Frog Modifications to Land More Bass
The water is warm, the grass is growing, and the bass are shallow, the time has come. If you aren't throwing a frog by now you're missing opportunities for some heart-pounding explosions that you'll never forget! The frog is a key presentation during the summer months that every angler should at least have a familiarity with. Whether you're popping a frog in the shade of docks, walking it along a rocky shoreline, or dragging it on a cheese mat, its a fun way to lure BIG bass out of the depths.
The frog has a reputation for giant bass. Unfortunately it also has a reputation for missed fish and broken hearts. This video is going to cover some of the simple changes you can make to your frogs that will eliminate the heartache and put those big fish in the boat.
This shows the length comparison between the stock leg and a leg that has been cut down to eliminate short strikes and missed bites
The key to consistent success comes down to two simple changes. In my opinion, every frog should have the legs trimmed and the hook position altered before the bait is ever thrown in the water. There are dozens of other changes that you hear about from time to time but these two are easy and have a huge impact on your success.
When trimming the legs I cut the rubber with scissors until there is approximately 1.5 to 2 inches of material left. This increases the odds that the bass will target the main body of the bait rather than clamping down on just the legs. An added benefit of the trimmed legs is that its also easier to walk a frog once the legs have been cut shorter.
Here you can see a properly modified frog. Both the short legs and increased hook gap are visible
When modifying the hooks I bend them both out and up, away from the body. By doing this I am able to create a larger hook gap. When bass eat the bait with a modified hook they no longer need to fully crush the body of the frog to expose the hook. Doing this makes it much easier to hook the bass, even when an angler has a softer hookset.
Depending on brand, bending the hooks can take a great deal of force. I generally have to bend the hooks farther than I want, as the steel will spring back part way as soon as the pressure is removed. Use a stout pair of pliers and exercise caution. its very easy to slip and end up on the wrong end of a strong hook. If you take your time, you shouldn't have any issues.
We hope you'll take these tips and apply them to your fishing. Once you do, come back and share your experiences. We'd love to hear about the bass you're putting in the boat!