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big bass love them-

Well, basically because big bass have a weakness for them. They go together like peas & carrots. Bass & frogs. Well, maybe more like---- rabbits & carrots. But if you have seen many big bass attack frog lures-------then you would probably say that bass love frogs more than rabbits like carrots. A lot more.

few fish it-very few fish it well-

High pressured lakes-think about it-do you want to offer the same thing

Think about it. Do you want to show the fish the same thing that everyone else is showing them? Especially on some of the more pressured lakes. Do you want to fish the same way they do? Do you want to catch what they catch? Maybe, if you are in a tournament or practicing to be in a tournament. But usually not when you are selectively hunting for a bigger bass.

very effective-deadly results on bigger bass

Let's face it, every day is not a great frog fishing day, bass are not always shallow and not always willing to hit surface lures. But when a big bass is shallow and in the pads or other matted vegetation, it is susceptible to a frog lure. Big bass can be very difficult to catch even when they are hungry. As a trophy bass guide for 20 years, I learned just how difficult they can be. You can put their favorite food right in front of their nose for hours at a time and nothing happens. During the day, however, there is always a period of time when they are more susceptible than at other times. There are many factors that determine this period such as major feeds (gravitational forces) and low light levels etc. and the period of time varies in length, usually dependent upon weather. They are called feeding periods. They often last for a couple hours or only fifteen minutes on cold fronts. There are actually two types of susceptibily periods. The second type concerns an individual bass. Bigger bass have developed much discipline in order to survive, especially in "pressured" water. I always told my trophy bass clients that a big bass had a "window" or sometimes windows of catchability during a given day of so many seconds to probably a minute that most often occur during the longer periods of environmentally probable periods which are periods that the bass population in general are likely to feed.

Almost everyone knows that the best way to catch a big bass is to put a big shiner in front of his nose until that time occurs. The trick is knowing where they are and staying patient.

Again, having been a Florida trophy bass guide for 20 years, a trophy bass taxidermist for 26 years, and a lifetime big bass fisherman, I have learned a little bit about big bass by myself and from others. I have guided for, mounted fish for, met, and fished with many of the country's top bass fishermen. Some famous---- some not. Most know about frog loving big bass but few fish frog lures. Probably because plastic worms are so deadly, versatile and effective in so many situations, and possibly because there are so few good frog imitations.

To check out my latest FROG designs click here

This is an older design with the hook in the belly.

I started making frog imitations for my flyrod back in 1977, basically because a friend, Rich Torgun, had been clobbering the big bass on Union Lake in southern New Jersey on regular basis with a Bill Plummer Bass Frog. I wanted to do the same thing with my flyrod. I made some design changes to create a kicking action in the legs and used a sinktip line to make the styrofoam and rubberband legged creation dive below the surface & pop back up in the pads. My first cast with my new creation nailed a 7-1/2 pounder. I knew then I was embarking upon a lifetime adventure which eventually led me to Florida. I once fished the flyrod frog exclusively for big bass in Florida for a year and a half on my personal fishing days. During that period of time I caught more & bigger trophy bass on those frogs than anything I used guiding clients except live Golden Shiners. I found that a 10 weight flyrod with a 20 lb. tippet was very effective at pulling big bass out of tough Florida Lily pads. Eventually, I started making frogs for my spinning and baitcasting rods, experimenting and improving the design over the years. What I wanted was a soft but durable frog with kicking legs that would swim easily through the pads and on top of the pads and behave as a real frog without out hanging up and appearing unnatural. In addition I wanted a frog that would land lightly without spooking the fish. With this frog design you can squeeze the water out for a lighter touchdown. The hook up in the front of this frog helps it to lift over the pads more easily and it helps to make the hooksets much more easily. On models that have a standard hook below the body, a custom wire weedguard is used.

Anyone reading this on my webpage knows that I like to fish out of a kayak. And there is probably no better way to frogfish other than maybe wading, but the kayak let's you penetrate the thickest weeds & cover with ease & stealth. It's a great way to get back into those areas that don't get fished very often or very well with an artificial so close to the real thing---------- that very few fishermen are using.   I use 20 lb( 8 lb. diameter) FIRELINE braided line because it is easy to cast but very tough. Tough enough to pull most bass out of the pads if you are careful. However, I am considering going a little stronger here in Florida since a bass recently towed me and my kayak through the lily pads before breaking me off. I have caught a lot of big bass on frogs, but I sure would like to have got a closer look at that one.