Most guys think of frog fishing as being a summertime deal, but it works for me all year. In fact, December is the only month when I haven’t caught bass on frogs. Skip it under docks, around lay-down logs, or under overhanging trees and brush – in open water or heavy vegetation. I’ve won several fall tournaments using a Snagproof Phat Frog in shad or white. I like to walk it along the surface with a Daiwa Steez XBD Frog Rod, which is a 7-foot, 4-inch rod with extra heavy action. My reel is Daiwa Zillion (6.3:1 gear ratio) loaded with 55-pound-test Samurai Braid.
Conventional wisdom has it that topwaters produce best first thing in the morning, and then you switch off to other presentations. But I’m telling you, a Snagproof Phat Frog going across the surface in short twitches will catch fish all day long. You’ve just got to have confidence and stick with it.
— Yamaha pro Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif.