Frogs – Live Bait

How to Catch Bass with Live Frogs

Frogs and tadpoles are excellent bait for catching largemouth bass. However, they’re also popular with smallmouth bass and spotted bass. Toads are also a successful bait for catching largemouth.

 

Try creating a live bait rig with a split shot and a slip sinker above it on the line with a frog hooked through the lips.

 

Frogs are fished shallow, deep or across the tops of lily pads.

Frog lures

Frogs are a bait that many anglers pass up. Some anglers find it difficult to fish with live frogs as bait.

• Plastic frog lures can be just as effective

Tip:  When fishing with plastic frogs check the hook. With some frog lures the hook is not in the right place to properly hook a bass.

 

You might need to give the hook a slight bend off the body. You will lose some of the weedless ability, but the hook’s set right for the roof of the mouth of the fish for best results.

Frogs are ideal when fishing in heavy weeds where there are lily pads. In the south where large Florida Largemouth Bass and the northern Largemouth Bass are found.

 

They’re most effective when fished across the top of the lily pads and weeds.

• Cast towards the sides of lily pads and retrieve at a moderately fast to fast rate. However, keep in mind that largemouth bass tend to lay in wait for their food. If you retrieve too fast, they might just give your bait a miss.

• Try retrieving at a moderately fast pace and then increase the speed if this doesn’t work. However, don’t turn the frog into a marathon swimmer.

Tip: Bass, like many predators won’t chase down prey that can outrun them. They’ll pay special attention to frogs that act wounded. Therefore, your best bet is to retrieve at a fast rate, but in a wounded manner, pausing at times and then jumping again.

• Cast your line towards the same place twice before casting towards another spot. Don’t spend hours in a spot that doesn’t provide any success.

• You should also check with local bait and tackle shops to find out how well stocked the local waterways are and the size of the bass to expect.

• As bass have a large appetite, use a large frog to attract the large bass.

Technique summary

1. start by fishing at a moderately fast rate
2. fast can also work and so can a relatively slow rate
3. avoid retrieving at a marathon rate
4. when retrieving, retrieve in a manner that would be expected from a wounded frog.

• Mimic the action of a wounded frog.

Wounded frogs will not jump right and won’t jump far. They’ll often perform a series of small jumps and then relax. 

Keeping Frogs Alive

• Frogs don’t like being handled and it causes them stress. Frogs prefer live food such as crickets. They’ll also eat worms, flies and other assorted bugs. Avoid placing them in warm areas as they prefer room temperatures.
• Don’t store them in a fridge.

We’ve never managed to pull in a bass with a dead frog. However if your angling for catfish you can have success with a dead frog.