No, I'm not talking about a gig and a frying pan. I'm talking about catching shallow summertime bass with one of my Spro Bronzeye Frogs. To do it right you'll need three of them and some basic tackle.
Spro Bronzeye65 in Midnight Walker
This is your general, go-to bait. It'll catch bass over weeds and thick vegetation, in lily pads and around laydowns under all conditions. Bass can't resist those piercing red eyes. As soon as you take it out of the package cut about an inch off both legs. That'll make it walk cleaner and with very little effort on your part.
Work it really slow right over the top of where you think the bass are hiding. Give them plenty of time to make up their minds.
Spro Bronzeye65 in Red Ear
This color pattern is specifically designed to mimic bluegill and other sunfish. Again, clip about an inch off the legs for easier walking. Fish it over bluegill beds — they spawn all summer long — or wherever the primary forage is bluegill.
Start it slow and increase your speed and walking action until you find what they want.
Spro Bronzeye Popper in Natural Green
I like to throw this one over heavy vegetation. It walks right out of the package and is designed with a cupped lip. It'll walk and spit water at the same time, which will help you pull the bass up out of the heavy stuff.
Don't be shy when you fish with the Bronzeye Popper. Make sure you create a little splash and push a lot of water around. That's what it's designed to do.
Tackle
A word or two is in order when it comes to selecting tackle. I throw my frogs on my Quantum Signature Series Tour Dean Rojas Frog Rod. It's a 7-foot blank with a medium-heavy action and a fast tip. My reel is a Quantum Tour PT Burner with a 7:1 gear ratio. I spool it with green 65-pound-test Izorline and secure that to my bait with a double Palomar knot.
Now, I know that everyone can't go out and buy a rod and reel just for their frog fishing. If you don't have my tackle, pick from what you have, but make sure it's as close as possible to what I'm using.
The fast tip on your rod is critical. It'll help you throw your Bronzeye Frog accurately and make walking the dog with it much easier. You can fish with a slower reel, but I don't recommend it. The high-speed gears let you reel your frog back in quickly for another cast and let you gather slack line rapidly on the bite.
Don't skimp on line. Izorline is the best and is very reasonably priced. Use a double Palomar knot. It'll never work loose and will hold against the biggest bass. There are several good videos on the Internet that'll help you learn how to tie one if you don't know how to do that already.
Go get 'em!
