Spro Frogs Strikes

[Bubba_Bruiser]

Well I finally got to make a trip with my old time fishing buddy. We haven't got to go in a while, so I called him on my way home from Port Arthur, TX while I was leaving work to make plans for a trip. Well I thought the plan was going to be a bust, but he found a private pond to put us on this morning. Fishing was slow, 5 fish in 3 hours, but a ton of blow ups. And as some of us know, it's not all about filling the livewell, but the memories and the relationships we build on the water. But I did finally get to justify the 8.99 (not including tax) for the Spro Frog I bought a while back. The pond was loaded with the lilies and I have been telling my buddy I had been wanting to throw the frog to just get some strikes. Well, he put me on them. About 30 minutes into the morning I had a big blow up on the edge of the pads and finally dug the 2 lber out of the cabbage. (*Note to self, take a glove for pulling 30lb braid out of the pads, it hurts.) I fished a while and had a few blow ups. All the fish were coming from a reaction type retrieve. If I bumped the frog along, nothing. But when I would burn it back to the boat, they would blow up on it. My buddy landed one about a pound on a weigtless lizard. I turned around a followed up with another 2 lber. Andd he answered with another pounder on the liz. I missed a few more fish. (*Note to self #2, wait to feel the fish.) But near the end of the morning about 9, spla-doosh. I landed this 3.5 lber and concluded the day.

My buddy practices "Catch & Release, into Grease" and I went to put the fish in the cooler. It was classic, just like anyone who sits on a block of ice, you jump. I went to lower the fish in to the cooler and as soon as I let her go, flopped and made a classic self release. I laughed while my buddy just sort of looked at me with a gaze. I told him, it was too big to eat anyways. We tend to release anything around four and up though. But we had a good time anyways. He had 4 good fish to make a meal for him and his wife. I thought I would throw in this pic of my kids. Ask them how big their fish are and you get:

[cassidyta]

Great report Bubba. This may sound dumb as hell, but I recently started making it a point not to watch my frog when I am reeling it in. It forced me to wait for the fish to set the hook. I got th eidea from when I talked with a blind fisherman. My hook up ratio on frogs went through the roof once I stopped trusting my eyes more than my my sense of touch on the rod.

[Bubba_Bruiser]

I hear you man, but with cabbage like we had today, I am always scared that the fish will be so wrapped in the junk, I will never pull them out. And the 3 I caught, inhaled the son of a gun. But you gotta love those blow ups. Every fish I saw today came all the way out of the water. And everyone one of them were around or over the 2 lb range. And I remember the post about the gentleman you are reffering to. I will have to just turn my head after they hit. I just can't help but to watch.

[bamabassman]

bubba that is outstanding man. thank you for a detailed story. great fish too. oh and i love the size the boys are giving, hahahahaha. see gang, they out fish ol pop. hahaha.

and i would love to run a buzzbait or spro frog across that part where the pic is taken.

[Bassboss]

Wow! That a great bass man! I gotta find me a place with pads like that!

[3dkicker]

That's frog slop fishing right there! Did you throw a follow-up bait to the ones that missed? Sometimes they'll miss but come back for seconds.

[Bubba_Bruiser]

3d, I reckon I was so excited, I didn't even think about a follow up bait to tell you the truth. They would hit the frog a second time. I think I will throw a buzz bait or a fluke on rod 2 next time. Or any other suggestions.

[3dkicker]

Speed worm is used frequently as a follow up. So is a Trick worm. To me it depends on the cover. I use something that will sink below the pads or grass. Caught a 4+ last year on a follow up strike on a horny toad I allowed to sink into the hole the bass created on it's first attempt. You can't do that with the Spro frogs.

[JB]

I always throw a worm back in the new opened hole to see if anything will follow up on the blow up, if not its back to running the frog through the slop

[keithdog]

I have to agree with JB on tossing a worm back at the blowup. Also, I'll often toss a soft jerkbait back at the blowup spot. I'll use a soft jerkbait with a belly weighted hook and let it slowly wobble down into the hole.