With the recent influx of what I can only call "froglet baits" hitting the market I thought we should take a minute to investigate.. "why?"
Obviously we all know that frogs are like to steak to a Bass, so what would make them hungry for steak bites and not a entire T-bone.. well its just Nature, simple as that..
Each year in early Spring (March or so) Frogs begin to lay their eggs, and over a 12 week period, they grow from egg, to tadpole, to froglet. Hitting that last important stage of growth just around the end of June.. During this time period Bass and other fish will instinctively be feeding on and off of the influx of small frogs or "froglets", and the timing couldn't be more perfect for a frog fisherman.
FROG.LET (noun)
Definition: a young frog; specifically : one that has recently metamorphosed from a tadpole
Each year in early Spring (March or so) Frogs begin to lay their eggs, and over a 12 week period, they grow from egg, to tadpole, to froglet. Hitting that last important stage of growth just around the end of June.. During this time period Bass and other fish will instinctively be feeding on and off of the influx of small frogs or "froglets", and the timing couldn't be more perfect for a frog fisherman.
Matching the Hatch
Although June is not a traditional frog month for most anglers, I personally like to break out a frog no matter the weather or season, and I let the fish dictate.
So In the spirit of "matching the hatch" what better early season bait to use then a froglet, and if you are in the market for one, here are a couple you really need to check out
FGH45T by: Live Target
Like with their field mouse, and walking frog, the Live Target team have been in front of the trends as they pertains to frog fishing, and this is the case again. Last season Live Target introduced the FGH45T, the smallest version of their very popular hollow body line. Although not as small as the Lunker Hunt Pocket Frog or the Samurai Frog, it is small enough to be swallowed whole, and since it is a Live Target product you can rely on the fact that it has a high quality hook and body
FGH45T by: Live Target
Like with their field mouse, and walking frog, the Live Target team have been in front of the trends as they pertains to frog fishing, and this is the case again. Last season Live Target introduced the FGH45T, the smallest version of their very popular hollow body line. Although not as small as the Lunker Hunt Pocket Frog or the Samurai Frog, it is small enough to be swallowed whole, and since it is a Live Target product you can rely on the fact that it has a high quality hook and body
Over the past few years Canadian Company LunkerHunt has been slowly building a very impressive collection of soft plastic baits, from senko's to tubes, and this year they have launched a line of Edu-Kits specifically designed to educate anglers on various techniques. One of these Edu-Kits contains the Pocket Frog, a very small froglet available in one size and a few select colors. I really like the size and colors and body shaope of the Pocket Frog, my only disappointment is that the hook appears to be barb-less. Not sure if this is a flaw on my frog or something done on purpose. This tiny frog is the smallest of the three, and nearly impossible for a fish to miss on a strike.
I heard about a the Pocket frog from a buddy and he had nothing but rave reviews from his time testing the prototype last season.
Update: This info was provided to my by the team at LunkerHunt,
"Big Bass have a tendency to inhale our pocket frog. Barbless hooks make releasing fish easier. I have yet to have a fish come unpegged. The hooks are super sharp and set at an angle to ensure solid hook ups. Just maintain pressure when fighting fish and you will be fine.
Another advantage to the barbless hooks that we discovered during testing is that the body of the frog tends to hold up longer without the barbs poking into it."
Another advantage to the barbless hooks that we discovered during testing is that the body of the frog tends to hold up longer without the barbs poking into it."
(Pocket Frog)
Samaurai Frog by: Vok
Vok, Another company new to the frog market, unleashed two Frogs at the 2012 Spring Fishing and Boat show in Toronto last month. Both the Vok Croaker and Samurai frog are available in standard and Froglet size, but I recommend sticking to the Samurai series. When handleing the frogs they have very similar characteristics, but you will quickly notice the hooks on the Croaker are not lined up properly (turned in), and may effect your hook-up ratio. Unfortunatly the most unique color options are in the Croaker line, so I picked up one of each, and will worry about the hook later.
(Samurai Frog vs. Full Size Croaker Frog)
In fishing as in life.. "Size does Matter", but bigger is not always better. There is a time and place to unleash a froglet, so when you hit the water at the end of June this season, be sure to give a froglet a try.. I dont think you will be disappointed.. and your hook-up ratio will go sky high
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