I Need Help Frogging

[HerringKing]

So I was fishing a topwater frog this weekend and got tons of hits. But my bite to landed ratio was like 10-1. I would give them a split second before setting the hook. They stay on for a little bit, some half way thru the fight but then the frog would just pop out. Some would then hit it a second time and it would pop out again. I lost some monsters too. What is the trick to landing fish on frogs. I was thinking about bending the hooks out a little but then it wouldn't be weedless.

[NJSquatch]

Bend the hook points up and out. It will stay fairly weedless. Give it a 2 count before setting the hook.

[HBird11]

I live for topwater action! I probably fish surface lure 60% of the time and the weedless frog can be a frustrating lure! The only thing I could ever come up with is to bend the hooks up away from frog, yes you will catch more weeds which gets frustrating but nowhere near as frustrating as loosing fish after fish after fish! Also have to be very patient and don’t set the hook until the fish puts tension on the pole

[Chrisper4694]

Every good 'frog fishing' lake up by me has pretty much gone to mediocre over the years so i really don't do it as much as i wish i did anymore, but I used to find this... try shorter casts so you have a better angle upward on the fish, wait as you've been doing (even smear some scent gel on there so it doesn't taste like plastic to the fish while you're waiting), and then set the hook straight up like you're jigging but do it HARD when it comes tight (it feels weird cause you'd normally hit it sideways almost parallel to the water if it was a normal top water). So basically, you're taking out as much drag as possible off the line on the water and thick weeds and putting all that power into blasting those hooks out of the weedless frog and into the fish's mouth. And yes i know, it's easier said than done haha.

Also keep in mind to try some different colors if they aren't hitting it as well as you'd want just like other lures, sometimes changing the color gets more of them to commit just a little better on any given day.

P.S. invite me to your frogging lakes cause north jersey frogging sucks recently!

[HerringKing]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

P.S. invite me to your frogging lakes cause north jersey frogging sucks recently!

I probably won't hit it again till next year but you're welcome to come. Just keep it top secret. I don't have many good lakes anymore

[crewchief2]

I ran into the same issue last few seasons, my lake is perfect for frogging, but hook ups were a problem, i did the bending the hooks up, shortening the skirt, and that help a little. Then i added a stinger hook, and my hook ups have doubled, i do get a bit more weeds but worth it for the extra hook ups. I'm fishing mostly in duckweed.

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by HerringKing

I probably won't hit it again till next year but you're welcome to come. Just keep it top secret. I don't have many good lakes anymore

one by one my good frogging lakes just stopped being good for frogging... I know some are from the lakes getting weed kill treatments and the weeds not even being there anymore, others got drained from dam repairs and just don't have big bass in them anymore (maybe in a few years). Others i can't even explain, but they've declined enough that i don't usually even bother frogging them. Get much more action with other methods.