It's every fisherman's worst nightmare - your frog lure comes flying out of the fish's mouth as soon as you set the hook. This can be frustrating and often leads to missed opportunities. In this article, we will discuss how to reduce fly-outs when fishing with frog lures. By following these simple tips, you'll be able to land more fish and improve your overall fishing experience!
If you have fished a frog lure then you know the struggles that I have had when fishing with a frog lure. It is a proven lure that particularly largemouth bass love to target. A fat juicy meal that is easy to sneak up on.
The fish makes a huge boil at the water's surface or maybe even a huge leap. You see the frog lure disappear so you go for the Hercules-style hookset and WHOOSH, the frog lure goes flying by your face as if it doesn't have hooks at all...
What happened?
Why does this keep happening!?!
Let's walk through this...
Types of Frog Lures
We must first quickly go over the types of frog lures there are in the market. First, you have your prebuilt frog lures that are topwater only. These have double or single hooks in them and sometimes have a weighted system like the Sebile Pivot Frog. Others will have a water expulsion system so if the frog fills up with water and sinks you can squeeze it to get the water out.
The other types are soft plastic frogs that are closer to plastic worms, lizards, and creature baits. These don't float unless you go weightless. These have way fewer problems with missing bites.
Why do the sinking frog lures have a better hookup ratio than topwater frogs?
The simple answer is they have less obstruction for the hook to penetrate and sometimes they have even more offset on the hooks.
When a fish bites a topwater frog it has to depress a preformed hollow frog body. Hopefully, the design of the lure will allow the full offset of the hooks to show so they can actually hook the fish. Some lures don't do this and actually obstruct the hookset.
How Do You Rig Soft Plastic Frog Lures?
One of the most effective ways to fish a frog lure is by using a topwater rig. This type of rig will help to keep the frog lure in place, and it will also allow you to fish in deeper water. There are a few things that you need to know before you start rigging your topwater frog.
First, you need to make sure that you have the right size line for your topwater rig. The line should be between 20 and 30 pounds. If you are using a braided line, you will want to use a leader that is about twice the length of the braid. This will help to keep the frog lure from getting tangled in the line.
Next, you need to choose the right size hook for your topwater rig. The hook should be about the same size as the body of the frog lure. You will also want to make sure that the point of the hook is sharp. This will help to ensure that you can get a good hookset.
Once you have the right size line and hook, you are ready to start rigging your topwater frog. The first thing that you need to do is tie the frog lure to the line. You can do this by using a Palomar knot or an improved clinch knot.
How Do You Put A Hook In A Frog Lure?
The first thing you need to do is take your lure and insert the hook through the top of the head. Then you will put it out at the same length as there is between the eye and the beginning of the offset.
Then you will pull it through until the eye is barely showing out of the head of the lure. Then you will reinsert the hook through the body at the place where it meets the body. You can accomplish this by just hanging the lure and seeing where the hook body meets the lure body and this will be your new entry point.
Once you hook it straight through the body and not at an angle, you must do one last thing. To make it weedless, but easy to release you pull the body forward and allow the tip of the hook to be embedded just below the skin.
This will allow the frog lure to be weedless just like a Texas Rig Worm. When the bass bites it the hook will magically be exposed and all you have to do to give a decent hookset.
How Do You Fish With An Artificial Frog?
The best way to fish with an artificial frog is by using a loop knot. This will help keep the frog in place and prevent it from flying out of its mouth when you set the hook. When I say in "place" I mean the frog stays upright and doesn't go upside down inside the mouth of the fish.
When you are doing the action of a frog with your frog lure you have a lot of pauses. It is usually during these short pauses that you are going to get the strike. You may also notice strikes when the frog jumps off a lily pad. It's rough out there in the aquatic world!
When this happens you need to do certain things to ensure that your "Next Personal Best (PB)" doesn't get aware. Let's talk about the process and why it is important.
- Wait several seconds after the strike to set your hook - This will allow the lure to be fully in the mouth of the fish and allow you to make a proper hookset. Most people get to jumpy and set the hook fast and the fish doesn't even have it yet.
- Use a baitcaster with heavy line (20-30lb test) - Using a baitcaster will allow you to get the proper leverage on the hookset and real in the slack that is always there before it happens quickly. The heavy line is need for a strong hookset and to fight through the lily pads, weeds, trees, etc...
- Use a medium-heavy rod - This will allow you to get leverage for a very strong hookset that will help the hooks penetrate.
- Ensure that when the frog is depressed the hooks are fully showing and not obstructed - If the frog isn't even capable of showing its fangs (hooks) then you are just playing with a toy that a fish can slap around like a ball of yarn. Don't play games... catch fish
- Make sure the hooks are still sharp - Enough said!
How Do You Bend Frog Hooks?
The first step is to take a look at the frog lure you are using. If the hooks are straight, then they need to be bent. This can easily be done with a set of needle-nose pliers. Simply take the end of the pliers and grip the shank of the hook. Next, bend the hook until it has a slight curve to it. You do not want to make the hook too curved, or else the frog lure will not work properly.
The straightening of a frog lure hook doesn't happen often. Most manufacturers are using a very thick gauge hook and even manually bending it is a problem. This is the reason to use a heavy line and strong rod to muscle fish out of deep cover.