My thoughts on frogs

[keithdog]

The term match the hatch is often used and I believe it definately has merit in many cases. Especially with slower moving swim baits, stick baits, jigs and so on. However, the thought has come to mind lately that fishing frogs isn't one of them. Now I may be wayyyy off base, but here's my take. Take a look at the Spro frog lineup. There are so many wild and exotic color patterns to choose from, most of which have never been seen on any frog except perhaps some exotic species in the amazon jungle. White with bright red stripes? What kind of frog looks like that? While in BPS yesterday, I was looking at the new Koppers frog and admiring their realistic looks. Definately great looking frogs meant to fool the wariest of bass. But does it really? Is it at all necessary? I contend it's not. Give a bass something to eat that he can engulf and looks alive and chances are he will hit it if he's in the feeding mood. How many bass have ever even seen a frog? I bet most bass have NEVER seen a frog in their lives. When is the last time you ever saw a frog swimming any further from shore than a foot or so? I've never seen a frog sunning itself in the middle of a lilly pad field. I've never seen a frog swimming along 12 foot from shore where the preditors live. Frogs are extremely cautious critters. They spend most of their lives on the bank, or within a few inches of the bank partly submerged. Now Herons and racoons definately eat their share of frogs, but bass??? About the only time a frog leaves the security of the shoreline is when they feel threatened and scamper into the mud and cover within a foot or two of the bank. They lay and fertilize their eggs in very shallow water pools, not out in 6 foot depths where bass may be lurking. Do frogs make a great live bait? You bet they do. But not because bass love eatting them, but rather, a frog out in open water is an easy meal for any bass with an appetite. They are fairly slow moving compared to small fish and offer a good sized meal. To the bass, this means only one thing, an opportunity to eat something. Don't know what it is, but it's eddible. At least the bass thinks so. What I'm getting at is that while there is certainly nothing wrong with trying to imitate a live frog, making them look super realistic is really more about catching the fisherman than the fish. I'm more concerned about the "fishability" of a frog bait. Size, action, hook up ratio, weedlessness, things like that. I can go out with a black or white frog and one or the other or both will take fish. I still would prefer to fish with a frog that looks at least somewhat realistic only because it has a natural look to it, and thus "may" be more appealing to preditor fish. But it may not really be a big deal. What color will be more visible to bass under certain conditions is probably what we need to consider when choosing a frog to fish with at any particular moment. If the ultra realistic frogs are going to give a bass angler more confidence then it will catch bass for him because he's going to be working that frog longer and harder than he would if he didn't have faith in it. And I guess thats the most important thing when it comes to any lure design and color.

[BigBassin144]

Those Koppers frogs do look great, but consider one thing: Bass would only ever see the bottom of the frog. I think different colored frogs are one of those baits designed to catch fishermen. A white frog, a black frog, and something natural in between is really all you need.

But because of many of the reasons you stated, I don't think the whole "match the hatch" is as important as many make it out to be. Bass are opportunistic hunters. They don't attack things because they are definitely a food item. They take any chance they can get to catch a meal, which means they'll go after anything that COULD be food. Explain why frogs work 10, 15, 20 feet from shore, why craw baits work in lakes with craws, and why swimbaits work in lakes that aren't stocked with trout.

BB

[bamabassman]

while i also agree with anthony here, that most baits are made to attract fishermen, i also think that a bas will attack jsut about anything.
think about it. on a givn day a bass will eat whatever it is in front of him/her. if it is something they haven't seen, look.......then eat it cause it is different.

[96ecss]

Keith, I agree 100%. I've never seen frogs out in the middle of a lake or in the middle of a lily pad field and I don't think you have to match the hatch. I do think that color matters on some days, but not in the way where you have to match the forage in the lake. Especially for top water lures. Like Anthony said, bass only see the bottom of the lure.

I have a friend who catches bass on a Rebel Pop-R in white with a red head. What could that possibly look like? I've had days where I couldn't catch bass on frog or bluegill colored top water lures but caught bass on shad colored top water lures in a lake that has no shad but has many frogs and bluegill.

I do believe in the confidence thing though. If you have confidence in a bait, you will throw it longer and work it harder than a bait that you have no confidence in.

Dave

[coachpurdy]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

while i also agree with anthony here, that most baits are made to attract fishermen, i also think that a bas will attack jsut about anything.
think about it. on a givn day a bass will eat whatever it is in front of him/her. if it is something they haven't seen, look.......then eat it cause it is different.

I picked up my bass from the taxidermist yesterday and he said he found a turtle about the size of a coaster in its belly

[bamabassman]

HAHAHAHA, see what i mean gang?

[MallenManson]

I agree.

I've fished several frogs from different manufacturers along with tons of different colors.
Several of the frogs I've thrown did have frog-like colors, but my 2 best producers are the Spro Natural Red (I think that's the color name & what's natural about a red frog?) and a Bobby's Perfect, black with yellow spots. You put any type of food in front of me that's black with yellow spots, you might just get a punch in the mouth!

I suppose realistic colors COULD produce more if you were slow fishing in open water, but when you're draggin a frog across a lily pad, it won't help a bit. Half the time, the bass don't even see what they're hitting, they just know that somethin is up there.

On the subject of bass trying to eat anything, I saw a show like 15 years ago. The guy on the show claimed that a Bass will try to eat ANYTHING, until he learns he can't.
This guy had a pond, and his sunglasses feel off his head, into the water. A bass tried to eat them lol.

While I do lean towards the cooler looking frogs when I can, the most important things are action, weedlessness, durability and hookability.

[boloson]

Originally Posted by coachpurdy

I picked up my bass from the taxidermist yesterday and he said he found a turtle about the size of a coaster in its belly

hahaa. i've never seen a single frog on the lake i fish yet when we fillet a bass one time it had a frog leg inside

[bassboogieman]

think about it. on a given day a bass will eat whatever it is in front of him

That's it! I'm really a bass.

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by bassboogieman

That's it! I'm really a bass.

LMAO!!! I bet a few of us in here are too. haha

[Deacon]

"Frog" baits arent always "Frog" baits to a bass. They are to us humans but a bass sees them differently IMO. A perfect example Yellow headed Black Bird and the Sparrow color. Both of theose actual birds are very prevelant at certain times here in Norcal lakes. The Yellowheaded Black Bird is a bird that hangs out in the tules(we call em tule monkeys due to the sounds they make) So imagine if your a big old bass and your hungry and one of these birds were to fall in, struggles and splashes around a bit its going to get eaten. Some of the white frogs are supposed to represent bait fish. If something is again is in open water and generally looks like the colors of a bait fish(white, perchish and maybe has some red on it) and is making movement, its going to get eaten. It all about how the fish percieve things vs. how humans percieve things. We see em as "frogs" and bass see em as everything else including "frogs"

I persoanlly believe that fish arent swimming up to "frog" baits if they look like something else and not going to eat them. Of course they will eat them. It is the opportunistic habits of predator vs. prey. No matter the color, the shape or the size. If a bass wants it, it will eat it.

[cassidyta]

Personally, I belive that they type of frog and where you are throwing it is what makes color matter. If you are tossing it on top of the pads or any other thick junk, then I don't believe it matters as much. In those cases, all I worry about are drak vs light colored.

If I am throwing to penings or in open water near the "junk", then I do think that color matters some. Like Deacon, I think it has more to do with birds, large bugs, or even lizzards then frogs. In these cases I am almost deadsticking the bait following the initial cast.

If it is something that I will keep moving, then the belly and leg colors are all that I really focus on.

One thing I will say is that the frog responsible for the most blow up last year was the one my daughter picked out. As you can see, I don't think it resembles anything that the bass are eating, but for her, it is the best frog out there.

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by cassidyta

Personally, I belive that they type of frog and where you are throwing it is what makes color matter. If you are tossing it on top of the pads or any other thick junk, then I don't believe it matters as much. In those cases, all I worry about are drak vs light colored.

If I am throwing to penings or in open water near the "junk", then I do think that color matters some. Like Deacon, I think it has more to do with birds, large bugs, or even lizzards then frogs. In these cases I am almost deadsticking the bait following the initial cast.

If it is something that I will keep moving, then the belly and leg colors are all that I really focus on.

One thing I will say is that the frog responsible for the most blow up last year was the one my daughter picked out. As you can see, I don't think it resembles anything that the bass are eating, but for her, it is the best frog out there.

Attachment 6150

A reddish pink frog? Whatya know about that! ^5 for your daughter lovin her frog biat. Thats cool pal!

[cassidyta]

Bad lighting. That frog is pink with some purple. She has caught several fish on it in the past year. I think frogs are made for kids to fish. Be default, she take a moment ot set the hooks rather than pull on instinct like I usually do.

[MallenManson]

I think I remember you telling us about that funky frog last year, Cass

[HarveysMinnow]

I agree with virtually all that has been said here. In a way, it seems we're all 'preaching to the choir' in this case, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. Part of this goes back to the earlier discussion we had about whether Bass actually see colors that well. Seems like shape, size, and overall action play a larger role than how the frog (or other baits) are decorated. But there does seem to be a certain 'comfort level' for us fishermen when we see a frog that looks especially realistic. Maybe that makes more elaborate or more realistic baits worth having in one sense of the word.

/

[Rebbasser]

Keith, you are way off base and full of crap



Just kidding, my friend. I really don't have a clue-some of the exotic colors don't make a lot of sense to me, but then I don't see colors the way bass do, so who knows?

[DVT Mike]

I think a lot of this holds true for all baits. I adjust color, light-dark based on water clarity and light conditions. I don't keep every color of every bait. I choose baits by depth, location, cover, presentation, action and color, in that order.