Fishhound Magazine 009 | Page 12

Tips&Techniques The Art of the frog retrieve words by // Mike Pehanich / www.smallwatersfishing.com M ake no mistake about it. Anglers have caught bass on hollow-bodied frogs with every conceivable hop, bounce, spit, shudder, twist and cadence. But surely there’s a “best” retrieve, isn’t there? If a survey of some of the best frog fishermen in the pro ranks counts for anything, the answer is a resounding “No!” “Frogging” (a.k.a. “froggin’”) is an art, and, like all art forms, it demands that the artist put a bit Page 7 5 | Fishhound Mag of his own personality into the performance. Now don’t feel you have to take a deep plunge into your subconscious to find your “inner frog.” But going with your senses and instincts and tailoring your retrieve to your own style may not be a bad idea at all. Still, like a method actor might study a Marlon Brando performance, you, too, might want to take a tip from some of the great “froggers” of our time. Here’s how to get an Academy Award-winning performance out of your hollow-bodied frog.