“ there ’ s a risk-reward relationship with frogging . if you don ’ t take some chances , you ’ ll never catch the bass you could be catching !”
when
A lot of people ask me , “ When is the best time to throw a frog ?” My answer is always the same . I tell them to keep an open mind . The frog can be good anytime .
If you ’ re a tournament angler , it might not be your best bet to win in February or March , when the water is cold , but it could still make for a fun day . I ’ ve had great days with the
ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL HOEWELER frog all throughout the year because I ’ m open-minded about how I use it . It might not be the right bait for the entire day , but it could be the perfect bait for a few strategic casts , and there are almost always a few places you ’ ll fish over the course of a day where no other lure can go .
Remember that the hollow-bodied frog is a topwater bait ; it ’ s exciting , the strikes can be explosive , and it almost never gets hung up . Then you start to realize that you can throw it whenever you want .
where
I designed the Bronzeye Frog 65 as a “ target ” bait rather than as a mat-fishing lure . It ’ s perfect for everything from open water to light grass , holes in heavy cover , skipping under docks and piers – and all without getting snagged .
We have other frogs that might be better under certain conditions , and we ’ ve designed – or we ’ re working on – other frogs for just about any situation an angler might encounter . They all have one thing in common : You can throw them absolutely anywhere a bass might live .
tackle
When it comes to frog gear , your line has to be braid , and I recommend that it be at least 60-pound-test . I designed Sunline FX2 exclusively for frogging and flipping . It casts really well and it ’ s abrasion resistant . It ’ s everything I need for frogs or flipping .
I ’ ve also designed several rods for frogging , and I ’ m working on a new series that should be out in the next year . Basically , I like a 7-foot , medium-heavy casting rod with a fast tip for most of my frog fishing . If I ’ m in extremely heavy cover or using the big SPRO King Daddy , I ’ ll go to a 7-foot-4 heavy-action model , also with a fast tip .
I like a casting reel with lots of line capacity and a gear ratio of at least 7:1 . A faster reel can be good , as long as it doesn ’ t cost you power . It takes a lot of torque to pull a big fish out of heavy cover , and you may lose that with some faster reels .
lures
We ’ ve added a lot of frogs to the SPRO lineup since introducing the Bronzeye Frog 65 in 2005 . We have the Bronzeye Pop , the King Daddy , the Bronzeye Shad , the Spot Shad , and more are coming . I ’ ve designed them all , and each has its applications and situations where it ’ s the best choice . All are equipped with 3 / 0 , 4 / 0 or 5 / 0 Gamakatsu EWG frog hooks .
The Bronzeye Frog series skips and walks the best . It ’ s a target bait that comes through cover extremely well .
The Bronzeye Pop is a popping frog . Because of the cupped mouth , it doesn ’ t skip as well as the Bronzeye Frog , but it ’ s perfect when you need more commotion . It ’ s also great for beginners since it ’ s easy to use .
The Bronzeye Shad is a glide bait . It has a pointy head and a more passive action .
The Spit Shad is a compromise between the Bronzeye 65 and the Bronzeye Pop . It offers less surface disturbance than the Pop but more than the traditional frog body .
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