Thursday, June 8, 2023

Fishing Frogs for Early Summer Bass

Early summer is a great time to fish hollow belly frogs for bass. The water is warm, the bass are active, and the vegetation is still thick, meaning frogs are a great bait to target bass holding on shallow cover.

Here are several tips on how to fish frogs for early summer bass:

  • Use the right frog. There are a lot of different hollow belly frogs on the market, so it's important to choose one that is right for the conditions you're fishing in. If you're fishing in thick vegetation, you'll need a larger frog to make more of a disturbance as it works through the weeds. If you're fishing in open water, you can use a smaller frog with a more natural color pattern to match the local forage.

  • Fish in the right areas. Look for areas where there is a variety of vegetation, such as lily pads, cattails, and reeds. Take note of the type of vegetation bass are using each time you’re on the water. Bass will often hide in these areas and ambush prey in similar areas across the lake.

  • Use a variety of retrieves. You can fish a frog a variety of ways, and the best retrieve to use will depend on the conditions and the mood of the bass. A good starting point is to use a popping retrieve. This involves popping the frog on the surface of the water to create ripples. Bass will often strike at the frog when it is rippling the water. You can also use a walking retrieve, which involves slowly dragging the frog across the surface of the water. This is a good way to cover a lot of water and find active bass. 

  • Set the hook quickly. Bass will often strike at a frog very quickly, so be prepared to set the hook as soon as you feel a bite.

  • Be patient. Fishing with a frog can be a slow process, but it can be very rewarding. Be patient and keep working the areas where you think bass are holding, and you'll eventually get bit.

There’s no doubt, Bassmaster Classic champ Jason Christie relies on frogs as one of his “go-to” baits for catching big bass in shallow cover throughout the year. Take a few minutes and watch as he explains his system for using frogs when chasing early summer bass…


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