Buckets in the slop

[splashhopper]

Went out to the local pond tonight and tried a new spot there...

 

Using top-water "Scum Frogs" (white and black)

 

Lots of action in the slop... nothing in the open water

 

First retrieve through this stuff and BANG !.... fish on/ fish off

Reeled in the frog with a PILE of weeds on it.... had me fooled for a second thinking maybe I still had the fish ..lol

 

A few more casts and ... BANG ,, ,another one takes the frog... down I wait and wait... set the hook( so I thought) and poof... I am retrieving more weeds...

 

This happened 3 more times till I Finally got this one

 

Note the weeds in its bucket..

 

 

I am using 30lb Power pro with an Abu Garcia reel and Abu Garcia Workhorse( stiff) rod...

 

Questions for you Top-Water guys

 

1) Ever since I started using this new rod... I seem to have less success in setting the hook..

Any suggestions for the timing on the hooksets... other than,. wait till i feel it?

 

2) When fishing in this slop...am I going to miss more hook-ups because the fish is exploding through that stuff?

 

3) Any suggestions for slop water fishing other than the frogs I am using?

 

Thanks

 

Splashhopper

 

 

 

 

[Lunker777]

I find with the scum frogs if you count 2-3 seconds before setting the hook that you hook up alot better. Also make sure the drag is set real tight on the reel ! Also found a difference when I did that !

 

Nice fish none the less !!! I love top water froggin !

[BillM]

That's slop fishing for you.. Nothing you can do if the fish misses the baits. Lots of blowups with that type of fishing.

[spinnerbaitking]

I'm playing around with Spro's frog not much success yet but I do have lots of Bassmagnet frogs I bought about 40 packs when I heard he was going to quit making them white & black, plus Yum frogs & a bunch of other companies, hooked texas style on 3/0 or 4/0 wide gap hooks, I've had better luck with them so far

Richard

Have you been up this way lately

[Cudz]

I'm playing around with Spro's frog not much success yet but I do have lots of Bassmagnet frogs I bought about 40 packs when I heard he was going to quit making them white & black, plus Yum frogs & a bunch of other companies, hooked texas style on 3/0 or 4/0 wide gap hooks, I've had better luck with them so far

Richard

Have you been up this way lately

I find that Spro's frog have a bit stiffer body. I get more blowups on the spro but way fewer hooksets. I have a couple of Mann's frogs that have much softer bodies. I find the fish bite down easier on them and the hook set is easier. Alternately you can try a texas rigged senko on top over the pads the same way you fish the frog. I have better hook sets with those.

[limeyangler]

Jeeze....looks like the bucket your holding is a semi vegetarian with all that salad half way down its throat....lol

 

Good job Splash!

[splashhopper]

I'm playing around with Spro's frog not much success yet but I do have lots of Bassmagnet frogs I bought about 40 packs when I heard he was going to quit making them white & black, plus Yum frogs & a bunch of other companies, hooked texas style on 3/0 or 4/0 wide gap hooks, I've had better luck with them so far

Richard

Have you been up this way lately

 

I tried the Spro Frog.... too hard a body ...?

 

Been up almost every weekend...

 

Gonna be 45 minutes south of you Today too with my buddy for some bassin on the back roads.

 

Check your last PM from me for my toll free number if you want to meet up someplace.

 

Splashhopper

[Leecher]

Nice looking bucket splashhopper

Thanks for sharing

Leechman

[Jonny]

Nice one!

 

PS - I'd take the tension off that rod before posing for a pic. You don't want to be the next one wearing that hook!

[Guest skeeter99]

I find that Spro's frog have a bit stiffer body. I get more blowups on the spro but way fewer hooksets. I have a couple of Mann's frogs that have much softer bodies. I find the fish bite down easier on them and the hook set is easier. Alternately you can try a texas rigged senko on top over the pads the same way you fish the frog. I have better hook sets with those.

 

the way they are designed they really dont have to compress at all!!!

 

when you set the hook the bait slides through the mouth and the shape of the frog body (not the softness) hooks em

 

wrap your hand around the head of a spro frog and slide your hand towards the bottom without compressing

 

OUCH!!!! see you hooked yourself without compressing the frog much or very little

 

the spro frog ar probably the best hookup ratio of any "bodied frog" they hooks themselves 90% of the time

 

next woould be the plastic frogs yum/rage/zoom etc. 4 or 5 inch screw in owner hook and you are golden with these hooks no hookset is needed just a sweep up rarely miss a fish on them

 

probably miss more fish on a senko than any frog bait I throw, but I do use them alot

Edited July 25, 2009 by skeeter99

[Rattletrap2]

Wow, there sure is enough slop on that pond!

plastic frogs might be the only way to get a bait through there. Have you ever tried casting a texas rigged white Zoom Super Fluke into slop like that? It comes through very slick and does not pick up many weeds. It is heavy enough that you most likely don't need any additional weight. It darts back and forth from side to side.

 

Nice bass by the way!

[grinandbearit30]

I find with the scum frogs if you count 2-3 seconds before setting the hook that you hook up alot better. Also make sure the drag is set real tight on the reel ! Also found a difference when I did that !

 

Nice fish none the less !!! I love top water froggin !

this is the exact advice I got from my bait shop today.

[Pete1986]

I have not thrown tmy scum frogs too much as my confidence bait ontop of the foliage is the 'mossboss'

The fish love blasting the thing, but often I end up having to dodge the bait that I've yanked out of the water.

My guess is the hard plastic is hard for the fish to 'swallow' which results in them not grabbing hold the hook.

Anyway, you gotta love the visual of those fish slamming a bait and +1 when you can hook up!

 

Pete

[Burning Babies]

I've found the Mossboss to be one of the worst baits I've ever fished for hookup ratio. I started fishing Snag Proof Tournament Frogs years ago, and have been pretty brand loyal. I've been fishing with Bose Sumo frogs and Snag Proof Wiggle Wogs recently as well. Both the Snagproof and Bose frogs have very good hooking ratios, while I haven't been impressed by the Wiggle Wog (although it has a tremendous, unique action). I've fished River to Sea and Reaction Innovation frogs a little this year as well, but haven't gotten on a good bite with either yet.

 

@ Splashhopper: Are the fish really eating the frog, or just knocking it under the slop? If they're knocking it under the slop, it could be that you are retrieving a too fast and they're having trouble zeroing in, or it could be that they are rejecting it at very close range, and you need to try a different color. If they're really eating it, maybe you're waiting too long; a couple seconds is enough. It's also possible that, again, you're fishing too fast, and their only getting a piece of the frog, like a leg. Try slowing down your retrieve to a two-inch pull every two seconds or so.

[Cudz]

the way they are designed they really dont have to compress at all!!!

 

when you set the hook the bait slides through the mouth and the shape of the frog body (not the softness) hooks em

 

wrap your hand around the head of a spro frog and slide your hand towards the bottom without compressing

 

OUCH!!!! see you hooked yourself without compressing the frog much or very little

 

the spro frog ar probably the best hookup ratio of any "bodied frog" they hooks themselves 90% of the time

 

next woould be the plastic frogs yum/rage/zoom etc. 4 or 5 inch screw in owner hook and you are golden with these hooks no hookset is needed just a sweep up rarely miss a fish on them

 

probably miss more fish on a senko than any frog bait I throw, but I do use them alot

Maybe for you. I have been fishing slop with frogs for some time and I will tell you truthfully that I only hookup with about 20% of blowups with my spro frogs. With my mann's frog I bet I am closer to 50-60%. There is that much difference. I do know how to set hook. I also use a 7' heavy or a 7' mh with at least 30 pound braid. I do the same hookset using both lures.

That of course is just my opinion.

I believe the quality on the spro is the best out there. My mann's baits have split and cracked rendering them less boyant than before but my spros are all still is great shape. They also have the best skirts.

[splashhopper]

@ Splashhopper: Are the fish really eating the frog, or just knocking it under the slop? If they're knocking it under the slop, it could be that you are retrieving a too fast and they're having trouble zeroing in, or it could be that they are rejecting it at very close range, and you need to try a different color. If they're really eating it, maybe you're waiting too long; a couple seconds is enough. It's also possible that, again, you're fishing too fast, and their only getting a piece of the frog, like a leg. Try slowing down your retrieve to a two-inch pull every two seconds or so.

 

I slowed it down like you suggested here.... and got a PB LM bass for me!

Check out my latest post ( drove 15 minutes....)

Edited July 26, 2009 by splashhopper

[MCTFisher9120]

I've been having problems hooking the fish also in the really thick stuff, going to stick to jigs in those situations, in more moderate stuff try the frogs might have better luck. I hope I do lol.

 

 

Good Luck,

MTBF

[River Rat]

I love fishing used water on a slop line. Following guys after they have been nice enough to mark those fish with holes in the slop is pricless, especially when they can see you cleaning up behind them. It's even better when they whaled by you at 78 MPH the get on the slop first!! Have a bullet / worm, a big flipping tube and jig and maybe a fluke for followers to the edge.....find the holes, drop in...shaky shaky blammo...I alway follow slop blow ups this way.....and open water swirls are target practice for the fluke....and if you are ever fishingf my boat and blow a fish, it's open season for the other guy to drop in. It goes both ways, full contact fishing is the best!!

 

RR

[splashhopper]

I've been having problems hooking the fish also in the really thick stuff, going to stick to jigs in those situations, in more moderate stuff try the frogs might have better luck. I hope I do lol.

 

 

Good Luck,

MTBF

 

How do I use jigs in the slop ?

 

Won't they get hung up?

[splashhopper]

I love fishing used water on a slop line. Following guys after they have been nice enough to mark those fish with holes in the slop is pricless, especially when they can see you cleaning up behind them. It's even better when they whaled by you at 78 MPH the get on the slop first!! Have a bullet / worm, a big flipping tube and jig and maybe a fluke for followers to the edge.....find the holes, drop in...shaky shaky blammo...I alway follow slop blow ups this way.....and open water swirls are target practice for the fluke....and if you are ever fishingf my boat and blow a fish, it's open season for the other guy to drop in. It goes both ways, full contact fishing is the best!!

 

RR

 

 

hmmmm...... "used water"

more great advice from this board

 

i have seen some of that and never gave it a second thought.... duhhhh

[Guest skeeter99]

How do I use jigs in the slop ?

 

Won't they get hung up?

 

Here is a deadly tip for you after the blowup

 

use a weighted senko

 

use a title shot jig and rig weedless absolutley deadly, you sould see the action of the senko with the jig head