missed hook sets on hollow body frog 2024
Luke at Gouldsboro reply :
This past summer, I missed about 20 fish on hollow body topwater frogs. I don't know if I'm setting the hook to quick or not letting them eat it or what... Any suggestions or tips would be great. Thanks
hookingem reply :
Its one of the hardest things to do in bass fishing (for me at least) but you have to wait until you feel the fish's weight before you swing for the fences on that hook set. Its hard to wait after you see them smash that top water frog and even though I know to wait i still have this similar problem sometimes. You are most likely just jerking the bait out of the fishes mouth before they have fully taken the frog in.
7mm-08 reply :
It could be a timing issue or it could be equipment. You want a rod with a solid backbone and premium line that doesn't stretch. When you get a hit don't immediately set the hook unless you want the frog to fly at your head. Some people will say wait 3 seconds which I don't really have the patience to do but a short pause after the strike and before you set the hook should do the trick.
RoLo reply :
Your hook-up ratio might be noticeably improved just by switching to a solid floating toad
In any case, hold the rod-tip high in the air, which offers two benefits:
1) The lure is better positioned to negotiate mats and surface vegetation.
2) The time consumed lowering the rod is usually enough to bolster your hook-up ratio.
Roger
flipin4bass reply :
1. Frog body too stiff.
2. Not using braid.
3. Not using a fast action rod.(You want that rod to load-up fast.)
Nixstyx reply :
Resist the urge! Don't set too early. Sounds crazy, and I didn't believe it when I first started frog fishing, but you really have to give the fish a minute to get it into its mouth before you set the hook. If I see my bait disappear I just reel until I feel the fish. Sometimes I never feel the fish, but in that case I haven't ripped the bait away from a bass that might come back for another bite.
For practice, try fishing at night without lights. Incredibly frustrating sometimes, but it will definitely teach you to wait to set the hook.
saint romain reply :
AS SOON as he hits it, hold the rod at 10 o'clock and reel the slack until you feel him, drop the rod to about 7 o'clock and set the hook in the opposite direction you think he is swimming (you can get a general idea from the swirl or line moving). When you drop to 7 you are giving it some slack so you can just slam that hook into his mouth all at once and not give him a chance to do anything. I would definately suggest some braid, I use PowerPro. I would use a minimum of a 6'6" medium heavy rod, and thats a minimum.
eyedabassman reply :
All of these are very helpful hints. But I found that if I bend both of the hooks away from the hallow body frog just alittle bit and then up just a hair my hook ups are ALOT better. You may get just a few more weeds but more fish in the boat!
piscicidal reply :
First off, 20 missed fish isn't that bad. A good frog angler is still going to miss a fairly high percentage of fish. Just the nature of that beast...
Having said that though, I think most people have nailed on the high points of increasing your hook up percentage with frogs...1.) you've got to resist the urge to hit em right away. This is tough, at first, and requires a bit of "deprogramming", especially if you've used a lot of hardbaits. 2.) Use braid.
I don't necessarily agree that you want a real stiff rod. What you want, IMO, is a rod that has a fairly soft tip but a lot of backbone. You want a little compliance, for those surprise bites when you don't have the ability to immediately drop the bait. The softer tip also allows for longer casts which is essential when fishing frogs. A 735 rod is perfect, IMO, for frog fishing.
One of the things which really helped me when I first started frog fishing was holding the rod high (like RoLo described). If you hold the reel close to your chest and the rod tip high, it makes it alot harder to immediately set the hook when the fish hits. Until you learn how to wait on a frog bite, this is a good mechanism for ensuring you don't set the hook too soon.
Intrepid reply :
sorry, but i dont buy that braid is a neccesity. while it may make some feel like they have an advantage with braid, i do just fine frog fishing with mono, it doesnt stretch like a rubberband as some people would have you believe...
shallow thinker reply :
Everyone has their preferences... mine is for braid when fishing frogs and horny toads. I'm making long casts into thick cover. When I set the hook I hit them hard and winch fish out of those pads or hydrilla. There's no stretch in braid, the smaller diameter allows long casts even with 30-50 lb rating, and it does a better job of cutting through the salad once a fish is hooked.
WanderLust reply :
Quotesorry, but i dont buy that braid is a neccesity. while it may make some feel like they have an advantage with braid, i do just fine frog fishing with mono, it doesnt stretch like a rubberband as some people would have you believe...
The stretch will actually help your hookup percentage. Line like so many other things is just a tool. The right tool for the job.
River Rat316 reply :
I normally dont like braid, but in frog fishing I use it, the only reason I use it is that I am normally fishing frogs in and around slop, the braid has a distinct advantage in weeds, it just cuts right through them, mono or flouro doesnt
TimJ reply :
I can't add much to what's here...good advice.
I can add that you should have a heavy stick set up with a plastic worm or your flipping/casting lure of choice. if you tear the frog away from the strike when you miss, go right back in the hole with another bait. there's a chance that you have a hot fish waiting and looking around under there.
TJ
brushhoggin reply :
QuoteAll of these are very helpful hints. But I found that if I bend both of the hooks away from the hallow body frog just alittle bit and then up just a hair my hook ups are ALOT better. You may get just a few more weeds but more fish in the boat!
this is so very true. also these people who tell you to wait to feel the fish before you set the hook, are gonna cost you some fish. set the hook nice and stout as soon as you know the bass didnt swing and miss. dont give em time to identify what they've just eaten.
JDF reply :
great advices from everyone. I have had the same problem fishing a frog over slop
A-Rob reply :
I am picky about the frogs I use. I like Spro over Snagproof b/c I don't like how much plastic is in front of the hooks. I find the Spro hooks are easier to grip.
I like a rod with backbone but some tip to it. I use a stiff MH on my lakes (moderate junk, not heavy like the deltas). So when the bass hits I can let it eat that frog b/c the tip will give and the rod will load. I only set the hook when the rod loads. That's when the backbone comes in to play.
I use braid all the time fishing frogs, that helps stick 'em to.
Big Bait Fishing reply :
i think the title of your post says it all !!! i hate hollow bodied frogs ! i only use Canyon Plastics 4.5" frogs with a single hook ( owner twist lock in 5/0 with changed out CPS screw locks to the bigger ones ) , get a lot better hook ups with a single hook , here is the frog --
central.PA.bass reply :
QuoteThis past summer, I missed about 20 fish on hollow body topwater frogs. I don't know if I'm setting the hook to quick or not letting them eat it or what... Any suggestions or tips would be great. Thanks
Although it is harder than heck to resist, you must feel weight on the end of the rod before you sent the hook.. seeing the splash usually doesn't cut it because a bass's first strike is usually to kill the frog and then it has a follow up strike to swallow it..
I set the hook more times than not on that first strike and end up with the frog on my lap. I find that when i wait to feel the pull my hookup ratio is a lot higher
SoFlaBassAddict reply :
Don't over think it.
Either count to three or wait until you feel the weight of the fish on the end of the line. Then slam em.
Pantera61 reply :
You can use braid. You can use a heavy action, fast tapered rod. You can count to three or wait to feel the weight. You will still lose fish using frog baits.
I had one experience where I followed all the proper procedures and it was actually an open water hit and I was no further than 7' from the rod tip to the fish. My friend's eyes were bugging out at the size of the fish as he said, "HUGE FISH!!!". I lost the fish because the hook bent.
I think the conventional wisdom is getting 40% of topwater frog baits to the boat. Not a great percentage but unless you're fishing a tournament, isn't the thrill of actually seeing the fish hit the best part?
bilgerat reply :
This goes against conventional wisdom about sharpening factory hooks, but get a fine file or stone and learn to put ridiculously razor sharp points on those frog hooks. Being that they are heavy wire to begin with, you need every advantage you can get.
piscicidal reply :
QuoteQuoteAll of these are very helpful hints. But I found that if I bend both of the hooks away from the hallow body frog just alittle bit and then up just a hair my hook ups are ALOT better. You may get just a few more weeds but more fish in the boat!this is so very true. also these people who tell you to wait to feel the fish before you set the hook, are gonna cost you some fish. set the hook nice and stout as soon as you know the bass didnt swing and miss. dont give em time to identify what they've just eaten.
If you are using hollowbody frogs with a walk-the-dog type retrieve and/or mono, you can probably get away with not waiting. If you are burning frogs with braid, you are going to miss alot more fish if you do not wait on them (you are always going to miss fish on frogs, but you'll miss alot more by not waiting than you will waiting). The best frog fisherman on the planet (Dean Rojas) says wait three seconds.
I got this guy this morning on a horny toad (I waited on him... 
)...
Big Bait Fishing reply :
the way i fish my soft plastic frogs (Canyon Plastics 4.5" frog) is that i use a buzz style frog and that i fish it pretty slow , actually i fish it as slow as i can , just fast enough to keep it moving (legs churning) and i keep the rod tip up high causing a bow in the line (50 lb. braid) so when you get a strike , the fish will take up the slack and you DON'T have to wait 3 seconds or feel the fish on the line cause when the fish blows up on your bait , you just set the hook and the fish will be on !!! so for you guys having hook up problems , remember , keep your rod tip up high and keep a bow in your line and you will see dramatic increases in fish in your boat
Tuckman reply :
I fish a frog hard all summer
Your not missing the bite, The bite is missing you.
You will miss more bites waiting then you ever will with imeadiate hooksets. There is no logic behind waiting to set the hook with a frog(or any other bait for that matter). A bass does not nibble, or chew, he sucks in his prey in a vortex. Either he got it in his maw and you blast him or he missed it.
The true art in frog fishing is not pulling the frog away when he misses it, and letting him get another shot at it. The nature of frog fishing over heavy cover requires that you be able to deal with a few missed blowups.
I do agree with alot of the others on using a soft tip heavy rod, heavy braid, and hard hooksets.
Big Bait Fishing reply :
QuoteI fish a frog hard all summerYour not missing the bite, The bite is missing you
.
You will miss more bites waiting then you ever will with imeadiate hooksets. There is no logic behind waiting to set the hook with a frog(or any other bait for that matter). A bass does not nibble, or chew, he sucks in his prey in a vortex. Either he got it in his maw and you blast him or he missed it.
The true art in frog fishing is not pulling the frog away when he misses it, and letting him get another shot at it. The nature of frog fishing over heavy cover requires that you be able to deal with a few missed blowups.
I do agree with alot of the others on using a soft tip heavy rod, heavy braid, and hard hooksets.
oh yeah !! i live for summer frog fishing , the best and most exciting way to fish for big bass
JDF reply :
Catching bass on a frog is my favorite. My buddies and I have a friendly tourney every summer on Guntersville and it is awesome to watch a big bass explode on a frog. Nothin like catchin em on topwater!!
frogflogger reply :
fairly soft tip with very stout butt - switching to the light and strong daiwa frog rod increased our hookups. We fished frogs 12 months a year for 6 years and found that when a good bass goes for it - it is almost impossible to take it away from it. But with fast retrieves and bass under five lbs you are going to miss some.
Crabcakes reply :
QuoteI fish a frog hard all summerYour not missing the bite, The bite is missing you.
You will miss more bites waiting then you ever will with imeadiate hooksets. There is no logic behind waiting to set the hook with a frog(or any other bait for that matter). A bass does not nibble, or chew, he sucks in his prey in a vortex. Either he got it in his maw and you blast him or he missed it.
The true art in frog fishing is not pulling the frog away when he misses it, and letting him get another shot at it. The nature of frog fishing over heavy cover requires that you be able to deal with a few missed blowups.
I do agree with alot of the others on using a soft tip heavy rod, heavy braid, and hard hooksets.
I tend to agree. It's really about whether the bass actually took the frog. Waiting is just a tool to help you feel if he took it. It also prevents you from ripping it away should the bass come back for a second hit, which frequently happens. Many times the bass just flat misses. Sometimes it comes back for a second hit sometimes not.
Set when you feel him. Not when you see him. Could be 1/10 of a second or 3. Could be the first blow up or the third. Set when you feel the fish on the end of the line and not when he blows up the frog. It takes a lot of discipline and is very hard. But if you commit to an arbitrary rule like three seconds you'll miss bites.
Big-O reply :
Some fish don't eat the frog on the so called strike... instead they slap at it then turn to enhale it. As some have mentioned previously, I also recommend reeling down quickly to feel the fish loaded prior to setting the hook. Also lubing the frog with something like Megastrike will make them hold it longer and/or go back after it if they missed it on the first swipe. Sharp hooks are a must!
Big O
www.ragetail.com
Sam reply :
See frog disappear.
Count to three.
Set hook overhead, hard.
Hope for the best. 
hyzer1 reply :
I live near Chicago, and I throw frogs from April through October, in both wide open water and slop. I fish them because I'd rather catch one fish on a frog than two on a Senko. I like braid and a long stiff rod with a quick tip, but I suspect you are going to fish it on whatever you have. Here are my thoughts - If you fish your frog on a slack line - walking or chugging by snapping your rod and quickly pointing back at the bait -you really can set the hook as soon as the bass pulls the frog under water because there was no resistance to the fish taking the bait. If you are fishing on tight line, you really are pulling the bait away when the bass tries to suck it in, so dipping your rod and counting to three is probably a good idea. Even on slack line, you don't have to rush the hook set because bass hold on to frogs, so if you just took a bite of your sandwitch when the fish hit, take your time, square up your shoulders to the fish, pick up a bit of line, and slam the hook set straight up - you want to drive those double hooks straight into the top of the mouth. You can practice your hook sets with no bite. If the frog comes flying at your head, you are doing it right. It is also very important to use a quality frog. Plan on spending over $7 if you want a quality bait. There are all kinds out there and all serve a purpose, but if your worried about hook ups, you want a soft body with big hooks. I started my frog fishing with the bronzeye popper, and noticed that I got a lot better hookups on big fish than I did on small ones. When the bass takes it all the way down and the hooks are in the top of it's throat, you probably won't be loosing it. If the bait is just in the mouth, small hooks seem to just catch flaps of skin, which will be a problem on the way back to the boat. Now, I immediately replace the 3/0 hooks that come in the popper with 4/0 hooks. It doesn't affect the action and those bigger hooks go right through the lip. On a non popper style frog - check out the Snag Proof Bleeding Frog. Those 6/0 red hooks are money when it comes to hook ups, and it has a cool additional front weight that keeps the frog level for walking and keeps the frog from sliding down on the hook when you are fighting the fish. Once you get the feel, you can switch to any brand. They all have different plastic, some do long glides better, some chug better, some walk better, some skip better. Pick one that works for what you do, but make sure the hooks are at least 4/0. On the topic of missed fish - I am never really sure what people are talking about. If a bluegil or 5" bass grabs the leg of the frog and pulls it down, it really doesn't matter how long you count, your probably not going to catch it (and if you do it will probably fly at you on the hook set). If on the other hand, you set the hook and feel the fish and move it on the hook set or better yet - it barely moves on the hook set, those are fish you should catch. I expect to land 85% of the bass I feel - and if I avoided stupid things while fighting the fish or bad luck while fishing extreme cover, world probably land more. If your are using a good frog with good (big) hooks and take your time to do a good hook set - those are fish you should catch. Again, when I started froggin' I often would fight the bass the same way that I would fight the same fish on 8lb test spinning line and a finesse worm. That is the wrong thing to do. A stiff rod, braid and double hooks are a disaster if you baby the fish in. There is no built in shock absorbsion with a stiff rod and braid, and double hooks are not ideal if you let the fish turn to the side or start running the other way. Instead, if you get your hooks in the fish, keep the rod tip up and bring the fish hard straigt toward you. Then use the heavy rod to flip it in the boat or hold it's head up if you need to lip it (you are probably better off just flipping fish up to 5 pounds into the boat). Bottom line - don't let the fish turn or bury themselves in slop, just bring it! In fact the most likely fish to lose are the ones that hit the frog and run straingt at you in shallow water. For them, pick up line, hit em hard, and wind like crazy til it's flipped in the boat. Hope this helps. If you do it right, you should be landing way over 50% of the fish you hit, and there is nothing you can do to catch small fish who just pull on the legs.
bassmasterdb33 reply :
How does stretch help hookups for frog fishing again??
QuoteQuotesorry, but i dont buy that braid is a neccesity. while it may make some feel like they have an advantage with braid, i do just fine frog fishing with mono, it doesnt stretch like a rubberband as some people would have you believe...The stretch will actually help your hookup percentage. Line like so many other things is just a tool. The right tool for the job.
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