Chrome
Firefox
Edge
Topwater frogs are something that’s definitely near and dear to my heart. I’ve had some really good events over the years throwing a frog. Actually, the first top 10 I ever made on the Elite Series was at the Sabine River and every bass I weighed in that event came from a topwater frog. Today, we’re going to talk about when to throw a popping-style frog and when to throw a traditional, hollow-body frog.
The biggest thing that you want to think about when you’re trying to choose between the two different styles of frogs is cover. What kind of cover are you fishing? Is it sparse cover? Is it matted vegetation? Is it super heavy cover? That’s the number one factor whenever it comes to which frog I’m going to reach for.
Let’s say I go to Guntersville in September, October, or early November. The grass is still matted up, and those mats are thick. I’m definitely going to go with the traditional frog because the way it’s shaped, it’s going to come right over the top of those mats. This allows me to cover a lot of water without getting hung up. If I’m fishing real heavy laydowns or anything that’s really heavy cover that I need to work the frog through, I’m going to go with the traditional frog.
Now, let’s say I’m fishing water willow, isolated laydowns, isolated stumps, a reed line, or any more open water situation. That’s when I reach for the popping frog. One thing to remember about the popping frog is that it has a cupped mouth. Because of this, you can work it two different ways. You can either walk it, which is my favorite way, or you can pop it and get more of that gurgle effect. The cupped mouth is also the biggest drawback of the popping frog because if you get around vegetation or cover, it will want to catch on that lip.
I like to have one of each style rigged up and ready to go on the boat and just let the situation dictate which one I throw. If I pull up to some heavy cover, I grab the traditional frog. If I find myself in a more open water situation, I go with the popping frog. That will never steer you wrong. And go throw a frog because it’s fun! Good luck on the water.
