Many think that the topwater frog is a lure that should only be used around matted or dense vegetation and while yes, this lure does shine in these circumstances, it is also a lure that can be used in situations where vegetation isn’t present.
When the sun shine is shining directly overhead, those bass will want to take cover under something, to not only stay cool, but also to put them in a good position to ambush an easy meal! Two prime examples of this are boat docks and overhanging trees, both of these forms of cover provide bass with great ambush opportunities.
Now many anglers when faced with either of these situations will flip or skip a jig underneath that dock or way back underneath those overhanging trees and while yes that works great, bass sometimes want or need to see something different as they have seen countless jigs over their lifetime. And this my friends is when a topwater frog excels!
In this given scenario, the Ish’s Phat Frog shines as it walks-the-dog with ease out of the package, providing a cadence that drives bass wild and because of its flat belly, it will skip beautifully underneath that low hanging tree or way back underneath that dock.
The sister to the Phat Frog is the Poppin’ Phattie and with the same design its walking ability is spot on, but with its two concave pockets, it will spit water when given a twitch with a rod tip. The Poppin’ Phattie is a good choice when bass are feeding on baitfish or bluegills around cover, such as laydowns or in between those boat docks you were just fishing.
Depending on what the bass are feeding on will dictate the color of frog you should use. If they are feeding on shad, then Da Man is a good choice, whereas a Brown Bullfrog or Fred’s Frog mimic bluegills better. In low light conditions the Papa Midnight color is a great choice.
So as you are out on the water this fishing season don’t automatically put that frog down as you venture away from that matted vegetation or lily pad field, keep tossing that frog and you’ll see what big fish powers it holds!
Glenn has been fishing tournaments for over ten years, spreading his passion and knowledge of the sport via articles and videos. For more information check out glennwalkerfishing.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
By: Glenn Walker