It’s fall, almost. Much of what you read and hear about involves catching numbers. The baitfish are moving shallow and so are the bass. But what about catching a giant? True, they aren’t heavy with eggs so they’re not quite so big, but they have been feeding all year. If you want a true giant between now and winter, it’s possible if you fish correctly.
It’s not complicated. All you need to do is fish with the right lure, and you need to present that lure correctly. You also need to target the right place. And finally, you need to accept the fact that you’ll only get a couple of bites a day.
The right lure for me is a big, fat frog. I’ve included the photo above so you get the idea of what I’m talking about. The frog on the right is a normal size one. The frog on the left is a big one. As you can see it’s at least twice as big. My choice for this size frog is a Megabass Big Gabot Hollow Bodied Frog.
Color is a part of picking the right lure. My choice is a little out of the norm. Most hardcore frog anglers will tell you that black and white are the colors to fish. I’m not most anglers. I like natural colors. There are several Big Gabot selections that fit that bill. Pick the one you like the best.
I also trim the skirt tails on my frog so that they flair out more when it’s sitting still in the water. The trimming makes it easier to walk too. I trim both of them at an angle in so that the longest strands are to the inside.
My tackle is pretty much the same as other anglers. I want a long, heavy-action rod, and I want my reel spooled with 65-pound-test Seaguar braid. There are several types. They’re all good. Pick what you want according to what you like the best and according to your budget.
The two best places to fish a giant frog are at the mouth of a creek or at the mouth of a cove, backwater or cut. My experience says that the giants don’t go back into the real shallow water where all the baitfish and other bass are found. They prefer the outside where the water is deeper and an escape route is nearby.
I walk my frog slowly and carefully. The best cadence I’ve found is to snap your rod three times and then pause for several seconds. It’s left-right-left-pause all the way back to the boat. Don’t get in a hurry. Slow and easy is what’ll get you a bite. This bait has a natural shape and a natural color. Take advantage of that.
The last thing I want to mention is that you must understand that you’ll go hours without a bite doing this. It’s for serious anglers only — those men and women who are willing to fish all day for two or three big bites. If you want fast action, go to the backs of the areas I’ve described and throw something smaller.
Any angler can meet the challenge of catching a giant bass this fall. There’s no doubt about it. It’s just a matter of fishing with the right lure with the right tackle and presenting your lure correctly in the right places.
Go get one. You can do it.
