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Targeting Bass with Top-Water Frogs
 Keith Lusher
With the weather warming up here in the deep south, bass anglers are pulling out another weapon in their arsenal of tactics that accompany the summer-like conditions.
“The bass we’ve been catching are chunky because they’ve been chowing down on all the bullfrogs in the water,” says Adam Hotard of Covington. The fraternal twins Adam and John (12) and their younger brother Oliver (9) have been fishing for bass since they were “young”. “We started fishing for perch using cane poles when we were young, but when we changed over to crickets for bait we caught bass and liked catching them better than the perch,” John says.  Oliver catches a bullfrog along the shoreline
The Hotard boys don’t have access to a boat so they target the local ponds that are in their Covington neighborhood. That’s not a problem for the brothers because it’s the ponds that typically warm up before the rivers offering more of a sanctuary for bullfrogs. Add to it the fact that the still-water ponds offer more shoreline vegetation than the average river and you’ve got the perfect scenario for some exciting top-water bass action.
The boys have been having success fishing with hollow-bodied frogs in a 7-acre pond that is close to their home on the outskirts of Abita Springs. While the brothers agree that May is a great month to target bass using top-water frogs, like most siblings, they have a difference of opinion as to what the best way is to catch bass using frogs lures.  John says duckweed is his favorite type of vegetation to target
Habitat
While most anglers agree that vegetation is an important factor when using a floating frog, there are some varying types of plants to target when it comes to choosing a the best bullfrog habitat. John says he likes to cast out away from the shoreline and pop the frog towards a line of duckweed that extends from the shoreline. Oliver says he likes to use top-water frogs underneath overhangs. “There’s one spot in the pond that I always get hits! It’s a corner of the pond underneath a tree and almost every time I throw underneath it, a bass comes from and grabs the lure - I just can never seem to set the hook on it!” the youngster says. Adam says he’s been having success using top-water frogs in the lily pads. “The last bass I caught, I casted out away from some lily pads and popped it towards the pads. Right before the frog got to the pad the bass hit it,” says Adam. 
John had to walk into the pond to retrieve Olivers bass that was hung up in the lilies.
 Adam says patience is important when using floating frogs
Types of Frogs
There are a litany of frog lures on the market but Oliver says his favorite is the style that features plastic legs instead of the skirt legs. “I like the frogs that have solid legs because they make more noise when you pop them,” he says. Adam and John agree that Olivers technique of fishing a frog is definitely not a subtle one. Adam recalls an episode where Oliver was popping his frog really hard. “One time I was far away from Oliver and I heard a big splash. I yelled at him ‘did you catch one?’ and he replied ‘no that’s just my frog popping on the water!” The most exciting part of fishing with top-water frogs is the explosion when a bass decides to strike. Adam, John, and Oliver all recommend having a little patience when it comes to setting the hook. “It’s super exciting when you see that splash and you just want to set the hook but just relax and chill out. Try waiting 3 seconds after the hit and when you see your line moving then you set the hook,” Adam says. While the youngsters don’t have any personal stories about missing a fish because of being impatient they are quick to recall a time where their mother, Julie, had such a problem. “One time we were all using frogs and Adam had two frogs so he let my Mom use one. Well, she wasn’t having any luck with it so she just threw it out and was letting it sit. Then a big bass came up and hit it! We told her to wait 3 seconds but she was too excited and pulled it right out of its mouth,” says Oliver. Upcoming Tournaments Bass Assassins is holding its next tournament on Sunday, June 5 at Crawford’s Landing. For more information please contact Chris Basey at 985-707-7857. Pearl River Team Trails is holding its next tournament at the East Pearl River on Saturday, June 13. For more information please contact Charles Dauzat at 985-960-6936. |
 Keith Lusher
I created NFR.com in the spring of 2012. Since then it has helped link Northshore fishermen to valuable information and has filled the void of absent information on the web about fishing on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Northshore Fishing Report has morphed into a brand name and can be found not only on the web, but on radio and newspaper. As NFR grows I will continue to work hard at keeping NFR local focusing on local anglers, reports, seminars, and fishing tournaments in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parish. I hope you enjoy the website and If you have any questions please email me at: Keith@NorthshoreFishingReport.com
Look for the Northshore Fishing Report publication every Thursday in The Slidell Independent Weekly Newspaper!
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