- Read our review guidelines
Frog fishing for bass can add an extra element of excitement to your fishing trip and can let you catch plenty of fish, if you know you how to do it. So when is the best time to do it and where do you begin?
Because it can be such a fun way to catch bass, we thought we’d give you some advice on how to use frog lures, as well as where and when you might have the best luck with them.
When To Use Frog Lures For Bass
Spring And Summer
The spring and summer months can be an ideal time to use frog lures, as this is often when you will find frogs at the water, since spring is usually when frogs will breed.
Spring and summer can also be a better time of year for vegetation, such as water lilies and algae, to be growing on the water, which is where frogs may be more likely to be found.
Topwater Fishing
Frog lures are designed for topwater fishing, so it can be a good time to use them when the bass are in the shallower waters and can be more likely to bite bait on the surface.
> “Walk the Dog” – Topwater fishing technique
Video: How To Fish A Frog – Basic Guide
Bass can often be found in shallower waters around spawning time and during the pre-spawn they can be more likely to be actively feeding to prepare for the spawn.
Frog lures can be a particularly good choice during the post-spawn, as this is often when the bass are trying to protect their fry so will tend to bite a frog that might pose a threat.
Topwater fishing with frog lures can be exciting, as you will often be able to see the bass take your bait, which can make the catching process more interactive.
Where Do You Use Them?
Ponds
Ponds can be a great place for using frog lures, as ponds tend to provide an important habitat for frogs. Areas with weeds, grass and lily pads can be ideal for casting a frog lure, as this is often where frogs can be found naturally.
Frogs will often stay close to the land, so you may not need to cast very far if you’re on the bank. Or if you’re in a kayak or boat, you may want to try casting into the vegetation or towards the banks.
Cover
As well as vegetation, it can also be worth casting your frog lure into areas near structure, such as docks, and even overhanging trees. Any body of water where you can find this type of structure can be ideal.
Large lakes and rivers will likely have areas with this type of cover where both bass and frogs can be found. As frogs are amphibians, they tend not to stray too far from land, which can make docks, logs and trees ideal habitats for frogs.
Bass are probably more likely to have bitten a real frog in these areas, so they may be more likely to strike your frog lure around cover, compared to open water conditions where it would probably be unusual for them to see a frog.
Types Of Frog Lures
1: Hollow Body
Hollow body frogs, not surprisingly, have a soft, hollow body. This can give them a more realistic appearance when they’re paused on the water and the hollow body can help them to float.
These types of lures are designed for use in vegetation, so they’re weedless, meaning they don’t get hung up on the grass. They can be ideal for using in a variety of conditions, including around docks and structure, as well as on areas of thick vegetation.
Hollow body lures often feature silicone skirts to pose as legs and they will usually have an upwards facing hook at either side of the frog’s body.
Livetarget Hollow Body Frog
A good option can be a the Livetarget Hollow Body Frog, as it is a weedless design for heavy vegetation, with sharp side hooks, and it comes in a range of realistic colors.
2: Soft Plastic
Soft plastic frogs tend to be similar to hollow body frogs except that they are designed to slowly sink rather than float when they are left to pause on the water. When they are moved with your rod, they are designed to imitate the swimming movement of a real frog as it moves over the surface of the water.
These types of lures can be ideal for areas of vegetation because of their weedless design.
Zoom Bait Horny Toad
The Zoom Bait Horny Toad might be a good choice as it is designed to be fished in the weeds and features a salt mix that can mean the bass hold on to it for longer, giving you time to set the hook.
3: Hard Plastic
Hard plastic frogs are designed a little differently, with a firm body and a realistic frog-like appearance, including colors and patterns. They are designed to be used in areas where there might not be as much vegetation, such as open water conditions, as they are built to be moved across the water, to create a life-like swimming motion.
Rebel Lures Buzz’n Frog
The Rebel Lures Buzz’n Frog is a hard plastic frog with a semi-weedless hook and spinning legs at the back that attract attention when swimming.
4: Popping
Popping frog lures can have either a hard body or a soft body but probably the most noticeable difference between these and other types of frog lures is that the popping frogs have a cupped face at the front.
It’s this design feature that makes them pop as they travel across the water. When you walk them over the water, they splash and deliver a popping sound to attract bass.
Spro Bronzey
This soft bodied Spro Bronzeye popping frog can be a good option.
It has 3/0 Gamakatsu hooks at the sides of the body and is designed to have realistic swimming legs and deliver a popping sounds as you move it across the water.
How To Catch Bass With Frog Lures: Top Tips
Twitch And Pause
If you’ve ever seen frogs in the wild, you’ll know that they sit for a while. Keep this in mind when you’re fishing the frogs, as this can create a more natural appearance, which can encourage bass to strike.
When fishing on lily pads, it can be a good idea to gently shake your rod to get the frog to move along in a swimming motion. Keeping your rod tip facing up can help you keep the frog’s face slightly up, to give it a more realistic swimming appearance.
Video: Fishing Topwater Frogs For Largemouth Bass
Remember to pause every so often on the edge of the lily pads, as a real frog might do. This can give bass time to take it.
When fishing on algae mats, it might help to jerk your rod a little more as you slowly reel it in and instead of keeping your top tip up, face it down towards the water, remembering to pause frequently as you reel it back.
Hollow body frogs can be pretty versatile when it comes to weeds and algae mats but a popping style frog can be ideal if there are areas of open water between weed patches.
Don’t Immediately Set The Hook
When a bass takes your frog, give it a couple of seconds before you set the hook, as you may end up pulling the frog back towards you, especially if your lure was moving forward at the time of the strike.
Give the bass time to close its mouth and try to swallow the bait, then you can set your hook.
Braided Line
Braided line can often be the best choice for fishing with frog lures because of its strength. Remember, you’re likely to be fishing in areas of cover, which your line could get caught on. Braided line can also offer a lower stretch, letting you set the hook easier.
Because of the style of fishing, having invisible line is probably not going to be much of a concern, as there will likely be weeds and other distractions that the bass may not seem to notice it.
Braided line of around 50 to 80 pound test strength can be ideal for fishing in thick vegetation, with a 7 to 7 ½ foot rod and a baitcasting reel.
Winding Up
Frog fishing can be a fun and exciting way to catch bass, particularly during the spring and summer months when the bass are feeding in the shallows.
The weedless frog lures can let you fish in areas of thick vegetation and cover, where other lures may struggle.
Just remember to hold off for a second or two before you set the hook. Have you got any top tips for frog fishing that you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments. And don’t keep your buddies in the dark, share this with them.