Mid-Fifty Temps / Mid-Fifty Bass in the Boat

Oct 17 2021

Shane Devenport

Fry

Member Since :
2021
Number of Posts :
10

Reservation Number : 30041
Property Name : Twin Oaks
Reservation Date : 10/16/2021 AM -
Total Fish/Sizes : 56 Bass 3/4 pound to 3.5 pounds
Lures Used : Rat-L-Traps

2 Dudes 

2 Kayaks 

56 Bass (7:15 to 12:00 noon)

First day of Fall-like weather and being on the water was Awesome.  Water temp was 72 degrees and the air temperature started in the 50’s. As Henry Ford said, “Any customer can have a car painted any color they want so long as it is Black”, today you could catch fish on any lure you wanted so long as it was a Rat-L-Trap. The fish were biting aggressive early and we had 35 fish by 9:30. The bites slowed down about 10:30. We tried many different lures(spinner baits, chatter baits, Texas Rig, top water frogs, weightless plastics, 10ft diving cranks), but the only thing that put a fish in the boat for either of us was the ol trusty Trap.  
I had several fish blow up on two different style top water frogs and I missed every single one. If anyone has a good frog you can recommend that has better than a 0% hook setting ratio, that would be much appreciated. 
Most of the fish in this lake are long and lean(only 2 culls) and sometimes you feel you are catching the same fish over and over. 

Oct 17 2021

Joshua Massoud

Keeper

Member Since :
2021
Number of Posts :
487

Nice works gents.  Fall means rattletraps, buzzbaits, and squarebills to me and finally not having to throw soft plastics all day. As for frogs, I’d say I generally hate them but there are certain situations where it just can’t be beat (or you just have to) ,so I had to learn to find what would work this summer.  I tried alot of them with the same issue you had (hookup ratio).  So here is what I found worked for me:

  1. I switched to these two https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Z-Man_Leap_Frogz_Walking_Frog/descpage-ZLFW.htm and https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/6th_Sense_Vega_Hollow_Body_Frog/descpage-SSHBF.html.  
  2. I boiled them per Randy Blaukat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2pVEr7EZm4 for 5-8 seconds and work them over with my hand a bit to soften them.
  3. Add a rattle for dirty water or really heavy weeds to help them find it a bit better. 
  4. Trim the skirt overall and one side a bit more than the other to help it walk better. 
  5. Someone advised me to add a trailer hook earlier in the year but i found that I get snagged alot with it but maybe you can get it to work. 

Hopefully that helps! 

Oct 17 2021

Shane Devenport

Fry

Member Since :
2021
Number of Posts :
10

Originaly Posted By Joshua Massoud

Nice works gents.  Fall means rattletraps, buzzbaits, and squarebills to me and finally not having to throw soft plastics all day. As for frogs, I’d say I generally hate them but there are certain situations where it just can’t be beat (or you just have to) ,so I had to learn to find what would work this summer.  I tried alot of them with the same issue you had (hookup ratio).  So here is what I found worked for me:

  1. I switched to these two https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Z-Man_Leap_Frogz_Walking_Frog/descpage-ZLFW.htm and https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/6th_Sense_Vega_Hollow_Body_Frog/descpage-SSHBF.html.  
  2. I boiled them per Randy Blaukat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2pVEr7EZm4 for 5-8 seconds and work them over with my hand a bit to soften them.
  3. Add a rattle for dirty water or really heavy weeds to help them find it a bit better. 
  4. Trim the skirt overall and one side a bit more than the other to help it walk better. 
  5. Someone advised me to add a trailer hook earlier in the year but i found that I get snagged alot with it but maybe you can get it to work. 

Hopefully that helps! 

I’ll give that a try.  
 

Thank you. 

Oct 18 2021

John Jones

Fingerling

Member Since :
2017
Number of Posts :
59

Shane,

Dude! Frog fishing is my favorite type of fishing! Keep at it, man! The rewards are worth the missed hookups! Some of my biggest fish have come on frogs. Caught an 8.5 on a white Spro popping frog. Caught several 7’s and plenty more on them. I've come to like the Spro popping frogs. But honestly, patience is the key! Wait after the blowup for her to take it, then load up on her! Practice is half the fun! Hope you keep at it and don't get discouraged!!

tight lines dude!

Oct 18 2021

Shane Devenport

Fry

Member Since :
2021
Number of Posts :
10

Originaly Posted By John Jones

Shane,

Dude! Frog fishing is my favorite type of fishing! Keep at it, man! The rewards are worth the missed hookups! Some of my biggest fish have come on frogs. Caught an 8.5 on a white Spro popping frog. Caught several 7’s and plenty more on them. I've come to like the Spro popping frogs. But honestly, patience is the key! Wait after the blowup for her to take it, then load up on her! Practice is half the fun! Hope you keep at it and don't get discouraged!!

tight lines dude!

I guess practice is what I need since that is one of the frogs I had and used.  It felt like I was waiting forever to set the hook.  Time to get back out and give it another go.