Pro Tips Weekly: Andy Morgan

Fishing frogs fast

Buzzing a frog has been a great springtime technique for me, especially when the weather is just starting to get consistently warm and that first batch of spawners moves up into super-shallow water. I Texas-rig a Zoom Horny Toad on a 5/0 Owner Wide Gap Plus hook and fish it with a 7 1/2-foot rod, and a reel with a fast gear ratio and 65-pound-test braid. You want a rod with a tip that will load up fairly well, because you’re not dealing with a lot of weight. I use a white or black Toad, but usually a black one because the bass seem to be able to track it better. I’ll sling it out and wind it back, but I’m not burning it; I just want the legs to leave a good bubble trail. Sometimes I’ll fish it with a 1/32-ounce weight and work it just under the surface. But most of the time I’m going to have it coming across the top because that seems to flip the switch better. Cast it into places where you can’t fish a buzzbait – heavy grass with a few little pockets and openings.

When I get a bite, I’ll keep reeling until I feel the fish and then set the hook. Sometimes the fish almost set the hook for you, they hit it so hard. I use this technique when the temperature is bumping the lower 70s and we’ve had five or six days of warm, sunny weather in a row. The first females will start pulling up into the gator grass and other vegetation, especially in the afternoon when it’s the warmest. You want to fish the sunny banks and cover water. The most important thing is to anticipate when this window of opportunity comes along and be ready to take advantage. It’s a really good way to catch some big fish in a hurry.

—— Evinrude Pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn.