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2. Do you work the frog differently in colder water?
> Bobby: "I'm going to fish it slow – very different from how I'd throw it in duckweed in Jul. The first thing I'm going to do is wind up the slack and bob the nose. Then I'm just going to let it sit 1-3 seconds. Then bob the nose again. Don't move the frog – just bob the nose.
> "I'm throwing it at a spot – a roof of dead vegetation – where there is a strong chance that there is a bass there. If she doesn't bite after the nose bobs, I go baby twitch, baby twitch, sit.
> "When she eats it, she will not miss it. She's under that dead vegetation for one reason – to eat. The fish probably hasn't eaten for 2 days. She has low metabolism. She'll expend no more energy than is required. But when she's sees my frog, it looks like a T-bone waiting for her."
3. Do frogs have a place around the spawn?
> Fred: "For sure. Once the fish move into the shallow flats, the frog plays.
> "Big bass on a bed will smoke a frog if you make a long cast. If you fire a frog over a bed before the bass sees you, she'll eat it. You have braid and big hooks – you hook that fish, she's coming in the boat."
> Bobby: "Yes. When I'm on a bed bite, I can stay off them by making long casts with a frog. I don't have to see the fish. I just need to know where the beds are.
> "Your first throw is the most important. Don't throw it into the middle of the bed. Throw to the edge of it."
4. How do you decide what color to throw, and does the time of year play into your decision?
> Fred: "The standards are black and white. I came up with a color years ago called the Fred color [Fred's Frog] – brown/green back/white belly with white legs and an orange throat. It's the one I won the Elite at Murray on years ago. I made that color to match male bluegill. The frog is strong around bluegill.
> "The other colors I like depend on the environment. Browns work really well around crawfish, mayfly hatches and baby duck hatches. The 'diva' color is amazing around the shad spawn. I use true frog colors – the OG green ones – when frogs are hatching.
> "The yellow-headed black bird color – 'dirty bird' – is dynamite out west over mats. The yellow on the nose is a strike indicator in itself."
> Bobby: "If someone just wants to get his feet wet with a frog, he needs a couple black ones and a couple white ones. Black or white will get you by 70% of the time.
> "But if you want a deep dive into frog fishing, you'll take your color choices to a whole different level. There's periods during a year when you need to understand bass as a species. What makes him tick? What makes his attitude and mood change certain times of the year?
> "For example, why do they eat bubble gum and merthiolate in Apr and May but no other time of the year? Why wouldn't they be that picky with [the colors] of topwater baits? They are!
> "Here's my rundown: During the shad spawn, use 'hot mess,' 'grey ghost' and 'TN shad.' In post-spawn, use 'yellow perch' or 'sunrise frog'.
> "The bluegill pattern is for fishing around bluegill and around the spawn. I like black in very clear water, whether it's sunny or not. And 'angry gill' is good in hot water when the bass are on the outside of vegetation and are chasing shad schools."
5. What are the biggest wrong assumptions or mistakes you see anglers make frog fishing?
> Fred: "A lot of people use too stiff of a rod. We used to use stiffer rods because we threw frogs on heavy mono before braid took off. When you use braid, you can get away with a softer rod.
> "I like to bomb a frog a lot. You can use thinner braid – 50-lb – on longer casts, but on shorter casts, you need heavier braid – at least 65-lb. Guys are using too small of braid on short casts...you'll bust the braid on short line.
> "You also have to lock your drag all the way down. And use a fast-enough reel ratio that you can pick up that line fast when you get a blowup.
> "...a lot of guys wait too long to jerk. A fish can blow it out as quickly as it can suck it in. If your gear is proper, you can set the hook as soon as you see the fish's tail going down. You'll never have a 100% hookup ratio day, but you can increase your odds with practice – learning when to set the hook. It becomes muscle memory."
> Bobby: "The #1 deficiency is that some guys don't know how to cast. Learn how to cast when you're excited and your heart is racing because one missed it or you saw one move in the vegetation. Learn how to stay composed so that you can throw back there without a backlash. You've only got seconds to catch that fish.
> "Learn to cast and land right on top of them – not past them. Make that fish react. When she gives you her address, put the bait right in her kitchen and make her stare at it.
> "After you cast, point your toes and your shoulders at your frog. When you get that bite, don't set the hook to the side in a sweep. Set the hook straight up. Try to knock your hat off."
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