in the way, and push that frog body down. Make sure your drag can handle the hookset.
- If most hits are not taking the frog, and you think that's bass, you can also try downsizing, and/or a color change. Assuming you also tried slowing down.
Line:
I'm in the south so I don't know about teethy fish except to use a steel leader. You could try moving up line diameter..65# braid, maybe even 80# (a frog tournament pro uses 80+, it's not crazy), that may save some % of break-offs.
Good luck, that water looks delicious for fishing.
Fishes in trees reply :
Should you not want to use a metal leader, I'm thinking you stilll have options. I'd lead off with a leader of 80 or 100 lb fluorocarbon leader. Not fluorocarbon line, but the leader material. I'd like to see the pike/pickerel/muskie that could bite through that.
stinkychzman55 reply :
On 7/19/2019 at 7:51 PM, eightydee said:Hehe yea, I'm used to using a steel leader but I actually tried that with a frog, hits went down and I bet it was only northerns. They are fun to catch but when you wanna go for bass they are a wretched! Hear a lot of swearing and rod slapping the lake after they bite the line.
Cross their eyes? Meaning, to reposition the hooks outward or inward? I saw a tip to take a needle nose and reposition the hooks outward and up.
A lot of people around me use “cross their eyes” as a different way to say set the hook hard! Sorry for the confusion. I usually don’t mess with my hooks on my frogs at all.
Steel leaders are great for pike fishing, but for bass fishing in pike waters this is the stuff I use...https://www.rapala.com/terminator/leaders/single-strand-titanium-leader-wire/single-strand-titanium-leader-wire/Single+Strand+Titanium+Leader+Wire.html
its super flexible with ZERO memory and can be tied directly to the main line (I like to use a 20-30lb swivel to my main line just personal preference)
like I said in my last comment. It’s not the best for frogging really thick mats as the junk will get caught on the knot or the swivel (I like to use about 8” to my main line for most applications) but if your fishing more around the stuff in your video like lily pads and reeds it might not be so bad.
Otherwise...65# braid all day on all my frog rods and hope for the best!
Shimano_1 reply :
You're swinging too fast and not near hard enough. When one blows up on it and you know it's got the frog stomp your foot then drop the hammer. I set the hook quite hard with a frog. It's my preferred way to fish. I also am in the pad crasher fan club. It's my favorite. I'd also learn how to walk the frog. Small twitches on slack line and you can make it walk like a spook almost in place. If nothing else I feel this sometimes triggers a strike when simply moving or popping the frog wont.
eightydee reply :
Okay! So, I don't know what exactly happened but I went out yesterday aaannndddd these happened. I reupped my weapons. Got a new rod from Wally World, a Berlkey which I made fro northerns. Yes, it has my 24 inch steel leader on. ANyways, I through on the weedless wacky worm hook because you get to that point where you kind of lose your sanity and try weird things. At first I thought it was a snapper as it just moved slow and I set the hook and still didn't move. I started to reel up and my drag started zinging. The following pictures are largemouths that I caught within an hour in one spot.
https://imgur.com/1OI6WQ4
https://imgur.com/HlBplbM
https://imgur.com/nLR4c8o
https://imgur.com/QAmvKwo
TnRiver46 reply :
Nice fish! I wish there were lily pads in my neck of the woods....... looks fun
eightydee reply :
On 7/26/2019 at 6:18 AM, TnRiver46 said:Nice fish! I wish there were lily pads in my neck of the woods....... looks fun
Hehe that's my secret lake. literally half of it is lilly pads. It's actually two lakes combined by a flooded 3 foot deep dich which OH MY, just sit there and you nail them.
Old kayak in that part I was telling you about.
gimruis reply :
Eightydee, if you can catch about half the frogs that are striking, that’s good. A 50% hookup rate or better is considered successful.
Dom Hendricks reply :
Frog fishing can be a formidable opponent at times. Having a fast reel will help you catch up to the frog after the blowup to see if it’s in the fishes mouth or not. With experience you will be able to tell if they are eating it or just slapping at it. If they are slapping at it, I just let it sit for at least a minute after the blowup. You have to watch the frog closely because most of the time they come and slurp it off of the surface.
eightydee reply :
For frogs, I actually went down to a Pad Crasher JR. Caught 3 bass on the first day. I have it on my quantum spinner reel with a cheap Cabela's rod REALLY light weight rod with a 10 LB braid. I learned to reel in the slack, wait a second after a hit than pull. I mean, hell, if you're in a kayak and most of the time that bass will hit when you least expect it and WOW that jump scare is AWESOME! Right at that moment where you think nothing will hit.
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