Topwater frogs are among the most exciting bass lures to use. There’s just not much that equals the sight and sound of a big bass exploding on a hollow-bodied frog as it creeps across cover.
You’d be hard pressed to find a serious bass angler that doesn’t have at least a couple frogs in their arsenal.
In spite of the effectiveness of frog lures, anglers tend to tinker and take creative liberties with their lures in an effort to maximize performance and results. Adding a few tweaks here and there to your frog lures can help you do the same.
Add a Rattle
Sound is an important component to many fishing lures on the market today, as fish pick up on vibrations and commotion in the water. Aside from hard baits that come equipped with a rattle, many anglers have taken to inserting rattles into their soft plastics for additional appeal, and you can do the same with your topwater frogs. A rattle can easily be added to a frog’s hollow body to increase its drawing power.
Trim the Skirt
Trimming the length of your frog’s legs can dramatically change its action on the water. The shorter the legs, the better it will walk (around 1 ½ inches is ideal). Bonus Tip: Experiment with trimming the legs unequally, as this can make their action even more erratic.
Superglue the Nose
Often times you’ll need to squeeze the water out of a frog lure due to leaks. Leaking frogs sink and don’t have nearly the action they should. You’ll find that most leaks occur at the nose of a frog, after normal wear and tear causes it to open up around the line tie. Remedy this by placing a few drops of superglue around the eye.
Bend Out the Hooks
Grab the hook shank at the bend with pliers and slowly open each barb up about 1/8 of an inch. This will cause the hook to get more bite into the fish, meaning less missed fish. Just make sure to do it slowly though, so you don’t weaken the hook.
Add Scent
Just like adding a rattle, the hollow body of a frog lures allows you to add scent if you want. Just inject a bit of your favorite stinky scent right into the body chamber. This will give your frog lure a more natural taste and can cause fish to hold onto it longer.
Use a Marker
This is perhaps the simplest tweak to make, but it’s also often overlooked. Use colored permanent markers to spice up your frog anywhere you think it needs it. With markers you can add stripes, color the body to match the hatch or fill in areas where the paint may have worn away over time.
Photo credit: Dreamstime
