As the original frog only tournament on the California Delta nears, Bassmaster Elite Series pro Ish Monroe continues his list of pointers to increasing success at the Snag Proof Open.
Click here for Part One from Ish - Frog Mods
The Look: Frog color patterns range from realistic to, how should we say this — thought provoking. Matching local forage is never a bad idea, but reaction strikes work, too.
White’s one of the leading frog colors and while you won’t find many albino hoppers out there, in thick weeds or dim light, a white body is more easily tracked. Sometimes bass quietly suck down a frog, so when the white disappears, it’s jaw-jackin’ time.
Shape Up: When it comes down to choosing between a walking or popping frog, consider that a walker’s narrow nose comes through cover best and produces the taunting displays of subtle side-to-side twitches with little forward motion.
On the other hand, when you want it loud and splashy, the popper’s concave face chugs, spits and generates a mean bubble trail. Consider that walking frogs need relatively calm conditions for open water use, while poppers don’t mind a little chop on the surface.
“I throw a popping frog when bluegill are smacking on the top, or when the wind is blowing,” Monroe said. “Other than that, I use the walking frog the majority of the time. If there isn’t a ripple on the water, I’m using the walking frog even if the bluegill are smacking on top.”
The Right Moves: During the bedding and fry-guarding seasons, Monroe likes to lightly twitch his walking frog to make it sashay left and right without actually moving it forward. Other scenarios call for other presentations.
“When the fish are really active, you can actually push the frog, which is kind of like waking a bait and pushing a lot of water,” he said. “Lastly, you can skip the bait and make it spit. What you’re doing is ripping it across the water when the fish are really active and you’ll see them chasing it.”
Stick It to ‘Em: You’d think that twin hooks would all but guaranty a connection, but many different dynamics of habitat, bite angle, etc. can lead to a less-than-perfect encounter. That’s why you’ll see Monroe taking the tools to his frogs.
“One of the most important things with any frog is bending the legs up a little bit when you’re fishing it in open water,” he said. “When you bend those hooks off the body, you seem to get a better hook up.”
Some believe that cinching braid around their frog hook shanks yields a stronger bait, but Monroe takes and opposite view.
“I don’t ever bind my hooks because I like a little bit of flex and a little bit of give,” he said. “If the hooks don’t move and the bait is turned a certain way, the point won’t rotate into that fish.”
Note this: If you bend your hooks, be careful not to overdo it and flare them too far laterally. The basic frog design uses the body as a weed guard and overextended hooks will grab weeds on every cast.
Taking all this into consideration, it would be a shame to lose to a missed bite. For maximum hook exposure, topwater frogs are designed to collapse when bitten. On the bite, no matter how dramatic, resisting the urge to immediately jerk is the best way to make sure the fish comes tight on one or both of those twin hooks.
Easier said than done, but overcoming that initial urge to yank the paint off your rod is critical. Let the fish pull down your bait, then reel tight and cross his eyes.
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The Original Frog Only Tournament is coming!
August 6th & 7th, 2016
The 15th Annual Snag Proof Open will blast off from Russo's Marina.
Sign up by June 30th at get a free breakfast burrito and coffee.
Pro Teams - $200 entry with all options (all in $290)
Semi Pro - $100 entry with all options (all in $190)
Big Fish - $20 - $10 option - $20 option - $30 option
Event Info: HERE
Entry Form here: PAY ONLINE
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