Most bass fisherman think of the topwater frog as a summertime or early fall lure, as they associate it with fishing it over thick mats of vegetation, wearing t-shirts and shorts under a nice warm and humid forecast, but the topwater frog just like any lure or technique out there can be applied to fishing scenarios other times of the year as well.
Now yes, if you
live up in the north or in the Midwest, fishing a topwater frog right after ice out, may not be the most logical choice, but as the sun begins to stay overhead in the sky longer, it’s powerful rays will beat into the water and gradually warm those water temperatures up to a level where fishing a topwater frog isn’t out of the question.
WATER TEMP|THE MAGIC NUMBER FOR FROGS
I’ll begin to think about picking up a rod rigged with a topwater frog when that water temperature is flirting with the 50-degree mark. This magical number represents several things, the first and most important is that the water temperature is at a level now where the bass’ activity level is at the point where they will chase down a bait. The 50 degree mark also has sparked energy and life into the water, getting the aquatic insects and baitfish moving around.
CLUES FOR WINTER BASS ON FROGS
Paying attention to clues in and around the water can also indicate that tossing a topwater frog is a viable option. Looking for surface activity from aquatic insects or bluegills, mean they are active and up shallow, meaning the bass aren’t far behind. Also look for small critters on shore to be moving, this again is a possible meal for a hungry bass.
When you are targeting bass with a topwater frog during the early season, one of the main differences that you’ll notice is that the amount of vegetation present is much less than you would be fishing a frog around during the summer or fall, this is because the cool temperatures from the prior fall and winter have killed off some of the vegetation.
TARGETS DIFFER & SPEEDS CHANGE FOR WINTER FROG FISH
One of my favorite areas to fish a frog early in the season is around boat docks, riprap and especially in marinas. The manmade structures and rock along the bank will absorb the sun’s heat quicker than anything else and emit it directly into the adjacent water, thus increasing the water temperature faster than other areas of the lake or river. This increased water temperature will have the bass more active, but also the warmer water will spur the growth of aquatic vegetation sooner.
The manner in which you fish a topwater frog early in the season, compared to later in the year differs as well. Compared to a fast steady retrieve or quick walk-the-dog cadence during the warm water periods, early on in the season you’ll want to work you topwater frog slow, allowing the frog to walk-the-dog in a much wider area.
Paying close attention to subtle difference in the cover you are targeting is key, especially if there is an isolated denser clump of vegetation or a stump intermixed with the grass, these differences is where you’ll want to make repeated casts to with your frog and work that bait from multiple casting angles.
FROG TYPES FOR WINTER BASS
What this will do to my frog selection is that I’ll select a frog that walks-the-dog well over open water and has some flash to it.
For me the Snag Proof Ish’s Phat Frog is a great choice as it walks-the-dog with ease out of the package, much like a Zara Spook. (Meaning you can throw a frog in places that you couldn’t/wouldn’t want to throw a bait with treble hooks on it).
My other frog choice would be the Guntersville Flash; primarily because of the spinner blade protruding from the rear of the frog will emit flash into the water, emulating fleeing baitfish, thus catching the bass’s attention.
When it comes to selecting the color of a frog, I have two primary color patterns to select from. The first being the natural tones, such as Chief Rocka or Buck Nasty, as these brown toned frogs resemble the forage many bass are up shallow feeding on, bluegills.
The other color palette that I’ll select from is the loud or shad colored baits, like Da Man or Platinum Plus. These white or clear looking frogs look like shad skittering across the top of the water, or are obnoxious enough that it will coax a big female bass on a bed into biting.
Frog Fishing Gear
Regardless if I’m fishing a topwater frog early in the year or late in the year, the gear I use is the same. All the pieces of the puzzle must come together properly when fishing a topwater frog, as there is little room for error, as the casting distance and proximity to heavy cover, means you as an angler have to harness that bass and keep him headed to the boat and not to burry itself in the cover.
Rod – Wright & McGill Tessera Series Frog Rod (7’2” Heavy action that drives the hook home) Reel – Wright & McGill Victory Pro Carbon high-speed (allows me to pick up the slack quickly) Line – Seaguar Smackdown 65-pound-test braided line (cuts through the vegetation and has no stretch)
As you hook up the boat and prepare for your early season fishing trips this season, don’t automatically leave your topwater frogs at home, you may be missing out on some early season topwater action!
For more information check out glennwalkerfishing.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/glennwalkerfishing.
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