Hollow Body Frog Fishing, Cover Patterns

I’ve spent quite a bit of time over the last couple of years throwing all three types of hollow body frogs through various types of cover to catch largemouth bass at different times during the season. I’ve been pretty successful, so thought that I would share which frog I choose based on the type of cover I am presented with.

Below you will find one of the many areas that I commonly found in many throughout the Kawartha Lakes. I have broken the field of cover down into 3 parts, highlighted by yellow, red, and blue encircled areas that produced fish for me. I will refer to each of these areas in my posts below.

I’ll keep the gear talk simple; a MH heavy baitcaster, a sized 70 baitcasting reel (both made by Daiwa), and 65lbs braid (PowerPro) were used to haul the fish out of the cover shown below.
Fish were caught throughout the day from this one area, from morning to evening, in cloudy and sunny conditions.

Cheers, and good fishing.

Below you will find the three types of frogs I use. On the top is the classic hollow body frog, streamlined to go through the thickest cover being fished. As always, it can also be fished in less dense cover or even in areas of no cover at all as it performs well with a walking the dog retrieve. It was primarily fished in the yellow area. The second frog type is called the flappin frog, as the legs created a buzz similar to the various buzz toads that could be found on the market. It did not fair well in any type of heavy or even medium cover, but shone brilliantly in areas of sparse cover and especially where the cover met with milfoil weed identified within the blue circle. Its best feature was the ability to be stopped in the event of a missed strike by a bass, then the retrieve commenced again which often triggered the strike. Shown at the bottom is the classic popping frog, which saw action on colder mornings where a stationary bait with a subtle popping retrieve was responsible for bringing fish to the surface. It worked well in both moderate and sparse cover, as noted in the blue and red circles. While I only use Spro products, there are many companies which make similar products. Do your research and choose based on your criteria.

I focused on the area in the yellow circle at first, as it provided the thickest cover and most available shade thanks to the lily pads that were scattered through the area. I threw the classic hollow body frog above, as it was best suited to be thrown into the jungle. All my fish came from either on top of or areas adjacent to lily pad cover found throughout the structure. A slow retrieve was used, and the colour black appealed the most to the fish. I believe this is because of the silhouette it created against the sky when viewed from above. My largest fish came from these areas of cover, which was only approximately 2 feet in depth.

I really enjoyed throwing the flappin frog in the area circled in blue on the picture above. I also used it extensively as a search bait through several milfoil flats found through the lake. The bass really hit this offering hard, as if they didn’t want to let a meal go by them. While the fish weren’t big, they were numerous. As noted above, in the event a fish boiled on the frog but missed it, the retrieve was stopped for a couple of seconds until the wake had dissipated. A slow retrieve was then initiated which would often see the bass come back and crush the bait.

A few key points regarding the Spro Flappin Frog that I would be remised not to mention.

Firstly, the bait is made of something called TPE material. This material is quite soft and squishy, giving the fish something that feels as squishy as a real frog to hold onto once they have inhaled it.

Secondly, while the material is awesome, the paint does not last on this frog. That was my observation with the leopard frog pattern, and may not apply to other patterns of this same frog. With that said, I didn’t notice a reduced strike rate with the paint worn off the bait. I believe this is because the fish are attracted to the buzz produced by the flapping legs upon retrieve…but time will tell.

Finally, the Spro website advises to NOT STORE THIS FROG WITH OTHER PLASTICS – INCLUDING OTHER HOLLOW BODY FROGS. I am sorry for the caps in that sentence, but I really wanted to drive this point home. After reviewing other boards and speaking with others who use the product, when the temperature outside is as hot as we’ve seen lately the bait itself will melt and as such become useless. I really recommend putting these baits into a separate, smaller box from your regular frogs and keep them in a shaded area out of the sun so that any chance of melting can be avoided. I stored mine in a cooler that I had with me while out on the water, and there was no negative reaction found.

Cheers, and don’t be afraid to tie one of these on – lots of fun!

Excellent review, thanks for posting

Great report. If I ever use frogs it will be one of those.

Happy to help, and glad that you enjoyed the write up.

great report thanks for the breakdown. I have never had much luck with frogs

was wondering what you thought about the difference in hook up ratio between the frogs and a Moss Boss since I use both ???? Thanks ROOK

That's an interesting question Rook.

When I was younger, some 25 years ago, I spent some time fishing the Moss Boss in areas that I now fish just hollow body frogs in.

This includes several well known spots through the Kawartha Lakes.

On the way up to my parents cottage was a swamp which led out to the main lake. I had a bet with my dad that I could catch a large mouth bass on a top water spoon called a Moss Boss. He accepted the bet and we stopped the car, I put on the Moss Boss, and proceeded to haul out this largie which weighs in at about 3lbs.

It definitely got the job done and brought in fish.

The one feature I really loved about the Moss Boss was that it sank. This meant I could allow it to flutter down one I reached the edge of a pad bed or slop, and there were times that was the gravy the fish were looking for.

Admittedly I haven't fished one in several years, actually not even sure I have one anymore.

Both baits have hooks that ride in the upright position, which is essential for where they are being used.

For me, I think that I prefer hollow body frogs because the fish hold onto it longer due to the softer, squishier profile of the bait which then allows me to get a better hookset into it. I also like the fact that I can skip them up under docks, a known big bass pattern. Again, personal opinion.

That said every lure has its time and place, and if you use one and catch fish on it, more power to you.

Cheers, and great question.

Excellent explanation and lesson. I will definitely be slinging a froggie around when I get to Florida in November. The lakes that I fish down there are loaded with pads and hydrilla.

Well I hope the bet was for $$$$$$ There are times when I miss setting the hook on a blowup in the slop with my Moss Boss and wonder if I would have had success using a frog which has 2 upturned hooks ???

Happy it helped Goshawk, can't wait to read about your FL adventures.

No money involved Rook...he's my dad. I miss fishing with him every day.

The two upturned hooks don't impact my hookup ratio at all....just wait to feel the weight and drive them home. Stick sharp Gamakatsu's get it done every time.

Cheers.

Thanks for taking the time to post this detailed and informative message.

Cheers,

You're welcome Fozzy.